Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Adventure Collective (operated by Advguides, LLC) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, process, and share information when you use our services, including our video guide features powered by YouTube API Services.

3. Information We Collect from YouTube API

When you view our video guides, we access and display the following publicly available YouTube data through YouTube API Services:

• Video IDs: Unique identifiers for YouTube videos
• Video Titles: The titles of YouTube videos
• Video Descriptions: Text descriptions provided by video creators (used to extract chapter information)
• Video Thumbnails: Preview images for videos (hosted by YouTube)
• Channel Names: Names of YouTube channels that published the videos
• Video Duration: Length of each video
• Publication Dates: When videos were originally published on YouTube
• Video Tags/Categories: Metadata about video content
• Chapter Information: Timestamps and titles extracted from video descriptions

What we DO NOT collect:

• We do not collect any personal information about YouTube users
• We do not access private or unlisted YouTube videos
• We do not require YouTube authentication or login
• We do not track your YouTube viewing history
• We do not collect YouTube comments, likes, or engagement data

4. How We Use YouTube Data

We use YouTube API data solely to provide video guide functionality on our platform:

• Display: Show video content, titles, thumbnails, and metadata on our pages
• Organization: Categorize videos by adventure type and location
• Navigation: Enable chapter-based navigation within videos
• Search & Discovery: Help users find relevant adventure video content
• Playback: Embed YouTube videos for viewing

Storage and Retention: We store YouTube video metadata in our database to provide faster page loading and reduce API quota usage. This data includes video IDs, titles, descriptions, thumbnails, duration, channel names, tags, and extracted chapter information. We periodically update this data to keep it current. All stored data is publicly available information from YouTube.

5. Information Sharing and Third Parties

Internal Use: YouTube API data is used exclusively within Adventure Collective for displaying video guides to our users. We do not sell, rent, or share this data with third parties for marketing purposes.

External Parties:

• YouTube/Google: When you watch embedded videos, YouTube may collect data according to their privacy policy
• Service Providers: We use hosting and database services (Replit, Neon) to store data
• Analytics: We may use analytics services to understand how users interact with our platform

We do not provide YouTube API data to external advertisers or data brokers.

6. Cookies and Local Storage

Our website and the third-party services we use may store information on your device through cookies, local storage, and similar technologies:

• Essential Cookies: Required for basic site functionality and navigation
• YouTube Cookies: When you watch embedded videos, YouTube sets cookies according to Google's policies
• Preferences: We may store user preferences (like selected categories) in browser local storage
• Analytics: We may use cookies to understand how visitors use our site

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect the functionality of video playback and other features.

7. Other Information We Collect

Beyond YouTube API data, we may collect:

• Usage Data: Pages viewed, time spent, clicks, and navigation patterns
• Device Information: Browser type, device type, operating system, IP address
• Location Data: General geographic location based on IP address (not precise GPS)
• Form Submissions: Information you voluntarily provide through contact forms or subscriptions

8. Data Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect the data we collect and store. However, no internet transmission or storage system is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

YouTube API credentials and sensitive data are stored securely using environment variables and secrets management systems.

9. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your data:

• Access: Request information about what data we have about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate data
• Deletion: Request deletion of your data (subject to legal requirements)
• Opt-Out: Choose not to receive marketing communications
• Browser Controls: Manage cookies and local storage through browser settings

For YouTube data specifically, please refer to Google's Privacy Policy and their data management tools.

10. Children's Privacy

Our service is not directed to children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of our service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us:

13. Third-Party Links and Policies

Our service includes links to third-party services. Please review their privacy policies:

• Google Privacy Policy (covers YouTube services)
• YouTube Terms of Service