Privacy Policy

Introduction

At Fikola, we take your privacy seriously. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information when you use our carpooling platform.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide

Account Information: Name, email address, phone number, profile photo
Profile Details: Bio, languages, interests, vehicle information
Ride Information: Departure and destination locations, dates, times, pricing
Messages: Communications between drivers and riders
Reviews: Written reviews you provide about other users

Automatically Collected Information

Usage Data: How you interact with our platform
Device Information: Browser type, IP address, device identifiers
Location Data: Ride pickup and dropoff locations (when you create or book rides)

How We Use Your Information

To facilitate carpooling connections between drivers and riders
To process ride bookings and manage your account
To enable communication through our messaging system
To calculate routes and display ride information
To improve our services and develop new features
To ensure safety and prevent fraud
To send important service updates and notifications

Data Sharing and Third Parties

We work with trusted service providers to operate Fikola:

Supabase: Database and authentication services (GDPR compliant)
Vercel: Hosting and deployment infrastructure
OpenRouteService: Routing and mapping services
Resend: Email delivery services

All third-party processors are GDPR-compliant and bound by data processing agreements. We never sell your personal information to third parties.

Your Rights Under GDPR

As a user in the EU/EEA, you have the following rights:

Right to Access: Request a copy of your personal data
Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate information
Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”)
Right to Data Portability: Export your data in a machine-readable format
Right to Object: Object to certain processing activities
Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time

You can exercise these rights from your account settings under “Privacy & Data” or by contacting us at support@fikola.com.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active. After account deletion, we may retain certain information for legal compliance, dispute resolution, and fraud prevention (typically 30-90 days).

Message and Chat Data Retention

Fikola never uses or analyzes private message content for marketing or profiling purposes. Your conversations remain private between you and other participants.

Chat Message Retention Policy:

Active Rides: All messages are retained while the ride is active or pending
User-Initiated Deletion: You can delete conversations from your inbox at any time. Deletion only affects your view - the other participant will still see the conversation unless they also delete it.
Permanent Deletion: Once both participants delete a conversation, all messages are permanently erased from our database within 24 hours
Automatic Cleanup: Messages are automatically deleted after 6 months of inactivity on completed or cancelled rides (GDPR Article 5(1)(e) - Storage Limitation)
System Messages: Ride requests, approvals, and cancellations may be retained for up to 12 months for safety auditing and dispute resolution (legitimate interest)

Your Deletion Rights: You have full control over your conversations. To delete a chat, open the Messages page, hover over any conversation, and click the delete icon. You'll be asked to confirm before deletion.

Other Data Retention Periods

Profile Information: Retained while account is active, deleted 30 days after account deletion
Ride History: Retained for 12 months after ride completion for safety and tax records
Reviews and Ratings: Retained indefinitely as part of the public trust system (unless user requests erasure under GDPR Article 17)
Reports and Safety Logs: Retained for up to 3 years for compliance and safety purposes
Backup Data: Deleted data may remain in backup systems for up to 30 days before permanent deletion

Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including encryption, secure authentication, and regular security audits. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.

Children's Privacy

Fikola is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via email or through the platform.

Contact Us

For privacy-related questions or to exercise your rights, contact us at:

Email: support@fikola.com
Address: Roamer Experience & Digital AB, Sweden