The fine print, minus the fog
Effective September 7, 2026
Sidetracked is an event-discovery app for Los Angeles, made by Marie Danilychev ("we", "us"). This policy says what we actually collect, who processes it, and how to get rid of it. It's written to be read.
Sign up with your email and a password, or with Sign in with Apple (if you use Apple's Hide My Email, we only ever see the relay address). You can also browse without an account — in that case the app uses an anonymous session ID instead of anything about you.
Username, name, bio, profile photo, Instagram handle, and phone number. The phone number exists for one reason: so friends who already have your number can find you. Leave any of it blank and the app works fine.
If you grant location access, we use your position while you're using the app to show events near you, sort the map, and tell you how far a venue is. If you separately allow AI data sharing, your current coordinates can also be sent to our AI providers for nearby Guide answers. We use it to answer that request — we don't build a history of where you've been. Say no (or turn it off later in your device settings) and you can still browse everything by neighborhood.
If you tap "find friends from contacts," we read the phone numbers in your address book and check them against existing Sidetracked accounts. We don't store your contacts — the numbers are used for that one lookup and discarded. This only happens when you tap the button, and only if you grant the permission.
Before AI features send personal data, we ask for your permission to share it with OpenAI and Google (Gemini). The Guide can send your message, recent conversation context, relevant preferences, saved Guide memories, event context and optional current coordinates. OpenAI and Google provide answers, event matching and web lookups. AI-assisted Discover and Map searches send search text and matching event details to Google. Google can also process your saved and dismissed events, interactions and preferences to update your taste recommendations in the background. If you connect Spotify, this can include your top artists and music genres.
The conversation history you see is stored on your device; relevant recent history is transmitted when you send a Guide message. Saved Guide memories are stored with your account and can be reviewed or cleared in Settings. These storage locations do not mean AI providers never receive or retain request data. Provider processing and retention depend on their service terms and security requirements; we do not promise that previously sent data is instantly erased.
You can decline and keep using catalog search, event browsing, saves and friends. In Settings → AI data sharing, you can allow sharing or turn it off for your account. Turning it off blocks new AI requests and background taste updates once the choice is saved. It does not recall data already processed or delete saved Guide memories; those have separate controls. If your choice cannot be saved, the app blocks new requests in the current session and explains how to retry. If neither your phone nor our server can save the withdrawal, your previous permission may return after the app restarts.
If you connect Spotify, we read your top artists to learn your music taste and rank events accordingly. That's the whole use. Disconnect anytime; we never post or change anything on your Spotify.
We collect analytics events (screens viewed, taps, saves, that a search or Guide message happened) and crash reports so we can fix what's broken. Analytics never includes the text of your messages or Guide chats — for a chat we record only that one was sent and how long it was. Crash reports are stripped of your email and IP address before they're stored.
We don't have "partners." We have service providers that run parts of the app, processing data on our instructions:
Beyond that, we'd share data only with your direction, or if the law genuinely requires it.
Off unless you opt in. If you do, we store a push token for your device to deliver them. Turn them off anytime in your device settings and the token goes unused.
Use Settings → Delete Account. This removes your login, profile, saved plans, preferences, saved Guide memories, direct conversations involving your account and group messages you authored, and files owned by your account such as uploaded profile photos. It does not delete other people's accounts or unrelated conversations. If a step fails, some data may already be removed; retry to finish or contact sidetracked.hq@gmail.com. The app reports completion only when account deletion finishes.
If you bought tickets through Sidetracked, account deletion removes their connection to your login. We retain purchaser contact details, attendee names, payment and refund references, ticket and receipt records, and transaction audit history for fulfillment, refunds, disputes and accounting. Deleting your account does not cancel or refund tickets. Existing emailed ticket links keep their original expiry.
A hashed deletion receipt lets an interrupted request be retried for up to 24 hours. Expired receipts are cleaned up when a later deletion request begins; after completion the receipt contains no account ID, name, email or message content. Analytics and crash records already held by PostHog or Sentry, backups, and data already processed by AI providers may remain under their retention policies. Account deletion does not instantly erase those systems. Contact us with a request concerning that data so we can assess the records and applicable provider controls. We may retain information where required by law or to address security or abuse.
Accounts whose uploads are used in the shared event catalog may need support to finish deletion. The app explains this before removing data. If you signed in with Apple, follow the app's Apple unlink instructions if automatic revocation is unavailable. You can also request account deletion by emailing the support address above.
If you join the waitlist on getsidetracked.app, we store your email (with our email provider, Resend) solely to tell you about the launch — unsubscribe or email us and it's gone. The website uses PostHog, Vercel Analytics and Metricool for website analytics. These website tools are separate from the native app's analytics.
Data moves over encrypted connections, access is locked down per-account, and deletions are enforced server-side. No internet service can honestly promise perfection, so we won't — but we build like it's our own data, because it is.
Sidetracked is not directed at children. Our Terms require you to be 18 or older, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has given us data, email us and we'll delete it.
You can ask us what we have on you, ask for a copy, or ask us to delete it — email sidetracked.hq@gmail.com and we'll handle it. We don't sell or share personal information as those terms are defined in the CCPA, so there's nothing to opt out of.
If this policy changes, we'll update this page and the date at the top. If a change meaningfully affects your data, we'll say so in the app, not bury it here.
Questions, requests, complaints: sidetracked.hq@gmail.com. A person reads it.