BROOMSTICK Privacy Policy

BROOMSTICK is a Salem, Massachusetts visitor guide designed to help users find attractions, restaurants, parking, public restrooms, events, maps, wait-time information, and other useful local resources.

This Privacy Policy explains what information BROOMSTICK may collect, how that information is used, and the choices available to users.

BROOMSTICK is independently operated and is not affiliated with the City of Salem, Massachusetts.

1. Information You Can Use Without an Account

BROOMSTICK does not require users to create a traditional user account in order to browse the app.

You can access attractions, restaurants, parking, bathrooms, events, maps, and other visitor information without providing a name, email address, password, or payment information.

Some app functions may use anonymous technical identifiers or anonymous backend sessions necessary to operate features, prevent abuse, and maintain service reliability.

2. Location Information

BROOMSTICK may request access to your device location for certain location-based features.

Location may be used to:

show your position relative to attractions or other places;
provide directions or distance information;
verify that you are physically near an attraction before allowing a wait-time report;
help prevent false or abusive wait-time submissions.

Browsing BROOMSTICK does not require you to submit a wait-time report.

BROOMSTICK does not sell location information.

Location access is controlled through your device settings, and you may disable location permission at any time. Some location-dependent features may not function if location access is disabled.

3. Wait-Time Reports

BROOMSTICK may allow eligible users to submit crowd or wait-time reports for supported attractions.

A report may include information such as:

the selected attraction;
reported crowd level or wait time;
an optional predefined status tag;
submission time;
technical information required to validate the report and prevent duplicate or abusive submissions.

BROOMSTICK does not currently allow unrestricted free-text comments with wait reports.

Submitted information may be combined with other recent reports to produce an estimated crowd or wait-time status for other users.

Wait-time and crowd information is community-generated and should be treated as an estimate, not a guarantee.

4. Favorites and Local App Data

Some information may be stored locally on your device to make BROOMSTICK more useful.

This may include:

Favorites;
cached attraction, restaurant, parking, restroom, event, or other directory information;
app preferences;
notification preferences;
recent app content used for temporary offline or degraded-service functionality.

Local app data may be removed if you uninstall BROOMSTICK or clear the app's stored data.

5. Notifications and Witch Watch

If you choose to enable notifications, BROOMSTICK may use notification services to provide features such as Witch Watch alerts.

You may control notification permissions through your device settings.

BROOMSTICK does not require notification permission to browse the main visitor-guide content.

Notification preferences may be stored locally or through technical services necessary to provide notifications.

Remote Witch Watch functionality may be introduced or changed over time. Any future notification functionality will continue to be subject to this Privacy Policy and applicable device permission controls.

6. Events, Tickets, Reservations, and Third-Party Purchases

BROOMSTICK may display links to event tickets, attraction tickets, tours, reservations, restaurants, or other third-party services.

BROOMSTICK does not sell tickets and does not process ticket purchases. BROOMSTICK acts only as a bridge that directs you to the applicable third-party website or service.

Any purchase is completed directly between you and that third-party provider.

BROOMSTICK does not receive, collect, store, or process your:

credit card number;
debit card number;
banking information;
billing information;
ticket-payment credentials.

Payment processing, refunds, cancellations, ticket delivery, reservations, and purchase disputes are handled by the third-party provider under that provider's own terms and privacy practices.

Users should review the privacy policy and terms of the third-party service before completing a transaction.

7. Support BROOMSTICK

BROOMSTICK may include an optional Support BROOMSTICK link.

If you choose to provide financial support, you will be redirected to an external payment provider, such as Venmo or another third-party payment service.

BROOMSTICK does not directly process the payment and does not receive your complete banking or payment-card credentials.

Your transaction is handled by the external payment provider and is subject to that provider's privacy policy and terms.

Support is optional and does not unlock paid features or provide preferential app functionality unless explicitly stated in the future.

8. HOUSE ARAUZ and YouTube

BROOMSTICK may contain links to the HOUSE ARAUZ YouTube channel or to specific HOUSE ARAUZ videos relating to Salem attractions.

Selecting one of these links may open YouTube or another browser/app outside BROOMSTICK.

Once you leave BROOMSTICK, your activity is governed by the privacy policy and terms of the external service.

BROOMSTICK does not control YouTube's collection or use of information.

9. Third-Party Websites and Services

BROOMSTICK may link to third-party websites and services, including attractions, restaurants, ticket sellers, event organizers, maps, payment services, and other local businesses.

BROOMSTICK is not responsible for the privacy practices, security, availability, accuracy, or content of third-party websites or services.

Opening an external link may allow that provider to collect information under its own privacy policy.

10. Service Providers

BROOMSTICK uses third-party technology providers to operate the app and its backend systems.

These providers may process limited technical information as necessary to provide services such as:

cloud database hosting;
anonymous authentication;
data storage;
app infrastructure;
notifications;
application distribution and device functionality.

For example, BROOMSTICK uses services such as Supabase for backend infrastructure and Apple services for iOS application distribution and device functionality.

These providers process information according to their own agreements, privacy practices, and applicable laws.

11. Information We Do Not Sell

BROOMSTICK does not sell personal information to advertisers or data brokers.

BROOMSTICK does not operate an advertising system that sells your precise location or wait-reporting activity to third parties.

If BROOMSTICK's business model materially changes in the future, this Privacy Policy will be updated as appropriate.

12. Data Security

Reasonable technical and organizational safeguards are used to protect BROOMSTICK systems.

These include measures such as access controls, database security policies, and restrictions designed to prevent ordinary app users from modifying administrative content.

However, no internet-connected system can guarantee absolute security.

13. Data Retention

BROOMSTICK retains information only as reasonably necessary to operate its features, maintain service reliability, prevent abuse, comply with legal obligations, or preserve legitimate business records.

Certain temporary information, such as wait-time reports, may become stale or cease contributing to current crowd estimates after a limited period.

Cached information stored locally on your device may remain until it expires, is replaced, the app's data is cleared, or the application is removed.

14. Children's Privacy

BROOMSTICK is a general visitor-guide application and is not designed to knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

BROOMSTICK does not require children to create personal accounts or provide names, email addresses, or payment information to browse the app.

If you believe personal information from a child has been collected improperly, please contact BROOMSTICK using the support information below.

15. Accuracy of Visitor Information

BROOMSTICK attempts to provide useful and current information, but Salem businesses, attractions, parking facilities, restrooms, events, operating hours, prices, ticket availability, and other information can change without notice.

Live and crowdsourced information, including wait times, is an estimate and may not reflect current conditions.

Users should confirm important information directly with the applicable business, attraction, event organizer, municipality, or service provider.

16. Your Choices

Depending on the feature, you may:

disable location access through your device settings;
disable notifications through your device settings;
choose not to submit wait-time reports;
choose not to use external ticket, payment, or reservation links;
remove locally stored data by removing or resetting the application.

17. Changes to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated as BROOMSTICK changes or new features are introduced.

The effective date at the top of this policy will be updated when material changes are made.

Users are encouraged to review the policy periodically.

18. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or BROOMSTICK's privacy practices, contact:

BROOMSTICK
Salem, Massachusetts
Email: housearauz@gmail.com

Legal Review Note

This Privacy Policy is a practical draft tailored to BROOMSTICK's current functionality. It is not a substitute for legal advice. For formal legal assurance before public launch, consider having a Massachusetts attorney review it.