BassBuddy — Privacy Policy

Effective from: 2026-06-30 · Policy version: 1.0 · Applies to BassBuddy Android app v1.0.0 and later, and the relay service at bassbuddy.xtendit.co.za/api/

This policy applies only from v1.0.0 onward. Earlier versions (v0.7.x and below) collected no data of any kind — they were fully offline, single-device tools with no cloud relay. If you are using v0.7.x or earlier, no information about you is collected or stored anywhere outside your own device.

1. Who we are

BassBuddy is a personal Android app for logging bass fishing catches, owned and operated by XtendIT Agricultural Solutions PTY (LTD), a registered South African entity. Contact: bassbuddy@xtendit.co.za.

Under the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA), XtendIT Agricultural Solutions PTY (LTD) is the Responsible Party for any personal information processed through BassBuddy and its relay service. Information Officer: cvs (escalation only — please use the support email for routine matters).

2. The short version

BassBuddy works fully offline by default. If you never enable the Buddies feature, the app sends no personal information about you anywhere.
If you do enable Buddies, the only information that leaves your device is what you explicitly choose to share: trip invites, catch alerts, brag cards, and (only if you opt in during an active trip) your live location.
We never collect your name, email, or phone number. The only identifier we hold is a random pseudonymous handle generated on first connection.
Anything you share with buddies passes through our relay servers temporarily (up to 7 days) and is then deleted automatically.
You can wipe everything we have about you, anytime, from inside the app (Settings → Privacy → Delete my buddy data).

3. What we collect — and when

3.1 If you never enable Buddies

Nothing. The app makes no calls to our servers, sends no analytics, and collects no information about you. The only outbound network traffic is to Open-Meteo (weather), OpenStreetMap (map tiles), and Google's URL unshortener (only when you paste a Google Maps link to import a location). We do not see, log, or store any of these requests.

3.2 If you enable Buddies

When you tap Enable Buddies, we generate and store:

Information	Purpose	Retention
Pseudonymous handle (e.g., `a4b9c2`)	Identifies your device on the relay so buddies can send you items	Until you delete your data
Bearer token	Authenticates your device's requests	Until you delete your data
Optional display name	What buddies see when you push something to them. You choose this; default is blank	Until you change or delete it
Buddy relationships	The handles of people you've added as buddies	Until you remove the buddy or delete your data
Consent timestamp + policy version	Records that you agreed to this policy on a specific date	Until you delete your data

3.3 What you share through the relay

Item	Contents	Retention
Inbox items (catch alerts, brag cards, trip invites, PB announcements, trip reports)	The item payload + recipient handles	7 days, or until all recipients have acknowledged receipt, whichever is first
Photos attached to shared items	Compressed JPEG thumbnail (max 1080px long edge, EXIF stripped)	Same as the item it's attached to
Live trip locations	Latitude/longitude packets pushed during an active shared trip	Replaced on each new packet; deleted when the trip ends or you stop sharing
Trip broadcast group membership	Which buddies have accepted which trip	Trip's planned window + 24 hours
Public share links	Brag card content + the short URL	90 days from creation, or until you revoke the share
Invite codes	The 6-character code itself	24 hours regardless of use

3.4 What we never store

Your name (unless you choose to set a display name)
Your email address, phone number, or contacts list
Catches you haven't explicitly shared — those stay only on your device
GPS coordinates at full precision, unless you specifically pick "Exact GPS" for a shared item (default is "Water body only", which contains no coordinates)
Anything from offline use of the app

3.5 Server access logs

Our hosting provider (Afrihost) and CDN (Cloudflare) automatically log HTTP requests for security and abuse-prevention. These logs include source IP, timestamp, endpoint, response status, and user-agent. We do not access these logs routinely. Retention: 30 days at Cloudflare, 14 days at Afrihost. We do not link IP addresses to your handle in our application database.

3.6 Crash reports (only if you opt in)

If you enable Crash reports in Settings → Owner (default: OFF), the app sends anonymous crash diagnostics to Sentry. What Sentry sees: crash stack trace, app version, Android version, device model, approximate region (IP-derived by Sentry), app breadcrumbs (last 100 screen transitions). What Sentry never sees, enforced by code in the app: your handle or display name, any buddy data, any catch data, GPS coordinates, photos, or anything from your local database. You can turn this off any time.

4. Lawful basis under POPIA

Information	Lawful basis
Pseudonymous handle, token, buddy relationships, shared items	Consent — captured when you enable Buddies, time-stamped, revocable
Server access logs (IPs)	Legitimate interest — abuse prevention, security, service operation
Crash reports	Consent — separate opt-in, OFF by default

You can withdraw consent at any time. Withdrawing stops further processing and triggers deletion.

5. Sub-processors

Sub-processor	Purpose	Where they store data
Afrihost (SA)	Hosting the relay API and database	South Africa
Cloudflare (global)	TLS termination, DDoS protection, request caching, edge logs	Global edge network
Sentry (only if Crash reports enabled)	Crash diagnostics	United States / European Union
Open-Meteo (app, not relay)	Weather forecasts	European Union
OpenStreetMap Foundation (app, not relay)	Map tiles	UK / Global

We do not share your data with advertisers, analytics companies, data brokers, or marketing partners. We have never received or complied with a government data request — if we ever do, we will note it in this policy without naming the request (a "warrant canary").

Cross-border transfers: Cloudflare and Sentry process data outside South Africa. POPIA permits this when the recipient is subject to a law providing adequate protection. By enabling Buddies (and, separately, Crash reports), you consent to these transfers.

6. Your rights under POPIA

You have the right to:

Access what we hold — Settings → Privacy → Export my data (generates a JSON file), or email us with your handle.
Correct information that is wrong — display name in Settings → Owner; other corrections by email.
Delete all information — Settings → Privacy → Delete my buddy data. Calls DELETE /me on the relay. Items already delivered to other buddies' devices cannot be recalled.
Restrict processing — disable Buddies in Settings without deleting your account.
Object to processing — same effect as deletion.
Portability — the JSON export in Settings → Privacy → Export my data.
Complain — to the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforeg@justice.gov.za or inforegulator.org.za. We hope you'll talk to us first.

We respond within 30 days, usually much sooner.

7. Security

All connections use TLS 1.3, terminated at Cloudflare.
Bearer tokens are stored hashed (password_hash()) in the relay database; never logged in plaintext.
Database access restricted to the application user; remote MySQL access disabled.
Backups encrypted at rest, nightly, retained 7 days.
We cannot recover lost bearer tokens. If your device is wiped, you appear offline; buddies need to re-invite you.

If a data breach materially affects your personal information, we notify the Information Regulator and affected users within 72 hours, as required by POPIA.

8. Children

BassBuddy is not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect data from minors. If you believe a minor has registered, contact us and we will delete the data.

9. Changes to this policy

Material changes (new data collected, new sub-processors, longer retention) are announced in-app the next time you open Buddies, with the option to review and re-consent. Non-material changes (typo fixes, contact info updates) take effect on publication.

Version	Date	Changes
1.0	2026-06-30	Initial policy — covers v1.0.0 launch.

10. Contact

For any privacy matter — questions, complaints, data requests, security disclosures:
bassbuddy@xtendit.co.za

Include your handle (visible in Buddies → top of screen) so we can identify your data. If you've already deleted your data, just describe the issue.