Privacy Policy

This is QScene's privacy policy, written in plain language. If anything is unclear, email privacy@qscene.app.

Who we are

QScene ("QScene," "we," "us," or "our") is operated by SERP Savvy Studios LLC, a Texas limited liability company. We make a free events and nightlife discovery app for Houston's queer community.

This policy covers the QScene mobile app and the qscene.app website (collectively, the "Service").

QScene is currently available only in the United States. If you are accessing this Service from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be processed under United States privacy laws, which may differ from those in your country.

The short version

• We collect the minimum data needed to make QScene work and improve it.
• We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with advertisers or data brokers for their own use.
• We do not ask for, collect, or store information about your race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, HIV status, immigration status, religion, or political views.
• You can delete your account from inside the app at any time, and we will wipe your data within 30 days.
• Analytics is opt-in only — the app works fully without it.
• If law enforcement requests your data, we will require valid legal process and, where legally permissible, will evaluate and may challenge requests that appear to target the queer community.

The rest of this document is the long version of the same commitments.

1. What we collect

When you create an account

• Your email address. Used to sign you in. Stored securely by Supabase.
• A unique account identifier (UUID) assigned automatically. This is how our database links your saves, RSVPs, and preferences to you.
• Vibe preferences. The interests you select during onboarding (drag, dance, leather, queer-owned, etc.) so we can tailor your feed.

When you use the app

• Saved events and RSVPs. Stored under your account so they appear in your "You" tab and so we can count anonymous attendance.
• App interactions. Taps, scrolls, time spent on screens, search frequency, filter usage, sharing actions. Used to understand what works in QScene and what doesn't. Only collected if you opt in to analytics (see Section 4).
• Approximate device location — only when you open the Map tab and grant location permission. Coordinates are used on-device to sort venues by distance. Location is not transmitted to our servers.

When you grant push notification permission

• A device push token. A unique identifier your iPhone generates so we can send you alerts about events you've saved or RSVP'd to. Only used for delivering notifications you've explicitly opted into.

When you submit a venue safety report

• Your report. The content you submit, plus a timestamp and a reference to your account so we can follow up if needed.

When you join the launch waitlist (qscene.app)

• Your email address. Collected when you sign up on qscene.app to be notified about launch. Stored by Supabase. Used only to send launch and early product updates. You can have it removed at any time by emailing privacy@qscene.app.

When you submit an event or report a correction (qscene.app/submit)

• Your name and email, and optionally your organization, venue, or promoter name. Collected when you submit an event or flag a correction to an existing listing through qscene.app/submit. Stored by Supabase. Used to review your submission, contact you with questions, and send you a confirmation when your event is published or your correction is resolved. We never publish your contact information, and we do not add it to any marketing list.

What we do not collect

• Your real name (unless you choose to give it to us)
• Your phone number
• Your home address
• Your race, ethnicity, or national origin
• Your gender identity or sexual orientation
• Your HIV status or any health information
• Your immigration status or citizenship
• Your religion or political views
• Your contacts, photos, or microphone
• Your browsing history outside QScene
• Apple's Advertising Identifier (IDFA)

We do not build user profiles based on protected characteristics.

This list reflects our current practices. We will update this policy and notify users before introducing any of these forms of data collection.

2. How we use your information

We use what we collect to:

• Sign you in and keep your account secure
• Show you the events and venues most relevant to your selected vibes
• Save the events you mark as saved or RSVP to
• Send you push notifications about events you've explicitly saved
• Understand which features people use, where the app breaks, and what to build next (analytics, opt-in only)
• Aggregate anonymous engagement data for the Houston queer community as a whole (see Section 5)
• Review and follow up on events and corrections submitted through qscene.app/submit, including sending you a confirmation when your event goes live or your correction is resolved
• Send launch and product updates to people who joined the waitlist
• Respond to your support requests
• Comply with legal obligations

That's the list. We do not use your data for anything not listed here without updating this policy first.

3. Service providers

We use the following third parties to operate QScene. Each one processes data only on our instructions, under contract.

We do not share your information with anyone else for their independent use.

4. Analytics: how we measure the app, with privacy first

QScene uses analytics to understand which features people use and what to improve. Our analytics setup is intentionally restrictive.

You opt in. The app works fully if you don't.

The first time you open QScene, you'll see a plain-language consent screen explaining what analytics collects and why. You can opt out, and the app will function identically. You can change your choice at any time in Settings. If you opt out, no analytics events fire.

No personal information in analytics.

Analytics events do not carry your email, name, phone number, or any free-text input you've typed (including search queries). The identifiers attached to analytics are pseudonymous, not your name or email: a Firebase instance ID that resets when you reinstall the app, and — if you are signed in to an account — your account UUID, which persists across installs so your saves and RSVPs follow your account.

No cross-app tracking.

Google Signals, which would let Google match QScene activity to your Google account or other apps you use, is disabled. The Apple Advertising Identifier (IDFA) is not collected. Cross-app data sharing for advertising purposes is disabled.

Limited retention.

We have configured Firebase Analytics to its minimum retention period: 14 months. Aggregated, anonymized reports may be kept longer for trend analysis.

No surveillance creep.

We do not currently track: your exact GPS coordinates, your scrolling position, your clipboard, anything you type into the keyboard (other than character counts for search), or any kind of session replay or screen recording. We will update this policy and notify users before introducing any of these forms of data collection.

5. How we share aggregated data with venues

QScene's mission includes giving Houston queer venues better information about their audiences. To do this responsibly:

We share only aggregates, never individuals. When a venue receives a report about events they hosted, it shows totals (impressions, taps, RSVPs, share counts, attendance estimates) — never user-level data.

Minimum aggregation threshold. Any number reported to a venue must reflect at least 5 distinct users. If fewer than 5 users RSVP'd to an event, that data point is suppressed from venue reports. This prevents anyone from identifying individual attendees through small numbers.

No identifying details. Venue reports do not include names, emails, device identifiers, or any information that could identify a specific user.

Editorial vs. paid placements are clearly separated. When QScene eventually offers paid Featured placements (not in v1.0), they will be visually distinguished from editorial picks with clear "Sponsored" disclosure, in compliance with FTC guidelines.

6. Algorithmic curation

QScene uses algorithmic systems to organize and curate the events you see. These include:

• Vibe-based filtering — events shown to you are influenced by the vibe preferences you selected during onboarding
• Featured carousel — a small set of events highlighted by editorial selection (not personalized to you)
• Tonight / Weekend / Coming Up sections — events organized by date proximity

You can adjust your vibe preferences at any time in Settings. These curation systems do not make consequential decisions about you — they only affect which events appear in your feed.

7. How long we keep your data

When you delete your account, we wipe your account record, saved events, RSVPs, vibe preferences, and push tokens within 30 days. Anonymous analytics events that have already been collected may persist in aggregate form (we cannot identify which events came from you after the user-level data is deleted).

8. Your rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Correct information that is inaccurate
• Delete your account and associated personal data (use the in-app "Delete my account" button in the You tab, or email us)
• Export your data in a portable format
• Opt out of analytics at any time, with no loss of app functionality

To delete your account in the app: open the You tab → scroll to the bottom → tap Delete my account → confirm. Your account and personal data are wiped within 30 days.

To exercise any other right, email privacy@qscene.app with the subject "Privacy Request." We respond within 45 days, with one possible 45-day extension for complex requests as permitted by applicable law. We will notify you if an extension is needed.

Texas residents (Texas Data Privacy and Security Act)

Texas residents have the right to confirm we process their data, access it, correct it, delete it, obtain a portable copy, and opt out of targeted advertising, sale of personal data, or significant profiling.

QScene does not engage in targeted advertising, does not sell personal data, and does not perform profiling that produces legal effects. To exercise other rights, contact us at the email above. You may appeal a denied request by replying to our response. If your appeal is denied, you may file a complaint with the Texas Attorney General at oag.texas.gov.

California residents (CCPA / CPRA)

California residents have the right to know what personal information we collect, request deletion, request correction, opt out of sale or sharing, and not be discriminated against for exercising these rights.

QScene does not sell or share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising, and you do not need to take any action to opt out. To make any other CCPA request, email privacy@qscene.app.

9. People under 18

QScene is rated 18+ and is not directed at anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you are under 18, do not use QScene or create an account.

If we learn that we have inadvertently collected information from a person under 18, we will delete it promptly. If you believe a person under 18 has provided us with personal information, contact privacy@qscene.app.

10. Security

We use industry-standard safeguards:

• Encryption in transit (HTTPS / TLS) for all data sent between your device and our servers
• Encryption at rest in Supabase
• Row-Level Security (RLS) policies that restrict database access to authenticated users acting on their own data
• Strict secrets management — no API keys or credentials embedded in the app
• Regular review of admin and service-role access

No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee that unauthorized access will never occur. We work to minimize the risk and to respond quickly if a breach happens (see Section 12).

11. Law enforcement and government requests

The queer community in Texas has material reasons to be cautious about how digital platforms respond to government data requests. We take this seriously.

Our policy:

• We require valid legal process appropriate to the data requested before disclosing any individual user data.
• Where legally permissible, we will evaluate and may challenge warrants, subpoenas, or other legal demands that appear to target the queer community as a class — for example, requests for the list of attendees at a drag event, a trans-focused gathering, or a sexual health-related event. We will work with legal counsel to balance compliance obligations with our commitment to user privacy.
• Where legally permitted, we will notify affected users before disclosing their data, so they have an opportunity to challenge the request themselves.
• We intend to publish an annual transparency report beginning in our second year of operation, detailing the number and nature of government data requests received and how we responded. The first report is targeted for early 2027.

Architectural protections:

We have designed our data systems to limit what can be turned over even under legal compulsion. Analytics data is pseudonymous, not tied to your real identity. Location data is not stored on our servers. We retain data only as long as we need it.

These commitments are real, but they have legal limits. We will comply with valid orders we cannot lawfully refuse. Our goal is to ensure that QScene is in the strongest possible position to protect users.

12. Data breach disclosure

If we experience a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible after confirming the breach and identifying affected users — generally within 72 hours and no later than required by applicable law. Our notification will include specific information about what was and was not exposed.

13. International data transfers

Our service providers operate in the United States. By using QScene, you consent to your data being processed in the United States.

14. Changes to this policy

If we make material changes to this policy, we will:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
• Notify you in the app (a banner or screen on next open)
• For significant changes (such as a new category of data collection), provide notice in advance

We will provide notice of material changes to this policy in advance, and where required by law, we will obtain your consent before applying changes to data already collected.

15. Contact us

SERP Savvy Studios LLC

Houston, Texas

Privacy questions and data requests:
privacy@qscene.app

General contact:
aicardo@serpsavvystudios.com

For privacy-specific inquiries, please use the subject line "Privacy Request" so we can route your message correctly and respond within our 45-day commitment.

This policy is published as both a legal document and a public commitment. We update it whenever our practices change. The current version is always available at qscene.app/privacy.