Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

ALO TAXI is a ride-sharing and parcel-delivery mobile application operated by Teknoiq, a technology company based in Doraa, Baghdad, Iraq. The app connects passengers with drivers for on-demand transportation, and senders with couriers for parcel delivery within our service area.

When this policy says "we," "us," or "our," it refers to Teknoiq and the ALO TAXI platform. When it says "you" or "user," it refers to any person who downloads, installs, or uses the ALO TAXI passenger/user application.

2. Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to:

• The ALO TAXI mobile application for Android and iOS;
• All features within the app including ride booking, parcel delivery, wallet, loyalty points, in-app chat, and customer support;
• Data collected automatically when you use the app.

It does not cover third-party websites or services that may be linked from within the app. Those services are governed by their own privacy policies.

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

3.3 Information from Third Parties

If you sign in via Google or Facebook, we receive basic profile information (name, email, profile picture) from those platforms in accordance with their own privacy policies and your privacy settings on those platforms.

4. Device Permissions We Request

The following table explains every permission the app may request and exactly why it is needed. All permissions that are not required for core functionality are requested only when you attempt to use the relevant feature.

5. How We Use Your Information

We do not use your data for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects without human review.

6. How We Share Your Information

6.1 With Drivers

When a driver accepts your booking, we share your first name, profile photo, pickup and drop-off location, and in-app contact channel with that driver. We do not share your phone number directly unless you initiate a call through the app.

6.2 Service Providers

We engage trusted third-party processors to help operate the platform:

All service providers are contractually bound to process data only as instructed and to apply appropriate security measures.

6.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government authority, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

6.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred to the successor entity, subject to equivalent privacy protections.

6.5 What We Do Not Do

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third-party advertisers or data brokers.

7. Real-Time Location & Tracking

Foreground Location (When App is Open)

We collect your precise GPS coordinates while you are actively using the app – for example, when you are searching for a pickup point or watching a driver approach.

Background / Continuous Location (During an Active Trip)

Once a trip starts, we continue to collect location data even if you switch to another app or lock your screen. This is necessary to:

• Monitor trip progress and provide accurate ETAs;
• Enable safety features (driver safety alerts);
• Record the route for billing and dispute resolution.

Background location collection stops automatically when the trip is marked as completed or cancelled. A persistent foreground-service notification is displayed while tracking is active.

Location Data Retention

Trip route data is retained for a maximum of 12 months to support payment disputes, safety investigations, and regulatory compliance, after which it is anonymised or deleted.

8. Push Notifications

We send push notifications for the following categories:

• Transactional: Driver accepted your ride, driver en route, trip started, payment confirmed, trip completed, parcel picked up/delivered.
• Safety: Emergency alerts and driver safety-problem resolutions.
• Account: OTP codes, level-up rewards, referral bonuses, wallet top-ups.
• Promotional: Coupons, offers, and new features (you can opt out of these).

You can manage notification preferences within the app or via your device's Settings → Notifications → ALO TAXI.

9. Payments & Wallet

ALO TAXI supports the following payment methods:

• Cash – Paid directly to the driver; no financial data is transmitted to us.
• In-app Wallet – A digital wallet managed on our platform. You can add funds, pay for trips, earn loyalty points, and transfer balances.
• Online Payment Gateways – Processed through a third-party payment gateway via a secure WebView session. We do not store raw card numbers or CVV codes on our servers.

All payment transactions are logged in your trip history and wallet statement. This data is retained for a minimum of 5 years to comply with financial record-keeping requirements.

10. Data Retention

When a retention period expires, data is securely deleted or irreversibly anonymised.

11. Data Security

We implement a layered security approach:

• Encryption in transit: All data exchanged between the app and our servers is encrypted using TLS 1.2 or higher.
• Authentication tokens: Sessions use short-lived bearer tokens; your password is never stored in plain text.
• Phone verification: Account access requires OTP verification via Firebase Authentication or SMS gateway.
• Access controls: Only authorised Teknoiq personnel with a documented business need can access production user data.
• Payment security: Raw card data is processed by certified third-party payment gateways; we do not handle or store it.

No system is completely immune to breaches. If a breach occurs that is likely to result in a high risk to your rights, we will notify you and relevant authorities as required by law.

12. Your Rights & Choices

Depending on applicable law, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

Account Deletion

You can delete your account directly within the app (Profile → Settings → Delete Account) or by emailing us. Upon deletion, your personal data will be removed from active systems within 30 days, subject to retention obligations described in Section 10.

13. Children's Privacy

ALO TAXI is intended for users who are 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately at [email protected] and we will promptly delete that data.

14. Third-Party Services

The app integrates with the following external services, each governed by its own privacy policy:

We recommend reviewing each provider's privacy policy to understand how they handle your data.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the Last Updated date at the top of this page;
• Send a push notification or in-app alert describing the key changes;
• For significant changes, ask for your renewed consent before you continue using the app.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of ALO TAXI after a change becomes effective constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

16. Contact Us

For any privacy-related questions, requests to exercise your rights, or complaints, please reach out to us through any of the channels below. We are committed to resolving all enquiries within 30 days.