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Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 19, 2026

ForkMark ("we," "our," or "us") operates the ForkMark mobile and web app ("the App") — a personal restaurant journal with social recommendations. We're committed to protecting your personal information. This policy explains what we collect, how it's stored, and your rights.

1. What We Collect

  • Account info. When you create an account we collect your email address, display name, chosen username, and (optionally) your profile photo, bio, home city, birthday, pronouns, dietary preferences, and favorite cuisines. Authentication is handled by Firebase Authentication.
  • Journal entries. Restaurant names, ratings, notes, photos, tags, and the location strings you enter. Journal entries are stored on your device and synced to your account so you can access them across devices.
  • Friends + recommendations. When you add a friend or publish a recommendation, the related friend request, friends list, and recommendation content (place, note, photos, rating) are stored in our database so the intended recipients can see them.
  • Location. When you use the Discover feature, we request your device's location to find nearby restaurants. Location is used for the current search only and is not retained on our servers.
  • Support tickets. If you contact support through the app, we collect the subject, description, and attached diagnostics (app version, platform, device model) to help us respond.
  • Usage + diagnostics. Anonymous crash and performance data may be collected to improve app stability. No journal content or friend data is included.

2. How It's Stored and Secured

  • In transit: All communication with our servers uses HTTPS/TLS.
  • At rest: Cloud data is stored on Google Firebase (Firestore + Cloud Storage), which encrypts data at rest by default.
  • Access control: Firestore security rules restrict every document to its owner. Only you can read or write your journal, profile, and support tickets. Friends see only what you publish as a recommendation.
  • Authentication: Sign-in is via email/password with optional two-factor (TOTP). Passwords are never stored by us — Firebase handles password hashing.

3. Third-Party Services

We rely on the following services to deliver the App. Each has its own privacy policy covering how they handle data they receive:

  • Google Firebase — authentication, database, storage, cloud functions, and push notifications.
  • Google AdMob — displays banner ads in the free app. AdMob may collect device identifiers for ad personalization per Google's policies.
  • Foursquare Places API — powers restaurant discovery. Your GPS coordinates and search filters are sent to Foursquare to find nearby places. We don't attach your identity to those requests.
  • OpenStreetMap Nominatim / Overpass — used as a fallback for restaurant discovery and ZIP-to-location geocoding. Same approach — coordinates/queries only, no identity.
  • Apple App Store / Google Play — app distribution and (in the future) purchase processing.

4. Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data for advertising or marketing purposes. Data leaves your account only in these cases:

  • Friends. When you publish a recommendation, your friends can see the restaurant details, note, and any photos you attached. Friend requests include your display name, username, ForkMark ID, and (if set) profile photo.
  • Service providers. See section 3.
  • Legal requirements. If required by law, subpoena, or valid legal process.

5. Ads

The app displays banner ads via Google AdMob. Ads help fund ongoing development. You can opt out of personalized advertising via your device's system settings (Apple "Ask App Not to Track" / Android "Opt out of Ads Personalization"). We may introduce an ad-free paid tier in the future.

6. Retention

Your account and cloud data are retained as long as your account is active. You can delete individual journal entries at any time. To delete your account, contact us (see section 10) — we'll remove your profile, journal entries, recommendations, and support tickets within 30 days, except where we're legally required to retain records (e.g., tax or abuse investigations).

7. Children

ForkMark is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we'll delete it.

8. Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you
  • Request correction or deletion
  • Object to or restrict processing
  • Request a portable copy

Contact us (section 10) to exercise any of these.

9. Changes

We may update this policy. Significant changes will be posted here with a revised "Last updated" date, and for material changes we may also notify you in the app. Continued use after changes means you accept the revised policy.

10. Contact

Questions, requests, or concerns? Email support@tournamentsense.com.