1. Overview
CurbSofa ("we," "our," or "us") operates the website curbsofa.com and its related services (collectively, the "Service"). We built CurbSofa to help neighbors share free curbside items — giving useful things a second life instead of the landfill.
This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. By using the Service, you agree to the practices described here. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.
Short version: We collect only what we need to run the app. We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We use Google AdSense to display ads, which may use cookies to show you relevant ads.
Free items only — no monetary transactions. CurbSofa is a community giving platform. No money, payment, or compensation of any kind may be exchanged between users in connection with any listing. See our Terms of Service Section 5.5 for the full rule.
2. Information We Collect
Information You Provide Directly
| Data | When collected |
|---|---|
| Name or display name | Account registration |
| Email address | Account registration or login |
| Profile photo (optional) | Profile setup |
| Item listings (title, category, description, photos) | When you post a free item |
| Location (approximate — neighborhood/street) | When you post an item or enable map view |
| Messages or comments | If you contact us or use in-app communication |
Information We Collect Automatically
- Device & browser information — type, operating system, browser version
- IP address — used for approximate geolocation (city/region level)
- Usage data — pages visited, features used, time spent, clicks
- Cookies and similar technologies — see Section 5
- Log data — server logs including timestamps and referring URLs
Information from Third-Party Sign-In
If you register or log in using Google or Apple, we receive your name, email address, and profile picture from those providers, subject to their privacy policies. We do not receive your passwords or payment information from these providers.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Create and maintain your account
- Display item listings on the map and browse screen
- Calculate and display your Karma score and community rankings
- Send transactional emails (account verification, password reset)
- Respond to support requests and inquiries
- Analyze how users interact with the Service to improve it
- Display relevant advertisements via Google AdSense
- Detect and prevent fraud, spam, or illegal activity
- Comply with applicable laws and legal obligations
We do not use your information to:
- Sell your personal data to data brokers or advertisers
- Send unsolicited marketing emails without your consent
- Share your exact location with other users (only approximate neighborhood is shown)
5. Advertising & Cookies
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device by a website. We and our advertising partners use cookies and similar technologies (such as web beacons and local storage) to remember your preferences, measure traffic, and serve relevant ads.
Types of Cookies We Use
| Type | Purpose | Can you opt out? |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | Required for the Service to function (login session, security) | No — necessary for core features |
| Analytics | Understand how visitors use the site (Google Analytics) | Yes — see below |
| Advertising | Deliver personalized ads (Google AdSense) | Yes — see below |
| Preferences | Remember your settings (location, category filters) | Yes — may affect functionality |
Managing Cookies
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. Note that disabling cookies may affect how parts of the Service work. To opt out of Google's use of cookies for advertising, visit adssettings.google.com.
6. Google AdSense
CurbSofa uses Google AdSense to display advertisements. Google AdSense is an advertising service provided by Google LLC ("Google"). By using the Service, you consent to Google's use of cookies and similar technologies to deliver ads.
Ad Disclosure: Advertisements displayed on CurbSofa are served by Google and may be personalized based on your browsing activity. Ads in the Browse list and Rankings screen are clearly labeled "Ad." We do not place ads on the Map screen.
How Google AdSense Works
Google uses the DoubleClick cookie and related technologies to serve ads based on your prior visits to CurbSofa and other websites on the internet. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to our Service and/or other websites on the Internet.
Your Ad Choices
- Opt out of personalized ads: Visit Google Ad Settings or AboutAds.info
- Google Analytics opt-out: Install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
- Network Advertising Initiative: optout.networkadvertising.org
For more information on how Google uses data when you use our site, see "How Google uses data when you use our partners' sites or apps" .
7. Location Data
CurbSofa is a location-based service. Here is how we handle your location:
- Map browsing: We use your device's GPS or IP-based location to center the map. This data is used only in real time and is not stored on our servers beyond your session.
- Item posting: When you post an item, we store the approximate street location (intersection or street name) — not your exact GPS coordinates. We do not display your home address publicly.
- Ranking: Your neighborhood or city-level location is used to calculate regional leaderboard rankings.
Your control: You can deny location permission in your browser at any time. If denied, you can still browse and post items by entering a location manually.
8. Children's Privacy
CurbSofa is intended for users who are 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at info@curbsofa.com and we will delete the information promptly.
9. Your Rights & Choices
You have the following rights regarding your personal information:
Access & Portability
You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you by emailing info@curbsofa.com.
Correction
You may update your name, email, and profile information directly in your account settings at any time.
Deletion
You may request deletion of your account and associated data by emailing info@curbsofa.com. We will delete your information within 30 days, except where retention is required by law or legitimate business interests (e.g., fraud prevention).
Note: Item listings you have posted may remain visible in an anonymized or removed form. Other users' copies or screenshots of your public listings are beyond our control.
Opt-Out of Marketing Emails
If we send you promotional emails (we currently do not), you may opt out at any time via the unsubscribe link in each email.
Do Not Track
Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" (DNT) signal. CurbSofa does not currently respond to DNT signals because there is no industry standard for how to do so. We will update this policy if that changes.
10. California Residents (CCPA)
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants you additional rights:
Right to Know
You have the right to request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources from which we collected it, our business purpose for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
Right to Delete
You have the right to request that we delete personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., legal obligations, fraud prevention).
Right to Non-Discrimination
We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights. We will not deny you service, charge different prices, or provide a different level of service because you exercised your privacy rights.
Do Not Sell My Personal Information
CurbSofa does not sell your personal information as defined by the CCPA. We do not exchange your personal data for monetary compensation with third parties.
Submitting a Request
To submit a CCPA request, email us at info@curbsofa.com with the subject line "CCPA Privacy Request." We will respond within 45 days. We may ask you to verify your identity before fulfilling the request.
11. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. Specifically:
- Account data — retained until you delete your account
- Item listings — removed from public display when marked as taken or deleted by you; purged from servers within 90 days
- Log data — retained for up to 12 months for security and debugging purposes
- Analytics data — aggregated and retained for up to 26 months (Google Analytics default)
12. Security
We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include HTTPS encryption for all data in transit and access controls for our systems.
However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security. If you have reason to believe your account has been compromised, please contact us immediately at info@curbsofa.com.
13. 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
- Post a notice on the Service for at least 30 days
- Send an email notification to registered users (for significant changes)
Your continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.
14. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us:
CurbSofa Privacy Team
We aim to respond to all privacy inquiries within 5 business days.
CurbSofa
curbsofa.com
California, United States
Also see our Terms of Service for additional information about your rights and obligations when using CurbSofa.