Privacy Policy
Updated 2026-10-20
In short
- No sign-up. We do not ask for your name, email address, or phone number.
- Location is used only while the app is in use, never in the background.
- Notes leave the map 24 hours after they are posted. Notes that have left the map stay in your My page history and are kept on the server until you delete your account.
- When you delete your account, your data on the server is deleted (emails the Operator received and report records remain).
- We do not sell your data. We do not track you for advertising (there are no ads). On Android, the analytics service may read the advertising ID.
- A “Public” note can be read in a web browser from a shared link, even without the app. The page shows the text, the color, the place name, the posting time (to 5 minutes), and a map image that marks the approximate area (a circle of about 150 m). It does not show your name or the exact location. We ask search engines not to list it.
CityNote (the “App”) is provided by an individual developer (the “Operator”). It is a map app for sticking notes that people nearby, or members of your group, can read. This policy explains what the Operator collects and how it is handled.
What we collect
| Item | What for | When it is deleted |
|---|---|---|
| Anonymous ID | To treat your notes, groups, and watches as yours. It is created automatically, with no sign-up | When you delete your account |
| Location (only while the app is in use) | It is used to set where you stick a note and to show notes near you on the map. It is also used when you choose a place to watch | Your device location itself is not recorded. A note’s location is stored as part of the note |
| Notes (text, location, display name, audience) | To show them on the map and deliver them to the people they are for | Notes leave the map 24 hours after they are posted. After that, see Retention and deletion |
| Live drafts | While you type a “Public” note, the text is shown live to people nearby | Not stored on the server. It disappears shortly after you stop typing |
| Groups (name, color, members’ anonymous IDs and join dates, invite codes) | To deliver group notes to members | Leaving a group deletes your membership. If the creator leaves, the whole group is deleted. Invite codes expire after 7 days |
| Watches (place, name, notification setting) | To deliver and notify you of new notes at that place | Places you remove are kept so you can add them back from the list. Deleted when you delete your account |
| Viewing records (which notes you saw with their text readable) | To show how many people saw each note | When the note is cleared from the map, or when you delete your account |
| Reactions (to notes) | To count reactions on each note | When the note is cleared from the map, or when you delete your account |
| Notification token | To deliver notifications. You can turn notifications off in your device settings at any time | When you delete your account |
| Feedback text | To read what you send with “Send feedback”. It is also emailed to the Operator, together with your display name and part of your anonymous ID | When you delete your account (emails the Operator received remain) |
| Reports (the note, the reason, the reporter’s anonymous ID) | To handle inappropriate notes. Each report sends the note's text, location, the reason, and the author's anonymous ID to the operator. You can also report a note from its web page with “Report this note”, without signing in. We receive only which note, the reason you chose, and the time | Kept as a moderation record. If the reporter deletes their account, their anonymous ID is removed from the record |
| Blocks (anonymous IDs of users you block) | To hide that person’s notes from you. We do not notify the Operator (the block is stored on the server) | When you unblock, or when you delete your account |
| Consent record (date, time, and version) | To confirm that you agreed | When you delete your account |
| Usage and crash data | To fix bugs and learn how features are used. Linked to your anonymous ID. It does not include your name or location coordinates | According to the retention settings of the analytics service |
We use this information to run the App’s features, send notifications, handle inappropriate content (banned-word filtering, reviewing reports, removing notes, suspending posting), and find and fix bugs.
Retention and deletion
- Notes leave the map 24 hours after they are posted.
- Notes that have left the map stay in your My page history and are kept on the server until you delete your account.
- Notes you delete, and notes the operator removes, are kept as a record until you delete your account.
- You can remove your own note from the map at any time: open it and tap “Delete”.
- You can delete your account at any time under My page → Other → Settings → Delete account. Your notes (including those kept in your history), images attached in earlier versions, the groups you created and your memberships, watches, invite codes, viewing records, reactions, feedback, and notification tokens are deleted from the server.
- Removing the app does not delete data on the server. On iPhone, reinstalling may bring back the same account. To delete your data, delete your account before removing the app.
- If you cannot do this in the App, email italyitalienitalia@gmail.com.
Outside services we use
We use outside services to store data, send notifications, count usage and crashes, email the Operator, show maps and place search, and serve the note web pages (including the map image and fonts for their cards). Some of them are run by companies outside Japan. Each one receives only what it needs for its job. The privacy policies of these services also apply.
What we do not do
- We do not sell your data. We do not track you for advertising (there are no ads). On Android, the analytics service may read the advertising ID.
- We do not collect location continuously in the background.
- We do not share your information with anyone other than these outside services (except when required by law).
Age
The App is for people aged 18 and over. People under 18 may not use it.
Child Safety Standards
The App has zero tolerance for child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE). This section describes our standards and processes to prevent, detect, and report CSAE.
Age
The App is only for people aged 18 and over. The Terms of Use say so, and we ask for agreement to the Terms when you start using the App.
Prohibited content
- Any content involving the sexual exploitation or abuse of children
- Anything inappropriate toward minors
- Sexual or violent content
- Sharing personal information without permission (address, phone number, images of someone’s face, etc.)
- Defamation, harassment, or threats
Reporting and response
- Every note can be reported by users.
- Notes, display names, and group names are checked against a list of banned words when sent, and matching text cannot be posted.
- Reports go to the operator and are reviewed within 24 hours. Content that is or may be CSAE is removed immediately, with top priority.
- Authors can delete their own notes at any time.
- Users found to violate the Terms are suspended from posting.
When CSAE is found
If you find CSAE in the App, contact the dedicated address below right away. The Operator removes the content promptly and, where appropriate, reports it to law enforcement (the police in Japan, or the relevant authorities elsewhere) and to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) or other relevant hotlines.
Dedicated contact
For CSAE concerns or questions about this section: bodhy.akimoto@gmail.com
Operator and contact
Operator: Taichi Akimoto (an individual developer)
Address: 1-11-11 Mita, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Questions about this policy and data deletion requests: italyitalienitalia@gmail.com
We may update this policy. We will announce important changes in the App.
Change log
- 2026-10-20: Added the web page for Public notes (with a map image of the approximate area) and reporting from that page. Added serving the note web pages (including the map image and fonts for their cards) to the outside services.
- 2026-10-18: Raised the age requirement to 18 and over, to match the App Store age rating (18+).
- 2026-10-17: Added viewing records, reactions, and feedback to “What we collect”. Summarized how we describe outside services. Stated that notes stay in your My page history after leaving the map and that deleting your account deletes everything. Added what we do not do.
- 2026-10-06: Added banned-word filtering, report emails, the consent record, and blocks.
- 2026-09-21: Rewritten for groups, watches, and live drafts.
- 2026-09-04: Listed what account deletion removes.
- 2026-08-06: Added the Child Safety Standards.