CAMINO KOALA

Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2026

Your privacy matters to us. This Privacy Policy explains how Camino Koala collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal information. We are committed to being transparent about our data practices and respecting your rights.

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

Information you provide directly

  • Account information: Your name and email address when you create an account
  • Password: Stored securely using industry-standard hashing (we never store your password in plain text)
  • Newsletter preference: Whether you have opted in to receive our newsletter
  • Contact form submissions: Your name, email, and message content when you contact us

Information collected automatically

  • Usage data: Pages visited, features used, and interactions with the site
  • Device information: Browser type, operating system, and screen size
  • Location data: Approximate location based on IP address (we do not track precise GPS location unless you explicitly enable map features that require it)

Information collected in the mobile app

  • Precise location: When you start recording a stage, we collect your GPS location - including in the background while your screen is off - to track your walk, show your progress, and power the lock-screen Live Activity. Recording is always started by you and stops when you finish, reach the stage end, or after 8 hours.
  • Location sharing with friends: If you connect with friends in the app, your approximate live position is shared with them - only while you are both near a Camino route, and only with friends you have accepted. You control the precision per friend and can stop sharing at any time.
  • Phone number (optional): If you add one, it is visible only to friends you have enabled enhanced sharing with.
  • Content you submit: Reviews, walk logs, and suggested edits to trail information.
  • Photos: Profile photos, and photos you upload to points of interest, reviews, or bug reports, are stored on our servers.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

  • Provide the Service: Create and manage your account, personalise your experience, and deliver the features you use
  • Transactional emails: Send account-related communications such as registration confirmation, password resets, and important service updates
  • Improve the Service: Understand how users interact with our platform to improve functionality and content
  • Respond to enquiries: Reply to messages sent via our contact form

3. Newsletter & Marketing Communications

We will never send you unsolicited marketing emails. Our newsletter is strictly opt-in - you will only receive it if you actively choose to subscribe during registration or through our website.

Newsletter emails are infrequent and limited to new route announcements and important updates about the Camino. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link included in every email, or by contacting us directly.

4. Cookies & Analytics

Camino Koala uses cookies and similar technologies to:

  • Essential cookies: Keep you signed in and remember your preferences (required for the site to function)
  • App analytics: The mobile app uses PostHog, hosted in the EU (Frankfurt), to understand which screens and features are used. While you are signed in, this data is linked to your account so we can understand usage across sessions. It is never used for advertising and never includes your messages, photos, or precise GPS location. You can turn analytics off at any time in the app under Settings → Privacy.

You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may affect your ability to use certain features.

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may process your data:

  • Mapbox: Provides our interactive maps. Mapbox may collect usage data when you interact with maps. See Mapbox's Privacy Policy
  • Booking.com and Expedia (accommodation bookings via affiliate links), OpenWeather (weather forecasts for your route area), PostHog (EU-hosted product analytics), Amazon Web Services (hosting and photo storage), and authentication providers (Google, Apple, Facebook) if you sign in with them

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party.

6. Data Retention & Deletion

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. If you delete your account, we will remove your personal data within 30 days, except where we are required by law to retain certain information.

Content you contributed — such as reviews, walk logs, and photos — is retained after your account is deleted so that it remains useful to other pilgrims, but it is unlinked from your account and is no longer displayed with your name or profile. You can ask us to delete that content as well, at any time, by emailing hello@caminokoala.com. See how to delete your account for full details of what is deleted and what is retained.

Anonymised and aggregated data (which cannot be used to identify you) may be retained for analytics and service improvement purposes.

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

  • Right of access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
  • Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data
  • Right to erasure: Request deletion of your personal data (“right to be forgotten”)
  • Right to data portability: Request your data in a structured, commonly used format
  • Right to restrict processing: Request that we limit how we use your data
  • Right to object: Object to the processing of your personal data for certain purposes
  • Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent
  • Right to complain: Lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority if you believe we have processed your data unlawfully
  • You can delete your account directly in the app under Profile → Delete account, on the website under Account Settings, or by emailing us. See how to delete your account for step-by-step instructions.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@caminokoala.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

8. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including:

  • Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
  • Secure password hashing
  • Access controls and authentication for internal systems
  • Regular review of security practices

No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Children's Privacy

Camino Koala is not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child under 16 has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will promptly delete the information.

10. International Data Transfers

Your data may be processed and stored in countries outside your country of residence, including countries within and outside the European Economic Area. Where we transfer data outside the EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission.

11. Legal Bases for Processing

We process your data under the following GDPR legal bases: Performance of a contract - creating and operating your account, storing your plan, walks, and content. Consent - the newsletter, sharing your location and phone number with friends, and precise location collection (via your device's permission prompts); you can withdraw each at any time. Legitimate interests - product analytics to improve the app (with an in-app opt-out) and fraud/abuse prevention

12. Device Permissions

The app asks for permissions only when a feature needs them: Location (map position and recording walks, including background while recording), Camera (scanning a friend's QR code, photographing points of interest), Photo library (choosing photos to upload), Contacts (only to save a friend's number to your phone at your request - we never read or upload your contacts). Every feature works if you decline; you just lose that capability.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last updated” date. For significant changes, we will notify registered users by email. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

14. Contact Us

Camino Koala is operated by Ponferrada Pty Ltd, 92 Buckland Street, Alexandria, 2015, Australia, the data controller for the purposes of the GDPR. Email:hello@caminokoala.com