Short version: RoadLore sends your GPS coordinates to our server to find nearby stories. We do not store your location history, require an account, or share your data with third parties for advertising.
Overview
RoadLore is an audio guide app developed by Scaleworks LLC. It uses your device's location to surface narrated stories about nearby places of interest — history, nature, landmarks, and local curiosities — as you drive or walk. Stories play hands-free and update as you move.
This policy describes what data RoadLore collects, why, and how it is handled.
Location Data
RoadLore requests your precise location (GPS) while in use. When you start a drive session, your coordinates and approximate heading are sent to the RoadLore server to identify places of interest ahead of you and return relevant stories.
We do not:
- Store your location history on our servers
- Link coordinates to any account or persistent identifier
- Share location data with advertisers or data brokers
- Build profiles based on where you drive
Each location query is processed transiently. Once the relevant stories are returned, the coordinates are not retained.
You can also grant background location access, which allows RoadLore to continue finding stories while the app is not in the foreground. This is optional — the app works without it, but stories may not queue as smoothly if the app is backgrounded.
Microphone (Community Pins)
RoadLore includes an optional Community Pins feature that lets you record a short audio note at a location and share it with other travelers passing that spot. Microphone access is only requested when you tap the pin-recording button — it is never accessed passively.
Recorded audio pins are uploaded to our server and stored so other users can hear them. Pins are associated with a geographic location and a timestamp, not with your name or account. You can report any pin that violates community standards; pins reported by multiple users are removed.
Data We Do Not Collect
- Your name, email address, or contact information
- An account or user profile of any kind
- Device advertising identifiers (IDFA)
- Health or fitness data
- Contacts, photos, or media library
- Crash reports or analytics sent to third-party services
Third-Party Services
RoadLore stories are generated using publicly available information, including Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap data, which are licensed under open content and open data licenses respectively.
The RoadLore server infrastructure is hosted on Railway (railway.app). Coordinates sent to our server pass through Railway's infrastructure subject to their privacy and data handling policies.
Apple may collect certain diagnostic and usage data as part of the iOS platform, subject to your device's privacy settings and Apple's own privacy policy. Scaleworks LLC has no access to or control over that data.
RoadLore does not integrate third-party advertising, tracking, or analytics SDKs.
Data Retention
Your preferences (interests, bookmarks, playback settings) are stored locally on your device using standard iOS storage and are never transmitted to our servers. Deleting the app removes this data.
Community pin audio recordings you create are stored on our server for as long as the pin is active. You can request removal of a pin you created by contacting us at the address below.
Children's Privacy
RoadLore is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. The app does not require an account and does not collect data that could identify a child.
Changes to This Policy
If we update this policy in a material way, we will post the revised version at this URL with an updated effective date. Continued use of RoadLore after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Questions?
Scaleworks LLC