Privacy Policy

This policy explains what personal data the Are You Faster app collects, why, who can see it, how long we keep it and how you can delete it. Where older versions of the app behaved differently, we say so.

1. Who we are

The Are You Faster app is provided by AREYOUFASTER CIC, trading as Are You Faster and AYF, a community interest company registered in England and Wales under company number 16536715. Our registered office is Unit 82a, James Carter Road, Mildenhall, Bury St Edmunds, IP28 7DE, United Kingdom.

We are the controller of the personal data described here. For anything about your data, including the rights in section 10, email admin@areyoufaster.com.

2. Summary

• We collect your sign-in details, the display name you choose, your runs and scores, and your location only while you run or record a track.
• Your runs stay on your phone. Your scores are sent to our server so it can calculate your AYF Score.
• Other users can see your display name and, if you choose, your scores on public leaderboards. If you publish a track, other users can see its route, without the first and last 200 metres.
• Usage statistics on iPhone and news emails are off unless you turn them on.
• We do not show adverts, use advertising identifiers or sell your data.
• You can delete your account and your data in the app, or by email.

3. What we collect and why

3.1 Your account

When you sign in with Apple, Google or an email address and password, Firebase Authentication (a Google service) stores your email address, a user ID, the sign-in method you used and, if Apple or Google provides it, your name. Your password is handled by Firebase Authentication and we never see it.

We keep a profile for your account containing the display name you choose, a record of when you accepted our terms and which version, and your app settings. Your profile does not contain your email address.

Why: to run your account and the features you use. Lawful basis: contract.

3.2 Your age

Before you sign in, the app asks for your month and year of birth to confirm you are 13 or over. This stays on your phone and is never sent to us.

Why: the app is not for children under 13. Lawful basis: legal obligation and legitimate interests.

3.3 Your location

The app uses precise location only while you are running or recording a track. It keeps working in the background during a run so tracking continues when your screen is locked, and it stops when the run ends. When you open a map, the app uses your position to show where you are and to find tracks near you. To find nearby tracks it sends an approximate area, not your exact position, to our database.

• Runs: the route of a run stays on your phone. On iPhone, the app may send short sections of your route to Apple Maps to match them to roads.
• Published tracks: if you publish a track, its route, start and finish areas and checkpoints are shared with other users, without the first and last 200 metres of your recording. Only the trimmed route is sent to us. Tracks published with versions before 6.0.18 include the whole route; you can delete a track you published at any time.

You choose whether to allow location access in your phone's settings. Without it the app cannot record runs.

Why: to measure your distance and pace, run the race against your opponent and let you publish tracks. Lawful basis: contract, with your permission for location access.

3.4 Your runs and scores

When a run finishes, the app sends its details to our server: duration, distance, pace, the game mode and opponent, the outcome and your streak. It does not send your route. Our server checks the run for cheating, calculates your AYF Score and keeps your running totals: score, level, weekly and monthly scores, number of runs, last run time and streak.

Why: to score races fairly and keep your progress. Lawful basis: contract.

3.5 Tracks, challenges and reactions

If you publish a track, we store its title, route and checkpoints. If you run a published track or a weekly challenge, your display name and time appear on that track's or challenge's leaderboard. If you react to a track, your reaction is stored against your account.

Why: these are social features you choose to use. Lawful basis: contract.

3.6 Your display name

When you choose a display name, our server checks it against our naming rules and keeps a record of each attempt, including the name you tried, the result, your user ID and your email address.

Why: to prevent offensive or impersonating names and abuse of the service. Lawful basis: legitimate interests.

3.7 Your photo

If you add a profile photo through our website, it is stored with Firebase Storage. Anyone with the link can view it, and other users see it next to your display name.

Why: you choose to show it. Lawful basis: consent. You can remove it at any time.

3.8 News emails (optional)

If you turn on Email me Are You Faster news in Settings, we keep your email address with the time you agreed and the wording you agreed to, and we send you occasional news about the app and the community. Turn it off in Settings or use the unsubscribe link in any email. We only send news emails to people who have turned this on.

Entries created by versions of the app before 6.0.18 carry no record of consent, and we do not send them news emails. They are deleted when the account is deleted, and you can ask us to delete yours at any time.

Why: to tell you about the app and the community. Lawful basis: consent.

3.9 Usage statistics on iPhone (optional)

If you turn on Share usage statistics in Settings, the iPhone app sends Google Analytics for Firebase information about how the app is used, such as which screens are opened and which features are used, with an app instance identifier. It is not linked to your account. It is off unless you turn it on. Versions of the iPhone app before 6.0.18 send these statistics by default, linked to your user ID; update the app to control them.

The Android app does not collect usage statistics.

Why: to understand which features work and improve the app. Lawful basis: consent.

3.10 Protecting the service

The app uses Firebase App Check, which asks Apple or Google to confirm that requests come from a genuine copy of the app on a genuine device. This is not used to identify you or track you.

Why: to protect our systems and your data from abuse. Lawful basis: legitimate interests.

3.11 Apple Health and Health Connect (optional)

If you allow it, the app can add your runs to Apple Health on iPhone or Health Connect on Android. The app writes to them and never reads from them.

Why: so your runs appear with your other health records. Lawful basis: consent.

3.12 Maps

On iPhone, maps come from Apple. On Android, map images come from OpenFreeMap, which receives your device's internet address, the area of the map you are viewing and your device model, as any website does when you load a page.

3.13 What we do not collect

We do not collect advertising identifiers, contacts, photos from your library, messages, calendars, audio, payment details or browsing history. We do not read health data. The app does not use crash reporting tools.

4. Who can see your data

Other users of the app can see:

• your display name and profile photo
• on public leaderboards, if Show me on leaderboards is on: your AYF Score, level, weekly and monthly scores, number of runs, last run time and streak. You choose when you set up your display name, where it is off unless you turn it on, and you can change it at any time in Settings. Turning it off removes you from public leaderboards straight away. Your own totals stay visible to you.
• your times on published tracks and weekly challenges you run
• tracks you publish, as described in section 3.3, and your reactions to tracks

Other users cannot see your email address, your age, the routes of your runs or your exact location.

Our service providers process data for us under contract:

We do not sell your data or share it with advertisers. We may disclose data where the law requires it.

5. Transfers outside the UK

Some of our providers process data outside the United Kingdom. Where they do, the transfer is protected by the UK's adequacy regulations or by contractual safeguards such as the UK International Data Transfer Addendum included in their terms.

6. How long we keep data

7. Deleting your account

You can delete your account in the app: Settings, then Delete account. You may be asked to sign in again first. When your account is deleted, our server automatically deletes your profile, runs, scores, leaderboard entries, published tracks, reactions, display name records, news email record and profile photo, and the app deletes the data stored on your phone.

If you cannot use the app, email admin@areyoufaster.com from the address on your account and we will delete it for you. More help is at https://areyoufaster.com/delete-account.

Google, which hosts our systems, removes any remaining copies from its backup systems on its own schedule.

8. Children

The app is not for children under 13 and asks for a month and year of birth before sign-in. If you believe a child under 13 is using the app, email admin@areyoufaster.com and we will delete the account.

For users aged 13 to 17, the settings that share the most are under your control: public leaderboards, usage statistics and news emails are off unless you turn them on, and published tracks never show the first and last 200 metres of a route.

9. Security

Data is encrypted in transit and at rest. Our database rules restrict each type of data to the people who should see it, private data such as your running totals and full track recordings can be read only by you, and App Check helps keep requests to genuine copies of the app. No system is perfectly secure; if you find a security problem, email admin@areyoufaster.com.

10. Your rights

Under UK data protection law you can ask us to:

• give you a copy of your personal data
• correct it
• delete it
• restrict or object to how we use it
• give it to you in a portable format
• stop using it where we rely on your consent; this does not affect what we did before

Email admin@areyoufaster.com. We reply within one month. If you are not happy with our answer, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at https://ico.org.uk.

11. Changes to this policy

When we change this policy we update the date at the top. If a change affects how we use your data, we will tell you in the app before it takes effect.

12. Contact

AREYOUFASTER CIC, Unit 82a, James Carter Road, Mildenhall, Bury St Edmunds, IP28 7DE, United Kingdom. Email: admin@areyoufaster.com.