Privacy Policy

1. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION

Registration Information

When you register with Gezginsel, create an Account or start using the Platform, you may provide certain information so that we can provide our Service, create your Account, match you with other Users, ensure security and improve the Platform.

This information may include the following:

Your first name and surname,

Your username,

Your e-mail address,

Your mobile telephone number,

Your password,

Your date of birth,

Your age,

Your gender information,

Your profile photographs,

The city where you live or your general location,

The countries, cities or regions you plan to travel to,

Travel dates,

Your travel style,

Your interests,

The “about me” / biography field,

The types of trips you prefer,

Matching and communication preferences,

The social media accounts you choose to connect to the Platform,

The verification information necessary for the security of your Account.

You may be required to create a password during registration. The security of your password is your responsibility. You must not share your password with anyone, must not use passwords that are easy to guess, and must change your password immediately if you believe that there has been unauthorised access to your Account.

After registering, you may review, update or delete some of your information by logging into your Gezginsel Account. Keeping your Account information up to date is your responsibility. If your telephone number, e-mail address or your Account access information changes, you must update them.

The information we collect may be used for the purposes of personalising your Gezginsel experience, verifying Members, preventing fake accounts, ensuring security, creating more meaningful matches between Users and improving the Platform.

The name, username, profile photograph, age, city, travel preferences, interests, trip plans, badges, points, comments, references and similar information contained in your Profile may be seen by other Users who view your Profile.

Profile Information

It is important that you carefully choose the information you wish to disclose about yourself when creating a Profile on Gezginsel. We recommend that you do not add to your Profile your e-mail address, telephone number, full address, Turkish identity number, passport details, driving licence details, bank/credit card details, financial information, special security codes, personal passwords or sensitive information that could be misused.

You may choose to share the following in your Profile:

A short description about you,

Your travel style,

The places you would like to visit,

The places you have visited before,

Your interests,

Accommodation preferences,

Preferences for looking for a holiday companion,

Types of trips such as camping, nature, city tours or travel abroad,

The intention to open your home to travellers,

Preferences for participating in Events,

Safety and communication preferences,

References, comments and community interactions.

When you share information about yourself or use features such as messaging, comments, memories, listings, Events, invitations or similar features with other Users, the amount of personal information you share is under your control. When sharing, you must take into account privacy, security and personal data sensitivities.

Profile Verification Information

Gezginsel may use Account verification methods in order to increase User safety, reduce fake accounts and prevent fraud, harassment, misleading profiles, identity misuse and uses contrary to the Community Guidelines.

In this context, the following information may be requested from you:

Telephone number verification,

E-mail verification,

Profile photograph verification,

Selfie verification,

Identity verification or passport verification,

Social media account connection,

Additional information or documents for manual review.

Profile verification may be used to increase trust on the Platform. Verification information may not be displayed directly on your public Profile; however, a badge, mark or trust indicator showing that your Account has been verified may appear on your Profile.

Where identity or photograph verification is carried out, such data is processed solely for the purposes of confirming the genuineness of the Account, ensuring security, preventing fake accounts and complying with legal obligations. Information that is not necessary may be masked, deleted or have its access restricted.

Before uploading your documents in identity verification processes, you may be asked to conceal identity numbers, document serial numbers, special codes, addresses or similar information that is not expressly requested by the Platform. Gezginsel does not process information that is not necessary for verification.

Purchase and Payment Information

Payment transactions may be carried out through contracted payment service providers. Your card details are not stored by Gezginsel unless technically mandatory; they are processed by the payment provider within the scope of its own security standards and privacy policy.

Where paid membership, premium features, promotion, badges, Events, subscriptions, virtual points, digital services or similar paid services are offered on Gezginsel, certain information may be processed for payment transactions.

This information may include the following:

First name and surname,

Invoice details,

Payment amount,

Transaction date,

Payment method,

Subscription status,

The service purchased,

Transaction identifier,

Tax and accounting records,

Card or payment information processed by the payment provider.

Your credit card or payment card details are generally processed by secure payment infrastructure providers. Gezginsel does not store full card details unless technically mandatory.

Payment information may be retained for the periods prescribed by law in order to prevent fraud, reduce the risk of unauthorised transactions, resolve payment disputes and fulfil tax and accounting obligations.

Location Information

Gezginsel may use location information because of its social travel features and its features for discovering travellers nearby.

When you grant Gezginsel permission to access your location from your device settings, the following information may be processed:

General location,

City or district information,

Approximate location,

GPS coordinates,

The places you wish to travel to or state that you are in,

Event, trip or accommodation plan locations.

Even if you do not grant location permission, an approximate country, region and city derived from your IP address is kept in sign-in, session, account-change and access/security records for security purposes and because of the record-keeping obligation under Law No. 5651.

Location information may be used for the following purposes:

To show nearby Users,

To show nearby Events,

To offer travel buddy suggestions,

To improve trip plan matches,

To carry out regional security checks,

To detect fake accounts or misuse,

To display a track (trail) you have selected on the map together with your own location.

To personalise the Platform experience.

While you display a track on the map together with your own location, your location is processed only on your device; it is not sent to Gezginsel servers and is not stored.

If you do not wish to share your location, you may turn off the location permission from your device settings or limit the visibility of your location from the privacy settings within the Platform (the record location derived from your IP address is outside this; see the paragraph above).

Device Information

When you use Gezginsel, certain information about your device may be collected.

This information may include the following:

Device type,

Device model,

Operating system,

Browser type,

Language settings,

Device region (country) and time zone,

IP address,

Mobile device identifier,

Application version,

Session information,

Crash logs,

Log records,

Usage data,

Connection information,

Security events.

This information may be processed for the purposes of operating the Platform, correcting errors, applying security measures, preventing misuse, improving application performance and enhancing the User experience.

Photograph, Video and Media Information

On Gezginsel you may share media content such as a profile photograph, trip photograph, memory image, Event image, video, story, badge image or similar.

In this context, the following information may be processed:

The photographs you upload,

Videos,

Image descriptions,

The upload date of the photograph,

Image interactions,

Profile photograph ordering,

Photograph like or view data,

Photograph verification information,

Technical data associated with the media content.

Gezginsel may process photograph and media information in order to make your Profile look better, increase security, detect inappropriate Content, prevent posts contrary to the Community Guidelines or improve image quality.

If your photographs contain images of other persons, it is your responsibility to obtain the consent of those persons.

Link and Interaction Information

We may track how you interact with the links, buttons, listings, profiles, Events, advertisements or third-party services available on Gezginsel.

This information may include the following:

Click data,

View counts,

Profile visits,

Matching actions,

Actions such as liking, rejecting and saving,

Event applications,

Message initiation and reply information,

Reference and comment interactions,

Memory reading and sharing data.

This data may be used for the purposes of improving the User experience, analysing the operation of the Platform, ensuring security, developing recommendation systems and carrying out statistical analyses.

Your Feedback

Gezginsel may contact you in order to receive feedback about product development, User experience, community safety, travel habits, Event preferences or new features.

In this context:

You may be asked to take part in surveys,

User experience interviews may be held,

You may be asked to complete a feedback form,

You may be asked to share a reference or a success story,

You may be asked whether you wish to take part in marketing or promotional campaigns.

Such participation is generally optional. Which data will be processed during participation may be explained separately.

When You Contact Customer Support

When you contact the Gezginsel support team, certain information may be processed in order to resolve your request, verify your Account, examine your report or respond to you.

This information may include the following:

Your name,

Your username,

Your e-mail address,

Your telephone number,

Your IP address,

Device information,

The content of your request,

Screenshots,

The Users who are the subject of the report,

Examples of messages or posts,

Support correspondence.

Support records may be retained for certain periods for the purposes of security, dispute resolution, legal requests, User reports and improving service quality.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

When you use the Gezginsel website, mobile web version or application, cookies, pixel tags, SDKs, local storage technologies and similar technologies may be used.

These technologies may be used for the following purposes:

To keep your session open,

To ensure security,

To remember your preferences,

To measure performance,

To carry out analytics,

To detect errors,

To measure advertising and marketing activities,

To personalise the User experience.

Mandatory cookies are necessary for the operation of the Platform. For analytics, advertising and marketing cookies, the opportunity to manage your preferences may be offered in accordance with the applicable legislation.

2. USE OF YOUR INFORMATION

Our main objective at Gezginsel is to offer a social travel experience and a social event experience in which Users can establish safe, enjoyable, meaningful and genuine connections.

We may use your personal data for the following purposes:

To create and manage your Account,

To provide the Platform services,

To enable you to create your Profile,

To suggest travel buddy and traveller matches,

To provide Event, trip and community features,

To enable communication between Users,

To operate the messaging and notification features,

To ensure security,

To prevent fake accounts, spam activities and fraud,

To enforce the Terms of Use and the Community Guidelines,

To examine reports,

To carry out Account verification,

To personalise the User experience,

To show nearby Users and Events,

To operate the in-Platform search and filtering features,

To respond to User support requests,

To resolve technical problems,

To improve the Platform,

To carry out research and analysis,

To test new technologies and features,

To fulfil legal obligations,

To protect our legal rights,

To conduct marketing, campaign and promotional activities,

To send notifications, e-mails, SMS messages or in-app messages,

To protect our Members and third parties from harm.

A verification e-mail may be sent in order to make sure that the e-mail address you used during registration is correct. An SMS or a one-time password may be sent for telephone number verification. You may be asked to verify your Account for the purposes of Platform security and User trust.

Our Use of Algorithms

Gezginsel may use algorithms in order to help Users come across more suitable travel buddies, Events, traveller profiles, Members indicating an intention to provide accommodation, memory content or community interactions.

These algorithms may take the following indicators into account:

Age,

City,

Location,

Travel dates,

Interests,

Trip type preferences,

Your profile information,

Liking and matching behaviour,

Messaging and interaction history,

The Events you have attended or shown interest in,

Profile verification status,

Security scores on the Platform,

Gezo points, badges or community interactions,

The searches and filters you have previously carried out.

This data may be used to present you with more relevant Users, Events, trip plans, Content and recommendations.

Gezginsel may also use algorithms for security purposes. For example:

Detection of fake accounts,

Identification of spam behaviour,

Detection of the risk of harassment, threats or fraud,

Flagging of inappropriate photographs or Content,

Blocking of suspicious payment transactions,

Examination of conduct contrary to the Community Guidelines.

Certain decisions taken by the algorithms may be automated. However, in cases involving significant restrictions, Account closure or requiring an objection, a manual review may be carried out or the User may be granted a right of objection.

Moderation Practices

Gezginsel may use automated systems, manual review processes and moderation teams in order to ensure the security of the Platform and to enforce the Community Guidelines.

The following Content may be reviewed:

Profile information,

Photographs,

Videos,

Memories,

Comments,

References,

Listings,

Event descriptions,

Message content,

Reported User conduct,

Incidents reported as having occurred outside the App.

If it is established that you have acted contrary to the Terms of Use, the Community Guidelines or the safety principles, a warning may be issued to your Account, your Content may be removed, your visibility may be limited, your access to certain features may be blocked, your Account may be suspended or closed entirely.

Gezginsel reserves the right to restrict or close your Account without prior notice in the cases it deems necessary in order to protect the safety of Users.

Legal Basis

Your personal data may be processed on the basis of the following legal grounds under the KVKK and other applicable data protection legislation that is not contrary to the KVKK:

Processing being necessary for the conclusion or performance of a contract,

Fulfilment of legal obligations,

The existence of your Explicit Consent,

Processing being mandatory for the establishment, exercise or protection of a right,

Processing being necessary for our legitimate interests, provided that it does not harm your fundamental rights and freedoms,

The data having been made public by the Data Subject,

Processing being mandatory for the protection of the life or physical integrity of the person who is unable to express consent due to actual impossibility, or of another person.

Purposes of Use of the Data, Data Types and Retention Periods

To create an Account and provide the Platform service

Information used:

Name,

Username,

E-mail address,

Telephone number,

Date of birth,

Password,

Profile information,

Device information,

IP address,

Location information.

We obtain this information directly from you or from the device you use to access the Service.

Conclusion and performance of the contract, legitimate interest, security and legal obligations.

It may be retained for as long as your Account is active and, after the closure of the Account, for the period necessary for legal, technical, security or dispute purposes.

To enable you to create a Profile and connect with other Users

Information used:

Profile photograph,

The “about me” field,

Travel preferences,

Interests,

Trip plans,

Location information,

Badges,

Points,

References,

Comments,

Event participation information.

You provide this information or we obtain it from your interactions on the Platform.

Performance of the contract, legitimate interest and, in certain cases, Explicit Consent.

It is retained for as long as your Account is active. After the Account is deleted, profile data that is not necessary is deleted or anonymised within a reasonable period.

To verify your identity, prevent fake accounts and ensure security

Information used:

Telephone number,

E-mail address,

IP address,

Device information,

Photograph verification data,

Selfie,

Identity verification information,

Report and security records.

We obtain this information from you, from your device or from the security processes on the Platform.

Legitimate interest, legal obligation, performance of the contract and, where necessary, Explicit Consent.

Verification information is retained only for as long as necessary. Security, fraud or misuse records may be kept for a longer period.

To provide paid services and receive payment

Information used:

First name and surname,

Invoice details,

Payment amount,

Transaction date,

The service purchased,

Payment provider transaction information.

Source:

We obtain this information from you and from the payment service providers.

Legal basis: Performance of the contract, legal obligations, tax and accounting requirements.

It is retained for the period necessary within the scope of tax, accounting and legal obligations.

To send marketing, campaign messages and notifications

Information used:

Name,

E-mail address,

Telephone number,

In-Platform notification preferences,

Interests,

Interaction information.

Source: We obtain this information from you and from your use of the Platform.

Legal basis: Explicit Consent, consent for Commercial Electronic Messages or legitimate interest.

It may be retained for as long as your communication consent remains valid or throughout the statutory retention periods. You may opt out of marketing messages at any time.

For research, survey and product development activities

Information used:

Feedback,

Survey answers,

Usage data,

Interview records,

Profile and interaction data,

Support requests.

Source: We obtain this information from you or from your use of the Platform.

Legal basis: Legitimate interest or Explicit Consent.

It may be retained for a reasonable period after the research has been completed, and may thereafter be anonymised.

To examine reports, violations and security incidents

Information used:

Profile information,

Message content,

Photographs,

Comments,

Report records,

IP address,

Device information,

Location information,

Incidents reported as having occurred outside the App.

Source: We obtain this information from you, from other Users, from your device or from Platform records.

Legal basis: Legitimate interest, performance of the contract, legal obligations and the protection of rights.

It may be retained for a reasonable period depending on the nature of the violation. In cases involving serious violations, fraud, harassment, threats or security risks, it may be kept for a longer period.

To respond to legal claims and protect our rights

Information used:

Account information,

Profile data,

Correspondence,

Support records,

Report records,

Payment records,

Content in the nature of evidence,

IP and device records.

Source: We obtain this information from you, from your use of the Platform, from other Users or from the competent authorities.

Legal basis: The establishment, exercise or protection of a right; legal obligations; legitimate interest.

It may be retained according to the nature of the dispute and the statutory limitation periods.

3. DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION

In order to provide the Gezginsel experience, connect Users with each other, keep the Platform safe and fulfil legal obligations, some of your personal data may be shared with third parties in limited cases.

Your personal information is shared solely for the purposes described in this Policy and to the extent necessary.

Other Users

Gezginsel is a social platform. The information you share in your Profile or send to other Users through the Platform features may be seen by other Users.

Other Users may access the following information:

Your profile photograph,

Your username,

Your name or the name you choose to display,

Your age,

Your city or general location,

Your trip plans,

Your interests,

Your memories,

Your comments,

Your references,

Your badges,

Your Gezo points or similar community indicators,

Your Event participation information,

Information you voluntarily share in your Profile, such as the intention to open your home or provide accommodation,

The content you send to other Users by messaging.

Please remember that the information you share on Gezginsel may be captured by screenshot, recorded, copied or shared outside the Platform by other Users. For this reason, you must be careful when sharing private and sensitive information.

Service Providers

Gezginsel may work with trusted third-party service providers in order to provide its services.

These providers may include the following:

Server and cloud infrastructure providers,

Data hosting services,

E-mail delivery services,

SMS verification services,

Payment infrastructure providers,

Identity verification services,

Analytics and performance measurement tools,

Error tracking and application monitoring tools,

Customer support systems,

Moderation and security tools,

Marketing and advertising measurement tools,

Map and location services,

Artificial-intelligence-supported content or message suggestion tools,

Form, survey and feedback systems.

Only the data necessary for the service they provide is shared with these service providers. Service providers are expected to protect the data, take security measures and process the data solely for the stated purposes.

Moderators and the Safety Team

The Gezginsel moderation and safety teams may review activities on the Platform and compliance with the Terms of Use.

In this context, the following information may be accessed:

Profile information,

Registration information,

Photographs,

Message content,

Report records,

Event and listing content,

Comments and references,

Device and IP information,

Security alerts.

Such access is carried out solely for the purposes of security, moderation, examining reports, enforcing the rules and protecting Users.

Advertising and Marketing Partners

Gezginsel may share limited data with advertising and marketing partners for advertising and marketing activities.

This information may include the following:

Device identifier,

IP address,

Approximate location,

Age range,

Gender,

Platform interactions,

Advertisement view and click data,

Information obtained from cookies or similar technologies,

Encrypted or anonymised e-mail information.

This data may be used for the following purposes:

To display Gezginsel advertisements,

To measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns,

To create similar audiences,

To exclude existing Users from new user acquisition advertisements,

To offer Content more suited to your interests.

Where necessary for marketing and targeted advertising activities, your Explicit Consent or your cookie preferences are taken into account.

Legal Grounds and Prevention of Harm

Gezginsel may share your personal data with competent authorities, courts, law enforcement, lawyers, advisers or relevant third parties where legally required or where it believes in good faith that this is necessary.

These circumstances may include the following:

A court order,

A request from a public prosecutor or law enforcement,

A legal obligation,

Investigation of conduct that may constitute a criminal offence,

Ensuring User safety,

Prevention of fraud or misuse,

Protection of the security of the Platform,

Defence of our rights or the rights of third parties,

An urgent security risk or danger to life.

In such cases, the data to be shared may vary according to the nature of the request and the legal obligation.

Payment Processing Institutions

When you benefit from paid services, we may work with payment infrastructure providers in order to complete the payment transaction.

In this context, the following information may be processed or shared:

The cardholder’s name,

Payment amount,

Transaction date,

Invoice details,

Payment method,

Transaction number,

The technical information required by the payment provider.

Card details are generally processed by the payment institution. Gezginsel works with authorised payment providers in order to ensure payment security.

Business Transfers

If a transfer of all or part of Gezginsel, a merger, receipt of investment, restructuring, brand transfer, asset sale, incorporation, change of shareholding or a similar transaction takes place, your personal data may be shared with the parties to the relevant transaction.

In such a case, your data continues to be protected in accordance with this Policy and the applicable data protection legislation.

Prevention of Spam and Fraud

Gezginsel may process certain information and share it with the relevant service providers in order to prevent spam, fake accounts, harassment, fraud, identity misuse, fraudulent payments, security threats or misuse of the Platform.

This information may include the following:

E-mail address,

Telephone number,

IP address,

Device information,

Username,

Session records,

Transaction data,

Report records,

Profile behaviour,

Security events.

Aggregated and Anonymous Information

Gezginsel may share aggregated, anonymous or statistical information that does not directly identify you personally with third parties for the purposes of analysis, reporting, business development, investor presentations, marketing, user behaviour analysis or sector assessment.

Such information does not directly reveal your identity.

4. WHAT OTHERS CAN SEE ABOUT YOU

Gezginsel is a social platform that enables Users to discover each other, find a travel buddy, establish safe connections and interact within the community.

For this reason, some of the information you share on the Platform may be seen by other Users.

The information that other Users may see may include the following:

Your profile photograph,

Your username,

Your name,

Your age,

Your city or general location,

Your trip plans,

Your interests,

The places you would like to visit,

The places you have visited before,

Your memories,

Your comments,

Your references,

Your badges,

Your Gezo points,

Your Event participations,

Your hosting or accommodation intention information,

Other information you voluntarily share in your Profile.

You should take into account that any Content you upload or share on Gezginsel may be seen by other Users, captured by screenshot, recorded or shared outside the Platform.

You must be very careful when sharing sensitive information such as religious belief, health information, political opinion, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, full address, identity details, financial information or similar information in your Profile. Sharing such information is entirely your own choice. If you do share it, you accept that such information may be processed within the scope of the Platform features and may be seen by other Users.

Before sharing photographs, videos or personal information belonging to other people, you must obtain the permission of the persons concerned.

If you log in to Gezginsel on a shared device, you must log out after using your Account. Otherwise, others may access your Account.

5. OUR POLICY REGARDING AGE

You must be at least 18 years old to use Gezginsel.

Gezginsel does not knowingly collect personal data from children, minors or persons under the age of 18, does not market to them and does not allow such persons to use the Platform.

If we determine that a person under the age of 18 has registered with Gezginsel or has provided personal information, we take the necessary steps to close their Account and delete their profile information.

Where an Account that violates the prohibition on use by persons under 18 is closed, the e-mail address, telephone number, IP address or device information may be retained for a certain period in order to prevent the same person from opening another Account.

6. SECURITY

Gezginsel endeavours to take appropriate technical and administrative security measures in order to prevent your personal information from being lost, misused, subjected to unauthorised access, altered or shared without permission.

These measures may include the following:

Secure server infrastructure,

Access controls,

Encryption,

Firewalls,

Authorisation processes,

Logging and monitoring systems,

Account verification,

Detection of suspicious activity,

Moderation processes,

Data access restrictions.

Nevertheless, no website, mobile application, data transmission or digital system is 100% secure. It cannot be guaranteed that unauthorised access, cyber attacks, data loss or similar breaches will never occur.

To protect your Account:

Use a strong password,

Do not share your password with anyone,

Log out of your Account on shared devices,

Do not click on suspicious links,

Do not send your private information to people you do not know,

Do not share financial information, identity details or your full address,

Report suspicious Users to Gezginsel,

If you believe that your Account has been compromised, contact the support team immediately.

7. CONNECTING OTHER ACCOUNTS TO GEZGINSEL

It may be possible for you to log in to Gezginsel with your social media accounts or to connect your social media accounts to your Gezginsel Profile.

These accounts may include the following:

Google,

Apple,

Facebook,

Instagram,

Spotify,

Other social media or identity providers.

When you log in with your social media account, the relevant provider may transmit certain information to us. This information may include the following:

Your name,

Your profile photograph,

Your e-mail address,

Your date of birth,

Your gender information,

Your social media user identifier,

Your connected account information,

Other information that you have permitted to be shared.

When you log in with Apple, Apple may offer you the option of hiding your e-mail address. In that case, a special e-mail address generated by Apple may be associated with your Gezginsel Account.

If you wish to disconnect your social media account from Gezginsel, you may need to remove Gezginsel’s access from the settings of the relevant social media provider. However, when the social media connection is removed, the information previously transferred to your Gezginsel Account may not be deleted automatically. You may need to delete such information from your Gezginsel Account separately.

Usage Analytics, Ad Campaign Measurement, Crash Reports and Notifications in the Mobile App

This section explains how personal data is processed through the Google services used in the Gezginsel mobile app (Firebase Analytics, Google Ads, Firebase Crashlytics and Firebase Cloud Messaging) and, on iPhone, through Apple's push notification service. The data controller for this processing is ORVIQON TEKNOLOJİ LİMİTED ŞİRKETİ, the company that operates Gezginsel. You can reach us by writing to [email protected] from the email address registered to your account, or through the in-app support channel.

Off by default. Usage analytics and ad campaign measurement are turned off by default in the app. They run only if you give explicit consent to each one separately, either during sign-up or later under Ayarlar › Gizlilik Ayarları (Settings › Privacy Settings). Consent is optional and is not a condition of the service; declining does not restrict any feature. So that we can prove your decision, we keep a record of it on our servers with your account until your account is deleted. The record contains which consent text version you accepted or declined and when, and the IP address and user-agent of the request. Legal basis for this record: our legal obligation to prove consent and the establishment and protection of a right (KVKK Art. 5(2)(ç) and (e)).

1. Usage analytics (Google Firebase Analytics)

Purpose: To measure statistically how often and how the app is used and to improve the app on that basis. Also, to match crash reports to your account so errors can be fixed faster.

Data processed:

Events that Firebase records on its own: the app's first open, session start and duration, screen transitions, app and operating system updates, app removal on Android, notifications received and opened, purchases made through the App Store or Google Play (product, amount and currency), and app crashes.

Events the app sends itself: app open, sign-up, login, and verified purchases (product ID, product type, amount and currency).

The app instance ID that Firebase generates for each installation. On iPhone, the identifier for vendors (IDFV) when the advertising identifier (IDFA) is not available.

Your Gezginsel account ID. This is a randomly generated identifier assigned to your account. Your name, email address and phone number are not sent.

Device model, operating system and version, app version, and language setting.

Your IP address, which reaches Google as part of the connection, and the approximate location Google derives from it (country, region and city). Your GPS location is not sent.

If you have consented to usage analytics, your account ID and the screens and events just before a crash are also attached to crash reports (see section 3).

Legal basis: Your explicit consent (KVKK Art. 5(1)).

Collection method: Automatically, through the Firebase software development kit (SDK) integrated into the app.

2. Ad campaign measurement (Google Ads)

Purpose: To measure which of Gezginsel's own ad campaigns lead to app installs, sign-ups or purchases.

Data processed:

Your device's advertising identifier: the Android advertising ID on Android; on iPhone, the IDFA, only if you have also granted iOS tracking permission.

Conversion events such as the app's first open, sign-up and purchase (including amount and currency).

Device and app information, and your IP address.

How it works: This data reaches Google Ads through Firebase Analytics, so ad campaign measurement works only if you have also consented to usage analytics. On iPhone, Apple's tracking permission (App Tracking Transparency) is also requested. If you do not grant it, or turn it off later in iOS settings, no ad campaign measurement takes place on your iPhone.

Legal basis: Your explicit consent (KVKK Art. 5(1)).

Collection method: Automatically, through the Firebase SDK integrated into the app.

Gezginsel's own acquisition record: On Android, the link through which you downloaded the app from Google Play (the Google Play install referrer) is read once and stored with your account when you sign up. This information is not available on iPhone.

Only the general source is stored for every sign-up: source and medium (for example "google-play / organic" or the name of an ad network). Legal basis: our legitimate interest in improving the service (KVKK Art. 5(2)(f)).

If you consented to ad campaign measurement at sign-up, the campaign name and the ad click identifier (Google: gclid, gbraid, wbraid; Meta: fbclid) are also stored. Legal basis: your explicit consent. Click identifiers are deleted after 90 days.

The record is deleted when your account is permanently deleted, and it appears in your data export (gezginsel.com › Settings › Download My Data). Gezginsel administrators see it only as aggregate counts (how many sign-ups came from which source).

What we do not do: We do not use the measurement data in this section for remarketing or audience building, and we do not grant Google ad personalization (remarketing) permission for it. We do not pass your email address or phone number to Google or any other advertising partner for advertising purposes. We use the Android advertising ID in line with Google Play's advertising ID rules. Ads shown in the app are a separate processing activity; see §2A.

Google's role: For Google Ads, Google processes this data as an independent controller. This means Google may also use it for its own purposes. That use is governed by Google's privacy policy (policies.google.com/privacy), not by ours.

2A. Ads shown in the app (Google AdMob)

Purpose: To show ads in the app so that it can be offered free of charge. Plus members see no ads. New accounts see no ads during their first days.

Where: Only within content lists and at the end of articles (event list, blog list and blog posts, a single slot on the home screen), full-screen when leaving a game result, and optionally on the "watch an ad, earn Gezo" card. No ads are shown in messaging, live streams, sign-up and payment screens, stories, maps, or privacy and reporting screens.

Data processed:

If you consented to personalized ads: your device's advertising identifier (on iPhone only if you also allowed iOS tracking) and your interactions with ads (impressions, clicks).

In every case, to deliver the ad: your IP address as it reaches Google over the connection, device model, operating system, app version and language setting.

If you use the "watch an ad, earn Gezo" card: your Gezginsel account ID and the ad transaction ID (see "Rewarded ads" below).

How it works: If you consent to personalized ads, Google may choose ads based on your interests. If you don't, ads are requested without personalization in "limited ads" mode: your advertising identifier and advertising identifiers stored on your device are not used. On iPhone, Apple's tracking permission is also requested; if you don't allow it, ads are not personalized. If you connect from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, Google's consent form may also be shown.

Rewarded ads: If you use the card and watch the ad to the end, a small amount of Gezo points is added to your account (limited per day). The points are triggered not by the app but by a verification notice that Google sends to our server and signs. It contains your Gezginsel account ID and the ad transaction ID; the same transaction never earns points twice.

Reporting an inappropriate ad: Use the "Report" button on any ad to report it to us; the report is sent as a support request and the ad is removed from that screen.

Legal basis: Your explicit consent for personalized ads (KVKK Art. 5/1).

Collection method: Automatically, through the Google Mobile Ads SDK integrated into the app.

Google's role: Under AdMob, Google processes this data as an independent controller and may also use it for its own purposes, subject to Google's privacy policy (policies.google.com/privacy) and its advertising technologies notice (policies.google.com/technologies/ads).

3. Crash and error reports (Firebase Crashlytics)

Purpose: To detect and fix errors that make the app crash or screens malfunction, and to keep the app secure and working.

Data processed:

The technical record at the time of a crash or error: error type and message, stack trace.

Device model, operating system version, CPU architecture, memory and disk status, whether the device is rooted or jailbroken, screen orientation, whether the app was in the foreground or background, app version and package name.

The Crashlytics installation ID and the Firebase installation ID.

Your account ID and the screens and events just before the crash are attached only if you have consented to usage analytics.

Legal basis: Our legitimate interest (KVKK Art. 5(2)(f)). Detecting errors is necessary to keep the app working and secure. Because the data is technical and limited to this purpose, we consider that it does not harm your fundamental rights and freedoms. Since this processing does not rely on explicit consent, we do not ask for your consent separately. Crash reports are not used for advertising or marketing.

Collection method: Automatically, through the Firebase SDK integrated into the app, when the app crashes or an error occurs.

4. Push notifications (Firebase Cloud Messaging and Apple Push Notification service)

To deliver notifications to your device, your Firebase installation ID and notification token are sent to Google. The notification content also passes through Google's servers during delivery and, on iPhone, through Apple's push notification service (APNs). This content is the title and text, for example the name of the person who messaged you and the first words of the message, or the name of an event.

Legal basis:

For service notifications such as messages, invitations, join requests and event updates: establishing and performing the contract (KVKK Art. 5(2)(c)).

For suggestion and reminder notifications such as nearby events or travelers you may be interested in: our legitimate interest (KVKK Art. 5(2)(f)). These are sent only while your personalization preference is on. You can turn it off with the “Kişiselleştirme & Öneriler” (Personalization & Suggestions) option under Ayarlar › Gizlilik Ayarları (Settings › Privacy Settings).

You can also turn off notification permission in your device settings.

5. Recipients and international transfers

The data above is sent to Google (Google LLC, USA, and its affiliates). On iPhone, notifications are also delivered through Apple (Apple Inc., USA). Google's role depends on the service:

For Firebase Analytics, Firebase Crashlytics and Firebase Cloud Messaging, Google acts as a processor on our behalf.

For Google Ads, Google acts as an independent controller.

Depending on the service, the Google company that is our contracting party may be Google LLC, Google Ireland Limited or Google Reklamcılık ve Pazarlama Ltd. Şti.

Google and Apple process this data in countries outside Türkiye where they have data centers, including the USA. Using these services therefore means that your personal data is transferred abroad. This transfer is subject to Article 9 of the KVKK.

For Firebase services, Google's data processing terms require it to process the data only on our behalf and on our instructions, and to protect it with technical and organizational measures against unauthorized access, loss and alteration. For Google Ads, Google commits to protecting the data under its controller-to-controller data protection terms and its own privacy policy.

6. Retention periods

Firebase Analytics: User-level and event-level data linked to the account ID, the app instance ID and advertising identifiers is deleted in the first monthly deletion run after the 2-month retention period ends. Aggregated statistical reports that are not at the individual level are not affected.

Firebase Crashlytics: Crash and error records and associated identifiers are kept for 90 days. After that, removal from live and backup systems begins.

Firebase installation ID (notifications): When you delete your account, the app asks Google to delete this ID. Google removes it from live and backup systems within 180 days.

Google Ads: Google applies its own retention policy as an independent controller (policies.google.com/technologies/retention).

Your consent record: Kept until your account is deleted.

7. Withdrawing consent and your choices

In the app: You can withdraw your consent at any time with the “Uygulama kullanım analizi” (Usage analytics) and “Reklam kampanyası ölçümü” (Ad campaign measurement) options under Ayarlar › Gizlilik Ayarları (Settings › Privacy Settings). Withdrawal takes effect from that moment, and no new data is sent. Data already sent to Firebase Analytics and Crashlytics is deleted at the end of the periods in section 6. Data already passed to Google Ads is subject to Google's retention policy.

On iPhone: You can turn off tracking permission under iOS Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking.

On Android: You can delete or reset your advertising ID in the “Ads” section of your device settings. On most devices this is under Settings › Privacy › Ads or Settings › Google › Ads.

When you delete your account: The analytics identifier on your device is reset, and the app asks Google to delete your notification ID. Data already sent to Google is deleted at the end of the periods in section 6.

8. Your rights

Under Article 11 of the KVKK, you have the right to:

learn whether your personal data is processed and, if so, request information about it;

learn the purpose of the processing and whether the data is used in line with that purpose;

know the third parties in Türkiye or abroad to whom your data is transferred;

request correction, deletion or destruction, and ask that these actions be notified to the recipients;

object to an outcome against you that results solely from analysis by automated systems;

claim compensation for damage.

Your request should include your name and surname; your Turkish ID number if you are a Turkish citizen, otherwise your nationality and passport or ID number; your address or email address for notifications; and your request. Requests are concluded within 30 days at the latest. They are free of charge unless the action requires an additional cost (KVKK Art. 13). Details are in the “KVKK and Applicable Privacy Rights” section of this Policy and in the KVKK Information Notice.

8. YOUR KVKK AND APPLICABLE PRIVACY RIGHTS

Under the KVKK and other applicable data protection legislation, you have certain rights in relation to your personal data.

These rights may include the following:

To learn whether your personal data is being processed,

To request information in this respect if your personal data has been processed,

To learn the purpose of the processing of your personal data and whether it is used in accordance with that purpose,

To know the third parties in Türkiye or abroad to whom your personal data has been transferred,

To request the rectification of your personal data if it has been processed incompletely or inaccurately,

To request the erasure or destruction of your personal data within the framework of the conditions prescribed by the legislation,

To request that rectification, erasure or destruction operations be notified to the third parties to whom the data has been transferred,

To object to a result arising against you as a consequence of the processed data being analysed exclusively through automated systems,

To claim compensation for the damage if you suffer damage due to the unlawful processing of your personal data.

To exercise your rights, you may reach us through Gezginsel’s contact, support or data application channels. Before responding to your request, we may ask you for certain information in order to verify your identity.

Your requests are assessed within the periods specified in the applicable legislation. Additional information or documents may be requested depending on the nature of the request.

9. YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE GDPR

If you are located in the European Union, the European Economic Area or a region where the GDPR is applicable, you may have additional rights in relation to your personal data.

These rights may include the following:

The right to be informed,

The right of access,

The right to rectification,

The right to erasure,

The right to restriction of processing,

The right to data portability,

The right to object to processing,

Rights relating to automated decision-making and profiling,

The right to withdraw consent in consent-based processing,

The right to lodge a complaint with the competent data protection authority.

The rights that may apply to you may vary according to the country in which you are located. To exercise your rights, you may contact us through Gezginsel’s support or data application channels.

10. DATA LOCATIONS AND TRANSFER ABROAD

Gezginsel may be accessed from different parts of the world. The technical infrastructure of the Platform, server services, cloud providers, e-mail services, SMS services, payment infrastructures, analytics tools, moderation tools, customer support software or security systems may be located in Türkiye or outside Türkiye.

For this reason, your personal data may be processed through service providers located in Türkiye or outside Türkiye for the provision of the Service.

Where a transfer of data abroad is required, Gezginsel aims to act in accordance with the applicable data protection legislation, to obtain the necessary Explicit Consents or to rely on the transfer mechanisms prescribed by the legislation.

Where work is carried out with service providers abroad, appropriate contractual and technical measures are taken with regard to data security, confidentiality, access restrictions and retention periods.

11. DATA RETENTION AND DELETION

Gezginsel retains your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this Policy and to the extent permitted by the applicable legislation.

When you delete your Account or your Account is closed, the necessary operations are carried out so that your Profile is no longer visible on the Platform. After the deletion, certain data may be retained for specific periods for technical, legal, security or dispute-related reasons.

Your data may be retained for the following reasons:

To fulfil legal obligations,

To keep tax and accounting records,

To mount a defence against legal claims,

To resolve reports and disputes,

To prevent fraud,

To prevent fake accounts from being opened again,

To investigate security incidents,

To ensure the enforcement of the Terms of Use and the Community Guidelines,

To respond to requests from judicial authorities.

After you delete your Account, copies of the messages, comments, references, memories, photographs or Content you previously shared with other Users may have been stored, captured by screenshot or shared outside the Platform by those Users. Gezginsel cannot control such uses outside the Platform.

If you have granted third-party applications or services access to your personal data, those third parties may retain your data in accordance with their own privacy policies.

12. BETA PROGRAMMES AND TEST VERSIONS

If you choose to take part in Gezginsel’s beta versions, test programmes, early access features or experimental products, additional technical data, feedback, error logs, usage data and device information may be processed in these processes.

Participation in beta programmes may be optional. Beta features may not be of stable-release quality, and errors, interruptions or data loss may be experienced during use.

The data processed in beta programmes may be used for the purposes of product development, error correction, performance improvement and User experience analysis.

13. CHANGES MADE TO THIS POLICY

As Gezginsel develops, as new features are added, as the legislation changes or as our data processing operations are updated, this Privacy Policy may be amended from time to time.

The most up-to-date version of the Policy is published on the Gezginsel website, mobile application or the relevant areas of the Platform.

If a significant change is made to this Policy, we may inform you by the methods we deem appropriate. Such notification may be made by e-mail, in-app notification, website announcement or Account notifications.

The current Policy takes effect as of the date on which it is published. Where new data processing activities requiring Explicit Consent are involved, your consent is obtained separately in accordance with the relevant legislation.

ENTRY INTO FORCE

This Privacy Policy enters into force as of the date on which it is published.

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