privacy policy

1. what we collect

Information you give us:

• Email address: your work or school email, used to confirm you are a real person and to contact you about your account. We never email your coworkers or classmates.
• Mobile phone number: used to text you introductions, codes and account messages.
• First name: shown to members you are introduced to.
• Neighborhood: used to suggest friends near you.
• Friend preferences: who you would like to meet, the kinds of friends you are looking for, and your optional answer about how you spend a Saturday.
• Confirmations: that you are 18 or older and that you agreed to receive texts, with the time you agreed.
• Messages you send us, for example by text or email.

Information collected automatically:

• Campaign information: if you arrive from an ad or a tracked link, the campaign parameters in the address (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_content, utm_term) and ad click identifiers (gclid, gbraid, wbraid, fbclid, ttclid, sccid). These are kept in your browser's local storage and sent with your sign-up so we can tell which campaigns bring people in.
• The page that referred you to us, and your browser's user-agent string (browser and device type).
• IP address: used briefly in memory to limit repeated form submissions and prevent abuse. We do not save it with your account. Our hosting provider may keep short-lived server logs that include IP addresses for security and reliability.

2. selfie check

To keep the community real, we may ask you to take a live selfie that is compared with your profile photos to confirm you are a real, unique person. This check may use facial geometry, which some laws treat as biometric information. We will ask for your clear consent before the check, and:

• the check is performed by an identity-verification provider acting on our behalf, and only the result (passed or not passed) is stored with your account;
• we do not store your selfie, a face template or any other biometric identifier, and we do not use them for any other purpose;
• our provider is required to permanently delete the selfie and any biometric data as soon as the check is complete, and in any case within 30 days; and
• we never sell, lease, trade or otherwise profit from biometric information.

3. how we use information

• To create and verify your account and keep it secure.
• To suggest and send introductions that match your preferences.
• To text and email you about introductions, your account and changes to the Service.
• To keep members safe, investigate reports, and prevent fraud, spam and abuse.
• To understand which campaigns and features work, and to improve the Service.
• To comply with the law and enforce our Terms.

4. who we share it with

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We share it only as follows:

• Members you are introduced to see your first name and the profile details shared with an introduction. They never see your email address. Your phone number is only shared if you choose to share it.
• Service providers that process data on our behalf under contract, such as Vercel (website hosting), Supabase (database), our text-message provider and our identity-verification provider. They may only use it to provide services to us.
• Authorities or others when we believe in good faith it is required by law, or needed to protect someone's safety or our rights.
• A buyer or successor if we are involved in a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, subject to this policy.

Text messaging: we do not share your mobile number or text-message consent with third parties or affiliates for their marketing or promotional purposes.

5. how long we keep it

• Account and profile information: while your account is open. When you ask us to delete your account, we delete it within 30 days, except where the law requires us to keep it.
• Waitlist emails from people who never finish signing up: up to 12 months, then deleted.
• Records of your text-message consent and opt-outs: for as long as the law requires, typically up to 4 years, to show we followed texting rules.
• Backups: deleted data may stay in encrypted backups for up to 30 more days before it is overwritten.

6. your choices and rights

• Texts: reply STOP to any message to stop texts, or HELP for help.
• Access, correction and deletion: email hello@bostonareabestie.com from the address you signed up with, and we will respond within 45 days.
• Browser storage: you can clear your browser's site data to remove the campaign information stored on your device.

Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights, such as to know what we hold about you, to get a copy, to correct or delete it, and to appeal our decision on a request. You can use any of these rights by emailing us. We will verify your request by confirming you control the email address on the account, and we will not treat you differently for using your rights. Because we do not sell or share personal information for targeted advertising, we treat Global Privacy Control signals as a confirmation of that choice.

7. security

We protect your information with encryption in transit (HTTPS), access controls that limit who can read the database, and the principle of collecting only what we need. No system is perfectly secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. If a breach affects your personal information, we will notify you as the law requires.

8. children

The Service is only for adults 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If you believe someone under 18 has signed up, email hello@bostonareabestie.com and we will delete their information.

9. where we process data

We are based in the United States and process and store information in the United States. If you use the Service from somewhere else, you understand your information will be transferred to the United States.

10. changes to this policy

We will post any updates on this page and change the date at the top. If a change is material, we will give you notice before it takes effect, for example by text or email.

11. contact

Privacy questions or requests? Email AlmaData LLC at hello@bostonareabestie.com.