Privacy Policy for TourIzm App

Last updated: May 8, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains what data the TourIzm mobile app ("the App") collects, how it is used, and your choices. The App is published by the TourIzm team and is available on the Apple App Store.

Summary

TourIzm is designed to keep most of your data on your device. Two features involve sending data outside your phone: the AI landmark recognition feature, which sends the photo you take to OpenAI for analysis; and the live location-sharing feature, which sends your location to our backend so a paired guide and tourist can see each other on a shared map. The App does not require an account, does not run analytics or advertising, and does not track you.

What We Collect

Photos you submit to the AI landmark feature

When you tap the camera button to identify a landmark, the photo you capture is sent over the internet to OpenAI, which analyzes the image and returns a description. The photo is sent solely to perform this lookup. We do not store the photo on our servers, and we do not associate it with your identity.

Precise location, while you are actively sharing

The App includes a location-sharing feature for tour groups. When a guide enables "Share My Location," or when a tourist enables "Send My Location" after joining a group with a code, the App sends the device's current GPS coordinates to our backend server (soldered-ocean.vibecode.run) approximately every five seconds. Your backend record is associated with a randomly generated, app-only group code and tourist ID — not with your name, email, account, or any persistent identifier across re-installs.

When you turn off location sharing, leave the screen, or close the App, your location record is deleted from the backend.

The map screen also uses your device's current location locally, on your phone only, to center the map view. Those coordinates are not sent to our backend.

Place names looked up by your device

When you set a meeting point on the map, the App sends the chosen coordinates to OpenStreetMap's Nominatim service to convert them into a human-readable address (for example, "Trafalgar Square, London"). When you type a place into the search field, the search text is sent to our backend, which forwards it to a place-search service to return suggestions.

What Stays Only on Your Device

The following are stored locally on your iPhone using the iOS app storage system, and are never transmitted to us, to OpenAI, or to any third party:

• Tour rosters and passenger check-ins
• Headcounts
• Trip documents (photos, PDFs, notes)
• Personal notes (text and attached photos)
• Itineraries
• Meeting-point pin locations
• Roster photos and document photos taken inside the App

What We Do Not Collect

• We do not collect your name, email address, phone number, or any account credentials, because the App does not require an account.
• We do not access your microphone or record audio.
• We do not run analytics, crash reporting, or advertising SDKs.
• We do not track you across other apps or websites.
• We do not sell or share your information with data brokers.

Third-Party Services

The App relies on the following third-party services to function:

• OpenAI — receives photos for AI landmark analysis. See https://openai.com/policies/privacy-policy and https://openai.com/policies/api-data-usage-policies.
• OpenStreetMap / Nominatim — receives map coordinates to return human-readable place names. See https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Privacy_Policy.
• Our backend (Vibecode-hosted at soldered-ocean.vibecode.run) — receives location coordinates and group codes to enable real-time guide-tourist location sharing. The backend is provided by Vibecode (https://vibecodeapp.com).

These are the only third-party services that receive data from the App.

Permissions the App Requests

• Camera — required only when you choose to take a photo within the App, whether for the AI landmark feature, a passenger roster, a trip document, or a personal note. You can deny this permission and continue using all non-photo features.
• Location (when in use) — required to set a meeting point on the in-app map and to use the live location-sharing feature. You can deny this permission and continue using all non-location features.

If you deny any permission, the App is designed to keep working without it.

Data Retention and Deletion

• Locally stored data — you can delete any item directly from within the App, or you can uninstall the App to remove everything at once.
• Live location records on our backend — automatically deleted when you stop sharing, leave the location screen, or exit the App. They are not retained for analytics or any other purpose.
• Photos sent to OpenAI — not stored by us. OpenAI's retention policies for API submissions are described in the OpenAI links above.

If you would like us to confirm deletion of any backend record associated with a group code, contact us at the email below.

Children's Privacy

The App is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has used the App in a way that involves personal information, please contact us at the email below and we will assist.

Changes to This Policy

If we make material changes to this policy, we will update the date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, post a notice in the App.

Contact

For privacy questions or requests, contact us at:

tourizmteam@gmail.com