Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
This Privacy Policy describes how Proximate LLC, a Georgia limited liability company (“Proximate,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), collects, uses, shares, and protects information about you when you use the Proximate mobile application, website, and related services (collectively, the “Platform”).
This Privacy Policy is incorporated into and forms part of the Proximate Platform Terms of Service. Capitalized terms not defined here have the meanings given in the Terms of Service. By using the Platform, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.
Proximate is a peer-to-peer local marketplace that facilitates in-person exchanges between Users. Because the Platform involves arranging physical meetings and processing payments, it necessarily collects certain categories of sensitive information, including location data and payment-related information. This Privacy Policy explains what we collect, why, and the choices available to you.
2. Information We Collect
We collect the following categories of information:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Account Information | Name, email address, password (stored in hashed form), city, and state provided at registration. |
| Profile Information | Profile photo and other details you choose to add to your profile. |
| Listing Information | Item descriptions, prices, categories, conditions, photographs, and listing locations you provide as a seller. |
| Communications | Messages exchanged between buyers and sellers through the Platform's messaging feature, and communications with Proximate support. |
| Location Information | Approximate or precise location data shared during the pre-arrival check-in process, agreed meeting locations, and GPS-based location used to verify presence at a meeting location. Location data is collected in connection with specific transactions and the Trust Process. |
| Transaction Information | Records of transactions you participate in, including agreed prices, item conditions, timestamps, payment method, and the bilateral Transaction Record generated by the NFC Handshake. |
| Behavioral / Reliability Data | Data about your activity on the Platform used to calculate your Reliability Score, including meet agreement confirmation rates, check-in completion rates, NFC Handshake completion rates, no-show rates, and item condition dispute rates. |
| Reviews | Reviews you submit about other Users and reviews other Users submit about you following completed transactions. |
| Payment Information | For electronic transactions, payment-related information is collected and processed by our payment processor, Stripe. Proximate does not collect or store full payment card numbers or bank account numbers. Proximate stores limited references, such as a Stripe account identifier and payout-enablement status. |
| Device and Usage Information | Technical information such as device type, operating system, app version, and information about how you interact with the Platform. |
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
Provide, operate, and maintain the Platform and its features, including the Trust Process, escrow service, and NFC Handshake;
Facilitate connections and communications between buyers and sellers;
Verify presence at agreed meeting locations as part of the Trust Process;
Calculate and display Reliability Scores and reviews;
Process electronic payments and manage escrow, through our payment processor;
Generate and store Transaction Records;
Detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, abuse, and violations of our Terms of Service;
Respond to your requests and provide customer support;
Comply with legal obligations and enforce our agreements; and
Improve and develop the Platform, including through analysis of aggregated or de-identified data.
4. Location Information — Special Notice
Because the Platform facilitates in-person meetings, location information is central to several of its features. We want to be transparent about how this sensitive category of data is handled:
Location data is collected in connection with specific transactions — for example, when you choose to check in before a meeting or when your presence at an agreed location is verified — and not for continuous background tracking outside of these features.
Approximate or precise location shared during check-in may be visible to the other party to your transaction, so that both parties can coordinate the meeting. This is described to you at the time you choose to share it.
Agreed meeting locations are stored as part of the transaction record for that meeting.
You can control location sharing through your device's operating system permissions. Disabling location access may limit your ability to use certain features of the Trust Process, including check-in and presence verification.
5. How We Share Your Information
We share information in the following circumstances:
5.1 With Other Users
Certain information is shared with other Users as a necessary part of how the Platform works. This includes your name or display name, profile photo, Reliability Score, reviews, listing information, messages you send, and — during an active transaction — location information you choose to share during check-in. You should not include information in your profile, listings, or messages that you do not wish to be visible to other Users.
5.2 With Stripe (Payment Processing)
Electronic payments on the Platform are processed by Stripe, Inc. and its affiliates (“Stripe”). When you make or receive an electronic payment, certain information — which may include your name, email, payment or bank account details, and transaction information — is collected and processed directly by Stripe in its role as payment processor. Stripe's handling of your information is governed by Stripe's own Privacy Policy, available at:
Sellers who receive electronic payouts establish a connected account relationship with Stripe and complete identity verification required by Stripe and applicable law. We encourage you to review Stripe's Privacy Policy to understand how Stripe processes your information.
5.3 With Service Providers
We may share information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as cloud hosting, infrastructure, analytics, and customer support tools. These providers are permitted to use your information only as necessary to provide services to us.
5.4 For Legal and Safety Reasons
We may disclose information where we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, respond to lawful requests from public authorities, enforce our Terms of Service, protect the rights, property, or safety of Proximate, our Users, or others, or detect and prevent fraud or security issues. This may include providing Transaction Records or related information to law enforcement in connection with an investigation.
5.5 Business Transfers
If Proximate is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, or sale of assets, information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to the commitments made in this Privacy Policy.
5.6 Aggregated or De-Identified Data
We may create and use aggregated or de-identified data — information that does not identify any individual — for purposes such as analytics, research, and the development of market insights. We do not attempt to re-identify de-identified data.
6. Data Retention
We retain information for as long as necessary to provide the Platform and for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to maintain the integrity of the Reliability Score and Transaction Records, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.
Because the integrity of the Trust Process depends on a durable record of completed transactions and behavioral history, certain transaction and Reliability data may be retained even after a related listing is deleted or an account is closed. Messages and other data may be subject to retention periods that balance Platform integrity against data minimization principles.
7. How We Protect Your Information
We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your information, including storing passwords in hashed form, restricting access to personal information, and relying on our payment processor to handle sensitive payment data. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.
8. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on where you live and the laws that apply to you, you may have some or all of the following rights with respect to your personal information:
The right to access the personal information we hold about you;
The right to request correction of inaccurate personal information;
The right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions, including information we are required or permitted to retain;
The right to opt out of certain uses or sharing of your personal information;
The right to data portability, where applicable; and
The right to be free from discrimination for exercising your privacy rights.
To exercise any of these rights, you may contact us at ProximateMarketplace@proton.me. We will respond to your request in accordance with applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests.
9. Children’s Privacy
The Platform is not directed to individuals under the age of 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a person under 18, we will take steps to delete that information.
10. Third-Party Services and Links
The Platform may contain links to third-party websites or services, including Stripe. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party services, and we are not responsible for their privacy practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you use, including, with respect to payments, the Stripe Privacy Policy referenced in Section 5.2.
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Where changes are material, we will provide notice through the Platform or by email prior to the changes taking effect. Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date of any updated Privacy Policy constitutes your acknowledgment of the updated Policy.
12. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, you may contact us at:
ProximateMarketplace@proton.me
Proximate LLC