Buoy is a social planning app for seeing the people you already know. You drop a "buoy" to signal what you're doing or want to do, and friends can see it and join. This policy explains what we collect, why, and the choices you have.
It applies to the Buoy mobile app and is written to be read, not to be hidden behind jargon. If something here is unclear, contact us at hello@buoy.social.
Buoy is intended for users aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.
Buoy ("Buoy," "we," "us," or "our") operates the Buoy mobile app from New York, United States. For any privacy question or request, reach us at hello@buoy.social.
We collect the information described below to provide, secure, and operate Buoy.
| What | Why we collect it |
|---|---|
| Phone number | To create your account and sign you in by SMS. Your phone number is how friends find and connect with you. |
| Name | So friends recognize you and your buoys. |
| Username and Instagram handle (optional) | Optional profile details you can add or remove at any time. |
| Buoys and plans you post | The activity, time, and place of what you're doing or want to do — the core of the app. |
| RSVPs and group names | To coordinate who's coming and organize friend groups. |
| Reports you submit | To review content or accounts you flag (see "Your safety and user content"). |
| What | Why we collect it |
|---|---|
| Contacts | If you grant contacts access, Buoy reads phone numbers from your contacts and checks them against existing Buoy users so you can find people you already know. Phone numbers are sent to our servers to perform that matching. We do not retain a permanent copy of your address book, and we do not contact people on your behalf. You can use Buoy without granting contacts access. |
| Places you select | When you add a location to a buoy, your search text is sent to Google Places to return matching results. Buoy stores the place you select so it can appear on your buoy; we do not keep a history of your searches. Buoy does not access or track your device's precise GPS location. |
| What | Why we collect it |
|---|---|
| Push notification token | A device identifier that lets us send you notifications (for example, when someone joins your buoy). You can turn notifications off in your device settings. |
| Technical and security data | Information such as IP address, device and operating-system information, app and session information, timestamps, and logs, together with approximate location derived from IP address. This may be processed by us or our service providers to operate, secure, troubleshoot, and prevent abuse of the service. We do not currently operate our own advertising or behavioral-tracking analytics. |
Buoy does not access or track your device's precise GPS location. Separately, infrastructure providers may infer approximate location from your IP address for security and service operation, as described above.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not show third-party advertising in Buoy.
We may share information as described below:
Your name, profile details, and the buoys you post are visible to the friends and groups you share them with. Who sees a given buoy depends on the audience you choose when you post it. When you block another user, that user will no longer be able to view your profile or buoys through their account, and you will no longer see theirs.
We rely on a small number of companies to operate Buoy. We require service providers and other third parties that process personal information on our behalf to provide the same or equivalent protection described in this policy and required by applicable privacy requirements, and to process the information only for permitted purposes.
| Provider | Role |
|---|---|
| Clerk | Account creation and phone-number (SMS) sign-in. May process IP address, device and session information, and approximate location derived from IP address. |
| Supabase | Database and backend services that store your app data. May process device and access information and approximate location derived from IP address. |
| Google Places | Powers place search when you add a location to a buoy. Your use of these features is also subject to the Google Privacy Policy. |
| Apple | App distribution and the Apple Push Notification service. |
| Expo | Push-notification delivery and app build and update services. Receives the push token and notification content needed to deliver a notification. |
If Buoy is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or part of its assets, information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to applicable law.
We may disclose information if required by law, or where we believe in good faith that it is necessary to protect the rights, safety, or property of Buoy, our users, or the public.
Buoy does not permit abusive, harassing, or objectionable content or behavior. You can report content or accounts, and block other users, directly in the app. We review reports of objectionable content and may take appropriate action, including removing content and suspending or permanently terminating accounts.
We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to provide Buoy, maintain security, resolve disputes, comply with legal obligations, and enforce our agreements. Different categories of information may be retained for different periods — for example, moderation and security records may be kept longer than ordinary account content.
When you delete your account, we delete or de-identify account information unless retention is reasonably necessary for one of the purposes above. Information may remain for a limited period in encrypted backups before being removed through our normal backup cycle.
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information, including encrypted connections and access controls at our infrastructure providers. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so while we work hard to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Buoy is intended for people aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe someone under 18 has provided us information, contact us at hello@buoy.social and we will delete it.
We may update this policy as Buoy evolves. When we make material changes, we'll update the "Last updated" date above and provide additional notice where appropriate. Where required by law, we will obtain your consent before applying material changes to how we collect, use, or share your personal information.
Questions, requests, or concerns about your privacy? Reach us at hello@buoy.social.