jink · Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 7, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how Jink ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and shares your personal information when you use our website at jink.quest or our iOS mobile application (together, the "Services"). Please read it carefully. If you do not agree with these practices, do not use our Services.

Questions? Email us at contact@jink.quest.

Table of Contents

  1. What information do we collect?
  2. How do we use your information?
  3. When and with whom do we share your information?
  4. AI-powered features
  5. Social logins
  6. Cookies and tracking (website only)
  7. How long do we keep your information?
  8. How do we keep your information safe?
  9. Do we collect information from minors?
  10. Your privacy rights
  11. Do-Not-Track
  12. US state-specific rights
  13. Beta service
  14. Updates to this policy
  15. Contact us

1. What information do we collect?

Information you provide directly

  • Account data: email address, username, and password (or OAuth token if you sign in with Google)
  • Profile data: your responses to the onboarding aesthetic preferences quiz
  • Content you create: geotagged community map photos, captions, building list names, and any text you enter in AI chat sessions
  • Feedback: beta feedback submissions you send us

Information collected automatically — mobile app

  • Location (GPS): precise coordinates and compass heading, collected continuously while you are scanning a building or recording an architectural walk. You can revoke location permission in iOS Settings at any time, though core features will not work without it.
  • Camera images: photos your camera captures during building scans are automatically uploaded to our servers for processing. EXIF metadata (which may include location) is stripped before storage.
  • Device motion: accelerometer data (pitch and roll) is used during scans to determine the angle at which you are holding your phone. This data is not stored after the scan completes.
  • Device and app data: device model, OS version, unique device identifier, app version, crash logs, and in-app event data (e.g., walk started, quiz completed).
  • Inferred aesthetic profile: we derive a personal architectural style profile from your behavioral activity — buildings you scan, like, save, and how long you spend viewing them. This profile is used to personalize your Explore feed.
  • Push notifications: we may request permission to send push notifications. You can disable these in iOS Settings.

Information collected automatically — website (jink.quest)

  • Analytics: page views, scroll depth, click events, and session data collected via PostHog and Google Analytics 4.
  • Location (approximate): we pass your approximate location (derived from your IP address) to Mapbox to render map tiles, and to our backend to surface nearby buildings on the demo map.
  • Log data: IP address, browser type, referring URL, and timestamps.

Information from third parties

  • Google OAuth: if you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address, and profile photo from Google.
  • Reddit: we search public Reddit posts related to buildings you view to surface community lore. We do not receive or store your Reddit account data.
  • Wikipedia: we fetch Wikipedia article excerpts for buildings and neighborhoods near you.
  • RA.co: we query RA.co's event listings for music and cultural events at venues near you in NYC.

2. How do we use your information?

  • Provide the Services: building identification, walk tracking, lore generation, community map, and account management.
  • Personalization: your aesthetic profile is used to rank and surface buildings in the Explore tab and on architectural walks.
  • AI features: your scan images, location, and chat queries are sent to our AI providers (see Section 4) to generate building histories and respond to your questions.
  • Analytics and improvement: we analyze usage patterns to improve the app, fix bugs, and prioritize features.
  • Communications: transactional emails (password reset, account changes) and, with your consent, product updates and re-engagement notifications.
  • Security and fraud prevention: detecting abuse, protecting user accounts, and complying with legal obligations.
  • ML training (opt-in only): if you explicitly choose to contribute your building scan photos for model training, those photos may be used to improve our building recognition model. This requires a separate in-app consent step and is never done without it.

3. When and with whom do we share your information?

RecipientWhat is sharedPurpose
SupabaseAccount data, building data, community photos, location (for nearby queries)Database and storage infrastructure
Google (Auth + Gemini)OAuth tokens (auth); scan images, location, and queries (Gemini AI)Authentication and AI building narratives
xAI (Grok)Building scan context, location, and user queriesAI-generated building histories and NYC knowledge
MapboxLocation coordinatesMap tile rendering
PostHogIn-app events, device dataProduct analytics
Google AnalyticsWebsite page views and eventsWebsite analytics
Tally.soEmail address (waitlist signup on jink.quest)Waitlist management
Modal (scan API)Building scan images and GPS coordinatesBuilding identification model inference

We do not sell your personal information. We do not share your information with advertisers. We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of Jink or its users. In the event of a merger or acquisition, your information may transfer to the successor entity.

Community map photos you post are visible to all Jink users by default. Do not post photos you do not wish others to see.

4. AI-powered features

Jink uses a retrieval-augmented system that pulls from real historical records and public data, then uses AI to parse, synthesize, and enrich that material into building histories and lore. AI models also power in-app chat and natural-language search. Our AI providers are:

  • Google Gemini 2.0 Flash Lite — used to interpret natural-language searches and surface relevant buildings.
  • xAI Grok — used to enrich building histories and answer architecture questions in chat.
  • Custom ML model (Modal/FastAPI) — our own building identification model that processes scan images and GPS to identify the building you are pointing at.

When you use an AI feature, your input (which may include your query text, location, and scan image) is sent to the relevant provider. Each provider processes this data under their own privacy policies. AI-generated content may contain errors — see our Disclaimer.

Our use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

5. Social logins

You can sign in to Jink with your Google account. When you do, Google sends us your name, email address, and profile photo. We use this information only to create and manage your Jink account. We do not post to your Google account or access any other Google data. Review Google's Privacy Policy for how they handle your data on their end.

6. Cookies and tracking (website only)

The jink.quest website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies. The iOS app does not use browser cookies. For full details, see our Cookie Policy.

In brief: we use PostHog and Google Analytics 4 for website analytics, and Mapbox for map rendering. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking via Google's opt-out tool.

7. How long do we keep your information?

We keep your personal information for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, we delete or anonymize your personal data from our active databases within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it by law (e.g., to resolve disputes or comply with legal obligations).

Community photos you have posted may persist in backups for up to 90 days after deletion before they are fully purged. Analytics data (PostHog, Google Analytics) is retained according to each provider's own retention settings.

8. How do we keep your information safe?

We use industry-standard measures including TLS encryption in transit, access controls, and Supabase's security infrastructure. No system is 100% secure. Transmission of data over the internet is at your own risk. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at contact@jink.quest.

9. Do we collect information from minors?

Jink is not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you become aware that a minor has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. Your privacy rights

Regardless of where you live, you can:

  • Access or correct your account information by logging in to your account settings.
  • Delete your account by contacting us at contact@jink.quest. We will delete your account and personal data within 30 days.
  • Opt out of marketing by disabling push notifications in iOS Settings or by emailing us.
  • Revoke location or camera access at any time in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security.

Residents of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, and other US states with data privacy laws may have additional rights — see Section 12.

11. Do-Not-Track

There is currently no universally accepted standard for responding to browser Do-Not-Track (DNT) signals. We do not alter our data collection practices in response to DNT signals at this time. California law requires us to make this disclosure.

12. US state-specific privacy rights

If you are a resident of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, or another state with a comprehensive data privacy law, you may have the following rights:

  • Right to know what personal data we collect and how we use it
  • Right to access a copy of your personal data
  • Right to correct inaccurate personal data
  • Right to delete your personal data
  • Right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal data (we do not sell or share personal data for advertising)
  • Right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights

Categories of personal data collected (past 12 months)

CategoryCollected
Identifiers (email, username, device ID, IP address)Yes
Geolocation dataYes
Inferences (aesthetic profile derived from behavior)Yes
Photos and images (scan images, community posts)Yes
Internet activity (website events, page views)Yes (website only)
Sensitive personal informationNo
Financial or payment dataNo
Biometric dataNo

To exercise your rights, email contact@jink.quest. We will respond within 45 days. If we deny your request, you may appeal by replying to our response email. California residents may also contact the California Attorney General's office.

California "Shine the Light"

California Civil Code § 1798.83 permits California residents to request information about personal data disclosed to third parties for direct marketing. We do not share personal data with third parties for direct marketing purposes.

13. Beta service

Jink is currently in private beta and is transitioning to public launch. Features, data practices, and this Privacy Policy may change as the service evolves. We will notify you of material changes via email or in-app notification before they take effect.

14. Updates to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. For material changes, we will notify you by email or in-app notice at least 14 days before the change takes effect.

15. Contact us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or your personal data:

  • Email: contact@jink.quest
  • Location: New York, NY, United States
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