Privacy Policy

3.1 Information You Provide

Account and Identity Information

• Full name (or display name you choose)
• Email address
• Phone number
• Password (stored in hashed form only)
• Profile photo
• Account type selection (Rider or Driver)
• Date of birth or birth year (if provided)
• Gender and preferred languages (if provided)

Authentication Credentials

If you sign in using a third-party authentication provider:

• Apple Sign-In: Apple user identifier, and your name and email if you choose to share them. Apple may provide a private relay email address rather than your actual email.
• Google Sign-In: Google account identifier, name, and email address.

We do not receive or store your Apple or Google account passwords.

Ride and Trip Information

• Pickup and destination addresses and coordinates
• Ride timing preferences and scheduling details
• Ride notes, accessibility needs, and accommodation preferences
• Offer prices, counter-offer prices, and negotiation history
• Trip status updates, completion records, cancellation and no-show records

Communications

• Messages sent through in-app chat between Riders and Drivers
• Support requests, incident reports, complaints, and feedback submitted to gaja
• Conversation starters and profile prompts you create

Driver-Specific Information

• Vehicle information (make, model, year, color, license plate number)
• Driver’s license information or documentation
• Vehicle registration and inspection documentation
• Personal automobile insurance information or documentation
• Background check consent and results (see Section 3.3)
• Banking and financial information for payout purposes (collected by Stripe — see Section 3.3)
• Maximum passenger capacity, pet-friendliness, and luggage accommodation preferences

Payment Information

Payment method details are collected and processed by our third-party payment processor, Stripe, Inc. (“Stripe”). gaja does not receive, access, or store full credit card numbers, debit card numbers, or bank account numbers. We receive and store: the last four digits of your card number, card brand, expiration date, and a tokenized payment method identifier.

For Drivers receiving payouts through Stripe Connect, Stripe collects identity verification information, banking details, and tax identification information directly. gaja receives confirmation of onboarding status but does not receive or store your full banking credentials or Social Security Number.

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

Device and Technical Information

• Device type, manufacturer, model, operating system and version
• App version and unique device identifiers
• IP address
• Crash logs, error reports, and performance diagnostics

Usage Information

• Screens viewed and features used
• Interaction patterns (offers sent, rides completed, cancellation frequency)
• Notification interactions, session duration, and frequency

Location Information

Location data is central to the Platform’s functionality:

• Riders: We collect your location to set your pickup point, display your position on the map, calculate distances and estimated travel times, and improve pickup accuracy. Location is collected while the app is in active use.
• Drivers: We collect your location to show you nearby ride requests, facilitate navigation, enable real-time trip tracking for Riders, and support safety features. Location may be collected while the app is in the foreground and you are actively browsing or on a trip.
• Background Location: If you grant background location permissions, the Platform may collect location when the app is not in the foreground, but only when you are actively available for rides (Drivers) or have an active trip in progress. You may revoke this at any time through your device settings.

You control location permissions through your device settings. Disabling location may prevent core features from functioning.

3.3 Information from Third-Party Sources

Payment Processor (Stripe)

Stripe provides us with transaction status, payment success or failure notifications, refund status, and limited metadata. For Drivers using Stripe Connect, Stripe provides onboarding status. Stripe’s privacy policy is available at stripe.com/privacy.

Background Check Providers

If you consent to a background check, the provider may provide gaja with a result status (e.g., “cleared” or “flagged”) and related summary information. gaja does not receive underlying criminal records, driving records, or other detailed personal information. Background check results reflect only information available at the time of the check and are not a guarantee of safety.

Authentication Providers

Apple and Google provide authentication identifiers and, depending on your settings, your name and email address.

Mapping and Places Providers

We use Google Maps Platform services for address search, route calculations, estimated travel times, and map displays. Google may collect technical information pursuant to Google’s privacy policy.

Photo Analysis (AWS Rekognition)

When you upload a profile photo, we use Amazon Web Services (“AWS”) Rekognition to perform automated face detection to verify that your photo contains a clearly visible face. This analysis detects the presence and position of faces only — it does not perform facial recognition, facial comparison, or biometric identification. No biometric template, faceprint, or facial geometry data is generated, stored, or used for identification purposes.

If you are located in a jurisdiction that classifies face detection as biometric data processing (such as Illinois, Texas, or Washington), please contact info@ridegaja.com if you have questions about this processing or wish to exercise any rights available to you under applicable biometric privacy laws.

SMS Services (AWS SNS)

We use AWS Simple Notification Service to send phone verification codes via SMS. Your phone number and the verification code are transmitted to AWS for delivery. No message content beyond the verification code is transmitted.

4.1 Providing and Operating the Platform

• Creating and managing your account
• Authenticating your identity
• Facilitating ride requests, offers, negotiations, and confirmations
• Enabling real-time navigation and trip tracking
• Processing payments, calculating fees, issuing receipts, and disbursing Driver earnings
• Enabling in-app communication between Riders and Drivers
• Sending transactional notifications (ride confirmations, trip updates, payment receipts)
• Displaying profile information, ratings, and scores to other users

4.2 Safety, Security, and Integrity

• Detecting, investigating, and preventing fraud, abuse, and unauthorized activity
• Enforcing our Terms of Service and other policies
• Investigating safety incidents, user reports, and complaints
• Verifying Driver eligibility and compliance
• Monitoring for suspicious account activity

4.3 Legal Compliance

• Complying with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes
• Responding to lawful requests from law enforcement and government authorities
• Establishing, exercising, or defending legal claims
• Fulfilling tax reporting obligations

4.4 Improvement and Development

• Analyzing usage patterns to improve features, performance, and user experience
• Debugging errors and resolving technical issues
• Conducting internal analytics and research
• Developing new features and services

4.5 Communications

• Account-related communications (verification codes, password resets, security alerts)
• Ride-related notifications (new offers, acceptance, trip status, payment confirmations)
• Service announcements and policy updates
• Optional promotional communications (with your consent, where required by law)

5.1 Between Riders and Drivers

Information shared with Drivers:

• Rider’s first name (or display name), profile photo, gaja Score and rating
• Pickup and destination addresses
• Ride notes, preferences, and in-app chat messages
• Conversation starters (if set)

Information shared with Riders:

• Driver’s first name (or display name), profile photo, gaja Score and rating
• Vehicle information (make, model, color, license plate)
• Background check status and insurance status (if the Driver has chosen to share)
• Driver’s location during an active trip
• In-app chat messages and conversation starters (if set)

We do not share email addresses, phone numbers, full addresses, payment information, or other sensitive personal information between Riders and Drivers.

5.2 Service Providers and Processors

We share information with third-party service providers who process information on our behalf:

These providers are contractually bound to use your information only for the purposes of providing services to gaja.

5.3 Legal and Safety Disclosures

We may disclose your information if we believe in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to:

• Comply with applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request;
• Enforce our Terms of Service or other agreements;
• Protect the rights, safety, or property of gaja, our users, or the public;
• Detect, prevent, or address fraud, security issues, or technical problems;
• Respond to an emergency involving danger of death or serious physical injury.

5.4 Business Transfers

If gaja is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such transaction and of any choices you may have regarding your information.

5.5 Aggregated and De-Identified Information

We may share aggregated, anonymized, or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you for any purpose, including research, analytics, and business development.

7.1 Account Deletion

You may request deletion of your account through the Platform (Settings → Delete Account) or by contacting info@ridegaja.com. Upon deletion, your personal information will be deleted or de-identified within 30 days, active trips will be cancelled and appropriate refunds issued, and your ratings may be anonymized rather than deleted. Certain information may be retained as described in Section 6.

7.2 Access and Correction

You may access and update your profile information through the Platform at any time. For information that cannot be updated through the Platform, contact info@ridegaja.com.

7.3 Location Permissions

You may control location permissions through your device settings at any time. Disabling location may limit or prevent use of core features.

7.4 Notification Preferences

You may control push notification and email preferences through the Platform settings or your device settings. Certain transactional communications cannot be opted out of while your account is active.

7.5 Payment Information

You may add, remove, or change payment methods through the Platform. You cannot remove your last payment method while you have active rides or trips.

7.6 Marketing Communications

If we send marketing communications, you may opt out by following the unsubscribe instructions or by contacting info@ridegaja.com.

7.7 State-Specific Privacy Rights

California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

• Right to know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose
• Right to request deletion of your personal information
• Right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information — gaja does not sell your personal information
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights
• Right to correct inaccurate personal information
• Right to limit use of sensitive personal information

To exercise your rights, contact info@ridegaja.com or use the account deletion feature. We will verify your identity before processing requests.

Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and Other States

If you reside in a state with a comprehensive privacy law, you may have similar rights to access, correct, delete, and port your personal information, and to opt out of targeted advertising and profiling. gaja does not engage in targeted advertising or profiling based on personal information. Contact info@ridegaja.com to exercise your rights.

Illinois Residents (BIPA)

gaja uses AWS Rekognition for face detection (not facial recognition) on profile photos. See Section 3.3 for details. gaja does not collect, capture, or store biometric identifiers or biometric information as defined under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act.