Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2026

Overview

Open Caption Finder (“we,” “our,” or “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile app and our website (opencaptionfinder.com).

Information We Collect

Location Data

• Device location (with permission): If you choose “Use my location,” we request your device or browser location so we can find theaters within about 25 miles of you. Your device or browser may provide precise coordinates; we use them to run a nearby search. You can always type a city or ZIP code instead.
• Approximate location on the website: When you open our website, our hosting provider may estimate your general location (city-level, from your IP address) so we can show open caption showtimes near you without you typing anything. This is not GPS, and you can change it anytime by searching a different city or ZIP code.
• How we use it: Coordinates are sent to our servers to search for nearby theaters. General location data (city-level) may be retained to analyze regional demand trends (see Data Sharing below).
• When we store location: If you submit a report, feedback, movie request, or (in the mobile app) a heart, your general location (city-level coordinates) may be stored with that submission to help us verify reports and understand regional demand.
• Third-party location services: If you type a city or ZIP code, or we reverse-geocode coordinates from “Use my location,” that information is sent to HERE Technologies to resolve places and coordinates. See their privacy policy below.

Anonymous Device Identifier

• We generate a random, anonymous identifier (UUID) stored on your device or in your browser (local storage on the website).
• Mobile app: This ID helps sync hearted showtimes across sessions and ties optional product analytics to the same anonymous device.
• Website: This ID ties first-party product analytics (searches, page views, ticket clicks, and similar events) across visits in that browser. The website does not currently offer hearts.
• This ID is not linked to your name or email unless you separately choose to provide that information on a form.
• This ID is not shared with advertisers and is not used by us to track you across other companies’ apps or websites.

IP Address

• We collect a hashed (one-way encrypted) version of your IP address for spam prevention and rate limiting on submissions.
• The original IP address is not stored. The hash cannot be reversed to reveal your IP.
• On our website, your IP address is also used by our hosting provider to estimate your general (city-level) location, so the page can show showtimes near you. We receive only the estimated city and coordinates, not a saved copy of your IP address.

Search and Geocoding

• When you search for a location, your search query may be sent to HERE Technologies to provide autocomplete and geocoding.
• When you use device location, coordinates may be sent to HERE to resolve a city label.
• HERE Technologies has its own privacy policy: https://legal.here.com/privacy

Usage and Product Analytics

• Product interactions: We may record actions such as searches, page views, day switches, filters, shares, prints, movie requests, reports, theater tip submissions, and ticket link clicks. In the mobile app, this also includes hearts.
• Technical context: Events may include general location (when relevant), path or screen, referrer, campaign tags (UTM), timezone, screen size, device type, operating system, browser, and user agent. Events are tagged so we can tell website use apart from mobile app use.
• This data is linked to your anonymous device ID. It is not linked to a personal account (we do not require accounts).
• Showtime availability logging: We also log open caption showtimes that appear in search results to track availability trends over time. That log includes movie titles, theater names, showtimes, and dates, and is not linked to individual users.

Information You Choose to Provide

• Feedback and reports: If you submit feedback or report a missing or incorrect showtime, we collect the information you provide (such as theater name, movie, date, time, description, and optional ticket URL).
• Contributor name: If you choose to provide a name when submitting a showtime and we verify it, you may get a shoutout and your name may appear on our contributor leaderboard. This is entirely optional.
• Theater / venue tips (“Add Your OC”): If you tell us about a theater or festival that shows open captions, we collect the details you enter. You may optionally include a contact email so we can follow up. Email is optional and used only for that purpose.
• Debugging (mobile app): When you submit a report in the mobile app, we may also collect device type, app version, and current screen for troubleshooting.

Attribution Data

• We may record how you found Open Caption Finder, such as app store referral, social links, website referrer, organic search, or UTM campaign tags in a link you followed.
• This helps us understand which outreach efforts are effective.

Cookies and Browser Storage

• Local storage: On the website, we store your anonymous device ID (and a first-visit date for analytics) in your browser’s local storage. Clearing site data removes these values and creates a new anonymous ID on your next visit.
• Cookies: Google Analytics may set cookies on our website to measure site usage. See Google Analytics under Third-Party Services and the opt-out link below. We do not use cookies to sell your information or to run third-party advertising on our site.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Display open caption movie showtimes at theaters near you
• Remember hearted showtimes across sessions in the mobile app
• Understand demand for open caption screenings in different areas
• Identify trends and gaps in open caption availability
• Improve our app and website, and respond to reported issues
• Follow up on optional theater tip submissions when a contact email is provided

Data Sharing

WE DO NOT SELL YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION.

We do not require accounts, and we do not collect phone numbers. We do not ask for your name or email unless you choose to provide them on a form (for example, a contributor shoutout or an optional contact email on a theater tip). Routine browsing and searching use an anonymous device ID, not a personal profile.

We may share aggregated, anonymized data with movie studios, theater chains, and accessibility organizations. Examples:

• “500 people in Los Angeles requested open captions for this movie”
• “Open caption showtimes in Nashville are viewed 3x more than average”

This aggregated data cannot identify you as an individual.

Third-Party Services

• HERE Technologies: Receives location search queries and, when needed, coordinates for reverse geocoding. Privacy policy
• Vercel: Hosts our website and, from your IP address, may provide the approximate (city-level) location we use to show showtimes near you. Privacy policy
• Fly.io: Hosts our API servers that process nearby searches, community submissions, and product analytics. Privacy policy
• Google Analytics: Collects website usage data (pages visited, general location, device type) and may use cookies. Google’s practices are described in Google’s policies. Opt out here
• Theater websites: When you choose “Get Tickets,” you are directed to the theater’s or ticketing provider’s website, which has its own privacy policy.

Tracking

WE DO NOT SELL YOUR DATA TO ADVERTISERS.

The anonymous device identifier we generate is used only within Open Caption Finder (to remember hearts in the mobile app and to measure product use). We do not share that identifier with advertisers or use it for cross-app advertising.

Our website uses Google Analytics, which may set its own cookies and collect usage data under Google’s privacy policy. You can opt out using the link above. That is separate from our first-party anonymous ID.

Data Retention & Deletion

• We retain interaction data (including hearts in the mobile app, movie requests, reports, feedback, theater tips, and product analytics) to analyze trends over time and improve the service.
• You may request deletion of your data by contacting us at hello@opencaptionfinder.com. Please include any optional name or email you submitted, and (if you can) your device or browser context so we can locate related records.
• Upon request, we will delete data associated with your anonymous device identifier and any voluntary contact details you ask us to remove, within 30 days, except where we must retain limited information for security, abuse prevention, or legal obligations.

Children's Privacy

Open Caption Finder is suitable for all ages. Our mobile app is rated 4+ on the App Store. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. We do not require account creation. Names and emails are collected only if someone voluntarily provides them on a form.

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

• Know what personal information we collect
• Request deletion of your data
• Opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)

To exercise these rights, contact us at hello@opencaptionfinder.com

Your Consent

By using our mobile app or website, you consent to this Privacy Policy.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the “Last updated” date.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or want to request data deletion:

Email: hello@opencaptionfinder.com
Company: Look Loaded Inc
971 US Highway 202N #5554, Branchburg, NJ 08876