Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 1, 2022

Access (dba “Ahoi!”) values your privacy and wants to make sure you have an understanding of how we will use the information we collect from you when you use our app, website, or other offerings (the “Platform”). We have done our best to write a Privacy Notice that is easy to understand so that you are empowered to make informed decisions when you use the Platform. Specifically, we want you to understand what data we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances we disclose it.

When you access the Platform, you consent to our collection, use, and disclosure of data as described in this Privacy Notice.  

1. What information does Access collect?

The information we collect about you falls into three categories.

A. Information you directly provide to Access

  • Account Registration: We require you to create an account in order to access some of the Platform’s features and functionality. The information that we require includes your email address, username, date of birth, and state of residence.

  • Optional Profile Information: We give you the option to provide us with additional information in your profile, such as a picture, your interests, and details about your barriers and conditions.

  • Other Information: We may ask you to provide additional information to access certain features or participate in promotions. When we collect this information, we will be transparent about how we will use and share it before you provide it. 

B. Information we collect when you use the Platform

When you access the platform, we automatically collect information about your use, device, and location. This includes: 

  • Usage Information: We collect information about how you use and access the Platform or communications from us. This includes what links you click in the Platform, how long you spend on different pages of the Platform, your interactions with the Platform, whether you have opened an email we send you, and your interactions with User Content.

  • Device and Connection Information: We collect information about the device that you are using to access the Platform. For example, we may collect your unique device and advertising IDs, operating system, language, memory, apps installed, and battery level. We may also collect information about your connection, such as your IP address and mobile carrier. 

  • Log Information: Even if you do not have an account or are signed out, we may receive information such as: IP address; browser type and language; operating system; the referring app or webpage; access times; pages visited; location; mobile carrier; device and advertising IDs; and identifiers associated with cookies. 

  • Advertisements: When you view or interact with ads we serve on or off the Platform, we may collect information about those views or interactions.

  • Cookies, Pixels, and Similar Technologies: We may utilize cookies, web beacons and mobile application software development kits (“SDKs”) to collect information about you. 

  • Cookies are small text files that websites send to your device to uniquely identify your browser or to store information or settings on your device.

  • Web beacons (sometimes called transparent GIFs, clear GIFs, or web bugs) are small strings of code that provide a way for us to deliver a small graphic image (usually invisible) on a web page or in an email. Web beacons can recognize certain types of information on your device such as cookies, the time and date a page is viewed, a description of the page where the web beacon is placed, and when you open or click on links in our emails. 

  • An SDK is a third-party computer code that allows our third-party service providers or partners to collect information about your use of our mobile apps for a variety of purposes, including to provide us with analytics, to integrate with social media platforms, to add features or functionality to our app, or to facilitate online advertising.

C. Information we collect from other sources

  • We may receive information about you from other sources such as other Access users, advertising partners, developers, and vendors that help us ensure maintain the security of the Platform. 

2. How does Access use my information?

We may use information that we collect from you for the following purposes, or as otherwise identified at the time of collection. Please note that we may use the same piece of information for more than one purpose.

A. Operating, improving, and personalizing the Platform: We use your information to operate the Platform and improve your experience using it. Specifically, we may use your information to:

  • Publish your reviews and commentary

  • Administer and manage your account

  • Authenticate your identity

  • Provide you with content, including, without limitation, generating recommendations

  • Administer any contest or promotions, including winner notification and prize delivery

  • Resolve your questions and requests

  • Improve the Platform

B. Communicating with You

We may use your information to communicate with you. For example, we may send you emails or other notifications (such as “push notifications” through your device) to authenticate your identity or notify you about new features. If you have registered for the Platform, we may also email you with promotional offerings or other communications that may be of interest to you. If we send you marketing emails, each email will contain instructions permitting you to “opt-out” of receiving future email marketing communications.

C. Safety and Compliance

We may use your information  as we believe necessary to comply with any applicable laws, court orders, subpoenas; to respond to lawful requests by law enforcement, regulators, or government entities; to detect, prevent, investigate or combat possible crime, such as identity theft, or other fraudulent activity; to protect the security of our Platform and Services; to enforce or apply our online Terms of Service or other agreements; to protect our own rights or property or the rights, property, or safety of our users or others; and to investigate or address claims or disputes relating to the Services.

D. Analytics and Research

We may use your information in conjunction with analytics, machine learning, and data models to better understand how the Platform operates and ways in which we can improve it.  

3. How and when does Access share my information?

The Platform is designed so that you can post information that is quickly and publicly available to other users. In addition to other Access users, we may make information that you post available to third parties to improve their services, better understand the needs of individuals with certain barriers, better understand the accessibility of a location, and for other commercial purposes. However, we will only share information that can be used to directly identify you (“Personal Information”) with the following entities:

A. Other Users

User Content (as defined in Terms of Service) that you upload to the Platform will be public, including your photos, ratings, reviews, posts, and edits to pages about establishments. Your account profile (which may include your name, city of residence, barriers, and conditions) is also intended for public consumption, as is some of your other activity through the Platform, like how you interact with other User Content, what establishments you visit, and which establishments you follow or save. You can limit the public nature of some of these activities through your account settings.

B. Service Providers

We engage service providers to perform functions and provide services necessary for us to maintain the Platform. For example, we use a variety of third-party services to host our Platform, protect the information that we collect, and provide us with details about how our Platform is being used. We will only share information with these entities on the condition that they agree to use your Personal Information only on our behalf and pursuant to our instructions.

C. Co-Branded Offerings

We may provide you with access to deals, promotions, or opportunities (“Promotions”) in association with our partners. These Promotions will identify the partner and indicate if they have a Privacy Notice that applies to their collection and use of your Personal Information. If you elect to register for products and/or services, communicate with these partners, or download their content or applications as part of a Promotion, you may be providing your Personal Information to both Access and the partner. If this is the case, we will provide disclosures as part of the Promotion. We are not responsible for our partner’s data practices and you should carefully review each partner’s Privacy Notices before participating in a Promotion that they are sponsoring.

D. Affiliates and Business Transfers

We may share your Personal Information in connection with, or during negotiations of, a transaction that alters the structure of our business, such as a reorganization, merger, sale, joint venture, assignment, transfer, change of control, or other disposition of all or a portion of our business, assets or stock, including a bankruptcy or similar proceeding. Additionally, if Access is acquired by a third party, that third party may use your Personal Information consistent with this Privacy Notice.

E. Compliance with Laws and Protection of Rights

We may disclose your personal information as we believe necessary to comply with any applicable laws, court orders, subpoenas; to respond to lawful requests by law enforcement, regulators, or government entities; to detect, prevent, investigate or combat possible crime, such as identity theft, or other fraudulent activity; to protect the security of our Platform and Services; to enforce or apply our online Terms of Service or other agreements; to protect our own rights or property or the rights, property, or safety of our users or others; and to investigate or address claims or disputes relating to the Platform.

4. How can I manage my information and communication preferences?

You may exercise control over your Personal Information in the following ways:

A. Email communications

We include an “unsubscribe” link in each promotional email we send you. If you no longer wish to receive such communications from us, please click that link and follow any additional instructions.

B. Push Notifications

You may opt-out of receiving push notifications by adjusting your profile settings while logged into the Platform or by adjusting your device settings.

C. Updating and correcting your Personal Information

If you are a registered Platform user, you have the ability to update or correct your Personal Information by accessing your profile page once you are logged in. If you are unable to make the necessary updates or corrections there, please contact us at privacy@ahoimate.com. 

5. Data Protection and Retention

A. Security

We maintain a number of administrative, physical, and technological measures to protect the confidentiality, privacy, and security of your Personal Information. These controls vary based on the nature of the information. Unfortunately, no website, server or database is completely secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

B. Retention

We may retain Personal Information after you delete your account or stop using the Platform for the purpose of fraud monitoring, detection, and prevention. We may also retain Personal Information to comply with our tax, accounting, and financial reporting obligations, as required by our contractual commitments, and as otherwise mandated by applicable law. When we retain data, we do so in accordance with any limitation periods and records retention obligations that are imposed by applicable law. 

If you have consented to receive marketing materials from us, we will retain your Personal Information for as long as we have your consent to send you marketing materials. You may withdraw this consent at any time following the instructions in this Privacy Notice. Additionally, we indefinitely retain data that is anonymized, de-identified, and/or aggregated in a manner removes any Personal Information from it.

6. Notice to California Users

California’s Shine the Light law gives California residents the right to ask companies what personal information they share with third parties for those third parties’ direct marketing purposes. We do not disclose your personal information to third parties for the purpose of directly marketing their goods or services to you unless you request such disclosure. If you have any questions regarding this policy, or would like to change your preferences, you may contact us at privacy@ahoimate.com.

Access is not currently subject to the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) or the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”). We will update this section if those laws apply to us in the future.

7. Notice to Users Outside the United States

Access is based in the United States and only provides services to users in the United States. Any information that we obtain about you will be stored in the United States and subject to the data protection laws of the United States. By using the Platform, you consent to this collection, transfer, storage, and processing of information to and in the United States.

8. Children’s Information

Our Platform are not directed to children, and you may not use our services if you are under the age of 13. You must also be old enough to consent to the processing of your personal data in your country (in some countries we may allow your parent or guardian to do so on your behalf).. If you know of any individuals under the Minimum Age using the Platform, please email us at privacy@ahoimate.com so we can take action to prevent such access. 

9. Privacy or Data Questions

If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or our privacy practices, please send an email to privacy@ahoimate.com.

10. Updates to this Privacy Notice

We may revise this Privacy Notice on occasion. The most current version of this Privacy Notice will govern our processing of your Personal Information and will always be available at https://ahoimate.com/privacy-policy. If we modify the Privacy Notice in a way that is, in our sole discretion, is material, we will notify you within the Platform or by sending an email to the email address associated with your account. By continuing to access or use the Platform after those changes become effective, you agree to be bound by the new version of the Privacy Notice.