Privacy Policy

Papaya is designed to help travelers make safer decisions. We built it with privacy as a core principle — we collect the minimum data needed to make the app work, and nothing more.

• Anonymous session ID — generated automatically, not linked to your name, email, or phone number
• Approximate location — used only to show relevant safety signals and route guidance near you
• Push notification token — if you opt in, used solely to send safety alerts
• Safety signals you submit — vibe, optional tags, and location (linked to your anonymous ID only)
• Trusted contact phone number — if you enable Safe Mode, you may optionally provide a trusted contact's phone number. It is used exclusively to send automated SMS safety alerts if you miss a check-in or activate help mode. It is never used for marketing, sold, or shared with third parties. Trusted contact numbers are retained only as necessary to maintain SMS opt-out compliance or during an active safety session.

If you are designated as a trusted contact by a Papaya user, you may receive automated SMS notifications triggered by safety-related events within the app (such as missed check-ins or activation of Help Mode).

Message frequency varies and occurs only when a safety event is triggered by the user.

You may opt out of receiving SMS notifications at any time by replying STOP to any Papaya message. After opting out, you will no longer receive safety alerts unless re-designated by the user.

For assistance, reply HELP or contact support@papaya.city.

Papaya does not use SMS for marketing purposes and does not sell or share trusted contact phone numbers with third parties.

• No name or personal email address (unless you voluntarily join our city expansion waitlist — see below). The app never collects your own phone number.
• No precise GPS history or movement tracking
• No contacts, photos, or device data
• No advertising identifiers or analytics profiles

Your data is used exclusively to power the app's safety features: displaying nearby signals, scoring route safety, and sending safety alerts. We do not sell, share, or monetize your data in any way.

Safety signals expire automatically after 6 hours. Expired signals and their confirmations are permanently deleted by our cleanup system. There is no long-term storage of signal data. Safe Mode session data: if you use Safe Mode, check-in locations and activity logs are retained for up to 30 days after your session ends. This window exists so you and your trusted contacts can recall what happened if an incident is reported after the fact. After 30 days, all GPS coordinates and session details are deleted. Only anonymized, non-identifiable patterns (no location, no identity) may be retained to improve Papaya's safety features.

Papaya uses Google Maps for mapping and routing, Firebase (Google Cloud) for authentication, database, and push notifications, and Twilio for SMS safety alerts sent to trusted contacts. These services process data according to their own privacy policies.

Since we use anonymous authentication, there is no personal account to delete. Your session data is not linked to your identity. If you uninstall the app or clear your browser data, your anonymous session is effectively erased.

If you choose to join our waitlist, we collect only your email address. This is completely optional and separate from the app, which remains fully anonymous. Your email is stored securely and used only to notify you when Papaya launches in new cities. It is never linked to your anonymous app activity.

Questions about this policy? Reach us at jc@elitecartagena.com.

Papaya users may only designate trusted contacts who have explicitly agreed to receive safety notifications on their behalf.

By being designated as a trusted contact, you acknowledge that you have provided consent to receive these messages.

You may opt out at any time by replying STOP.