Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-07-25

A-CHA ("we", "us") is a community + marketplace app for international students in Korea. This policy explains what we collect, why, and your choices. Questions: syg7974@gmail.com.

1. Information we collect

Account: email address (for email sign-up) or the basic profile (name, email) returned by Google / Apple sign-in.
Profile: nickname, nationality/flag, stay period, school (optional), and a profile photo if you add one. You control what is shown via privacy toggles.
Content you create: posts, comments, images (max 5 per post, ≤5MB, resized on upload), chat messages, events, marketplace listings, and friend cards.
School verification (optional): an image of your ARC or student ID, used once for manual review and deleted after the review decision.
Orders (marketplace): delivery address, recipient name, phone, and order history. Card details are handled by our payment provider and are never stored by us.
Location: only when you open a nearby map or share a location in a chat. Your device location is used on-device to center the map on you; a pin you choose to share is stored as your chat message. Live location is separate and always opt-in: when you start it you pick how long it runs (15 minutes, 1 hour, or 8 hours, extendable up to 8 hours total), and while it runs your position is updated in that one chat so the people in it can see where you are. You can stop it at any time from the banner in the chat, and it stops by itself when the time you chose runs out. We never collect your location in the background — only while the app is open and only for the features above.
Voice messages: if you press and hold the microphone button, the recording (up to 60 seconds) is stored with that chat, like a photo. The microphone is used only while you are holding the button. Nothing is recorded unless you do.
Translation: if you tap "translate" on a message, the text of that message is sent to Google Cloud Translation to be translated and the result is shown to you. Messages you do not ask to translate are never sent.
Device/usage: basic technical data needed to run the service (e.g. push token if you enable notifications).

2. How we use it

To create your account, show your profile (only the fields you choose), run the community and marketplace, deliver orders, process payments, send notifications you opt into, keep the service safe (handle reports/blocks), and meet legal obligations. We do not sell your personal data.

3. Who can see your information

Other users see only your nickname and the profile fields you have enabled (nationality / stay / school are individually toggleable; school requires verification and is off by default). Friend cards are opt-in and hidden until you turn them on.
Live location is visible only to the people in the chat you started it in, and only while it is running.
Service providers process data on our behalf: Supabase (database, auth, storage), our payment provider, push/notification infrastructure, Google Cloud Translation (only for messages you ask to translate), and Google Maps on Android for map display.
We may disclose information if required by law or to protect users.

4. Safety & moderation

Reports and blocks are available on posts, comments, profiles, and chats. Blocked users' content is hidden from you. Content reaching a report threshold is auto-hidden pending review. Illegal or hateful content is prohibited and removed.

5. Your choices & rights

Edit or hide profile fields any time in Settings → Privacy.
Request account deletion in Settings → Account, or by email if you no longer have the app — see Delete your account.
Stop live location any time from the banner in the chat; it also stops on its own when the time you picked runs out.
Turn notifications on/off per type in Settings.
Contact syg7974@gmail.com to access or correct your data.

6. Data retention

We keep your data while your account is active. Verification documents are deleted after review. On deletion we remove or anonymize personal data, except where retention is legally required (e.g. transaction records).

7. International users & minors

A-CHA serves international students in Korea; your data is processed on infrastructure that may be outside your home country. The service is intended for users old enough to consent under their local law; we do not knowingly collect data from children below that age.

8. Changes

We will update this page and the "last updated" date when this policy changes.