Legal
Privacy Policy
Last Updated: April 12, 2026
1. Overview
The Loop Locals ("we," "our," or "us") is operated by Local Loop LLC. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and related services. By using The Loop Locals, you agree to the terms of this policy.
If you have questions or concerns, contact us at privacy@thelooplocals.app.
2. Information We Collect
2a. Location Data (Background)
We collect background location data strictly to enable the "Pulse Radius" local alerts. This allows us to notify you about active Bounties and nearby merchant Drops even when the app is closed or not in use. Background location access is requested once with your explicit consent and can be revoked at any time in your device Settings.
2b. Phone Numbers
We collect phone numbers strictly for SMS Wallet verification and fraud prevention. Your phone number is used to confirm your identity before enabling financial features (Loop Pay). We store a one-way cryptographic hash of your phone number for privacy-preserving contact matching in the Inner Circle feature. Your raw phone number is never shared with other users.
2c. Account & Profile Data
- Email address (for authentication and transactional notifications)
- Username and display name (publicly visible inside the app)
- Profile photo (optional, stored securely in cloud storage)
- Date of birth (for age verification — stored as age only, not the raw date)
2d. Usage & Device Data
- App activity logs (drops viewed, bounties claimed, interactions)
- Device type and OS version (for crash diagnostics)
- IP address (for rate limiting and fraud prevention)
3. How We Use Your Information
- To provide and operate the The Loop Locals service
- To send Pulse Radius geofence alerts (background location)
- To verify your identity via SMS before enabling financial features
- To process rewards, Bounties, and Loop Pay transactions
- To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and policy violations
- To send transactional emails and in-app notifications
- To comply with legal obligations
4. Data Sharing & Third Parties
We do not sell user data to third parties. Your personal information is never sold, rented, or traded.
We share data only with the following trusted service providers, strictly to operate the platform:
- Stripe — Payment processing for Loop Pay and merchant billing. We do not store credit card numbers on our servers. All payment data is handled directly by Stripe and subject to their PCI-DSS compliance. See stripe.com/privacy.
- Twilio / SMS provider — One-time verification codes sent to your phone number.
- Resend — Transactional email delivery (email verification, receipts).
- Google Maps / Expo Location — Map rendering and device GPS access (with your permission).
- Apple / Google Sign-In — Optional social authentication. We receive only your name and email when you use these providers.
We may disclose information to law enforcement or government authorities if required by law or to protect the rights and safety of our users.
5. Data Retention
We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. If you request deletion, we will remove your personal data within 24 hours and archive anonymized usage records for fraud-prevention purposes in accordance with applicable law.
6. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction (GDPR, CCPA, etc.), you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your account and associated data
- Withdraw consent for background location at any time (via device Settings)
- Port your data to another service
- Lodge a complaint with a data protection authority
To exercise any of these rights, submit a request at /data-deletion or email privacy@thelooplocals.app.
7. Children's Privacy
The Loop Locals is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. Users must be at least 15 years old to create an account. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us personal information, contact us immediately.
8. Security
We use industry-standard security measures including bcrypt password hashing, encrypted HTTPS transport, and server-side session tokens. Sensitive data at rest is encrypted. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via in-app notification or email. Your continued use of The Loop Locals after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.