Road Ahead is an AI-powered GPS tour guide that discovers and narrates stories about the places you pass. Because it works from your location, we take the privacy of that data seriously. This policy explains what we collect, why, how long we keep it, and the choices you have.
Who we are
Road Ahead is provided by Halyard Analytics LLC ("we", "us"). For any privacy question or request, contact info@halyardanalytics.com.
Information we collect
Account
- Your email address and account identifier, and authentication tokens, via our sign-in provider (Amazon Cognito).
- Subscription plan and credit balance. Payment is handled by Apple's In-App Purchase — we receive your entitlement, not your card details.
Location & story history
- Your precise location (latitude/longitude) while the app is running, to find and narrate nearby places.
- A history of stories narrated to you — place name, coordinates, and the narration text — so the app can avoid repeats and let you review what you've heard.
- Diagnostic location-accuracy records to improve reliability.
Content you create
- Community stories you write, and their location, which are moderated before appearing to others.
- Saved places and free-text notes, favorites, feedback comments, and — if you use Road Crews — a first name and interests you provide.
Preferences & usage
- Your category and narration-style preferences, and usage counters (e.g., number of stories heard).
- Usage analytics events, which may include your account identifier and coarse location, to understand and improve the service.
Processed on your device only
- Voice questions and photos are converted to text or read on your device. The recordings and images never leave your phone; only the resulting text is used to answer you.
How we use your information
- To find, generate, and narrate stories about places near you.
- To maintain your account, subscription, credits, and preferences.
- To avoid repeating stories and to power features like saved places, favorites, and Road Crews.
- To moderate community content and keep the service safe.
- To diagnose problems, measure usage, and improve the app.
How your information is shared
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with service providers who process it on our behalf, or where you direct us to:
| Recipient | What they receive | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Web Services (Bedrock, Polly, Location, Cognito, SES, DynamoDB, S3) | The data above, as our cloud processor | Runs the app's AI, storage, and delivery |
| Web search provider (Serper) | A search query and location | Finds current information about places |
| Apple Maps / Google Maps | A destination coordinate, only when you tap to navigate | Hands off directions you requested |
| Apple | In-app purchase transaction | Processes payment (Apple holds card data) |
| Reference sources (Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, and similar) | A place/location query only — no personal data | Factual grounding for stories |
| Advertising (planned; not yet active) | An advertising identifier after you consent via Apple's App Tracking Transparency | Supports a free tier, if introduced |
We may also disclose information if required by law or to protect the rights and safety of our users and the public.
How long we keep it
- Story-narration history: about 1 year; short-term de-duplication records about 30 days.
- Location-diagnostic records: about 90 days.
- Feedback and analytics: up to 24 months; credit-ledger transactions about 13 months.
- Account data, saved places, community content, and preferences: kept for the life of your account, then deleted on request.
If you're a creator
If you build tours or events (for example, through the Tour Creator or a Live Event), we also process your creator profile — your display or organization name and contact email — and the content you publish (channels, points of interest, stories, audio, and images). That content is shown to the users who take your tour or attend your event. You own it — see our Terms.
We give creators aggregate, non-identifying statistics about how their content performs (such as play counts by channel, story, or day). We do not share personal information about individual users or attendees with creators.
Your choices and rights
- Location: you can grant or revoke location access anytime in your device settings (the app needs it to function).
- Access & deletion: you can request a copy of your data or deletion of your account and associated data by emailing info@halyardanalytics.com.
- Advertising: if ads are introduced, they will use a tracking identifier only with your consent under Apple's App Tracking Transparency, which you can decline or revoke.
- Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights (such as under the CCPA/CPRA or GDPR). Contact us to exercise them.
Children
Road Ahead is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their personal information.
Security
We use industry-standard measures — encryption in transit, access controls, and a managed cloud provider under a data-processing agreement — to protect your information. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to safeguard your data.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the app evolves. Material changes will be reflected here with a new effective date.
Contact
Questions or requests: info@halyardanalytics.com, Halyard Analytics LLC.