Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
Version 1.0 — effective 7 October 2026
HOPP ("we", "us") operates the HOPP mobile app and the website hopvn.com, where you save the places worth going back to, along with the reason you saved them.
This document explains what data we collect, what we use it for, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and what rights you have. We have written it in plain language rather than legalese, because a policy nobody can read protects nobody.
This policy follows Vietnam's Decree 13/2023/ND-CP on personal data protection and the Law on Cyber Information Security.
1. Who is responsible for your data
HOPP is the controller of the personal data described in this document.
Send any privacy question, request or complaint to the address in section 11. We respond within 72 business hours.
2. What we collect
2.1 Data you give us
| Category | What it includes | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Account | Email address or phone number, password (stored hashed — we cannot read it), display name, username | Required to create an account |
| Profile | Avatar, short bio, date of birth, gender, occupation, social links, interests, home area | Optional |
| Content you create | Places you pin, notes, impressions, photos you upload, collections, comments, reviews | Up to you |
| Reports | The content you report and your reason | When you submit a report |
2.2 Data from your Google or Facebook account (only if you choose that sign-in)
When you tap "Continue with Google", we receive exactly three things from
Google, matching the three scopes openid, email and profile:
- Your Google user identifier (the
substring) — so we recognise you on later sign-ins; - Your email address — to match you with an existing HOPP account, if any;
- Your display name and avatar — to pre-fill your profile so you type less.
We do NOT read your mail, your contacts, your Google Drive files, or your calendar. We never request those scopes, so we could not access them even if we wanted to.
Limited Use commitment. HOPP's use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. Specifically: we use that data only to provide and improve the sign-in feature; we do not transfer it to third parties except as necessary to operate the service, for security purposes, or to comply with applicable law; we do not use it for advertising; and we allow no humans to read it unless you give explicit consent, for security purposes, or where required by law.
2.3 Data created as you use the service
| Category | What it includes | Why we need it |
|---|---|---|
| Device | App-generated device identifier, platform (iOS/Android), OS version, app version, model, language, time zone | Spot unfamiliar devices, help you when you report a problem, send notifications to the right device |
| Sign-in | Time, IP address, country, browser/app, success or failure | Detect unusual sign-ins and protect your account |
| Usage | Screens you open, actions you take (for example pinning a place, opening a collection), time, IP address, country | Learn which features help, so we can improve them |
| Location | Only if you allow it, and only while the app is open | Show places near you and pin exactly where you are standing |
You may refuse the location permission. The app still works — you simply search for places yourself instead of getting suggestions based on where you stand.
2.4 Photos you upload
We automatically strip EXIF data from every photo before storing it. EXIF is hidden data inside an image file that usually contains the GPS coordinates where the photo was taken and the camera used. Stripping it means a photo you share does not accidentally reveal where you live.
3. What we use the data for
- Running the service — creating and keeping your account, storing your pins and collections, syncing across your devices.
- Protecting your account — spotting unusual sign-ins, blocking password guessing, temporarily locking an account that shows signs of compromise.
- Keeping the community healthy — handling reports and hiding content that breaks the rules.
- Improving the product — aggregate statistics on which features get used.
- Communicating with you — in-app notices, and replies when you ask for help.
- Complying with the law — when a competent authority makes a lawful request.
We do not use your data for advertising, and we do not sell your data to anyone. No venue pays to sit at the top of a list.
Legal basis
We process your data on the basis of your consent (you tick the consent boxes when you register, and we record when you did so and which version of the documents you agreed to), and as necessary to perform our service agreement with you and to comply with legal obligations.
4. Who sees what
4.1 Other users
- Public: your display name, username, avatar, bio, and any pins or collections you have set to public.
- Private: your email address, phone number, private notes, and anything you have set to private. Other people cannot see these.
You can change the privacy level of each pin and each collection at any time, and you can make your whole profile private.
4.2 Third parties
We do not sell, rent or trade personal data. We share it in only three cases:
| Who | What they receive | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Our server infrastructure provider | Data residing on servers they operate | To run the service |
| Google (Firebase Cloud Messaging) | Your notification device token and the notification content | Only if you enable push notifications |
| Competent state authorities | Only what a lawful request covers | Legal obligation |
About maps: HOPP fetches map tiles from OpenStreetMap through our own server. That means OpenStreetMap never sees your IP address — our server fetches the tile, caches it, and serves it to you.
5. How long we keep data
| Type | Retention |
|---|---|
| Your account and the content you create | Until you delete your account |
| An account you asked us to delete | Hidden immediately, permanently erased after 30 days |
| Sign-in and access logs | 90 days |
| Activity logs | 12 months |
| Audit logs (administrative actions) | 24 months |
| Proof of consent to our documents | For the life of the account plus 24 months |
The 30-day wait before permanent deletion exists so you can change your mind — contact us within that window and we can restore the account. After 30 days it cannot be restored, not even by us.
6. Your rights
Under Decree 13/2023/ND-CP you have the following rights over your personal data:
- Right to be informed — to know what data of yours is being processed (this document).
- Right to consent and to withdraw consent — at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing carried out before it.
- Right of access — to see and obtain a copy of your data.
- Right to rectification — to correct wrong data; most of it you can edit directly in the app.
- Right to erasure — to delete your account and your data.
- Right to restrict processing and right to object to processing.
- Right to complain, denounce and sue as provided by law.
- Right to claim damages in the event of a breach.
How to exercise them: most actions are in the app (Profile → Settings). For anything else, write to the address in section 11. We verify your identity and then act within 72 business hours.
7. How we protect your data
- Every connection runs over HTTPS with a valid certificate.
- Passwords are stored as bcrypt hashes — we cannot read your password, and we cannot send it back to you either.
- EXIF stripping on uploaded photos (see 2.4).
- Temporary account lockout after repeated failed sign-ins, and rate limiting to block password guessing.
- Internal role-based access control: staff can see only the data their job requires, and every administrative action is logged.
- Sensitive values are masked in internal logs.
No system is perfectly secure. If an incident affects your data, we will notify you and the competent authority within the deadlines the law sets.
8. Children
HOPP is for people aged 13 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and find that your child has created an account, please contact us and we will delete it.
People aged 13 to under 16 need the consent of a parent or guardian, as required by Decree 13/2023/ND-CP.
9. Where your data is stored
Your data is stored on servers located in Vietnam. If you enable push notifications, your device token and the notification content pass through Google's infrastructure (Firebase) and may be processed outside Vietnam.
10. When this policy changes
Every version carries a number and an effective date. When a change affects your rights, we will:
- notify you in the app before it takes effect, and
- ask for your consent again if the change requires it.
Previous versions are retained; you may ask to see the version you agreed to.
11. Contact
For anything concerning privacy, write to:
- Email: lienhe@hopvn.com
- Website: https://hopvn.com
Please put "Personal data request" in the subject line so it reaches the right queue.