Privacy Policy for Stadium Route

1. Introduction and Scope

Welcome to Stadium Route. This Privacy Policy applies to your use of the stadiumroute.com website and the Stadium Route: Fan Travel Map mobile application (collectively referred to as the “Service”), operated by Stadium Route (“we”, “us”, or “our”).

We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. If you have any questions or concerns about our policy, or our practices with regards to your personal information, please contact us at stadiumroute48@gmail.com.

When you visit our website or use our mobile application, you trust us with your personal information. We take your privacy very seriously. In this privacy notice, we describe our privacy policy. We seek to explain to you in the clearest way possible what information we collect, how we use it, and what rights you have in relation to it.

This Privacy Policy applies to all information collected through our website, mobile application, and any related services, sales, marketing, or events.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us, as well as information that is automatically collected when you use the Service.

A. Information You Provide to Us

The Service is designed to be a utility tool that does not require mandatory account creation. However, we may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when expressing an interest in obtaining information about us or our products and services, or otherwise contacting us.

Contact Information: If you email us at stadiumroute48@gmail.com for support, feedback, or data deletion requests, we will collect your email address and the contents of your message.
Form Data: If you use specific interactive features (such as a Visa Checker or Contact Form), we process the inputs you provide to generate a result. This data is processed locally on your device or ephemerally and is not permanently stored on our servers.

B. Information Automatically Collected

When you access the app or website, we and our third-party service providers (such as Google Analytics and Firebase) automatically collect certain information about your device and usage. This information does not reveal your specific identity (like your name or contact info) but may include device and usage information, such as:

Device Data: We collect device information such as your mobile device ID, model, manufacturer, operating system version, browser type, and IP address.
Usage Data: We log your activity within the app and website, such as the pages or screens you view, the time spent on those pages, buttons clicked (e.g., clicking a hotel affiliate link), and diagnostic data like crash logs and performance metrics.
Advertising IDs: We collect advertising identifiers (such as Google Ad ID or Apple IDFA) to serve personalized advertisements through Google AdMob.

C. Location Information

To provide context-aware travel recommendations (such as “Hotels within walking distance of the stadium”), we may request access to your device’s location data.

Approximate Location: We may use your IP address to determine your general location (e.g., city or country) to automatically adjust time zones for the match schedule.
Precise Location: If you grant the app permission via your device settings, we collect your precise GPS location to provide accurate distance metrics to stadiums and points of interest. You can revoke this permission at any time in your device settings.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information collected via our Service for a variety of business purposes described below. We process your personal information for these purposes in reliance on our legitimate business interests, in order to enter into or perform a contract with you, with your consent, and/or for compliance with our legal obligations.

We use the information we collect or receive to:

Deliver and Facilitate the Service: To provide you with offline maps, match schedules, and accurate travel routing.
Serve Contextual and Personalized Advertising: We use third-party advertising networks (Google AdMob) that utilize your device’s Advertising ID to show you relevant ads within the app.
Facilitate Affiliate Marketing: When you click on a hotel, flight, or travel utility link, we use tracking parameters to attribute the referral to Stadium Route so we may earn a commission.
Perform Analytics and Improve the App: We use crash logs and usage data (via Firebase) to identify bugs, optimize React Native app performance, and understand which features (e.g., specific stadium maps) are most popular.
Respond to User Inquiries: To provide customer support and address technical issues sent to stadiumroute48@gmail.com.
Protect our Service: As part of our efforts to keep our app and website safe and secure (for example, for fraud monitoring and prevention).

4. Third-Party Services and Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. However, to operate the Service, we share data with the following categories of third-party vendors, service providers, contractors, or agents who perform services for us or on our behalf.

A. Advertising (Google AdMob)

Our mobile application displays advertisements served by Google AdMob. AdMob uses device identifiers, MAC addresses, IMEI, and other device data to serve personalized ads based on your interests and location.

Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your prior use of our app or other apps/websites on the internet.
You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google’s Ads Settings or utilizing your device settings to “Limit Ad Tracking” (iOS) or “Opt out of Ads Personalization” (Android).

B. Analytics (Google Firebase)

We use Google Firebase to analyze app usage and technical stability. Firebase collects data such as crash traces, device model, operating system, and session durations. This helps our developers identify and fix bugs quickly.

C. Affiliate Links and Tracking (Disclosure)

Stadium Route is a free utility tool that utilizes affiliate marketing to fund its operation. Our Service contains affiliate links to third-party travel providers, including but not limited to Booking.com (via Awin), Travelpayouts, and others.

How it works: When you click an affiliate link (e.g., “Book Hotel” or “Find Flights”), a tracking cookie or identifier is placed on your device. If you make a purchase on the third-party partner’s website, Stadium Route receives a commission at no extra cost to you.
Third-Party Privacy: Once you click an affiliate link and leave our app or website, your data is governed by the Privacy Policy of that specific third-party merchant (e.g., Booking.com). We do not collect or store your credit card information, booking details, or passport data.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

On stadiumroute.com, we may use cookies, web beacons, tracking pixels, and other tracking technologies to help customize the Site and improve your experience.

Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function properly.
Analytics Cookies: Used to track user behavior and website traffic.
Advertising Cookies: Used by our affiliate networks to track referrals. You can choose to disable cookies through your browser settings, though this may affect the functionality of the website.

6. Data Retention and Deletion

We will only keep your personal information for as long as it is necessary for the purposes set out in this privacy policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Usage Data & Analytics: Typically retained for 14 to 26 months before being automatically aggregated or deleted.
Right to Deletion: If you wish to have your data (such as analytics identifiers or support emails) deleted from our systems, please send an explicit request to stadiumroute48@gmail.com. We will process your request within 30 days in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

7. Data Security

We have implemented appropriate technical and organizational security measures designed to protect the security of any personal information we process.

Encryption: All data transmitted between the app/website and our servers (or third-party servers like Firebase) is encrypted in transit using HTTPS/TLS protocols.
Local Storage: Features like the offline match schedule are stored locally on your device. We do not extract this local data. However, despite our safeguards and efforts to secure your information, no electronic transmission over the Internet or information storage technology can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.

8. Policy Concerning Children (18+ Audience)

The Service is intended strictly for adults managing international travel, booking accommodations, and navigating foreign cities. We do not knowingly solicit data from or market to children under 18 years of age. By using the Service, you represent that you are at least 18 years old. If we learn that personal information from users less than 18 years of age has been collected, we will deactivate the account and take reasonable measures to promptly delete such data from our records.

9. Your Privacy Rights (GDPR & CCPA)

A. European Economic Area (GDPR)

If you are a resident of the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom (UK), you have specific rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

The right to access: You have the right to request copies of your personal data.
The right to rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate.
The right to erasure: You have the right to request that we erase your personal data, under certain conditions.
The right to restrict processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data.
The right to object to processing: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at stadiumroute48@gmail.com.

B. California Residents (CCPA)

If you reside in California, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants you specific rights regarding your personal information:

Right to Know: You can request details about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you over the past 12 months.
Right to Delete: You can request the deletion of your personal information.
Right to Opt-Out of Sale: We do not “sell” your personal information in the traditional sense. However, the use of third-party advertising tracking (like AdMob) may be considered a “sale” under CCPA. You can opt out of personalized ads via your device settings.

10. Disclaimer of Affiliation

Stadium Route: Fan Travel Map is an independent, unofficial fan utility application. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, authorized by, or in any way officially connected with FIFA, the 2026 World Cup organizing committee, any specific football club, or any government entity. All product and company names, logos, and trademarks (including stadium names and country flags) are trademarks™ or registered® trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.

11. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The updated version will be indicated by an updated “Effective Date” at the top of this document. We encourage you to review this privacy policy frequently to be informed of how we are protecting your information.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions or comments about this policy, or if you wish to exercise your data protection rights, you may email us at: Email: stadiumroute48@gmail.com Website: stadiumroute.com