NoseyYour saved buildings stay on your device.
Nosey is an iPhone app for exploring public records about New York City buildings.
Your saved list, preferences and local record caches stay in the app on your device. We don’t receive a copy of your saved list or sync it to a Nosey account. Removing a saved building removes it from that list. Your device or iCloud backups may include local app data, depending on your Apple settings.
Looking up a building uses online services.
Address search, maps and public-record requests send the requested address, property identifier or map area to the relevant map and city services. Those services receive normal connection information, including your IP address. Source links open third-party websites with their own privacy policies.
Sharing a building creates a public link containing its property identifier. Anyone with the link can open it. Cloudflare retrieves the public address from NYC records and may cache it for up to 24 hours to make previews load quickly. The link does not include your photo, capture location, saved list or installation ID.
To write a building story, our service sends the property’s address and selected public records to OpenAI. Your photo, capture location and saved list are not included. We keep a shared cache of stories and their public-record evidence so the same work can serve other visitors. This cache includes building information, but no record of who looked at which building.
We have disabled OpenAI’s optional sharing for model training and request that responses are not stored as retrievable API conversations. OpenAI may still retain content for abuse monitoring for up to 30 days, with legal and safety exceptions, and use temporary prompt caches for up to 24 hours. See OpenAI’s data controls.
Photos and location are your choice.
With your permission, Nosey uses your camera and foreground location to suggest a building’s address. You can also import a photo or choose a point on the map. Address search works without camera or location access.
Before the first upload, we ask you to agree to photo recognition. The prepared image goes through our service to TypeSafe’s Jev, together with the capture, imported or chosen coordinates, location accuracy, available camera direction, text read on your device and nearby address choices. An uncertain result may send a closer crop.
We strip image metadata before upload. An imported photo’s embedded location can still be used separately as the recognition location. Nosey processes recognition input in memory and does not save the uploaded photo, capture coordinates or recognized text in its service logs or shared cache.
TypeSafe says Jev is not trained on customer requests or responses. Its processing and retention follow its agreements and legal obligations; this is not a zero-retention service. Read TypeSafe’s data-use explanation and privacy policy.
Usage data is optional.
Share usage data starts off. If you turn it on, we use PostHog Cloud in the United States to understand which features work and where they fail. Events describe actions such as starting a search, opening a building, viewing a type of record, saving or unsaving, or opening a source, plus timings and outcomes.
These events do not contain addresses, search text, property IDs, coordinates, photos, recognized text, owners, record contents or source URLs. We can see that a building was saved, but not which building. Events include app and OS versions, device type and random installation/session IDs. The installation ID connects visits from the same installation, so we don’t describe this data as anonymous.
We don’t use advertising IDs, screen recordings, automatic tap capture or cross-app advertising tracking. PostHog receives your connection’s IP address; location enrichment is disabled. Usage events are retained for up to one year. See PostHog’s privacy policy.
A little data keeps the service running.
Beta access uses a code stored in your device’s Keychain. Our service keeps a code digest, a tester label, access status and daily request counts. Counts cover the latest 31 UTC days and do not identify requested buildings. Access records remain while needed to manage the beta; contact us to revoke access or request deletion.
We send limited operational logs to PostHog for 14 days: request IDs, operation, status, timing, model version and cache outcome. These exclude request/response contents, addresses, photos, coordinates, access codes and tester labels. If you share usage data, a random request ID can connect a recognition event with its service log. Operational logs continue when optional usage sharing is off.
Shared public-record stories use a bounded cache and rotating local backups. They are separate from your favorites. Hosting and connection providers, including Cloudflare and Tailscale, process network information to deliver and protect the website and API. This website has no analytics scripts, advertising cookies or account sign-in.
If you email us, we receive your message and contact details. Email is forwarded by Cloudflare to our Gmail inbox. If you ask to join the waitlist by email, we use your message and email address to send news about Nosey’s launch. Email us to leave the waitlist. If you send TestFlight feedback, Apple shares the feedback and any diagnostics or screenshots included with the developer. We use these to respond and troubleshoot, and keep them while needed for that purpose or legal obligations.
We share data with service providers to run Nosey and may disclose information when required by law or necessary to protect the service and its users. Some providers process data in the United States or other countries.
You can change your mind.
- Saved buildings: remove individual favorites in the app. Deleting the app removes its local favorites and caches; Apple backups are controlled separately.
- Photos: use Connection → Ask before sending photos to reset sharing consent. Manage camera and location permissions in iOS Settings. This affects future requests.
- Usage sharing: turn off Connection → Share usage data to stop collection and clear queued events. Turning it on again starts a new installation ID. Previously uploaded events remain until deleted or retention expires.
- Deletion: Connection → Request data deletion prepares the installation IDs we need to find your usage events. Send the request to privacy@nosey.cc or through TestFlight feedback. Preparing the request does not send it or delete uploaded data automatically.
You can also contact us about access, correction, deletion or other privacy rights available under applicable law. We may need enough information to locate the relevant data and verify the request.
Nosey will change. We’ll explain what changes with it.
This policy describes how Nosey works today. Features, providers and data practices may change as the app develops—including how saves, analytics or other data are handled.
We’ll update this page and its effective date when practices change. Before a material change, we’ll give notice in the app and ask for new permission where required. A new policy does not by itself authorize a new use of previously collected data that requires your consent.
Contact
Nosey is based in New York, United States. For privacy questions and requests, email privacy@nosey.cc. For everything else, use info@nosey.cc.