Privacy Policy

Last Updated October 2, 2024

Explode is a mobile app to send exploding photos to your friends. Users snap a photo and then send a link to their friends via iMessage on iPhone. Because Explode is designed to safeguard photos, we care deeply about safety and user privacy. We try to limit the data we collect to what is necessary to use the app and connect with friends.

Below, we outline what data we collect, how we use and share it, and your rights.

Data Collection And Use

Account Data

When you sign up for an account on Explode, you are asked to enter your phone number, name, username, and profile photo. This data is used to identify you to other Explode users and iMessage contacts who you view your photos

Contacts Data

When signing up for an account on Explode, you have the option to give Explode access to your address book to find friends on Explode. We will use your Contacts in order to identify other Users that you may know We will never send text messages to your Contacts without your explicit permission.

You can invite friends to join Explode by sending them a text message with a link to install the app. The invitation may include your nameWe do not automatically send messages to your friends on your behalf. Instead, you have to send the message yourself. This means you're always in control of what messages get sent to your friends. 

Location Data

When opening a photo on Explode, we may share your approximate location to provide our users with a history of viewers who accessed their content.

Your approximate location data is not stored or linked to your identity and we do not track your location after your account is created.

Device and App Activity Data

When you use the app, we automatically collect certain information about your device (such as the type of device, operating system, IP address, and unique identifiers) and how you interact with the app (such as the actions you take and how long you use the app). We use this information to improve the app, create new features, and keep our systems secure.

How We Disclose Data

We do not sell, rent, license, or lease your data to third parties, nor do we share it with third parties for cross-context behavioral advertising. However, we may disclose it to the following third parties:

• Service Providers – such as hosting services, customer support services, and analytics services.
• Professional Advisors – such as lawyers and accountants.
• Business Transaction Recipients – including counterparties and others assisting with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, receivership, dissolution, asset sale, or similar transaction involving our business.
• Legal and Safety – government authorities or regulators or other third parties where required by law or legal process or to protect Explode, users', or other third parties' rights and safety.

How You Share Data

You can use Explode to send disappearing photos to your iPhone contacts. Photos sent on Explode will be deleted by default from our servers within 24 hours after we detect they've been opened or have expired, unless you have locked a photo, in which case we will honor your choices. We only allow users to view a photo once, unless they have Explode Plus, which enables them to replay a photo again. When viewing a photo, we record your username or approximate location and provide it to the sender via the App. If you screenshot a photo, we we will notify the sender.

Data Retention

We keep your data until we no longer need it for providing the service and we have no legal obligation to keep it.

Your Rights

We provide all users with the following rights:

• Deactivate – you can deactivate your account and no longer send photos on Explode;
• Know – you can request to know the categories of data we have collected about you, categories of sources from which we collected it, the purposes for which we collected it, and the categories of third parties to whom we disclosed it;
• Access – you can download the data we have about you, where it is required by law;
• Delete – you can request that we delete the data we have about you, but this right is not absolute. We may need to keep certain information, for example, to comply with our legal requirements;
• Correct – you can ask that we fix any errors or inaccuracies in the data we hold about you;
• Stop processing – you can tell us to stop processing your data;
• Object – you can object to how we process your data; and
• Complain – you can complain to the data protection regulator where you live (if you have one).

You can exercise these rights by tapping Get Help in the app or emailing us at help@explode.me and providing the phone number or username associated with your account in your message. We will not treat you differently if you exercise any of these rights, but we may need additional information to verify your identity. An agent can also make these requests on your behalf, but we may still ask you to verify your identity and that you have authorized the agent to act on your behalf. Depending on your location, you may have the right to appeal our decision regarding a request related to the above rights, in which case, you may do so by contacting us using the above contact information.

Your browser settings may allow you to transmit a "do not track” signal, "opt-out preference” signal, or other mechanism for exercising your choice regarding the collection of your data when you visit various websites and online services.  Our website and app are not designed to respond to such signals, and we do not use or disclose your data in any way that would legally require us to recognize opt-out preference signals.

California Residents

This section applies to California residents only. In the preceding 12 months, we collected and disclosed for a business purpose the following categories of personal information:

The specific business or commercial purposes for which we collect your personal information and the categories of sources from which we collect your personal information are described in the section above, Data Collection And Use. When determining the length of time to retain your personal information, we consider various criteria, including whether we need the information to continue to provide you the app, resolve a dispute, enforce our contractual agreements, prevent harm, promote safety, security and integrity, or protect ourselves, including our rights.

Children

Children under 13 are prohibited from using Explode. We do not seek or knowingly collect any data from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected data from children without proper consent, we will delete that data. If you believe we have collected data from a user under 13, or if you are a parent or guardian of a user under 13 who has provided us data, please email us at help@explode.me with information about the account to request that it be deleted.

Changes to this Policy

We may need to update this policy to account for changes in our business and applicable laws. If we change this policy, we will post the new version here. If the changes are significant we will notify you through the app.

Contact Us

Please email us at help@explode.me with any questions.