Privacy Policy for The Ranch Report
Effective date: May 20, 2026
Last updated: May 20, 2026
This Privacy Policy describes how Austin Cato (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and shares information when you use The Ranch Report mobile application (the “App”). By using the App, you agree to the practices described below.
If you have questions, contact us at the.ranch.report1@gmail.com.
We collect only the information necessary to make the App work. The categories of information collected are:
a. Location
- What: Your approximate device location, used to show nearby restaurants on the map.
- When: Only while you are actively using the App. We never collect location in the background.
- Stored: Location is processed in-memory on your device and not stored on our servers.
b. Photos
- What: Photos you choose to attach to a ranch dressing review.
- When: Only when you tap “Add Photo” and pick a photo from your library.
- Stored: Photos are stored on your device and, if you save a community rating, in our cloud database (Google Firebase).
- What: A unique anonymous user identifier (UID) assigned by Firebase Authentication. If you choose to sign in with Apple, we may receive your name and email (or Apple’s private relay email, depending on your choice).
- Why: To associate your ratings with your account so you can edit or delete them.
- Account linking: Anonymous accounts may be linked to Sign in with Apple at any time. When you link your accounts, your existing anonymous ratings and reviews are preserved under your new Apple-linked account.
d. User-Generated Content
- What: Your restaurant ratings (1–10 score), written reviews, ranch type selection, and any photos you attach.
- Why: To display your contributions to the community and let other users see ranch ratings.
- Visibility: Other users of the App can see your ratings, reviews, photos, and username associated with each rating.
e. Username
- What: A display name you choose (default: a random nickname like “RanchFan123”).
- Why: Shown alongside your community ratings.
f. Product Interaction
- What: Anonymous interactions with the App (e.g., which screens were viewed, crash reports).
- Why: To understand how the App is used and to fix bugs.
g. Reports and Moderation Data
- What: When you submit a report against another user’s content, we collect your anonymous user ID, the identifier of the reported content, the reason you selected, and any optional details you provide.
- Why: To review reports, take action on rule-violating content, and improve the safety of the community.
- Visibility: Reports are visible only to us, not to other users.
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide and maintain the App’s core features (map, ratings, reviews).
- Display community ratings and reviews to other users.
- Allow you to create, edit, and delete your own ratings.
- Review reports and remove content that violates our community guidelines.
- Diagnose and fix bugs, crashes, and performance issues.
- Comply with legal obligations.
We do not sell your personal information. We do not use your information for advertising or for purposes other than operating the App.
3. Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services. Each has its own privacy policy:
| Service |
Purpose |
Privacy Policy |
| Google Firebase Authentication |
Anonymous and Apple sign-in |
https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy |
| Google Cloud Firestore |
Storing community ratings and reviews |
https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy |
| Google Firebase Crashlytics |
Crash diagnostics |
https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy |
| Apple MapKit |
Map display and restaurant search |
https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ |
| Apple Sign in with Apple |
Optional account sign-in |
https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ |
These services may collect technical information (such as your IP address, device identifiers, and crash reports) to provide their services. We do not control how they process this information.
4. Data Sharing
We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties.
We may share your information only in these limited cases:
- With other App users: Your ratings, reviews, photos, and username are visible to other users of the App.
- Service providers: The third-party services listed above process data on our behalf.
- Legal obligations: If required by law, court order, or to protect the safety and rights of others.
5. Content Moderation
To keep the community safe, the App includes these moderation features:
- Profanity filter (text): Reviews are automatically screened for slurs and other prohibited language before being saved. This screening happens entirely on your device.
- Sensitive image screening: Photos you attach to a review are checked for sensitive content using Apple’s on-device Sensitive Content Analysis framework. This screening happens entirely on your device — no photos or image data are sent to us or any third party during screening. If you have not enabled “Sensitive Content Warning” in iOS Settings, this screening is unavailable.
- Reports: You can report any community rating, review, or photo for review. Reports are submitted to us for evaluation. See Section 1(g) for what we collect when you report.
- Blocking: You can block any other user. Their content will be hidden from your view of the App on this device. Blocks are stored locally and are not shared with us or other users.
- Removal: We reserve the right to remove any content and suspend or delete any account that violates our community guidelines.
6. Data Retention
- Local data: Stays on your device until you uninstall the App.
- Community ratings: Stored in our cloud database until you delete the rating or your account.
- Reports: Retained for as long as needed to investigate and take action, then deleted.
- Account data: Stored as long as your account exists. You may request account deletion at any time (see Section 8).
7. Children’s Privacy
The App is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with information, please contact us so we can delete it.
8. Your Rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the following rights:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Correction: Correct inaccurate information.
- Deletion: Delete your account and all associated data from within the App at any time (Profile → Delete Account), or request deletion by emailing us.
- Portability: Request your data in a portable format.
- Withdraw consent: Disable location access in iOS Settings at any time.
To exercise any of these rights, email us at the.ranch.report1@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) gives you additional rights. If you are in the EU/UK, the GDPR applies. We honor these rights for all users regardless of location.
9. Security
We use industry-standard security measures to protect your information, including encryption in transit (HTTPS) and at rest (Firebase’s encryption). However, no method of internet transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. International Users
The App is operated from the United States. If you use the App from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States. By using the App, you consent to this transfer.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Significant changes will be announced within the App.
Your continued use of the App after changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
If you have any questions, complaints, or requests, please contact us:
Austin Cato
Email: the.ranch.report1@gmail.com
Location: Georgia, United States
Last updated: May 20, 2026