Caminantes — Privacy Policy

Effective date: 1 June 2026 · Last updated: 1 June 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how AFK Ventures (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, stores, and protects your information when you use the Caminantes mobile application (the “App”), a planning and tracking companion for the Camino de Santiago. Caminantes is published on Google Play under the developer name “Caminantes Project”.

The short version. We collect only what the App needs to work: your account details, the routes and notes you create, and — only while you are actively recording a walk — your location and step count. We do not sell your data, show ads, or use advertising or analytics tracking. You can delete your account and all associated data at any time, from inside the App or by emailing us.

1. Who we are

The App is operated by AFK Ventures. For any privacy question or request, contact us at contact.afkventures@gmail.com.

2. Information we collect

Account & identity

When you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address, Google account identifier, and profile photo URL (via Firebase Authentication and Google Sign-In). You also choose a username and select your country, and may add a short bio and a profile picture.

Location data

When you start recording a walk, the App accesses your device’s precise location to draw your route and calculate distance and elevation. Location is used only while a walk is active, via a foreground service shown by a persistent notification; it stops when you end the walk. The App does not access your location in the background outside of an active walk.

Activity & fitness data

During an active walk, the App reads your step count (physical activity recognition) to display steps taken.

Content you create

The App stores the routes you plan, your per-day stages and points of interest, your notes, and your completed walk history (distance, duration, steps, elevation, and the GPS path of your walk).

Photos

If you set a profile picture or contribute a photo to a community point of interest, the selected image is uploaded and stored. The App only accesses images you explicitly choose.

Community contributions

You may submit information about points of interest — such as a venue’s public contact details (phone, website) and photos. These submissions are stored and reviewed by us before publication; once approved, they may be shown to other users. You are responsible for what you submit and should provide only a venue’s official, public information — never a private individual’s personal data. You can flag content for review using the in-app Report option. Content rules are set out in our Terms of Service.

Technical information

The App checks network connectivity to enable offline features. We do not use advertising identifiers, and we do not run analytics or advertising SDKs.

3. How we use your information

To create and maintain your account and profile.
To let you plan routes and save notes across your devices.
To record and display your walks (route map, distance, elevation, steps).
To show maps, place search, and weather relevant to your route.
To protect the service from abuse (app attestation via Firebase App Check).
To improve and promote the App — including showcasing approved community contributions, and using aggregated, de-identified information that does not identify you.

We do not sell your personal data, and we do not use it for advertising or profiling. (We may use anonymised, aggregated data and approved community contributions as described above and in our Terms of Service.)

4. How your information is stored and shared

Your data is stored using Google Firebase (Authentication, Cloud Firestore, and Cloud Storage), which processes data on our behalf. We also use the following third-party services strictly to provide App features:

Google Firebase — account authentication, database, and file storage. See Google’s Privacy Policy.
Mapbox — map display and place search. Map and search requests (including approximate location and search terms) are processed by Mapbox to render maps and return results.
Open-Meteo — a weather API that receives approximate coordinates to return local weather forecasts. No account or API key is used, and no personal identifiers are sent.

We do not sell your personal information. We only share data with these processors to the extent necessary to operate the App, or where required by law.

5. Data retention

We keep your account data for as long as your account exists. When you delete your account (see below), your profile, routes, notes, walk history, and uploaded images are permanently deleted from our systems.

6. Your rights & Data Deletion Request

You can delete your account and all associated data at any time.

Option A — In the app (instant):
Open Settings → Account → Delete account, then confirm. This permanently deletes your profile, planned routes, notes, walk history, and any uploaded images, and removes your sign-in account. This cannot be undone.

Option B — By request (web):
Email contact.afkventures@gmail.com with the subject “Data Deletion Request” from the email address associated with your account. We will verify your identity and permanently delete your account and associated data within 30 days, and confirm by email.

You may also request a copy of, or correction to, your personal data by emailing us at the address above.

7. Children’s privacy

The App is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age required in your country), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we will delete it.

8. Security

We use industry-standard measures provided by Google Firebase, including encrypted transmission and access controls, to protect your information. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we take reasonable steps to safeguard your data.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the “Last updated” date above and, where appropriate, via an in-app notice.

10. Contact us

Questions or requests? Email contact.afkventures@gmail.com.