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Poparide US, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Poparide," "we," "us," or "our"), is the controller of personal data collected through this Service, as that term is defined by the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act.
This Privacy Policy is incorporated into and forms part of our Terms of Service. By creating an Account or using the Service, you agree to the collection, use, and sharing of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not create an Account or use the Service.
The Poparide Service is a cost-sharing platform that connects Drivers and Passengers traveling the same route. Drivers are private individuals sharing an existing trip; they are not employees or contractors of Poparide.
• Account information: name, email address, phone number, gender, and date of birth.
• Profile photo, stored on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and visible to other Members.
• Trip listings (Drivers): origin, destination, date, time, seats, Contribution amount, and vehicle details such as model, year, and vehicle photo. Vehicle photos are also stored on Amazon Web Services (AWS).
• Ratings and written reviews submitted about other Members after a Trip.
• Messages exchanged with other Members through the Service's messaging feature.
• Precise location, only when a Member actively taps the "Share my location" button in the in-app messaging feature, which shares their current location with the other Member in that conversation.
• Driver's license information (Drivers only): license number, issuing jurisdiction, and expiration date, used to verify that you hold a valid, non-expired license as required by the Terms of Service.
• Vehicle information (Drivers only): vehicle make, model, year, color, license plate number, and registration details. You must be the registered owner or authorized user of the vehicle used for a Trip.
• Payout method (Drivers only): connected US bank account or supported payment method details, processed by Stripe for Payout disbursement. Poparide does not store your bank account or routing numbers directly.
• Aggregated, non-identifiable usage data collected through analytics tools, used to understand how the Service is used and improve it. This data cannot be linked to any individual Member.
• Location information derived from IP addresses, which we have as a result of Members using the Service. We do not passively track precise location in the background.
• Device information: device type, operating system and version, browser type, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information.
• Cookies and similar technologies: we use cookies and similar tracking technologies to operate the Service, remember your preferences, and analyze usage patterns. Strictly necessary cookies are required for the Service to function (authentication, security, payment processing). Functional cookies remember your preferences and settings. Analytics cookies help us understand how Members use the Service. We do not use cookies for targeted advertising. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings; disabling certain cookies may limit your ability to use some features of the Service.
• Identity verification: if you complete identity verification, our provider Persona collects biometric data (a photo of your ID and a real-time selfie). Persona retains this data for six months, then permanently redacts it. We can view verification documents to process your request but do not store your biometric data independently.
• Payment processing: Stripe, Inc. processes Payments and Payouts on our behalf. Poparide does not collect or store your payment card numbers, bank account details, or routing numbers.
• Mapping services: Google Maps provides route and distance calculations based on Trip origin and destination data entered by Members. Google Maps does not receive your Account information or identity.
We use your information only to operate and improve the Service:
• To create and maintain your Account and verify your identity.
• To show Driver Trips to Passengers in search results to facilitate Bookings.
• To process Payments and Payouts through Stripe.
• To display ratings and reviews on Member profiles.
• To send transactional communications: Booking confirmations, cancellation notices, payment receipts, and account security alerts.
• To send marketing communications where you have opted in (see Section 5).
• To investigate reports of misconduct, enforce our Terms of Service, and detect and prevent fraud.
• To analyze usage patterns and improve the Service.
• To comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests (see Section 4.3).
• To calculate Trip distances and enforce the Contribution cap under the Terms of Service.
• To process incident reports and share Member information with law enforcement or emergency services when required by law or necessary to protect the safety of any person.
• To administer the clearing period, process disputes, and facilitate refunds in accordance with the applicable cancellation, no-show, and refund policies.
• To comply with tax reporting and remittance obligations, including Texas sales and use tax.
• To handle unclaimed funds in accordance with applicable law.
Poparide staff may access in-app messages when investigating a safety or misconduct report, or to resolve disagreements between Members.
To facilitate Trips, we share the following information between Members:
• Your first name, profile photo, and rating are visible to other Members on the Service.
• Upon Booking confirmation, the Driver and Passenger receive each other's phone numbers to facilitate trip coordination. Phone numbers are shared directly between the parties and are not masked or relayed through a third-party intermediary.
We share personal data with the following third-party providers, who are contractually required to use it only for the stated purpose:
• Stripe, Inc. - payment processing and payout disbursement.
• Persona - identity verification and biometric data processing.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) - database and cloud storage for profile and vehicle photos.
• Analytics service providers - non-personal, aggregated usage data only.
• Google Maps - route and distance calculations.
• HitchPlanet Online Inc., our Canadian parent company, provides data hosting and platform infrastructure services on our behalf. Your personal information may be transferred to and processed in Canada. While in Canada, your information is subject to Canadian law, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and may be accessible to Canadian courts, law enforcement, and national security authorities under applicable Canadian legal process.
Poparide may disclose your information to courts, law enforcement or governmental authorities, or authorized third parties, if and to the extent we are required to do so by applicable US federal or Texas state law, or if such disclosure is reasonably necessary: (i) to comply with legal process and to respond to claims asserted against Poparide, (ii) to respond to verified requests relating to a criminal investigation or alleged or suspected illegal activity, (iii) to enforce and administer our Terms of Service, (iv) for fraud investigation and prevention, or (v) to protect the rights, property or personal safety of Poparide, its employees, its Members, or members of the public.
• We will attempt to notify Members about these requests unless prohibited by law or court order, or where we believe notification would be futile, ineffective, or create a risk of harm. Where we comply without notice, we will attempt to notify the Member after the fact once we determine we are no longer prohibited from doing so.
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We use third-party analytics and advertising tools on the Service, including Facebook Pixel and Google Tag Manager, which may receive non-identifiable usage data.
If you are a Texas resident, you have the following rights under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code Ch. 541):
• Right to know and access. You may confirm whether we are processing your personal data and request access to that data.
• Right to correct. You may request that we correct inaccuracies in your personal data.
• Right to delete. You may request that we delete your personal data.
• Right to data portability. You may request a copy of your personal data in a portable, readily usable format.
• Right to opt out of targeted advertising. You may opt out of the processing of your personal data for purposes of targeted advertising.
• Right to opt out of profiling. You may opt out of profiling in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects.
You may exercise these rights by contacting us at support@poparide.com or via the Help Tab. We will respond to your request within 45 days. If we need additional time, we will notify you of the extension and the reason. You will not be penalized or discriminated against for exercising your rights.
If we decline your request, you may appeal by contacting us at support@poparide.com with the subject line "Privacy Rights Appeal." We will respond to your appeal within 60 days.
Poparide honors universal opt-out mechanisms, including the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal. When we detect a GPC signal from your browser or device, we treat it as a valid request to opt out of targeted advertising and the sale of personal data. No additional action is required on your part.
We send Service announcements by email that contain important information about the Service; Members cannot unsubscribe from these. We also send marketing communications where you have opted in. You may opt out of marketing emails at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email, and out of SMS by replying STOP to any Poparide text message. Poparide sends only operational SMS (such as Booking confirmations and cancellation notices), so replying STOP stops all SMS from Poparide. You can manage your notification preferences in Account Settings > Notifications.
By providing your phone number and enabling SMS notifications, you consent to receive SMS messages from us. Consent to SMS is not a condition of using the Service.
At any point in time, Members can cancel their Account by visiting Account Settings > Close account or contacting us. Upon closure, your Account will be deactivated and your profile will no longer be visible to other Members. Members may reactivate their Account at any time by logging back into the Service.
At any point in time, Members can request deletion of all their data by contacting Poparide at support@poparide.com. Upon a verified deletion request, we will delete or de-identify all personal data associated with your Account, except where retention is required by law (such as tax and financial records) or necessary to resolve pending disputes, prevent fraud, or enforce our Terms of Service.
We retain your personal information for as long as your Account is active and for a reasonable period afterward to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Specific retention periods include:
• Account information: retained for the life of your Account and for a reasonable period following Account closure to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including legal compliance, dispute resolution, fraud prevention, and enforcement of our Terms of Service.
• Trip and Booking data: retained for a reasonable period following the Trip date to support dispute resolution, refund processing, and legal compliance, and as necessary to defend against potential claims.
• Payment records: retained as required by applicable tax and financial record-keeping laws
• Biometric data: retained by Persona for 6 months following verification, then permanently redacted.
• Communications: retained for a reasonable period following the date of the communication to support safety and misconduct investigations, dispute resolution, and legal compliance.
After the applicable retention period, personal information is deleted or de-identified. De-identified data (data that can no longer reasonably be linked to you) may be retained indefinitely for analytics and service improvement purposes. Where we retain data beyond the period necessary for its original purpose, we do so only where retention is reasonably necessary for legal compliance, dispute resolution, fraud prevention, or the defense of legal claims. You may request deletion of your personal data at any time as described in Section 5. Upon a verified deletion request, we will delete or de-identify your data except where retention is required by law or necessary for an ongoing legitimate purpose described in this section.
In the event of a data breach involving your personal information, we will notify you as soon as practicable and no later than 60 days after discovery, in accordance with Texas law (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code §521.053). If the breach affects 250 or more Texas residents, we will also notify the Texas Attorney General within 30 days of discovery.
We implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, loss, destruction, or alteration. These include encryption of data in transit and at rest, access controls, and regular security assessments. No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
The Service is not directed at persons under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a person under 18, we will delete that information promptly. If you believe a person under 18 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@poparide.com.
Under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, certain categories of personal data are classified as "sensitive data." The sensitive data we collect includes:
• Precise geolocation data: collected only when you actively choose to share your location using the "Share my location" feature in the in-app messaging system, as described in Section 2 above and in Section 9.3 of the Terms of Service.
• Biometric data: facial geometry data collected by Persona during identity verification, with your separate consent, as described in the "Identity Verification" section of Section 2 above.
We do not knowingly collect data concerning racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, health conditions, sexuality, or citizenship or immigration status.
For material changes to this Privacy Policy, we will provide reasonable advance notice by email and by posting the updated Privacy Policy on the Service with a prominent notice, consistent with Section 2 of our Terms of Service. Where a material change is required to comply with applicable law, a court order, or a regulatory directive, or to address an immediate safety or security concern, we may provide shorter notice or implement the change immediately, with notice given as soon as practicable. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page will be revised with each update.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, contact us at:
Poparide US, Inc.
Email: support@poparide.com