Privacy policy

Last updated: October 7, 2026

Who we are

Ablicon provides the Ablicon app for iPhone and Android, the website ablicon.com and the beacon management site used by zoos, parks, museums and other venues ("venues"). Questions about this policy: sergio@venditio.us.

Visitors using the Ablicon app

Location and Bluetooth

The app uses your phone's location services and Bluetooth to notice small Bluetooth beacons placed at exhibits. This happens on your phone. When you come near a beacon, the app asks our server for that exhibit's page, sending only the beacon's numbers and the accessibility mode you use (standard, visually impaired or hearing impaired). The app does not send your GPS position for this, and we don't keep a record of where you are.

With "Always" location permission, the app can show the exhibit's information in a notification while the app is in the background, for example with the phone in your pocket. Notifications are created on your phone; we don't use a push notification service.

Directions

When you open Directions in the app's menu, the app works out where you are and which way you are facing, so it can tell you how to walk to a restroom, a place to eat, the gift shop or an exhibit ("Turn right. Walk 20 steps. Stop."). It uses the beacon you are standing next to or, if there is none, your phone's GPS position, plus the phone's compass. The app sends this position and direction to our server only to work out the route, sends it in a way that is not written to our web server logs, and we don't store it. Directions are only worked out while you use them.

So that "walk 20 steps" matches your own steps, the app learns the length of your step while the Directions page is open: the phone's step counter (Motion & Fitness / Physical activity permission) counts your steps and GPS measures the distance. Only the resulting step length is kept, on your phone; it is sent with directions requests so the server can count steps for you, and it is not stored on our server. You can decline the permission: the app then uses an average step length.

Live guidance. After giving you directions, the app follows your progress with the phone's GPS and tells you each next instruction as you reach it. This is worked out on your phone: your positions are not sent to us while you walk. Only if you leave the route does the app send your current position (and the direction you are walking) to our server to get new directions, in the same way as above, and we don't store it. Live guidance stops when you close Directions.

Saying where you want to go. You can tap Speak on the Directions page (in visually impaired mode the app asks on its own) and say a place, like "restroom" or "giraffes". The microphone is on only while the app is listening after it asks, for at most 8 seconds, and the app does not record or keep what you say: it only uses the words to pick a place from the list. The speech is turned into text by your phone's own speech recognition: on iPhone by Apple, on Android by the phone's speech service (usually Google's). Where the phone can, this happens on the phone itself; otherwise the phone may send the audio to Apple or Google to be recognized, under their privacy policies. Nothing you say is sent to Ablicon. You can decline the microphone and speech recognition permissions and choose from the list instead.

Accessibility mode

On first start, the app checks your phone's accessibility settings (such as VoiceOver, TalkBack or larger text) to choose a mode for you. This check happens on your phone. Only the chosen mode is sent with exhibit requests, so the right version of the page is shown. You can change the mode in the app's settings.

Anonymous usage data

When "Share anonymous usage data" is on (it is on by default, and the app tells you about it the first time), each exhibit request also includes:

• a random ID the app creates when it is installed (not your name, email, phone number, Apple or Google account, or advertising ID; reinstalling the app creates a new one),
• whether the phone is an iPhone or Android, and the app version.

We store each visit as: the random ID, the venue and exhibit, the accessibility mode and the time. Venues use this, in summary form, to see how many people use their exhibits and accessibility features and how visitors move between exhibits. Visit records are deleted automatically after about 13 months. Switch sharing off in the app's settings (gear icon) and nothing more is recorded.

Beacon battery levels

The Android app may report the battery level that nearby beacons broadcast, so venues know when to replace a battery. These reports contain only the beacon's numbers and battery level, nothing about you.

Exhibit pages

Exhibit pages are written by the venues and may be hosted on the venue's own website. When the app shows such a page, that website receives the request like any web page you open, and the venue's own privacy policy applies to it.

Venue staff and administrators

Venue staff sign in to the management site at ablicon.com/admin with Google. We receive and keep their name and email address to give them access to their venue. When staff use the app to install a beacon, we record who installed it (their email), when, and the phone's location at that moment, so the venue knows where each beacon is. We also keep each beacon's settings, including its access PIN, so it can be updated later.

Walking paths between beacons. To give visually impaired visitors step-by-step directions from one exhibit to the next, the app records the walking path between beacons while staff install them. This only happens in the staff installer, while its map or "Program beacon" screen is open, and only when "Record walking paths between beacons" is switched on (it is on by default, and staff can switch it off at any time on those screens). The app collects the phone's GPS positions during the walk and, when the next beacon is programmed, sends the path (positions and times) to us together with the two beacons it connects and the staff member's email. Paths are kept for as long as the venue uses Ablicon, or until the venue or staff member asks us to delete them. Visitors' walks are never recorded.

If we email venue staff (for example alerts that a beacon's battery is low) or venue contacts about Ablicon, we use their email address only for that. Every marketing email can be unsubscribed from by replying "unsubscribe".

Website and server logs

Like most websites, our servers record technical information about requests, such as IP address, time, page requested and browser type, to keep the service secure and fix problems. These logs are kept only as long as needed for that purpose. The ablicon.com website doesn't use advertising or analytics cookies.

Who processes data for us

We use service providers to run Ablicon: Amazon Web Services (servers and email delivery), MongoDB Atlas (database) and Google (sign-in for venue staff). They process data only on our behalf. We don't sell or rent personal information, and we don't share it with advertisers or data brokers. We may disclose information if the law requires it.

Children

Families use Ablicon at venues, but visitors don't create accounts or give personal information. We don't knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

Your choices and rights

• Turn off "Share anonymous usage data" in the app's settings at any time.
• Turn off location or Bluetooth for Ablicon in your phone's settings. The app then can't detect exhibits.
• Decline or turn off the microphone (and, on iPhone, speech recognition) for Ablicon. You can still choose places in Directions from the list.
• Deleting the app removes its random ID and settings from your phone.
• Venue staff can ask us to see, correct or delete the personal information we hold about them.

Depending on where you live, you may have more rights over your information. Contact us at sergio@venditio.us and we will help.

Security

All data travels over encrypted connections (HTTPS), and access to the management site is limited to authorized staff.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will update this page and the date at the top. Important changes will also be announced in the app or on ablicon.com.