Privacy policy
This policy explains what we collect, why we collect it, and how we protect it when you use Crowdtrip.
1. Introduction
Welcome to Crowdtrip (“we”, “us”, “our”). Crowdtrip is a travel planning and coordination platform designed to help individuals and groups organise trips, collaborate on decisions, and build itineraries with the assistance of AI.
Crowdtrip is operated by Dotvelocity Ltd (Company No. 09443474).
We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data in a transparent and secure manner. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our platform.
2. Key Principles
- Your data is never sold to third parties
- Your trip data belongs to you
- AI is assistive, not autonomous — all actions affecting your trip are initiated or confirmed by users
- Data is used to improve your trip experience, not for advertising or external profiling
- Privacy boundaries are respected between group data and personal data
3. Information We Collect
3.1 Account Information
Name, email address, authentication details (e.g. Google login).
3.2 Trip and Planning Data
Trips you create or join; destinations, places, and itineraries; travel preferences (e.g. budget, pace, interests); group membership and roles.
3.3 User-Generated Content
Messages, including conversations with Hector, our AI assistant; notes and saved items; and decisions such as polls, selections, and itinerary updates.
3.4 Usage and Technical Data
Interaction data, device and browser information, and log data for debugging and performance monitoring.
3.5 Payment Information (if applicable)
If you use payment features, we may process transaction metadata and contribution tracking. We do not store full payment card details. Payments are processed securely by third-party providers.
3.6 Photo Location Data
Photos often contain embedded location data (GPS coordinates) recorded automatically by the device that took them. When you upload a photo, Crowdtrip reads this location data, where present, and uses it to tag the photo with the place it was taken. Location tags may be shown alongside your photos in trip features such as the shared trip diary/blog and itinerary place views, visible to your fellow trip members. You can remove or edit a photo's location tag at any time.
If a trip, or its diary/blog, is set to public, Crowdtrip automatically strips location data from photos before they are shown to anyone outside the trip's private membership. Location tags are only ever visible to a trip's own members, never to the public.
4. How We Use Your Information
We use your information to provide and operate the Crowdtrip platform, enable group travel planning and coordination, generate trip suggestions and recommendations, power Hector, improve product performance and user experience, and maintain security and prevent misuse. We do not use your data for third-party advertising or resale.
5. AI and Automated Processing
5.1 How AI is used
AI is used to generate travel suggestions and recommendations, help structure itineraries, assist with decision-making, and provide conversational support via Hector. AI is also used automatically when you upload content: photos are analysed to generate captions and tags so they can be organised and searched, and documents such as receipts, tickets, and confirmations are analysed to extract structured details (for example dates, amounts, and booking references) so they can be matched to your itinerary. This automatic analysis happens as part of uploading, for all users, and does not require you to ask Hector directly.
5.2 Data shared with AI providers
When you interact with Hector, or upload a photo or document, the relevant content (including input text, trip context, and image or document content) may be sent securely to our AI providers to generate a response or extract information.
5.3 Important limitations
Automatic analysis of uploaded photos and documents does not change your trip, itinerary, or expenses on its own. Any suggestion generated this way — such as adding an item to your itinerary — must be reviewed and confirmed by a user before it takes effect. AI responses are suggestions only and should be reviewed by users. Your data is not used to train public AI models. Where possible, we configure AI providers to minimise data retention and usage.
6. Data Sharing
6.1 Service providers
We may share limited data with hosting and infrastructure providers, analytics and monitoring services, AI providers, and payment processors. These providers are contractually required to protect your data.
6.2 Within your trip
Information you add to a trip may be visible to other members of that trip. Private data, such as personal notes and private AI conversations, remains private.
6.3 No data selling
We do not sell your personal data to third parties.
7. Public and Private Trip Data
Private trips are visible only to invited members. Public trips may be visible to attendees. Your private plans, notes, and AI interactions remain private.
Photos included in a public trip diary or blog have their location data automatically stripped before they are shown outside the trip; location tags remain visible only to the trip's own members (see 3.6).
8. Data Retention
We retain data as long as necessary to provide the service and meet legal obligations. Specific retention periods depend on the data type and purpose.
If you have questions about this policy, use the contact page.