Snowball
Snowball

Snowball Privacy Policy

Last Updated: November 2025

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Snowball Innovations, Inc. ("Snowball", "we", "us", "our") collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects your personal data when you use our mobile applications, websites, and related services ("Services"). We are committed to safeguarding your privacy and ensuring transparency in how your information is handled.

Snowball supports two operating modes:

  • Local-Only Mode — all data stays on your device and is never uploaded to our servers.
  • Cloud Account Mode — your data is securely synced across devices and stored on our cloud infrastructure.

By using Snowball, you agree to this Privacy Policy.

2. Data We Collect

Snowball collects different categories of personal data depending on how you use the app and whether you create an account.

2.1. Data You Provide Directly

Account Data

  • Email
  • Phone number
  • Apple Sign-In identifier
  • Google Sign-In identifier
  • Password (hashed and salted)

Profile Data

  • Name, job title, company
  • Social links
  • Avatar or photo
  • Optional profile fields you choose to provide

Contact & Networking Data

  • Contacts you add or import
  • Notes (text, audio, and transcriptions)
  • Tags
  • Reminders and follow-up tasks
  • Events attended
  • Business cards scanned
  • Metadata such as "met at event X"

Media & Files

  • Photos (e.g., business cards)
  • Voice recordings
  • Files voluntarily uploaded

Sharing Data

When you choose to share with other users:

  • Profile information
  • Business card
  • Connection link
  • Event-based profile

All sharing is user-initiated.

2.2. Data Collected Automatically

Technical Data

  • Device type and model
  • Operating system version
  • IP address (anonymized for analytics)
  • App version
  • Log files

Usage Data

  • Screens visited
  • Feature interactions
  • Session duration
  • Performance data

Diagnostics

Collected through:

  • Firebase Crashlytics — crash logs and device state
  • Google Analytics 4 (GA4) — anonymized usage analytics

(Advertising features are disabled.)

2.3. Permissions We Request

Snowball may request access to:

  • Contacts — to import and match contacts
  • Camera — for QR codes and business card scanning
  • Microphone — for voice notes
  • Photos — for profile photos and card images
  • Calendar — to tag events and suggest follow-ups
  • Notifications — for reminders and alerts

All permissions are optional and require your consent.

3. How We Use Your Data

3.1. To Provide and Operate Our Services (Contractual Necessity)

  • Creating and managing your account
  • Syncing your data across devices
  • Storing and organizing contacts
  • Saving notes, transcriptions, reminders, and tags
  • Generating QR codes and business cards
  • Allowing you to share your data with other users
  • Enabling event-based features

3.2. To Improve the Product (Legitimate Interests)

  • Internal analytics (GA4 with IP anonymization)
  • Crash diagnostics (Crashlytics)
  • Feature usage analysis
  • Preventing misuse or fraud
  • Providing anonymized event analytics to organizers

3.3. With Your Consent

  • Access to contacts, camera, microphone, photos, and calendar
  • Sharing your data with other users
  • Sending you push notifications

You may withdraw consent at any time in your device settings.

4. Local-Only Mode vs. Cloud Account Mode

4.1. Local-Only Mode

If you do not sign in or create an account:

  • All data stays exclusively on your device
  • No data is transmitted to Snowball servers
  • Uninstalling the app permanently deletes your data

4.2. Cloud Account Mode

When you register (email, phone, Apple Sign-In, Google Sign-In):

  • Snowball securely syncs your data across devices
  • All data listed in Section 2.1 is uploaded and stored
  • Data is stored in encrypted form on our cloud infrastructure
  • You can access your data from multiple devices

All cloud-hosted data is stored on Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the United States.

5. Sharing of Data

5.1. Sharing With Other Users (User-Initiated Only)

You may choose to share:

  • Your profile
  • Your business card
  • Your connection link
  • Event-based networking details

We never share your data automatically.

5.2. Sharing With Event Organizers

Organizers receive only anonymized, aggregated analytics, such as:

  • Total number of connections made
  • QR code scan counts
  • Engagement metrics

Organizers do NOT receive personal data such as:

  • Names
  • Contact details
  • Notes
  • Connection lists
  • Profiles
  • Behavioral data tied to identity

5.3. Sharing With Service Providers

We use trusted third-party processors to operate the service:

  • Amazon Web Services (AWS) — cloud hosting
  • Google Analytics 4 (GA4) — anonymized usage analytics
  • Firebase Crashlytics — crash diagnostics

All processing is governed by data protection agreements.

We do not sell or share personal data for advertising.

6. International Data Transfers

All cloud data is stored in the United States.

For users in the EEA, UK, and Switzerland, transfers rely on:

  • Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)
  • Appropriate additional safeguards

7. Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR)

We process data under the following lawful bases:

Contractual Necessity

  • Operating your account
  • Syncing data
  • Providing features such as contact management

Legitimate Interests

  • Analytics (GA4)
  • Crash reporting (Crashlytics)
  • Preventing abuse
  • Aggregated event analytics

Consent

  • Permissions (contacts, camera, microphone, calendar, notifications)
  • Sharing with other users

You may withdraw consent at any time.

8. Data Retention

Cloud Accounts

Data is stored until:

  • You delete the data, or
  • You delete your account

Backups are retained for up to 30 days.

Local-Only Mode

Data stays only on your device and is erased when you delete the app.

9. Your Privacy Rights

9.1. Rights Under GDPR (EEA/UK Users)

You may:

  • Access your data
  • Correct inaccurate data
  • Delete your data ("right to be forgotten")
  • Export your data ("data portability")
  • Restrict processing
  • Object to processing
  • Withdraw consent
  • File a complaint with a supervisory authority

9.2. Rights Under US State Laws

(For California, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia residents)

You may:

  • Access personal information
  • Request deletion
  • Correct inaccuracies
  • Opt out of certain types of data sharing

Snowball does not sell or share data for advertising.

10. Children's Privacy

Snowball is not intended for:

  • Children under 16 (GDPR)
  • Children under 13 (COPPA)

We do not knowingly collect data from children.

If such data is discovered, we will delete it immediately.

11. Security

We use industry-standard measures, including:

  • Encryption in transit (TLS)
  • Encryption at rest (AWS KMS)
  • Access control
  • Least-privilege system architecture
  • Routine security reviews

However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure.

12. Do We Track You?

No.

Snowball does not:

  • Use IDFA
  • Track users across apps or websites
  • Serve targeted ads
  • Sell personal data
  • Use advertising SDKs

Analytics and crash reporting are used exclusively for product improvement.

13. Data Deletion & Account Deletion

You may delete:

  • Individual contacts
  • Notes, reminders, tags
  • Your entire account and all synced data

When your account is deleted:

  • All personal data is permanently removed from production systems
  • Backups are deleted automatically within 30 days

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically.

We will notify you by updating the "Last Updated" date and, if required, through in-app notices.

15. Contact Us

If you have questions, requests, or concerns about your privacy, you may contact us at:

Snowball Innovations, Inc.

admin@joinsnowball.io