Privacy Policy

Welcome to TankMates ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our platform.

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, this policy complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Personal Information You Provide

• Account information: email address, name, nickname, password
• Profile information: bio, location, profile image URL
• Content you create: journeys, listings, comments, messages
• Business verification data: entity name, tax ID (for verified sellers)

Automatically Collected Information

• Device information: IP address, browser type, operating system
• Usage data: pages visited, features used, time spent on platform
• Location data: country/region derived from IP address (for GDPR compliance)

Image Uploads

When you upload images to TankMates, we automatically strip all EXIF metadata (including GPS location, camera information, and timestamps) from your images before they are stored. This protects your privacy by removing potentially sensitive information that could reveal your location or device details.

Information from Third Parties

• YouTube channel data (if you sync a YouTube channel to your journey)

We use your information for the following purposes:

• Provide Services: Create and manage your account, enable marketplace features, facilitate messaging
• Improve Platform: Analyze usage patterns, fix bugs, develop new features
• Communication: Send notifications about your account, respond to inquiries
• Safety & Security: Detect fraud, enforce terms of service, protect users
• Legal Compliance: Comply with GDPR, biosecurity regulations, and other legal obligations
• Analytics: Track platform usage and engagement (only with your consent for EU users)

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience. For users in the EU, we request your consent before using non-essential cookies.

Types of Cookies

• Necessary Cookies: Essential for authentication and basic functionality. These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how users interact with the platform. Requires consent for EU users.
• Marketing Cookies: May be used for targeted advertising in the future. Requires consent for EU users.

You can manage your cookie preferences in your account settings.

If you are located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, you have the following rights:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format
• Right to Object: Object to certain types of data processing
• Right to Restrict Processing: Limit how we use your data
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time (does not affect prior processing)

To exercise these rights, visit your Privacy & Data settings or contact us at [email protected].

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to:

• Provide our services and maintain your account
• Comply with legal obligations (e.g., tax records for 7 years)
• Resolve disputes and enforce agreements

When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal data within 30 days, except where we are legally required to retain it (e.g., for financial records or legal compliance).

We do not sell your personal information. We may share data with:

• Service Providers: Third parties who help operate our platform (hosting, email, analytics)
• Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect rights and safety
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets
• With Your Consent: When you explicitly agree to share data with third parties

Third-Party Services

• YouTube API: Video embedding and channel synchronization

TankMates is operated from Australia. If you are located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your jurisdiction.

We ensure adequate safeguards are in place to protect your data, including:

• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the EU Commission
• Ensuring third-party service providers are GDPR-compliant

TankMates is not intended for children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us at [email protected].

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encrypted passwords using bcrypt hashing
• HTTPS encryption for data transmission
• Regular security audits and updates
• Access controls and authentication mechanisms

However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting a notice on the platform or sending an email to the address associated with your account.

Your continued use of TankMates after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Data Protection Officer: [email protected]

For EU residents, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.