Privacy Policy

Effective Date: September 11, 2024 | Last Updated: March 2026

1. Introduction

At RideMates, we are committed to protecting your personal information and ensuring your privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988(Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our services, including our mobile application, website, and related platforms (collectively, the “Service”).

By accessing or using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our Service.

2. Identity and Contact Details

RideMates is operated by JIANOU PTY LTD (ABN: 65 696 694 952), located in Adelaide, South Australia.

3. Information We Collect

Personal Identification Information: Name, email address, phone number, profile photo, and date of birth.
Verification Information: Photos for identity verification, including images of government-issued identification documents.
Payment Information: Payment card details and billing information, processed securely by our third-party payment processor, Stripe. We do not store your full card details on our servers.
Ride and Booking Data: Details of rides posted, booked, or completed, including routes, dates, times, pricing, and passenger/driver ratings and reviews.
Communications: Messages exchanged between users through our in-app messaging system.
Usage Data: Information about how you interact with our Service, such as your IP address, device type, operating system, browser type, pages visited, and app usage patterns.
Location Data: Approximate location information derived from your IP address or provided voluntarily through ride routes.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to monitor activity on our Service and store certain preferences.

4. How We Collect Information

We collect personal information directly from you when you interact with our Service, including when you create an account, verify your identity, post or book a ride, send messages, leave reviews, make payments, or contact us for support. We may also collect information automatically through cookies, analytics tools, and other tracking technologies.

5. How We Use Your Information

To provide, operate, and maintain our Service
To verify your identity and ensure the security of our platform
To process payments and facilitate transactions between users
To enable communication between drivers and passengers
To send transactional communications, including booking confirmations, ride updates, and push notifications
To improve our Service based on usage patterns and user feedback
To detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, or security issues
To comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms and policies
To send marketing communications where you have opted in (you may opt out at any time)

6. How We Protect Your Information

We implement industry-standard security measures including encryption (TLS/SSL), access controls, secure authentication mechanisms, and regular security audits. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to promptly addressing any security incidents.

We do not and will never sell your personal information.

7. Disclosure of Your Information

We may share your information with:

Other Users: Limited information (first name, profile photo, rating, verification status) is shared to facilitate rides and build trust.
Payment Processors: Stripe processes payments on our behalf, subject to Stripe's privacy policy.
Cloud Service Providers: We use Firebase (Google Cloud) for data storage, authentication, and hosting.
Analytics Providers: We may use third-party analytics tools to understand how our Service is used.
Email and Communication Services: We use third-party services (such as Brevo) to send transactional and marketing emails.
Law Enforcement: We may disclose your information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of RideMates, our users, or others.

If we transfer your personal information outside of Australia, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the overseas recipient complies with the Australian Privacy Principles or that you have consented to the transfer.

8. Access, Correction, and Deletion

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, to request corrections, or to request deletion of your account and associated data.

Delete your account directly from the app. Open RideMates, sign in, go to the Profile tab, tap Profile Information, and scroll to the bottom to tap Delete Account. Your account and associated data are removed immediately.

If you no longer have access to the app, or need to request access or corrections, and we will respond within 30 days.

We may retain certain information as required by law, for legitimate business purposes, or to complete transactions in progress prior to your request.

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Once no longer needed, we will securely destroy or de-identify it.

In the event of a data breach likely to result in serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) in accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme under the Privacy Act 1988.

10. Limitation of Liability

RideMates acts solely as a platform connecting drivers and passengers. We are not a transport provider, employer, or agent of any user. To the maximum extent permitted by law:

We do not guarantee the identity, quality, safety, or legality of any ride, user, or listing on the platform.
We are not liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or relating to your use of the Service, any ride arranged through the Service, or any interaction between users.
Users are solely responsible for their conduct, the accuracy of information they provide, and their compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Our total liability to you for any claim shall not exceed the total fees paid by you to RideMates in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

Nothing in this policy excludes, restricts, or modifies any consumer guarantee, right, or remedy conferred by the Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010) that cannot be excluded by agreement.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless RideMates, JIANOU PTY LTD, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with: (a) your use of the Service; (b) your breach of this Privacy Policy or our Terms of Service; (c) your violation of any law or the rights of any third party; or (d) any ride or transaction facilitated through the Service.

12. Anonymity and Pseudonymity

Where practical and lawful, you may interact with us anonymously or pseudonymously. However, certain features require personal identification for safety, trust, and legal compliance.

13. Complaints and Dispute Resolution

If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles, . We will acknowledge your complaint within 7 days and aim to resolve it within 30 days. If unsatisfied, you may escalate to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

14. Opt-Out Rights

You can opt out of marketing communications at any time via the unsubscribe link or by contacting us. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings and push notification preferences through your device settings.

15. Consent

By using our Service, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as described. For sensitive information (such as identity verification), we will obtain explicit consent. You may withdraw consent at any time, though this may affect your ability to use certain features.

16. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for individuals under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18 without verifiable parental consent. If you believe we have collected such information, please contact us immediately.

17. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of South Australia and the Commonwealth of Australia. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of South Australia.

18. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy and updating the “Last Updated” date. Your continued use of our Service after changes indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

19. Contact Us

JIANOU PTY LTD
ABN: 65 696 694 952