Privacy Policy

Effective Date: May 15, 2025

Bolaoo ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of everyone who uses our ride-hailing platform. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and share it, and the choices you have. By using the Bolaoo app or any of our services, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Who This Policy Applies To

This policy applies to all users of the Bolaoo platform, including:

• Riders — passengers who request rides through the app.
• Drivers — independent driver-partners who provide rides.
• Visitors — anyone who visits our website or contacts our support team.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Full name, email address, and phone number (registration)
• Profile photo
• Government-issued ID (Drivers, for verification)
• Vehicle details — make, model, registration number, insurance certificate (Drivers)
• Payment information — card details or digital wallet identifiers (processed securely via our payment partners; we do not store raw card numbers)
• Feedback, ratings, and support messages you submit

2.2 Information Generated When You Use the Service

• Precise GPS location — collected continuously in the foreground during an active ride, and in the background while the Driver app is running. Riders' location is collected during ride requests and active trips.
• Pickup and drop-off addresses and trip routes
• Ride history — date, time, distance, fare, and Driver/Rider details for each trip
• Transaction and payment history
• In-app communications (e.g., messages between Rider and Driver)
• Ratings and reviews given and received
• SOS / emergency event logs (location snapshots, timestamps)

2.3 Device & Technical Information

• Device type, model, and operating system version
• App version and unique device identifiers
• IP address and mobile network information
• Crash reports and performance diagnostics (via Sentry)
• Push notification tokens

2.4 Information from Third Parties

• Identity verification results from our KYC/document-verification partners (Drivers)
• Payment status and fraud signals from our payment processors
• Analytics data from third-party analytics providers we use to improve the app

3. How We Use Your Information

• To provide the service — match Riders with nearby Drivers, enable navigation, process payments, and send ride receipts.
• To verify identity — confirm Driver eligibility, validate documents, and prevent fraud.
• For safety & security — monitor for unsafe behaviour, operate the SOS emergency feature, share location with emergency contacts when activated, and respond to safety incidents.
• To communicate with you — send trip updates, receipts, promotional offers (with your consent), and important service or policy notices.
• To improve the platform — analyse usage patterns, diagnose bugs, and develop new features.
• To process payments — calculate fares, settle Driver earnings, issue refunds, and detect fraudulent transactions.
• To comply with legal obligations — respond to lawful requests from government authorities and meet regulatory requirements.
• To resolve disputes — investigate complaints, mediate disagreements between Riders and Drivers, and enforce our Terms of Service.

4. Location Data

Location is central to how Bolaoo works. Here is how we handle it:

• Riders: We collect location when you open the app to show your position on the map, during ride matching, and throughout the active trip for navigation and ETA.
• Drivers: We collect location continuously while the Driver app is active (including background) to enable ride dispatch, navigation, and earnings tracking.
• SOS feature: When the emergency SOS is activated, your real-time location is streamed and may be shared with your designated emergency contacts.
• You can revoke location permissions in your device settings at any time, but this will prevent core app functionality from working.
• We retain trip-level location data (start/end points and route) as part of your ride history. We do not retain continuous background location data beyond what is needed for the active session.

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We share data only in the following circumstances:

Between Riders and Drivers

When a ride is matched, the Rider's first name, profile photo, pick-up location, and rating are shared with the Driver. The Driver's name, photo, vehicle details, and real-time location are shared with the Rider. Phone numbers are masked and routed through our platform where technically feasible.

Service Providers

We share information with trusted third-party vendors who help us operate the platform, including cloud infrastructure, payment processing, identity verification, push notifications, mapping, and analytics. These vendors are contractually bound to process data only on our instructions and in accordance with this policy.

Emergency Contacts

If you activate the SOS feature, your location and trip details may be shared with the emergency contacts you have designated within the app.

Legal & Regulatory

We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or government regulation, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Bolaoo, our users, or the public.

Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the successor entity. We will notify you before your data is subject to a different privacy policy.

6. Data Retention

• Account information is retained for as long as your account is active and for a reasonable period thereafter to comply with legal obligations.
• Ride history and transaction records are retained for a minimum of 5 years to comply with financial and regulatory requirements.
• Driver verification documents are retained for the duration of the Driver's engagement and as required by law.
• When you delete your account, personal identifiers are removed or anonymised, but aggregated and anonymised data (e.g., trip statistics) may be retained indefinitely.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (TLS) and at rest
• Access controls limiting data access to authorised personnel only
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Crash and error monitoring via Sentry to detect anomalies

Despite these measures, no system is 100% secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at [email protected].

8. Children's Privacy

Bolaoo is not intended for use by anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we become aware that a minor has created an account, we will promptly delete the account and associated data. If you believe a minor is using our service, please contact us.

9. Your Rights & Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction — update inaccurate or incomplete information via your profile settings or by contacting us.
• Deletion — request deletion of your account and personal data via Settings > Delete Account in the app, or via our Delete Account page.
• Restriction — ask us to limit how we process your data in certain circumstances.
• Portability — request a machine-readable export of the data you provided to us.
• Withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent (e.g., marketing communications), you may withdraw at any time without affecting prior processing.
• Location permissions — manage location access via your device settings at any time.
• Push notifications — opt out of marketing notifications in your device or app settings (transactional notifications related to active rides cannot be disabled).

To exercise any of the above rights, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

10. Cookies & Analytics

The Bolaoo mobile app does not use browser cookies. We may use mobile analytics SDKs and crash-reporting tools (e.g., Sentry) that collect anonymised usage data to help us understand app performance and fix issues. This data does not identify you personally. Our website may use cookies for session management and analytics; you can control these via your browser settings.

11. Third-Party Links & Services

The app or website may contain links to third-party websites or services. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external services you access through our platform.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you via the app or by email before the changes take effect. Your continued use of the service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

For any privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns, please contact us at:

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone / WhatsApp: +977 9705801400

Last updated: May 15, 2025