YapMobile, Inc. ("YapMobile") values the privacy of our customers (collectively or individually, "Users") who use the mobile applications, www.YapMobile.com Web site, and other web sites, online services, or content (e.g., widgets, feeds, and applications) owned or operated by YapMobile (collectively, the "YapMobile Services").
This Privacy Notice governs the YapMobile Services, and details important information about the use and disclosure of User information collected through the YapMobile Services. YapMobile provides this Privacy Notice to help you make an informed decision about whether to use the YapMobile Services.
This Privacy Notice is incorporated into and is subject to the YapMobile Terms of Use. Your use of the YapMobile Services and any personal information you provide on the YapMobile Services remains subject to the terms of this Privacy Notice and the Terms of Use.
Unlimited Data and messaging plans are recommended for the YapMobile Services. For some services, YapMobile requires the use of SMS text messages. Standard data and messaging charges and taxes from your carrier apply.
YapMobile collects, maintains, uses, and displays your personal data and the geographic location of your mobile device (we call this location fix of your device "location information" or "geo-location") to provide the YapMobile Services.
By using the YapMobile Services, you have consented to: (1) the use of your device's location to provide YapMobile's services including relevant advertisements, and the display of that location information to your YapMobile friends and within your geo-tagged messages and content; (2) receive text messages and emails; and (3) pay carrier data, messaging, and other fees resulting from YapMobile usage.
Please note that any personal information you voluntarily disclose online becomes publicly available and can be read, collected, and used by others and could be used to send you unsolicited messages. YapMobile is not responsible for the information that you choose to disclose publicly on or through the YapMobile Services.
"REGISTRATION INFORMATION": You provide certain personally-identifiable information (such as mobile phone number, wireless carrier / operator, your name, email address, phone number, date of birth, password, etc.) when subscribing to the YapMobile Services.
"PROFILE INFORMATION": When using the YapMobile Services you provide certain other personal information and content - such as event times and locations, interests and hobbies, age, gender, sexual orientation, relationship status, and favorite places for breakfast, drinks, dancing, outdoor activities, etc. - that will be publicly displayed to other Users and on third-party sites and services (for example, when using the YapMobile Services to publish updates to Twitter, Facebook, etc.) in accordance with your privacy settings.
"MOBILE DEVICE INFORMATION": To provide the YapMobile Services and to associate your profile with your device on our backend servers, we collect a universally unique identifer from your mobile device.
"LOCATION INFORMATION": To provide the YapMobile Services, we derive location information from your wireless carrier, certain third-party service providers, or directly from the mobile device that you used to register. This location tracking of your mobile device may occur even when the YapMobile mobile applications are not actively open and running in the foreground, but your location is displayed and shared with others only in accordance with your privacy settings.
"COOKIES, PERSISTENT FILE INFORMATION": When you use the YapMobile Services, we may send one or more cookies (small text files containing a string of alphanumeric characters) to your computer. YapMobile may use both session cookies and persistent cookies. A session cookie disappears after you close your browser. A persistent cookie remains after you close your web browser and may be used by us during your subsequent visits to the YapMobile Web site. Persistent cookies set by the YapMobile Web site can be removed. Please review your web browser "Help" file to learn the proper way to modify your cookie settings.
"LOG FILE INFORMATION": When you use the YapMobile Services, our servers automatically record certain information about your usage. These server logs may include information such as a mobile device identification number and device identifier, web requests, Internet Protocol ("IP") address, browser type, browser language, referring / exit pages and URLs, platform type, number of clicks, domain names, search terms, ratings, landing pages, pages viewed and the order of those pages, features used in the YapMobile mobile applications, the number of messages and friend requests related to your profile, the amount of time spent on particular screens, the dates and times of your requests, and one or more cookies that may uniquely identify your browser.
"INVITE-A-FRIEND INFORMATION": If you choose to use our invite-a-friend feature, then YapMobile will ask you for your friend's mobile phone number or email address. If you provide a friend's mobile phone number, then YapMobile will automatically send to that friend a one-time text message inviting your friend to join the YapMobile Service and to add you as their friend. If your friend's phone number is on a wireless provider or mobile device that is not supported, then your friend will not receive this text message until their wireless provider or mobile device supports the YapMobile Services. If you provide a friend's email address, then YapMobile will automatically send that friend a one-time email inviting your friend to register on the YapMobile website. Your friend may contact YapMobile at privacy@yapmobile.com to request that YapMobile remove this information from our systems, or simply reply with STOP to any YapMobile friend-invitation text message to opt-out of receiving future invitations via text message.
YapMobile uses your personally identifiable, registration, profile, and location information to operate, maintain, and provide to you and other Users all of the features and functionality of the YapMobile Services.
To provide the basic functionality of the YapMobile Services - such as displaying your live location to YapMobile friends on the Friends Map or alerting your friends when you are nearby - YapMobile maintains for its use only each User's most recent location fix. If Users choose to "geo-tag" certain content or data with location information, then YapMobile maintains these geo-tags for so long as the applicable content remains on YapMobile's systems.
YapMobile uses your personally identifiable, location, and certain non-personally-identifiable information (such as anonymous log file information) to track and analyze User preferences and trends in order to improve the quality and design of the YapMobile Services and to create new features, promotions, functionality, and services.
YapMobile uses cookies and log file information to: (a) remember information so that you will not have to re-enter it during your visit or the next time you visit the YapMobile Services; (b) provide custom and personalized content, advertisements, and information; (c) monitor the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns; and (d) monitor aggregate usage metrics.
YapMobile uses a third-party data source to verify that your mobile phone number is on a wireless provider supported by YapMobile. If you have a supported mobile phone number and device, then YapMobile sends a text message to your phone in order to verify your custody of that handset. If your carrier or handset is not supported, then YapMobile stores your mobile phone number and will send a one-time text message to you when the YapMobile Service does become available on your wireless provider or handset.
YapMobile uses your email address or mobile number from time-to-time to send you messages from YapMobile such as privacy or security related notices, notifying you of major YapMobile Services updates, or for other customer service purposes.
YapMobile uses your personally identifiable, registration, profile, and location information to serve and personalize in-service advertisements specifically tailored to you and your interests. For example, if you put a favorite band in your profile, then we might serve you an advertisement highlighting the concert of a similar band playing nearby in your city. However, we do not disclose who you are to the music company or advertiser.
YapMobile does not use your personally identifiable information or location information to send commercial SMS text messages to you without your express consent or unless if you have opted-in to be part of a specific program or feature in accordance with the applicable YapMobile Services consent procedures.
YapMobile discloses some personally identifiable, registration, profile, or location information to subsidiaries, affiliated companies, or other businesses or persons to: (a) provide certain features; (b) serve relevant advertisements in support of the YapMobile Services; and (c) process such information on our behalf. For example, we may disclose information to wireless carrier partners for the purpose of revenue recognition, or we may disclose certain information in order to provide mapping, points-of-interest, local content, or navigation features. We require that these parties agree to process such information in compliance with this Privacy Notice and use appropriate confidentiality and security measures, and we use reasonable efforts to limit their use of such information.
YapMobile discloses aggregate, anonymous log file and usage information in reports to interested third parties to assist those parties in understanding the usage patterns and perfomance results of certain advertisements, content, services, promotions, or features. For example, we may provide aggregate-level reports to an advertising partner for the purpose of showing delivery and performance statistics of a specific advertising campaign.
YapMobile may release personally identifiable, registration, profile, or location information if required to do so by law, or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with state and federal laws or respond to a court order, subpoena, or search warrant.
YapMobile also reserves the right to disclose personally identifiable, registration, profile, or location information that YapMobile believes, in good faith, is appropriate or necessary to: enforce our Terms of Use; take precautions against liability; protect Users from fraudulent, abusive, or unlawful uses; investigate and defend ourselves against any third-party claims or allegations; assist government enforcement agencies; protect the security or integrity of the YapMobile Services; or protect the rights, property, or personal safety of YapMobile, Users, or others.
YapMobile does not disclose your personally identifiable information or location information connected to your personally identifiable information to other companies for their commercial use without your express consent or unless you have opted-in to be part of a specific program or feature in accordance with the applicable YapMobile Services consent procedures.
You may update, correct, or delete your privacy settings and profile information at any time. To protect your privacy and security, we take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting you profile access or making corrections. You are responsible for maintaining the secrecy of your unique password and account information at all times.
YapMobile uses commercially reasonable physical, managerial, and technical safeguards. We cannot, however, ensure or warrant the security of any information that YapMobile receives on your behalf to operate the YapMobile Services or that you transmit to YapMobile and you do so at your own risk. We also cannot guarantee that such information may not be accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed by breach of any of our physical, technical, or managerial safeguards.
If YapMobile learns of a security systems breach, then we may attempt to notify you electronically so that you can take appropriate protective steps. YapMobile may post a notice on the YapMobile Services if a security breach occurs. Depending on where you live, you may have a legal right to receive notice of a security breach in writing.
Protecting the privacy of young children is especially important. For that reason, YapMobile does not knowingly collect or maintain personally identifiable information on the YapMobile Services from persons under 14 years-of-age, and no part of YapMobile Services is directed to persons under 14. IF YOU ARE UNDER 14 YEARS OF AGE, THEN PLEASE DO NOT USE OR ACCESS THE YapMobile SERVICES AT ANY TIME OR IN ANY MANNER. If YapMobile learns that personally-identifiable information of persons less than 14-years-of-age has been collected on the YapMobile Services without verifiable parental consent, then YapMobile will take the appropriate steps to delete this information. If you are a parent or guardian and discover that your child under the age of 14 has obtained a YapMobile Services account, then you may alert YapMobile at privacy@yapmobile.com and request that YapMobile delete that child's personal information from our systems.
The YapMobile Services are hosted in the United States and are intended for United States visitors. If you are using the YapMobile Services from the European Union or other regions with laws governing data collection and use that may differ from U.S. law, then please note that you are transferring your personal data to the United States and by providing your personal data you consent to that transfer.
Advertisements that appear on the YapMobile Services are sometimes delivered (or "served") directly to Users by third-party advertisers or ad network companies. These companies may automatically receive your IP address or other information about your mobile device or personal computer when serving advertisements. These third parties may also download cookies to your computer, or use other technologies such as JavaScript and "web beacons" (also known as "1x1 gifs") to measure the effectiveness of the advertisements served and to personalize advertising content. Doing this allows the advertiser or ad network to recognize your computer or mobile device each time they send you an advertisement in order to measure the effectiveness of the ad and to personalize advertising content. These companies may compile information about the sites or services visited when seeing advertisements and determine which advertisements are clicked. YapMobile does not access or have control of the cookies that may be placed by third-party advertisers or ad networks. Likewise, third party advertisers and ad networks do not have access to your personal information stored with YapMobile unless you choose to share it with them. This Privacy Notice does not cover the use of tracking technologies or personal data by any such third-party advertisers or ad networks.
In the event that YapMobile is acquired by or merged with a third party entity, we reserve the right, in any of these circumstances, to transfer or assign the information we have collected from our Users as part of such merger, acquisition, sale, or other change of control so that the YapMobile Services can continue operations. In the unlikely event of our bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, or assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the application of laws or equitable principles affecting creditors' rights generally, we may not be able to control how your personal information is treated, transferred, or used.
This Privacy Notice may be revised periodically without further notice to you and this will be reflected by the "last modified" notice below. Please revisit this page to stay aware of any changes. In general, we only use your personal information in the manner described in the Privacy Notice in effect when we received that personal information. Your continued use of the YapMobile Services constitutes your agreement to this Privacy Notice and any future revisions. If we decide to change our privacy policies, then we will post those changes to this Privacy Notice, and other places we deem appropriate so that you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it.
For revisions to this Privacy Notice that may be materially less restrictive on our use or disclosure of personal information you have provided to us, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you and obtain your consent before implementing such revisions with respect to such information. If we make such material changes to this policy, then we will notify you here in this Privacy Notice, by email, or by means of a notice on the YapMobile Services home page.
YapMobile Privacy Notice effective as of April 1, 2011.
If you have questions or concerns regarding this statement, you can contact our Privacy Manager at privacy@yapmobile.com.