Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy describes what information PlatePal collects, how we use it, and the choices you have about that information. We try to keep this page short and in plain English.
What we collect
- Your email address and password. The password is stored as a salted hash — we never see the original.
- Your name and street address if you choose to provide them.
- Your mobile phone number, only if you choose to add it for SMS notifications (optional, off by default).
- License plate numbers and states you register.
- Messages you send and receive inside the app.
- Photos you take with the in-app camera scanner, if you use it. See "Camera and photos" below for exactly what happens to them.
- Basic technical info like your IP address (for rate-limiting and abuse prevention) and last-active timestamp.
How we use it
- To run the service — sign you in, deliver your messages, send street alerts to the right people.
- To prevent spam and abuse.
- To respond to support questions you send via the Feedback tab.
We do not sell your personal data. We do not share it with anyone for their own marketing. We do share limited data with the service providers listed under "Service providers we use" below, only so they can perform a function for us (for example, sending a text or reading a photo you scanned).
Phone number and SMS
Adding a phone number is optional and off by default. If you opt in, we collect your number so our SMS provider (Twilio) can text you when a neighbor messages your plate or posts a street alert. We never use your number for marketing or share it for marketing. You can stop texts anytime by replying STOP, by removing your number in Settings, or by emailing us. Reply HELP for help. Message and data rates may apply. Full details are on our SMS notifications page.
Camera and photos
The app includes an optional camera scanner. The camera is only used when you choose to scan, and we ask for camera permission first.
- When you scan a license plate, the plate text is read so we can fill in the plate field for you.
- When you use the AI photo feature to suggest why you're messaging a car, the photo is sent to our AI provider (Anthropic) to identify the issue. We do not store the photo — it is processed for that one request and discarded. We keep only a count of how many scans you've used.
Notifications
If you allow notifications, we send push notifications (and, if you opted in, SMS texts) to tell you about new messages and street alerts. You can turn notifications off anytime in your device settings or in the app's Settings.
Advertising
The PlatePal mobile app shows no ads. Our website and browser (PWA) version may display ads through Google AdSense, which uses cookies and similar technology to show and measure ads. You can learn about and control this at Google's Ads policies. We do not give advertisers your name, email, phone, or address.
Service providers we use
We rely on a few trusted companies to run PlatePal. They only receive the data needed to do their job and may not use it for their own purposes:
- MongoDB Atlas — stores your account data.
- Render — hosts our servers.
- Twilio — delivers SMS texts (only if you opt in).
- Anthropic — reads photos you choose to scan with the AI feature (photo not stored).
- Google AdSense — serves ads on the website/PWA only (not in the app).
What other users see
- Your plate number and state are searchable so others can message you. That's the whole point of the app.
- The display name on outgoing messages is "Anonymous" when you toggle anonymous, otherwise your name (or the local part of your email if you haven't set a name).
- Your street address is never shown publicly. It's only used to decide whose inbox a street alert lands in.
Admin access
PlatePal admins can access messages, feedback, and account data when needed to:
- Investigate reports of spam, abuse, or threats.
- Respond to your support questions.
- Review reported messages and moderate abuse.
We do not read private messages casually or share what we see with anyone outside PlatePal.
Cookies and tracking
PlatePal uses standard web storage (cookies and local storage) to keep you signed in and remember preferences like dark mode.
Where your data lives
Your data is stored in MongoDB Atlas (a cloud database service). Backups are kept for normal operational purposes. Data leaves our servers only when you export your data or when our admins audit a report.
Your rights
- Access: contact us via the Feedback tab and we'll send you a copy of your data.
- Delete: Settings → "Delete your account". Your account and data are permanently erased immediately.
- Correct: edit your name, email (via support), and street address anytime in Settings.
Children
PlatePal is not for children under 13. If we learn a child under 13 has signed up, we'll delete the account.
Changes
If this policy changes, we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top and notify you in-app for significant changes.
Contact
Use the Feedback tab inside the app, visit our contact page, or email useplatepal@gmail.com to reach us about anything in this policy.