Puntland Map — Privacy Policy

Effective Date: March 24, 2026 Last Updated: March 24, 2026

Introduction

Puntland Map (“we”, “our”, or “us”) is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of our users. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share information when you use the Puntland Map mobile application (“the App”) on Android or iOS devices.

By downloading, installing, or using the App, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please discontinue use of the App.

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information to provide and improve our services:

1.1 Account Information

When you register or sign in, we may collect:

• Full name
• Email address
• Profile photo (if provided via Google Sign-In)
• Authentication credentials (managed securely via Firebase Authentication)

1.2 Location Information

When you use navigation or search features, we collect:

• Precise GPS location (when permission is granted)
• Approximate location (based on IP address or network)

Location data is used solely to provide navigation, route planning, and nearby search results. We do not store your location history beyond the current session unless you explicitly save a location.

1.3 Search and Usage Data

We may collect:

• Search queries and address lookups
• Recent search history (stored locally on your device)
• Pages and features accessed within the App
• Session duration and interaction patterns

1.4 Device Information

We automatically collect certain device-level information, including:

• Device type and model
• Operating system version
• Unique device identifiers
• App version
• Language and region settings

1.5 User-Generated Content

If you post reviews, ratings, or photos through the App, we collect:

• Review text and star ratings
• Photos uploaded from your camera or photo library
• Date and time of submission

1.6 Communications and Feedback

If you contact us or submit feedback through the App, we collect:

• Your name and email address
• The content of your message or report

2. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information for the following purposes:

Core Service Delivery

• Providing real-time navigation and turn-by-turn directions
• Displaying 360° street view imagery
• Enabling address and location search
• Showing nearby businesses, shops, and landmarks

Account Management

• Creating and managing your user account
• Authenticating your identity securely
• Enabling biometric login where supported

Personalization

• Saving recent searches for quick access
• Remembering your language preference (English or Somali)
• Maintaining your app settings and preferences

Community Features

• Publishing your reviews and ratings on business listings
• Displaying community-contributed photos

App Improvement and Analytics

• Understanding how users interact with features
• Diagnosing technical issues and crashes
• Improving map data, routing accuracy, and business listings

Communications

• Responding to feedback, support requests, or bug reports
• Sending important service updates or policy changes (where applicable)

Legal and Compliance

• Meeting obligations under applicable laws and regulations
• Responding to lawful requests from government or regulatory bodies

3. Mobile App — Specific Data Practices

Location Permissions The App requests access to your device’s GPS location to function correctly. You may deny or revoke location permission at any time through your device settings; however, navigation and nearby search features will not be available without it.

Camera and Photo Library Camera and photo library access is requested only when you choose to upload a photo as part of a business review. We do not access your camera or photos at any other time.

Push Notifications We may request permission to send push notifications for service-related updates. You can disable notifications at any time from your device settings.

Local Storage Some data (such as recent searches and language preferences) is stored locally on your device and is not transmitted to our servers.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

Service Providers We work with trusted third-party providers to operate our infrastructure and services, including:

• Firebase (Google) — authentication, cloud storage, and analytics
• Google Sign-In — optional social login
• Mapping and routing APIs — to provide map tiles and navigation data

These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and may only use it to perform services on our behalf.

Business Listings If you submit a public review or photo, that content is visible to other users of the App as part of the business listing. Your display name may appear alongside your review.

Legal Requirements We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or government authority, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Puntland Map, our users, or the public.

Business Transfers In the event of a merger, acquisition, or transfer of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify users of any such change via in-app notification or email.

5. Third-Party Services

The App integrates with the following third-party services, each governed by their own privacy policies:

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these third-party services.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide our services.

• Account data is retained until you delete your account.
• Review and photo content you have posted publicly may remain visible after account deletion unless you request its removal.
• Local device data (recent searches, preferences) is cleared when you uninstall the App or clear app data.

You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time (see Section 8).

7. Security

We take reasonable and appropriate measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction, including:

• Secure HTTPS connections for all data transmission
• Firebase Authentication with encrypted credential storage
• Biometric login support (Face ID / fingerprint) as an additional access layer
• Regular security reviews of our infrastructure

While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access and Update You may view and update your account information through the App’s account settings at any time.

Delete Your Account You may deactivate or permanently delete your account from within the App under Settings → Account → Delete Account. Upon deletion, your personal account data will be removed from our systems within 30 days.

Withdraw Location Permission You may revoke location access at any time via your device’s app settings. Note that this will limit navigation functionality.

Opt Out of Analytics You may contact us to opt out of non-essential analytics data collection.

Request Data To request a copy of the personal data we hold about you, please contact us at the address below.

9. Children’s Privacy

Puntland Map is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take prompt steps to delete such information.

10. Cookies and Tracking

The Puntland Map mobile application does not use browser cookies. However, the App may use similar tracking technologies (such as device identifiers and Firebase Analytics) for session management and usage analytics as described in this policy.

11. International Data Transfers

Your information may be processed and stored on servers located outside your country of residence, including servers operated by Google (Firebase) in the United States or other regions. By using the App, you consent to the transfer of your information to these locations. We ensure that such transfers are conducted under appropriate data protection safeguards.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will:

• Post the updated policy within the App and on our website
• Update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this document
• Notify you via in-app notification or email where required

Your continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us:

Puntland Map Email: support@haroob.com 

For account deletion or data removal requests, you may also use the in-app Settings → Feedback → Contact Us feature.

14. Policy Review

This Privacy Policy is reviewed at least every two years. The next scheduled review is March 2028.

© 2026 Puntland Map. All rights reserved.