Pallup ("we," "us," or "our") is a language exchange app that connects people who want to learn each other's languages, schedules practice sessions, and facilitates video calls between matched users. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you use the Pallup app and website, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have.
By creating a Pallup account or using the app, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use Pallup.
| App name | Pallup |
|---|---|
| Legal entity | Pallup |
| Contact | pallup.austin@gmail.com |
| Data controller | For the purposes of GDPR, Pallup is the data controller of information collected through Pallup. |
If you self-report an intermediate or higher proficiency level for a language, Pallup may ask you to complete a brief verification step before that proficiency is shown to other users as verified. Verification is a short written test in that language made up of multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions. We store your answers and results to determine your verification status. Verification does not involve any audio, video, photos, or biometric data.
We do not sell your personal information for monetary consideration. See Section 14 for how this applies specifically to analytics data under California law.
Pallup relies on the following service providers to operate. Each processes certain information on our behalf, subject to their own privacy practices:
| Firebase / Google Cloud (Firestore, Auth, Functions) | Authentication, database storage, and serverless backend functions that power matching, meetings, and notifications. |
|---|---|
| Google Cloud Logging | Our backend functions generate operational logs (for example, when a message triggers a notification) that can include user IDs, conversation IDs, and delivery status. These logs are used for debugging and reliability, are access-restricted to our engineering team, and are retained for 30 days, Google Cloud's standard retention period. |
| Firebase Cloud Messaging | Delivers push notifications to Android and other Firebase-integrated clients using your device token. |
| Apple Push Notification service (APNs) | Delivers push notifications to your iOS device. Your device token is registered with Apple's push service, which is a separate data flow from Firebase Cloud Messaging and is governed by Apple's own privacy practices. |
| Firebase Analytics | Collects app usage and diagnostic data to help us understand feature usage and fix issues. See Section 14 for details on how this data is configured and whether it is considered "shared" under California law. |
| Zoom | Generating and hosting video meeting links when you use Pallup-generated Zoom meetings or connect your own Zoom account. |
| Google Meet | Generating meeting links when you connect a Google account for meetings. |
| Apple (Sign in with Apple) | Authentication when you choose to sign in using your Apple ID. |
We encourage you to review these providers' own privacy policies, as their processing of your information is also governed by their terms.
Pallup facilitates scheduling of video call sessions but does not itself host or record video calls. Video calls take place through Zoom or Google Meet, subject to those providers' own terms and privacy practices. We are not responsible for the content of your video calls or any recording, screenshotting, or other capture of a session by another participant.
Your safety: we encourage you to review a match's profile before scheduling a session, to use Pallup's in-app reporting tools if a session or user makes you uncomfortable, and to avoid sharing sensitive personal information (home address, financial details, government ID numbers) with other users.
To make Pallup work offline and load quickly, the app stores a local copy of certain data on your device, including recent conversations, profile information, and accepted language partners.
When you log out, the locally cached conversations, profile information, language partners, and other app data are cleared from your device automatically. You will need to sign in again to access your account.
When you remove a conversation from your conversation list, it is removed from your view within the app. The underlying messages are not deleted from our servers, because a conversation is shared with the other participant, who can continue to see it. Messages you exchange with a language partner remain visible to that partner indefinitely, until they delete the conversation themselves. This also applies if you delete your account (see Section 10).
If you would like the underlying content of a conversation permanently deleted from our servers rather than only removed from your view, contact us at pallup.austin@gmail.com.
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your information, including encrypted network transmission. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
If we become aware of a security incident that compromises your personal information, we will notify affected users without undue delay and, where legally required, within the timeframe required by applicable law (for example, GDPR generally requires notifying regulators within 72 hours of discovering certain breaches). Notification will be provided via the email address or in-app notification associated with your account, and will describe the nature of the incident, the information involved, and steps we are taking in response.
We retain your information for as long as your account is active, subject to Sections 8, 9, and 11. If you delete your account, the following happens immediately:
Backend operational logs may reference your user ID for up to 30 days after deletion (see Section 5). We may also retain certain records where required for legal, security, or fraud-prevention purposes.
We do not automatically delete inactive accounts. If you stop using Pallup, your account and profile remain in place until you delete your account. You can delete your account at any time as described in Section 12.
If you are located in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, you have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, or port your personal data, and to object to certain processing. Our legal bases for processing your information include your consent, our performance of the contract with you (providing the Pallup service), and our legitimate interests in operating and improving the app.
Requests can be sent to pallup.austin@gmail.com, and are handled by Pallup's founder. We aim to respond to all verified requests within 30 days, as required under GDPR.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect, to request deletion of your personal information, and to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information. Pallup does not sell your personal information for monetary consideration.
Regarding "sharing" as broadly defined under the CPRA (which can include certain analytics or advertising-related data flows even without a monetary transaction): we use Firebase Analytics only to understand how Pallup is used and to fix problems. We do not link our analytics to Google Ads or any other advertising service, we do not ask for permission to track you across other companies' apps and websites, and we do not use or share analytics data for cross-context behavioral advertising.
To exercise your rights, contact us at pallup.austin@gmail.com.
Pallup is intended only for users who are 18 years of age or older. When you sign up, you must enter your date of birth, and Pallup does not allow anyone who enters an age under 18 to create an account. To limit the sensitive personal information we collect, we do not require a government ID or other documents to verify age. By creating an account, you confirm that you are at least 18 years old; providing a false date of birth violates our Terms of Service. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we learn that a user is under 18, we will delete their account and personal information promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at pallup.austin@gmail.com.
Pallup does not currently collect biometric identifiers (such as fingerprints or facial geometry used for identification), genetic data, or health information. Proficiency verification (Section 3.4) uses only your written test answers and does not collect voice recordings, facial images, or any other biometric data.
Pallup is operated from the United States, and your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries other than the one in which you reside, including the United States, where our infrastructure providers operate. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards (such as standard contractual clauses) for such transfers.
This Privacy Policy describes our data practices, not the legal terms governing your use of Pallup. Governing law, dispute resolution, and arbitration terms are set out in our Terms of Service.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you through the app or by email before the changes take effect. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, contact us at: