Gate Rides

Gate Rides

GATE RIDES LLC

PRIVACY POLICY

Effective Date: January 26, 2026

Gate Rides LLC ("Gate Rides," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy. Gate Rides provides scheduling software to Users of our web and mobile applications (the "Services") to arrange carpool Rides. When you use our Services, you trust us with your information. We understand this is a significant responsibility and work hard to protect your information and put you in control.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, and how you can update, manage, and delete your information. Capitalized terms not defined in this Privacy Policy have the meanings set forth in the Gate Rides Terms of Service. This Privacy Policy covers:

  • User Accounts and Accessing the Services
  • Information We Collect
  • Why We Collect Data
  • Sharing Your Information
  • Third-Party Services
  • Controlling Your Personal Information
  • Data Retention
  • Information Security
  • Data Breach Notification
  • Changes to This Privacy Policy

To use our Services, you must be 18 years of age or older and have a valid colgate.edu email address.

GATE RIDES LLC IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH, ENDORSED BY, OR SPONSORED BY COLGATE UNIVERSITY.

In this Privacy Policy, the term "personal information" means information which you provide to us which personally identifies you, such as your name, email address, or payment information, and in certain circumstances, your location information or other data which can be reasonably linked to such information by Gate Rides.

1. Contact Gate Rides

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or if you believe that your privacy has been compromised in the course of using the Services, please contact Gate Rides at: porter.comstock@gmail.com.

Gate Rides LLC
13 Oak Drive
Box CU 585
Hamilton, NY 13346

2. User Accounts and Accessing the Services

When you use our Services, Gate Rides will create an Account for you (the "Account"). Gate Rides will collect and use your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Account registration requires a valid colgate.edu email address and authentication through Google OAuth.

Your login details are your responsibility. You are fully accountable for any use or misuse of your Account and personal details as a result of conveying your login details to someone else. You must maintain your login details in confidentiality and avoid disclosing them to others.

3. Information We Collect

Gate Rides collects information to provide better Services to all its Users. The information Gate Rides collects, and how that information is used, depends on how you choose to use our Services.

3.1 Information You Provide to Us

  • Account Information: Information required when creating an Account, such as your name and colgate.edu email address.
  • Payment Information: If you are a Rider, payment information such as credit card details for processing Ride contributions. If you are a Driver, banking information for receiving payments. Payment information is collected and processed by our third-party payment processor, Stripe, Inc. ("Stripe").
  • Vehicle Information: If you are a Driver, information about your vehicle, including make, model, color, and license plate number.
  • Communications: Messages you send and receive through our in-app messaging feature when communicating with other Users or with Gate Rides support.

3.2 Information We Collect Automatically

  • Usage Analytics: Information about how you use our Services, including your interactions with the platform, features you use, time spent on the platform, and other usage statistics.
  • Device Information: Information about the device you use to access our Services, including device type, operating system, unique device identifiers, and browser type.
  • Log Data: Server logs that may include your IP address, access times, and pages viewed.

4. Why We Collect Data

Gate Rides uses the information collected from or provided by you for the following purposes:

4.1 Provide Our Services

  • To connect Riders and Drivers and facilitate carpool arrangements;
  • To process payments between Riders and Drivers;
  • To enable communication between Users through in-app messaging.

4.2 Maintain and Improve Our Services

  • To ensure our Services are working as intended;
  • To troubleshoot issues you report to us;
  • To improve the Services or develop new features.

4.3 Communicate with You

  • To send you updates, notices, announcements, and other information related to the Services;
  • To send you promotional and marketing materials (you may opt out at any time);
  • To respond to your requests for support.

4.4 Protect Gate Rides, Users, and the Public

  • To enforce our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy;
  • To detect abuse, fraud, and illegal activity;
  • To comply with applicable laws and assist law enforcement agencies when legally mandated;
  • To protect against harm to the rights, property, or safety of Gate Rides, Users, or the public.

5. Sharing Your Information

Gate Rides does not sell, rent, or lease your personal information to third parties.

Gate Rides will not share your personal information with others without your permission, except for the following purposes and to the extent necessary:

5.1 Information Shared with Other Users

When you use Gate Rides, certain information may be visible to other Users to help connect Drivers and Riders. For Drivers, this may include your name, vehicle make, model, color, and license plate number. For Riders, this may include your name and pickup/dropoff location.

5.2 Service Providers

We share information with trusted service providers who process it for us based on our instructions and in compliance with this Privacy Policy and any applicable data processing agreements. Gate Rides maintains or is in the process of executing Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) with its service providers to ensure appropriate safeguards for your personal information. See Section 6 for details on our third-party service providers.

5.3 Legal Requirements

We may share your information if required by law, or if we reasonably believe that sharing is necessary to: (a) comply with legal process; (b) enforce our Terms of Service; (c) respond to claims that content violates the rights of third parties; or (d) protect the rights, property, or safety of Gate Rides, Users, or the public.

5.4 Business Transfers

If Gate Rides is acquired by or merged with another entity, or if Gate Rides enters bankruptcy, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity, provided that entity agrees to be bound by the provisions of this Privacy Policy.

6. Third-Party Services

Gate Rides uses the following third-party services to operate our platform. Your information may be shared with these services as necessary to provide the Services:

  • Stripe, Inc.: Payment processing. Stripe collects and processes payment information on our behalf. For more information, see Stripe's Privacy Policy at stripe.com/privacy.
  • Google LLC (Google OAuth): User authentication. Google OAuth is used to verify your colgate.edu email address and authenticate your Account. For more information, see Google's Privacy Policy at policies.google.com/privacy.
  • Google LLC (Google Maps API): Location autocomplete functionality for entering pickup and dropoff locations. For more information, see Google's Privacy Policy at policies.google.com/privacy.
  • Supabase, Inc.: Database hosting (PostgreSQL). Supabase stores User data securely. For more information, see Supabase's Privacy Policy at supabase.com/privacy.
  • Vercel, Inc.: Web hosting and server-side operations. For more information, see Vercel's Privacy Policy at vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy.
  • Web Push (VAPID Protocol): Gate Rides uses the Voluntary Application Server Identification (VAPID) protocol, an open web standard, to deliver push notifications alerting you about Ride updates, messages, and other important information. VAPID is not a third-party service provider; it is a protocol implemented directly by Gate Rides.

7. Controlling Your Personal Information

You can always review and update your Account information by visiting your account settings. If you find that the information associated with your Account is not accurate, complete, or updated, you should make all necessary changes to correct it.

7.1 Deleting Your Information

If you would like us to delete your Account, please contact us at porter.comstock@gmail.com. On receiving such a request, Gate Rides will use reasonable efforts to delete such information. Please note that some information may be retained as required by law or for legitimate business purposes (such as resolving disputes or enforcing our agreements).

7.2 Opting Out of Marketing Communications

You may opt out of receiving promotional emails by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link in any promotional email you receive. Please note that even if you opt out of marketing communications, we may still send you non-promotional messages relating to your Account or your use of the Services.

8. Data Retention

Gate Rides retains your personal information for as long as your Account is active or as needed to provide you with the Services. We will retain and use your information for up to three (3) years after Account deletion or last activity to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Financial and transaction records may be retained for a longer period as required for tax compliance purposes.

Gate Rides will dispose of personal information within a reasonable amount of time after it is no longer needed for business purposes, using methods that ensure the information cannot be read or reconstructed.

We may create aggregated or anonymized data from your personal information. Such aggregated or anonymized data does not enable the identification of a specific User and may be retained and used indefinitely.

9. Information Security

Gate Rides implements reasonable safeguards to protect the security, confidentiality, and integrity of your personal information, in compliance with the New York Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security Act (the "SHIELD Act") and other applicable laws. Our security program includes the following categories of safeguards:

9.1 Administrative Safeguards

  • Designating one or more employees to coordinate our data security program;
  • Identifying reasonably foreseeable internal and external risks to the security, confidentiality, and integrity of personal information;
  • Assessing the sufficiency of safeguards in place to control the identified risks;
  • Selecting service providers capable of maintaining appropriate safeguards, and requiring those safeguards by contract; and
  • Adjusting the security program in light of business changes or new circumstances.

9.2 Technical Safeguards

  • Encryption of data in transit and at rest;
  • Secure server infrastructure and access controls;
  • Assessing risks in network and software design; and
  • Regularly testing and monitoring the effectiveness of key controls, systems, and procedures.

9.3 Physical Safeguards

  • Protecting against unauthorized access to or use of personal information during or after the collection, transportation, and destruction or disposal of information; and
  • Disposing of personal information within a reasonable amount of time after it is no longer needed for business purposes by erasing electronic media so that the information cannot be read or reconstructed.

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

10. Data Breach Notification

In the event of a breach of the security of our systems that compromises the confidentiality, security, or integrity of your personal information, Gate Rides will notify affected Users in the most expedient time possible and without unreasonable delay, consistent with the legitimate needs of law enforcement and any measures necessary to determine the scope of the breach and to restore the reasonable integrity of the system.

In accordance with the New York SHIELD Act, Gate Rides will also notify the New York State Attorney General, the New York Department of State, and the New York State Police of the timing, content, and distribution of any breach notification, as well as the approximate number of affected persons. If the breach affects more than 5,000 New York residents, Gate Rides will also notify consumer reporting agencies.

11. U.S. State Law Requirements

Some U.S. state privacy laws, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the New York SHIELD Act, require specific disclosures for state residents.

  • We explain the categories of information Gate Rides collects in Section 3.
  • We explain how Gate Rides uses information in Section 4.
  • We explain when Gate Rides may disclose information in Section 5.
  • Gate Rides does not sell your personal information.

State laws provide you with the right to request information about how Gate Rides collects, uses, and discloses your information. They also give you the right to access, correct, and delete your information. To exercise these rights, please contact us at porter.comstock@gmail.com.

12. Children's Privacy

Our Services are not directed to children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete such information as soon as possible. If you believe that a child under 18 may have provided us with personal information, please contact us at porter.comstock@gmail.com.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

Gate Rides may from time to time change the terms of this Privacy Policy. Substantial changes will take effect 30 days after Gate Rides has posted a notification on the platform explaining the changes. Other changes will take effect 7 days after their initial posting. However, if Gate Rides amends this Privacy Policy to comply with legal requirements, the amendments will become effective immediately upon their initial posting, or as required.

You agree to be bound by any of the changes made in the terms of this Privacy Policy. Continuing to use the Services will indicate your acceptance of the amended terms. If you do not agree with any of the amended terms, you must discontinue your use of the Services.

14. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflict of law principles.