Privacy Policy
We take the protection of your personal data seriously. This privacy policy explains which data we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and what rights you have. This privacy policy applies to the use of the Ground Hoppers App (iOS, Android, Web) and the associated website ground-hoppers.app.
Last updated: March 2026
1. Controller
The controller within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is: Pascal Migura Roggenkamp 29356 Bröckel Germany Email: contact@ground-hoppers.app As we currently have not appointed a data protection officer, please contact the email address above directly for any data protection inquiries.
2. Data Collected
We collect and process the following personal data: a) Account data: Email address, username, display name, password (stored in encrypted form), home country, registration date. b) Profile data: Profile picture, bio text, privacy setting (public, friends only, private). c) User content: Check-ins (matches, stadiums, competitions), uploaded photos, comments, likes, messages to other users. d) Location data: When using the Nearby feature, we collect your approximate location to show you matches near you. Location data is only collected with your explicit consent via your operating system's permission dialog (iOS/Android). You can withdraw location access at any time in your device settings. Alternatively, you can enter a location manually. e) Device information: Device type, operating system and version, app version, push notification token (Expo). f) Usage data: Time and frequency of app usage, features accessed, interactions (likes, comments, follows, friend requests). g) Payment data: We do not collect payment information ourselves (credit card numbers or similar). Payments for premium subscriptions are processed exclusively via the Apple App Store or Google Play. We only receive information about the subscription status via RevenueCat.
3. Purpose of Processing
We process your data for the following purposes: a) Provision of the service: Creation and management of your account, display of your profile, storage of your check-ins and content. b) Social features: Enabling friendships, follower relationships, messages, likes, and comments. c) Nearby feature: Displaying football matches near your location based on your location or a manually selected place. d) Notifications: Sending push notifications about new friend requests, messages, likes, comments, and other relevant activities. You can disable push notifications at any time in your device settings. e) Subscription management: Managing your premium subscription and its status. f) Improvement of the service: Analyzing usage for troubleshooting, performance improvements, and further development of the app. g) Security: Protection against misuse, spam, and unauthorized access.
4. Legal Basis
Your data is processed on the following legal bases: a) Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR): For the processing of location data (Nearby feature), sending push notifications, and uploading photos. You can withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future. b) Performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR): For providing app functions, managing your account, performing the user contract, and handling premium subscriptions. c) Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR): For improving the app, analyzing usage for troubleshooting and optimization, and ensuring the security of the service. Our legitimate interest is the provision of a reliable and user-friendly service.
5. Data Storage and Security
Your data is stored on servers in the European Union. We use Hetzner (Hetzner Online GmbH, Germany) for server hosting and Cloudflare (Cloudflare, Inc., USA) for CDN and media storage (Cloudflare R2). We implement technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including encryption of data transmission (TLS/SSL), encrypted password storage, regular security updates, and access restrictions. Data is stored as long as your account remains active. After deletion of your account, your personal data will be permanently removed within 30 days, unless statutory retention obligations apply (e.g. tax or commercial retention periods of up to 10 years for payment-related data).
6. Third Parties and Processors
We work with the following third-party providers, who process data on our behalf or under their own responsibility: a) Hetzner Online GmbH (Germany): Server hosting and database. Server location: EU. Privacy policy: https://www.hetzner.com/legal/privacy-policy b) Cloudflare, Inc. (USA): CDN, DDoS protection, and media storage (Cloudflare R2). Cloudflare is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. Privacy policy: https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/ c) RevenueCat, Inc. (USA): Management of premium subscriptions and synchronization of subscription status. RevenueCat processes subscription IDs and purchase confirmations. Privacy policy: https://www.revenuecat.com/privacy d) Expo (Software Mansion S.A., Poland / USA): Sending push notifications. Expo processes push tokens and notification content. Privacy policy: https://expo.dev/privacy e) Apple Inc. (USA) / Google LLC (USA): Authentication via “Sign in with Apple” or “Sign in with Google” as well as processing of in-app purchases and subscriptions. Processing is carried out in accordance with the respective privacy policies of Apple and Google. We have concluded data processing agreements (DPAs) in accordance with Art. 28 GDPR with processors who process data on our behalf.
7. Transfer of Data to Third Countries
Some of our service providers are based in the USA (Cloudflare, RevenueCat, Apple, Google). The transfer of data to the USA is based on the following safeguards: a) EU-US Data Privacy Framework: Cloudflare and Google are certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF), which has been recognized by the European Commission as providing an adequate level of data protection (adequacy decision pursuant to Art. 45 GDPR). b) Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs): Where no adequacy decision exists, we rely on the Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission pursuant to Art. 46(2)(c) GDPR. You can request a copy of the safeguards in place via contact@ground-hoppers.app.
8. Cookies and Tracking
The Ground Hoppers App and website currently do not use cookies for advertising purposes and do not use third-party tracking or analytics tools. Only technically necessary cookies are used, which are required for the functionality of the service (e.g. session cookies for login status). These cookies are based on our legitimate interest pursuant to Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR or are necessary for the performance of a contract.
9. Minors
Our service is not intended for persons under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from persons under 16 years of age. During registration, the minimum age is confirmed by the user. If we become aware that a user is under 16 years old, we will immediately delete the account and the associated data. If you are a parent or guardian and learn that your child has created an account, please contact us at contact@ground-hoppers.app.
10. Your Rights
Under the GDPR, you have the following rights: a) Right of access (Art. 15 GDPR): You may request information about the personal data we process. b) Right to rectification (Art. 16 GDPR): You may request the correction of inaccurate data. c) Right to erasure (Art. 17 GDPR): You may request the deletion of your data, unless statutory retention obligations prevent this. d) Right to restriction of processing (Art. 18 GDPR): You may request the restriction of processing of your data. e) Right to data portability (Art. 20 GDPR): You may request to receive your data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format. f) Right to object (Art. 21 GDPR): You may object at any time to the processing of your data based on legitimate interests. g) Right to withdraw consent (Art. 7(3) GDPR): You may withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future. For location data, you can withdraw consent via your device settings. For other consents, please contact contact@ground-hoppers.app. h) Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (Art. 77 GDPR): You have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority. The supervisory authority responsible for us is: The State Commissioner for Data Protection of Lower Saxony, Prinzenstraße 5, 30159 Hanover, Telephone: +49 511 120-4500, Email: poststelle@lfd.niedersachsen.de, Website: https://www.lfd.niedersachsen.de. You may also contact the supervisory authority at your usual place of residence. To exercise your rights, contact: contact@ground-hoppers.app. We will respond to your request within one month.
11. Account Deletion
You can delete your account at any time in the app settings. After deletion, the following data will be permanently removed: Your profile and all profile information, your check-ins and uploaded photos, your friendships, follower relationships and messages, your push token and device settings. Deletion will take place within 30 days. Data that we must retain due to statutory retention obligations will be deleted after the respective retention period expires. By deleting your account, all licenses you granted for your content also expire.
12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal reasons. We will inform you of material changes via push notification or email. The current version is always available on our website and in the app.
13. Contact
For data protection inquiries, access requests, or complaints, please contact: Pascal Migura Email: contact@ground-hoppers.app We aim to respond to your inquiry within one month.