Introduction
Lonely Porsche ("we", "us", "our") is an independent events calendar that helps Porsche enthusiasts discover meets, scenic drives, coffee runs, track days and car shows across the UK and Ireland.
This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you use any part of Lonely Porsche, how we use it, and your rights regarding that information. It covers:
- The website at lonelyporsche.com
- The Lonely Porsche iOS app for iPhone and iPad
- The Lonely Porsche Android app
Together these are referred to as "the Service". Where something only applies to one of them, we say so. Please read this policy carefully.
Information We Collect
Information you provide
- Email address — only if you choose to link an email to back up and sync your saved and attended events across devices. This is entirely optional; the Service works fully without it.
- One-time verification codes — when you link an email, we send a short-lived code to confirm you own the address. We never ask for or store passwords.
- Event submissions and correspondence — if you email us to submit or update an event, we receive whatever you include, such as your name, contact details, event details and images.
Information collected automatically
- Device ID — a random identifier generated the first time you use the Service. In the iOS app it is stored in the device Keychain, in the Android app in the app's private storage, and on the website in your browser's local storage. It lets us keep your saved events in sync and is not linked to your name.
- Saved and attended events — the events you bookmark or mark as attended. These are kept on your device and backed up to our server against your device ID (and your email, if you have linked one).
- Push notification token (apps only) — if you allow notifications, your device's notification token is sent to our server so we can deliver event reminders and alerts.
- Event popularity — we count how many people have saved each event, without identifying anyone, to label events as "Popular" or "Hot". Nobody can see who saved an event or how many saves it has.
- Usage statistics — page and screen views, filter and search choices, event views, and taps on links such as "Event Details" or "Open in Maps". These are recorded by our own server, without cookies, using an anonymous identifier that changes daily. They are not linked to your name or email address.
- Technical information — like most websites and apps, our server receives your IP address, browser or device type and request details when you connect. This is used to deliver the Service, prevent abuse (for example, rate limiting sign-in codes) and keep it secure.
- Location — if you allow it, your current location is used on your device only to sort events by distance, filter by distance, and show your position on the map. On the website this happens only when you tap "Near me" or use a distance filter. Your location is never sent to our servers.
Cookies & Local Storage
The website does not set advertising or analytics cookies. It uses your browser's local storage and session storage — which stay on your device — for features you use:
- Your saved and attended events, and the device ID used to sync them.
- Your linked email address, if you have linked one.
- Your filter choices, if "Remember my filters" is switched on (you can turn this off in Settings, which also clears them).
- Small preferences, such as whether you have dismissed a banner or seen the welcome tour, and the map view you last used.
These are strictly necessary for the features to work, so they do not need consent. You can clear them at any time through your browser settings; doing so will remove any saved events that have not been backed up with an email.
The apps store the equivalent information within the app on your device.
How We Use Your Information
- To show you Porsche events and, if you allow it, sort them by distance from you.
- To keep your saved and attended events, and sync them across your devices if you have linked an email.
- To send push notifications about saved events and new events (apps only, and only if you have enabled notifications).
- To highlight popular events, based on how many people have saved each one.
- To list, update or remove events that organisers send us.
- To understand which features are used so we can improve the Service.
- To keep the Service secure and prevent misuse.
Legal Basis for Processing (UK GDPR)
Where the UK General Data Protection Regulation (or the EU GDPR, for users in Ireland) applies, we process your personal data on the following bases:
- Contract — to provide features you have asked for, such as saving events, email backup and sync, and notifications.
- Legitimate interests — for anonymous usage statistics, popularity counts, security and abuse prevention, and handling event submissions. These have minimal impact on your privacy.
- Consent — for location access and push notifications, which you can grant or withdraw at any time in your device or browser settings.
Data Sharing
We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information. We share data only in these limited circumstances:
- Hosting and email providers — our website, apps' backend and email (including sign-in codes) run on a hosting provider that stores and processes data on our behalf, under contract, and only to provide the Service.
- Apple Push Notification service (iOS) and Firebase Cloud Messaging (Android) — your notification token is passed to Apple or Google to deliver notifications to your device. Their own privacy policies apply.
- Map and content services — when you view a map, map tiles are loaded from Esri (ArcGIS), and some pages load code or fonts from unpkg.com or Google Fonts. Like any web request, these providers receive your IP address and browser details. We do not send them any other information about you.
- Weather — forecasts come from Open-Meteo, but we fetch them on our own server using event locations only. No information about you is sent to Open-Meteo.
- Legal requirements — if required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of users or the public.
Data Retention
- Saved and attended events held on our server against a device ID with no linked email are deleted automatically after 12 months of inactivity.
- If you linked an email, your saved and attended events are kept until you ask us to delete them (see Section 9).
- Information stored on your device stays there until you delete the app or clear your browser storage.
- Usage statistics are retained for up to 24 months, in aggregate form.
- Event submission emails are kept for as long as the event is listed and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information:
- All communication between the website, the apps and our servers uses HTTPS (TLS encryption).
- Sign-in codes are short-lived, tied to the device that requested them, and limited to a small number of attempts.
- On iOS your device ID is stored in the Keychain; on Android it is kept in the app's private storage, which other apps cannot read.
- No payment card or financial information is ever collected by the Service.
No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Your Rights
Under UK and EU data protection law you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct inaccurate personal data.
- Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten").
- Object to or restrict certain processing.
- Receive your data in a portable format.
- Withdraw consent at any time (for example, by turning off notifications or location access in your device or browser settings).
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at events@lonelyporsche.com. We will respond within one month.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you can complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk, or, in Ireland, the Data Protection Commission at dataprotection.ie. We would appreciate the chance to put things right first.
Children's Privacy
Lonely Porsche is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
Third-Party Links
The Service links to external event registration pages, organiser and venue websites, mapping and navigation services (Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze), calendar services (Google Calendar, Outlook), weather forecasts on Windy.com, and the App Store and Google Play. These are third-party services with their own privacy policies. We are not responsible for their privacy practices and encourage you to review their policies before using them.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will change the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we will let you know through a notice on the website or in the apps.
Contact Us
Lonely Porsche is run by Chris and Sarah, who are responsible for your personal data. If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please get in touch: