Effective date:
Last updated:
The ValleyCon app is operated by Unforgiven Productions ("ValleyCon," "we," "us," or "our"). This policy explains what the ValleyCon app collects, why, who else sees it, how long we keep it, and what you can do about it.
This policy covers the ValleyCon app. Rules for attending the event itself are in our ValleyCon Terms & Event Policies.
The short version
- The app has no accounts. Everything in it works without signing up.
- Your saved events, vendors, guests and app settings stay on your phone. We never receive them.
- The ValleyCon app does not ask for your location, camera, microphone, photos, or contacts.
- There is no advertising in the app. We do not sell your information, and we do not track you across other companies' apps or websites.
1. What we collect, and why
In short: what we collect depends on which parts of the app you use. If you never answer a survey and never turn on notifications, the only information we receive is app performance data.
Survey responses
The ValleyCon app may occasionally ask how your event experience is going. Answering is optional, and you can dismiss the survey.
If you do answer, we collect your ratings, your multiple-choice answers, and anything you type in the free-text boxes, along with the date you submitted them and a random device identifier.
At the end of the survey you may optionally add your name, email address, and phone number. That block is blank unless you fill it in, and it includes a separate checkbox if you want us to contact you about future events. We only use survey contact details for the purpose you agreed to.
We use survey responses to understand what worked and to plan future ValleyCon events.
Push notification registration
If you allow notifications, we register your device so we can send you schedule changes and announcements. We collect:
- A push token issued by the Expo notification service
- Your platform (iOS or Android)
- A random device identifier generated by the app
We only use these to deliver notifications. Turning notifications off in your device settings stops them.
App performance
The ValleyCon app sends performance measurements to Expo's EAS Observe service, such as how long the app takes to start and how long each screen takes to load. They include basic technical details like the app version and your phone's operating system.
We use them to find and fix slow screens. They are not linked to your identity and are not used for advertising or tracking.
Device and app identifiers
The ValleyCon app generates a random device identifier the first time you use a feature that needs one. It is not your phone's hardware identifier and not your advertising identifier, and it does not contain your name. It keeps push registrations and survey submissions from duplicating, and it is cleared if you delete and reinstall the app.
What stays on your device
Some things never leave your phone. We do not receive them and cannot see them:
- Your saved events, vendors and guests
- Your theme, display, and notification preferences
- Whether you have already answered or dismissed a survey
- Cached schedule and directory content for offline use
These items do not sync between devices. Deleting the app removes all of it.
What we do not collect
The ValleyCon app does not request access to your location, camera, microphone, photo library, contacts, calendar, or health data. It contains no advertising software, it does not use your device's advertising identifier, and it does not track you across other companies' apps and websites.
2. How this information is connected to you
In short: the app has no accounts, but some of what we collect can still be connected to you. We do not describe any of it as anonymous.
Survey responses are submitted with a random device identifier rather than your name. If you fill in the optional contact block, that response is connected to you.
Push registrations use the random device identifier.
App performance data is not connected to you.
3. Who else sees this information
In short: a small number of service providers, each receiving only what it needs, plus ValleyCon organizers running the event.
| Who | What they receive | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Google (Firebase) | Ordinary request information, such as IP address | Backup copies of public convention information and announcements, if the website cannot be reached |
| Expo | Push tokens and notification contents; app performance data | Delivering push notifications; measuring app speed |
| Apple and Google push services | Push token and notification contents | Routing notifications to your device |
| The ValleyCon website host | Survey responses, push registrations | Storing survey results and notification sign-ups |
You can read more in Google's privacy policy, Expo's privacy policy, and Apple's privacy policy.
ValleyCon organizers can view survey results.
We require third parties that receive user data from us to provide the same or an equal level of protection as described in this policy and required by Apple's App Review Guidelines.
Beyond the above, we share information only when we are legally required to, or to protect the safety of attendees, staff, or the public.
We do not sell your personal information, share it for targeted advertising, or use it to track you across other companies' apps and websites.
4. How long we keep it
In short: what we keep has a set expiry, and Expo keeps app performance data under its own terms.
| Information | Kept for |
|---|---|
| Survey responses | 24 months from submission |
| Optional survey contact details | 24 months, or until you ask us to remove them |
| Push registrations | Removed after 18 months of inactivity, or when you turn notifications off |
| App performance data | Kept by Expo under its data retention terms |
When a retention period ends, we delete the information or strip the details that identify you. Copies may remain in routine backups for a short period after that, and we delete those on the normal backup cycle.
5. Your choices
In short: notifications, surveys, and marketing contact are all optional.
Notifications
Turn push notifications on or off at any time in your device settings. Turning them off stops delivery, and we remove inactive registrations as described in section 4.
Surveys and marketing contact
Surveys are optional. You can dismiss one without answering, and you can leave the contact block blank. We only contact you about future events if you checked that box in a survey. Reply to any such message and ask us to stop, and we will.
Removing your information
Deleting the app removes everything it stored on your phone.
To have your survey responses or contact details deleted, email privacy@valleycon.com.
Seeing or correcting your information
Email privacy@valleycon.com to ask what we hold about you, or to correct it. We may need to confirm the request is yours before we act, and we will respond within 30 days.
6. Security
In short: traffic is encrypted, and organizer tools are limited to staff accounts.
Traffic between the ValleyCon app and our servers is encrypted in transit. Access to survey results and organizer tools is limited to ValleyCon staff accounts that need it.
No method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. Children's privacy
In short: ValleyCon is family-friendly, but the app is built for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. This follows the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a United States law that limits data collection from children under 13.
Children are welcome to browse the schedule and event information, which requires no account and collects no personal details.
If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has given us personal information, email privacy@valleycon.com and we will delete it.
8. Changes to this policy
In short: we will post changes here and update the date at the top.
We may update this policy as the ValleyCon app changes. We will post the new version on this page and update the "Last updated" date. If a change materially affects how we handle your information, we will give notice in the app before it takes effect.
9. Contact us
In short: email us with any question about this policy or the information we hold.
Questions about this policy, or about information we hold about you:
Unforgiven Productions
Email: privacy@valleycon.com
ValleyCon is held at the Fargo Air Museum, 1609 19th Ave N, Fargo, ND 58102.