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Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 1, 2026

What we collect

CampWatch collects only the information you voluntarily provide through our signup form:

• Phone number,used solely to send you campsite availability alerts via SMS.
• Campground selection and date range,used to determine which availability to monitor.
• IP address and browser user-agent,logged at the time of form submission as proof of consent for TCPA compliance.

What we do NOT collect

• We do not collect your name, email address, or any account credentials.
• We do not collect or store any Recreation.gov login information.
• We do not use cookies or third-party tracking scripts.

How we store your data

Your phone number is stored using two layers of protection:

• A one-way cryptographic hash (HMAC-SHA256) for database lookups,this cannot be reversed to recover your phone number.
• A reversible encrypted value (Fernet symmetric encryption) used only to send you SMS messages.

The encryption key is stored separately from the database and is never exposed to the web.

How we use your data

Your phone number is used for two purposes only: to send you automated SMS alerts when campsites matching your criteria become available, and to personalize what Ranger recommends to you. We will never:

• Sell, rent, or share your phone number, watch history, or personalization data with any third party.
• Send you marketing messages, promotions, or unrelated content.
• Use your data for advertising of any kind.
• Contact you for any reason other than the alerts you requested.

Personalization

Over time, Ranger learns what you tend to look for, so suggestions get better the more you use it. The signals we keep are:

• Which campgrounds you set alerts on, and the date windows you picked.
• (Future) trails you view, trips you save, and price ceilings you tend to filter to.

This summary is for your benefit only. You can inspect everything we have learned at /api/me/preferences?phone=YOUR-NUMBER, and you can wipe it at any time by calling DELETE /api/me/forget?phone=YOUR-NUMBER. STOP also still cancels all your watches.

SMS messaging

• Message frequency: Varies based on campsite availability. Typically 0-3 messages per week per active watch.
• Message and data rates may apply depending on your carrier and plan.
• You can opt out at any time by replying STOP to any message. This immediately deactivates all your watches.
• SMS is delivered via Twilio, which processes your phone number under their own privacy policy.

Data retention

Your watch data and phone number are retained for as long as your watch is active. Once you reply STOP or your watch expires, we may retain consent records (which contain only a hashed phone number, not the actual number) for legal compliance purposes.

Data deletion

To delete all your data, reply STOP to any CampWatch SMS. This deactivates all watches associated with your phone number. For complete data removal requests, contact us at the email below.

Third-party services

• Twilio,SMS delivery. Processes your phone number to deliver messages.
• Recreation.gov,We read publicly available campsite availability data. We never send your personal information to Recreation.gov.

Children's privacy

CampWatch is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect information from children.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision.

Contact

For privacy questions or data deletion requests, email: alexvesely18@gmail.com