Last updated: October 29, 2026
VeroMaps ("we", "us") helps you discover and share hidden spots, secret courtyards, and quiet places worth exploring. This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, and the choices you have.
INFORMATION WE COLLECT
Account details: display name, username, email address, and password (stored as a salted hash, never in plain text) when you register. If you sign in with Google or Facebook, we receive your name, email, and profile photo from that provider.
Optional profile details: gender, date of birth, and country, collected only if you choose to provide them during registration.
Content you create: reviews, photos, journal entries, check-ins, messages, and any spots you add or save.
Photo vault: the photos, albums and notes you keep in your vault are stored encrypted on our servers and are private to you until you share them. If a photo carries a location (most phone photos do), your browser reads it before the photo is uploaded and we keep it, encrypted, with the photo to place it on a known place; it is never sent to a third-party map or geocoding service. When you share an album with a member, or through a link, the people who can open it see the photos in that album with their captions, dates and place names, but never exact coordinates or the rest of your vault. You can turn a share off at any time. Encryption at rest is not end-to-end encryption: the platform administrator can open a member's vault only to enforce our rules or to comply with the law, and each time is recorded in an audit log. Deleting a photo removes it from your vault, and deleting your account removes your whole vault.
Location data: if you enable location features (navigation, "near me" search, live location sharing with friends), we use your device's GPS to power those features. Live location sharing is off by default and is only ever shared with friends you explicitly choose.
Usage data: actions like upvotes, check-ins, and spots explored, used to power your XP, streaks, and the leaderboard.
Sign-in addresses: when you sign in or register we keep the IP address (and the browser name) you used, the ten most recent for each account. We use it only to protect the service: to spot abuse, to enforce bans and to help you if your account is accessed by someone else. You can see the list in "Download my data" on your profile, and it is deleted when you delete your account.
Anonymous driving statistics: only if you accept analytics, and only while a navigation is running, your device sends a random one-time session code, a position rounded to about 100 metres, your speed, and a short note when something goes wrong (for example a lost GPS signal, a turn-around or a re-route). It contains no account, device identifier or IP address, is not linked to your profile, and no route history is kept: the session disappears when the navigation ends, and the anonymous notes are deleted after 30 days. We use it to find places where navigation fails and to fix them. Phones with "Do Not Track" or Global Privacy Control switched on send nothing.
COOKIES & LOCAL STORAGE
We use essential cookies and browser local storage to keep you signed in, remember your language and display preferences, and keep the app working the way you left it. If you accept on the cookie bar, Google Analytics and Google Ads cookies, and the Meta Pixel (Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd.), can measure visits, sign-ups and advertising. Choosing Essential only leaves those cookies off.
HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION
To operate VeroMaps: create and secure your account, show your content to other users as you intend, calculate routes and directions, personalize recommendations, and respond to support requests.
SHARING
We do not sell your personal information. We share data only with the minimum necessary third parties to run the service: our hosting provider, routing and mapping services (for turn-by-turn directions), and, only if you choose to sign in that way, Google or Facebook. If you accept on the cookie bar, Google Analytics, Google Ads and Meta (through the Meta Pixel) may receive visit and ad-measurement data. If you pay, PayPal processes the payment. We do not store your card number.
YOUR RIGHTS
You can edit or delete most of your content directly in the app. You can request a copy of your data or full account deletion by contacting us. You can withdraw location or notification permissions at any time from your device settings.
CHILDREN
VeroMaps is not directed at children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect data from them.
CHANGES
We may update this policy as VeroMaps grows. Meaningful changes will be noted in the app's Updates panel.
CONTACT
Questions about this policy? Reach out through the Contact page in the app.