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Whistly

Privacy Policy

Effective date: May 16, 2026  ·  Operated by Soft Signal Canada  ·  Questions: support@whistly.ca

Whistly is a location-based community signal platform operated by Soft Signal Canada ("we", "us", "our"). This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and your rights with respect to it. By using Whistly you agree to this policy.

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information when you use Whistly:

• Account information — email address, first and last name, profile photo (optional), and account creation date when you register.
• Location data — your device's foreground GPS coordinates, used only while the app is actively open, to show nearby signals and allow you to post signals in your area. We never request background location access. If you choose to post anonymously, your exact location is offset by up to 500 metres before being stored or displayed.
• Content you post — signal messages, photos, comments, and votes you submit within the app.
• Push notification token — a device token provided by Expo/Google Firebase Cloud Messaging, used only to deliver signal alerts you have subscribed to.
• Usage analytics — event data (screen views, feature interactions, app interactions) collected via Google Firebase Analytics to help us understand and improve the app. This may include device identifiers.
• Crash logs and diagnostics — technical information about app crashes and performance, collected automatically via Google Firebase to help us identify and fix issues.
• Support requests — messages and email addresses you voluntarily submit via the Help & Support form.

2. How We Use Your Information

• To create and manage your account
• To display signals relevant to your location
• To deliver push notifications for signals you have subscribed to
• To enable community features such as comments, votes, and reporting
• To respond to support requests
• To monitor and improve app performance, stability, and safety
• To diagnose and fix crashes and technical issues
• To enforce our Terms of Service and investigate abuse

3. Third-Party Services

Whistly uses the following third-party services that may process some of your data in order to provide their functionality:

• Google Firebase (Google LLC) — authentication, cloud database (Firestore), file storage, push notifications (FCM), analytics, and crash reporting. Firebase Privacy Policy
• Google Maps Platform (Google LLC) — map display and reverse geocoding (converting GPS coordinates to addresses). Google Privacy Policy
• OpenStreetMap / Nominatim (OpenStreetMap Foundation) — location search (converting place names to coordinates) when you set a custom subscription location. Search terms you enter are sent to the Nominatim API. No account or personal data is shared. OSM Privacy Policy
• Expo (Expo Inc.) — push notification infrastructure and app distribution. Expo Privacy Policy

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• With the third-party service providers listed above, solely to operate the app's core features
• If required by applicable law, court order, or government authority
• To protect the rights, property, or safety of Whistly, our users, or the public

5. Data Retention

We retain your account information and content for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service. If you deactivate your account, your profile is hidden from other users but your data is retained for up to 90 days before being scheduled for deletion, to allow for account recovery.

If you request permanent deletion (see Section 6), we will delete your data within 30 days.

6. Your Rights & Account Deletion

You have the right to access, correct, and delete your personal information. Specifically:

• Deactivate your account — available any time from Profile → Deactivate Account within the app. Deactivation hides your profile immediately and you can request reactivation by emailing us.
• Request permanent deletion — email support@whistly.ca with the subject line "Account Deletion Request" and your registered email address. We will permanently delete your account, profile, signals, comments, and all associated data within 30 days and confirm by email.
• Data portability — you may request a copy of your personal data by emailing us.
• Correct your information — you can update your name and profile photo at any time via Profile → Edit Profile in the app.

Depending on your country or province of residence, you may have additional rights under applicable privacy law (including Canada's PIPEDA, Quebec's Law 25, the EU's GDPR, or California's CCPA). Please contact us to exercise any of these rights.

7. Children's Privacy

Whistly is not directed at children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you believe a child under 16 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@whistly.ca and we will promptly delete it.

We have a zero-tolerance policy for child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) content. If we discover or receive a credible report of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on our platform, we will immediately remove the content, permanently terminate the offending account, and report to the Canadian Centre for Child Protection via cybertip.ca and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) as required by applicable law. We cooperate fully with law enforcement investigations involving child safety.

To report child safety concerns, use the in-app report button on any signal, comment, or user profile, or email us at support@whistly.ca with the subject line "Child Safety". For our full child safety standards, visit our Child Safety Standards page.

8. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including Firebase Authentication, Firestore security rules with role-based access controls, encrypted data transmission (TLS), and restricted API key access. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the effective date at the top of this page. For significant changes we will notify users within the app. Continued use of Whistly after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.