Privacy Policy

SF Art Map (“we,” “our,” or “us”) operates an interactive public art discovery platform (the “Service”). This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you access or use the Service.

1. Our Privacy Principles

SF Art Map is designed to facilitate the discovery and appreciation of public art—not to profile, track, or monetize its users.

  • We do not sell personal information.
  • We do not track users across third-party websites.
  • We do not build behavioral advertising profiles.
  • We collect only the information reasonably necessary to provide and maintain the Service.

2. Information We Collect

We collect limited categories of information in connection with your use of the Service.

A. Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

  • Email address
  • Username

This information is used solely for:

  • Account authentication and management
  • Attribution of submitted content
  • Service-related communications

We do not require real names.

B. User-Generated Content

If you submit artwork, photos, reviews, or ratings, we collect and store:

  • Submitted artwork details
  • Uploaded images
  • Ratings or written commentary

This content may be displayed publicly within the Service.

C. Saved Walks and Routes

If you create custom walking routes:

  • Routes are stored in your account for personal access and reuse.
  • We do not aggregate, analyze, or commercialize user route data.

D. Technical Information

Like most web-based services, we may automatically collect limited technical data, such as:

  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Device type
  • Operating system
  • Referring URL
  • Basic usage logs (e.g., page requests, error diagnostics)

This information is used solely for:

  • Security monitoring
  • Fraud prevention
  • Performance optimization
  • Debugging and system reliability

We do not use this information for advertising profiling.

3. Location Data & No-Tracking Policy

A. Real-Time Location Use

If you enable location services, we use your device’s location to:

  • Display your current position on the map
  • Calculate walking distances
  • Provide navigation functionality

B. No Location Logging

  • We do not store or archive your GPS history.
  • We do not generate movement heatmaps.
  • We do not retain background location data.

C. On-Device Processing

Your real-time location is used transiently to provide immediate navigation and is not permanently stored in our databases.

D. No Location Monetization

We do not monetize location data or sell foot-traffic analytics to advertisers, marketers, urban planners, or data brokers.

4. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We may use limited cookies or similar technologies for:

  • Authentication (keeping you logged in)
  • Session management
  • Basic analytics to understand aggregate usage trends
  • Security purposes

We do not use third-party advertising trackers.

You may configure your browser to refuse cookies, though certain features of the Service may not function properly without them.

5. Third-Party Service Providers

We use certain third-party service providers to operate the Service.

A. Map Services

We use Mapbox to render maps and calculate routes. When you interact with map functionality:

  • Your IP address and temporary location data may be processed by Mapbox.
  • We do not share your SF Art Map account credentials with Mapbox.

You may review Mapbox’s privacy policy on their official website.

B. Hosting & Infrastructure

Our platform may be hosted by reputable cloud infrastructure providers. These providers may process technical data (such as IP addresses) as necessary to deliver hosting and security services.

We require third-party providers to use information only for service delivery and not for independent marketing purposes.

6. How We Use Information

We use collected information exclusively to:

  • Operate and maintain the Service
  • Authenticate users
  • Attribute and display user submissions
  • Provide route-building and navigation features
  • Improve performance and reliability
  • Detect, prevent, and address technical issues or abuse

We do not use personal data for targeted advertising.

7. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell personal information.

We may disclose information only in the following limited circumstances:

  • To service providers acting on our behalf
  • To comply with legal obligations or lawful requests
  • To protect the rights, safety, or security of users or the public
  • In connection with a merger, acquisition, or restructuring (with continued privacy protections)

8. Data Retention and Deletion of Accounts

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to operate the Service, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

Account Deletion

You may delete your account at any time. Upon deletion:

  • Your email address and associated account credentials will be permanently removed from our active systems, subject to standard backup retention cycles.
  • Your username will be disassociated from personally identifying account data.

Public Submissions

Artwork listings, photographs, reviews, ratings, and other content that you have submitted to the Service are considered public-facing contributions to a community archive.

If you delete your account:

  • Submitted artwork entries and photographs will remain on the Service.
  • Your submissions may be anonymized or attributed to a generic user designation (e.g., “Former Contributor”), but they will not be automatically removed.
  • Deletion of an account does not constitute withdrawal of previously granted content licenses.

This policy ensures the continuity, integrity, and reliability of the public art database for the benefit of the broader community.

Removal Requests

In limited circumstances (such as copyright disputes or verified legal claims), we may review and consider requests for removal of specific content. Such determinations are made at our sole discretion and in accordance with applicable law.nal identifiers, unless deletion is specifically requested.

9. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

However, no online system can guarantee absolute security.

10. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction (including California residents under the CCPA/CPRA), you may have the right to:

  • Access personal information we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate information
  • Request deletion of your personal information
  • Opt out of any future sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
  • Receive information about categories of data collected and disclosed

To exercise these rights, contact us at: [Insert Contact Email]

We will respond in accordance with applicable law.

11. Children’s Privacy

The Service is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that such information has been collected, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

12. International Users

If you access the Service from outside the United States, you understand that your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. If material changes are made, we will provide notice by updating the “Effective Date” and, where appropriate, notifying users through the Service.

Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.