Privacy & Your Data

CruiseCtrl is built in the EU and privacy is a core part of what we do — not an afterthought. This page explains what data we collect, why, and the controls you have over it. It also sets out your legal rights as a user under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). If you want the full legal text, see our Privacy Policy.

1. Who we are

CruiseCtrl is operated by Relay Labs Limited, a company incorporated in Ireland (EU). Our registered address is 35 Lower Sherrard Street, Dublin 1, Ireland, D01 V292. As an EU-based controller, we are bound by GDPR and the Irish Data Protection Acts.

Our Data Protection Officer (DPO) can be contacted at dpo@cruisectrl.eu. The DPO is an independent point of contact for any question about how we handle your data — including escalating a concern that you don't feel has been resolved through normal support channels.

2. Your rights under GDPR

As a user in the EU, EEA, or UK (under UK GDPR), you have the following rights. You can exercise most of them directly in the app under You → Settings → Privacy & data. For anything you can't do in-app, email privacy@cruisectrl.eu.

• Right of access — you can ask for a copy of all personal data we hold about you. In-app: Settings → Privacy & data → Export my data. By email: privacy@cruisectrl.eu. We must respond within one month (usually much faster).
• Right to rectification — if any personal data we hold is inaccurate or incomplete, you can correct it. Most profile information can be edited in You → Edit profile. For account-level data (e.g. email address), go to Settings → Account.
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten") — you can ask us to delete your account and all associated personal data. In-app: Settings → Privacy & data → Delete my account. See section 11 below for what this covers and any exceptions.
• Right to restrict processing — if you contest the accuracy of your data, or object to how we're processing it, you can ask us to pause processing while the matter is resolved. Email privacy@cruisectrl.eu to make this request.
• Right to data portability — you can receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format (JSON). In-app: Settings → Privacy & data → Export my data. This covers your profile, settings and activity.
• Right to object — you can object to processing based on legitimate interests. Given that most of our processing is based on your explicit consent or contract performance, this right mainly applies to any analytics we run. Email privacy@cruisectrl.eu to object.
• Right to withdraw consent — where we rely on your consent to process data (e.g. special-category data like sexuality and health information), you can withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before the withdrawal. Withdrawing consent for a core data field may reduce your ability to use certain features.

If you're not satisfied with how we've handled a request, you have the right to complain to the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), our lead supervisory authority under GDPR: dataprotection.ie. If you're in another EU member state, you can also raise a complaint with your national DPA, who will coordinate with the Irish DPC as needed.

3. What we collect and why

We collect personal data only to provide and improve the CruiseCtrl service. We do not build advertising profiles, and we never sell your data — not to data brokers, advertisers, or anyone else.

Account and profile data

• Your email address or phone number (required to create and secure your account).
• Your display name and age (required), and optionally pronouns, gender, headline and bio.
• Profile photos you upload (stored securely on our EU infrastructure).
• Optional profile fields: body type, sexuality, position, stats, health information, a voice intro, and other fields you choose to fill in.

Location data

Location is used for Discover (the portrait grid and neighbourhood map), check-ins, Right now distances and plans near you, and when you choose to share a location in a chat. Other members only ever see an approximate position — you control how coarse it is (see section 5). We do not build a continuous location history.

Usage data

We collect basic usage information (screens visited, features used, session timestamps) to help us understand how the app is working and to diagnose technical problems. This is not used for advertising targeting.

Messages

Your chat messages are processed to deliver them to the recipient. They are not used for advertising or profiling. Messages are deleted 24 hours after they're sent unless you both choose to keep them (see section 7). We do not read your messages as a matter of routine; moderation is triggered by user reports.

Right now notes

Right now notes are short posts visible to nearby members who are also using Right now. They expire after one hour.

4. Special-category data

Under GDPR Article 9, certain categories of personal data receive extra protection because of the sensitivity of the information and the potential for harm if it were misused. On CruiseCtrl, this includes your sexual orientation, gender identity, and health information.

We process this special-category data only on the basis of your explicit consent, given when you choose to enter these details into your profile. You can withdraw this consent at any time by removing the information or toggling the relevant field off.

Importantly:

• Your sexuality and orientation are hidden on your profile by default. You must actively choose to make them visible to other users.
• Health details (practices, safeguards, HIV status, testing dates) are optional and shown only where you choose, using each section's Show on profile switch.
• This data is never used for advertising, never shared with third parties for commercial purposes, and is deleted when you delete your account.

5. Visibility and location controls

You have fine-grained control over whether — and how precisely — other members can see you.

• Checking in — you only appear on Discover while you have an active check-in, for the time you chose (1 to 24 hours). The server ends it automatically; there's no passive appearance between check-ins.
• Browse privately — You → Your visibility, or Settings → Privacy & data. Keeps you off Discover and the map, even while checked in. People you already chat with can still reach you.
• Map precision — Settings → Account → Map precision, or Your visibility. Precise (about 100 m), Approximate (about 500 m, the default) or Area only (about 2 km). Your position is snapped to a grid and nudged before anyone sees it, and other members never see your exact coordinates.
• Active status — Settings → Account → Share active status: Active now, Last seen, or Off.
• Location services — Settings → Account. Location access is requested when you start a check-in or share a location in a chat, not before. You can decline or allow only approximate access in your device settings; you then won't appear nearby.

6. Age verification data

Every new member is asked to confirm they're 18 or older with a live selfie. Here's what happens to it:

1. You take one live selfie in the app. Camera access is requested only at this step.
2. The selfie is checked by Sightengine, our age-estimation processor, for an 18+ age estimate. It isn't used to identify you.
3. If the automated result is uncertain, a member of our safety team reviews it — usually within a day.
4. The selfie is used only for this check, is never shown on your profile, and is deleted once the decision is made. We keep the result of the check, not the photo.
5. If you delete your account, the stored result is deleted with it (a minimal safety record may be kept if your account was involved in an abuse or law-enforcement matter).

For full legal and technical detail, see our Age Assurance statement.

7. Messages and retention

Chat messages on CruiseCtrl are deleted 24 hours after they're sent by default. This is a deliberate privacy feature: conversations don't build up into a long-term record.

To keep a conversation, you both have to choose Keep — tap the retention notice at the top of the chat. You can't force someone else's messages to be kept, and either of you can switch back to 24-hour retention at any time. Live Photos and shared private media have their own 24-hour timers.

We don't read your messages for advertising or profiling. When you report someone, the report and the messages it refers to are kept so our safety team can review it — even if you later delete your account.

8. Cookies and tracking

CruiseCtrl uses only essential storage by default — the minimum needed to keep you logged in and the app functioning. We do not use third-party advertising trackers or cross-site tracking cookies.

The cookie banner you saw when you first visited our website or app allows you to make choices about any non-essential cookies (such as basic analytics). You can revisit these choices at any time by clearing your browser or app data, which brings the choice back.

For the full list of what we use and why, see our Cookies Policy.

9. Sub-processors and third parties

We use a small number of carefully chosen third-party processors to run our infrastructure. Every processor is bound by a data processing agreement and may only use your data to provide their service to us — not for their own purposes.

Our key processors include:

• Sightengine — age-estimation at sign-up and verification. EU-compliant. Image deleted after check.
• Hetzner — EU-based server hosting (Germany/Finland). All data remains in the EU.
• Resend — transactional email delivery (e.g. verification emails, password resets).
• Twilio — SMS delivery for account verification codes.

The full and current list, including the specific data each processor handles and where they're based, is at Sub-processors. We update this page whenever we add or change a processor, with advance notice where required.

10. Exporting your data

You can download a copy of your personal data at any time, in a structured JSON format.

1. Go to You → Settings → Privacy & data.
2. Tap Export my data. The app prepares a file with your profile, settings and activity and downloads it straight away.

Sign-in secrets and your age-verification selfie are never included. If you'd rather make a formal subject access request, or the export doesn't cover what you need, email privacy@cruisectrl.eu — we respond within one month under GDPR.

11. Deleting your account

You can delete your account at any time. Deletion is permanent and can't be undone.

1. Go to You → Settings → Privacy & data → Delete my account.
2. Read what's removed and what's kept for safety.
3. Type your display name to confirm, and tap Delete my account.

Deletion removes your profile, display name, photos and media, profile fields (including health details), stored age-verification data, favourites, plans and check-ins — at the latest within 30 days, as set out in the Privacy Policy.

Exceptions — the following may be kept where there's a legal basis to do so:

• Reports and the messages they refer to, kept as safety and moderation evidence, and a minimal safety record if your account was subject to a moderation action, a law-enforcement request or a formal legal notice — only as long as necessary.
• Messages you sent that are still in the other person's copy of a conversation, until they expire or are deleted.
• Billing records held by Apple, Google or the web billing provider — contact them to manage those. Deleting your account doesn't cancel a CruiseCtrl+ membership.
• Anonymised, aggregated statistics from which you can't be identified.

For the full retention schedule, see our Privacy Policy.

12. Data retention

We keep your data only as long as it is needed. In summary:

• Profile and account data — held while your account is active; deleted at the latest within 30 days of account deletion.
• Messages — deleted 24 hours after sending by default; if both of you chose Keep, they stay until one of you deletes them. Messages referred to in a report are kept for the safety review.
• Right now notes — expire after 1 hour.
• Session data (auth tokens, check-in state) — expires automatically when the session ends.
• Age-verification selfie — deleted once the decision is made; the result is deleted with the account.
• Safety and moderation records — retained for a reasonable period for legal compliance; reviewed and deleted when no longer necessary.
• Server logs — retained for up to 90 days for security and debugging, then deleted.

13. Contact and complaints

For privacy-related questions or to exercise your rights: privacy@cruisectrl.eu

To contact our Data Protection Officer directly: dpo@cruisectrl.eu

To make a formal complaint to the Irish data protection regulator: dataprotection.ie — the Data Protection Commission accepts online complaint forms and provides guidance on your rights.

If you are in another EU member state, your national DPA can accept your complaint and coordinate with the Irish DPC under the GDPR one-stop-shop mechanism.