EKIGATARIPrivacy Policy
EKIGATARI (the "App") respects your privacy. This policy explains what information the App handles and how it is used.
1. Information we collect
The App has no account registration or sign-in. We do not receive or store any information that identifies you, such as your name, email address or phone number. Location is obtained and used on your device, and your location itself (latitude and longitude) is never sent to or stored on our servers (see "2. Location" below). The only information we store on our server is what is needed to confirm a Premium (in-app) purchase (see "3-2. Premium" below).
On your device, the App stores your choice about personalized ads (allow / don't allow), the record of your agreement to the use of location data (Android), your favorite stations, your notification settings (on/off and time), whether the nearby station map is shown and your Premium purchase information (the proof of purchase issued by the store). If "Notify me near my favorite stations" is on, it also stores the list of stations being watched and the station you were last notified about with the time (so that the same station notifies you at most once every 6 hours). These are stored only on your device and are not sent to our servers (except the Premium proof of purchase, which is sent to confirm the purchase; see "3-2. Premium" below).
2. Location
The App uses your device's location only if you allow it. Your location is used on your device to find nearby stations and to calculate the distance and estimated walking time. Your location itself (latitude and longitude) is never sent to or stored on our servers.
Only if you turn on "Notify me near my favorite stations" in Settings does the App use your location while it is closed ("Always" on iOS, background location on Android). Your favorite stations (up to 20) are registered with the operating system's region monitoring (geofencing), and whether you have come near one is determined on your device. Even then, your location is never sent to or stored on our servers (on your device, only the station you were last notified about and the time are stored). Turning the setting off stops it immediately.
When the App is shown in a language other than Japanese, the identifiers of the stations near you and the display language are sent to our server so that their names can be shown in your language (see "3. Network connections" below). Only station identifiers are sent, never your location itself. They are not linked to you and are not stored.
For how the advertising service (Google) handles location while ads are shown, see "4. Information collected by a third-party service (ads)" below.
On Android, before asking for location permission, the App explains in the app why it collects and uses location data, and asks for the permission only if you agree (the same applies when location is used while the App is closed for favorite-station notifications).
If you do not allow location access, you can still explore stations from a demo location (Shinjuku) or search stations by name. You can change the permission at any time in your device settings.
2-2. Notifications
The App asks for notification permission only when you turn on "Station of the day" or "Notify me near my favorite stations" in Settings. Notifications are created and shown on your device; no information is sent anywhere for them.
3. Network connections
- When you open a station page, the App sends the station's identifier (e.g. shinjuku) and the display language (e.g. en) to our server (Google Firebase / Cloud Functions) to create the station's "personality" text. The server creates the text with the OpenAI API, stores it for each station and language, and returns the same text to other users. Only the station and language are sent; no information about you, such as your location or device identifiers, is sent. As part of the connection, your IP address and basic device information (such as the OS type) reach Google. Only station information is sent to OpenAI, never information about you.
- When the App is shown in a language other than Japanese, it sends the identifier of each station and the display language to our server so that the station and line names in the nearby list, the map and your favorites can be shown in your language (for stations other than the major ones; this happens automatically when they are shown). The server translates the names with the OpenAI API, stores them for each station and language, and returns the same translation to other users. This is not linked to you, and we do not store who looked at which station.
- When the App is shown in Japanese, it downloads the fonts used on screen from Google Fonts (Google LLC). As part of this connection, your IP address reaches Google. See Google's Privacy Policy.
- When you tap "See property prices near this station" on a station page, the App opens an app page on the App Store or Google Play. The App does not send any information about you when doing so.
3-1. Checking that requests come from the genuine app (App Check)
So that our server only accepts requests from the genuine App, we use Google's Firebase App Check. For this, Apple's DeviceCheck on iOS and Google's Play Integrity on Android confirm, through Apple or Google, that your device and the App are genuine. This does not include information that identifies you, such as your name or location, and we do not store it.
3-2. Premium (in-app purchase)
The App offers a one-time in-app purchase called "Premium". Purchases and payments are handled by the App Store or Google Play; we never receive payment information such as credit card details, or information about your Apple ID or Google account.
- Confirming the purchase: When you use a Premium feature, the proof of purchase issued by the store is sent to our server (Google Firebase / Cloud Functions), which asks Apple or Google to confirm it. The server stores only an irreversible hash of the purchase identifier, the type of store, when it was confirmed and how many times each feature was used. This is used to apply the usage limits and to prevent misuse.
- Talk with the station: The text you enter, the conversation so far, the station identifier and the display language are sent to our server, which writes the station's reply with the OpenAI API. We do not store the conversation. OpenAI may keep what it receives for up to 30 days to monitor abuse (it is not used for training). Please do not enter information that identifies you or that you would not want others to know.
- Shops nearby: The station identifier and display language are sent to our server, which searches Google's Places API around the station's coordinates. Your location is not sent. Shop information is not stored. Tapping a shop opens its page in Google Maps.
4. Information collected by a third-party service (ads)
The App includes the SDK of Google AdMob (the Google Mobile Ads SDK), an advertising service provided by Google LLC, and shows a banner ad at the bottom of the screen. For delivering and displaying ads, measuring their performance, frequency capping and fraud prevention, the SDK may send the following information directly to Google:
- Advertising identifier (on iOS, the IDFA only if you allow tracking / on Android, the advertising ID)
- IP address and the approximate region inferred from it (on Android, if you have allowed location access, this may include your device's approximate location)
- Device information (model, OS, language, screen size, etc.)
- Interactions with ads such as views and taps, and diagnostic information about the SDK
This information is sent directly to Google by the SDK built into the App; we do not obtain or sell it. The App never passes your device's location to the ad SDK. On iOS, the ad SDK is configured not to use your device's location. On Android, if you have allowed location access, the ad SDK may use your approximate location for advertising (if you buy Premium, the ad SDK is not started). For how Google handles information, please see the Google Privacy Policy and How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services.
5. App Tracking Transparency (iOS only)
In accordance with Apple's privacy requirements, the iOS version shows the tracking permission dialog after launch. The ad SDK (Google AdMob) does not start until you answer it. Personalized ads are shown only if you allow tracking and also allow them in the App's "Ad settings" (allowed by default). If you choose "Ask App Not to Track", the IDFA is not used and non-personalized ads are shown. All features of the App remain available. You can change the tracking setting at any time in iOS Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking.
You can also turn off personalized ads by choosing "Don't allow" in "About this app" > "Ad settings" in the App, even if you allow tracking (non-personalized ads continue to be shown).
6. Choosing personalized ads and managing the advertising ID (Android)
On first launch, the Android version asks whether personalized ads may be shown ("Allow" / "Don't allow"). The ad SDK (Google AdMob) does not start, and nothing is sent to Google for ads, until you answer. If you choose "Don't allow", ads are still shown but they are not personalized. You can change your choice at any time in "About this app" > "Ad settings" in the App. Your choice is stored only on your device and is excluded from Android backups and device transfers, so you will be asked again on a new device.
In regions where the law requires it, such as the European Economic Area (EEA), the UK and Switzerland, Google's consent screen (Google UMP) is shown after the choice above (on iOS, after the tracking permission dialog). No ads are shown until you answer it. You can change your choice at any time in "About this app" > "Ad consent settings (Europe, etc.)" in the App.
On Android you can reset or delete your advertising ID in Settings > Privacy > Ads (or Settings > Google > Ads, depending on the device and OS version).
7. Sharing or selling data
Except for the ad delivery described above (Google AdMob), the App does not provide or sell your information to third parties. Sending the text of Talk with the station to OpenAI, and purchase information to Apple or Google to confirm a purchase, is done on our behalf to provide those features and is not provision or sale. If you buy Premium, no ads are shown and the ad SDK (Google AdMob) is not started. There are no subscriptions.
8. Deleting data
Our server stores only the text for each station and language, and the usage counts for each Premium purchase (linked to a hash of the purchase identifier). If you would like the usage record deleted, please contact us. Your personalized-ads choice on your device is deleted when you uninstall the App. For information obtained by Google for ads, please contact Google as described in the Google Privacy Policy above.
9. Children
The App is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from children under 13.
10. Changes to this policy
This policy may be updated as needed due to changes in laws or the service. Any changes will be posted on this page.
11. Contact
For questions about this policy, please contact support@fujibit.com.
Fuji Bit Inc.