The short version: We collect as little as possible. We encrypt everything. We never sell your data. Your anonymity is the product — not something we trade away.
1. Who We Are
Friendship Circle ("we", "our", "the platform") is an anonymous peer support service. Our goal is to connect people with shared experiences in an encrypted, privacy-first environment. We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy.
If you have questions about this policy, please contact us at privacy@friendshipcircle.app.
2. Information We Collect
Information you provide
- Username: A pseudonym of your choice. Not your real name.
- Email address: Used only for account access and critical security notifications. Never shared with other users.
- Struggles/problems: Categories you select (e.g. "anxiety", "loneliness") used for matching. Stored in anonymised form.
- Bio: Optional, free-text description. You control what you share here.
Information collected automatically
- IP address: Logged for fraud prevention and abuse detection only. Deleted after 90 days.
- Session data: Standard session cookies for keeping you logged in.
- Usage data: Aggregate, anonymised metrics (page views, feature usage) with no personally identifiable information.
What we never collect
- Your real name
- Your photo or likeness
- Your phone number
- Your location beyond country-level for moderation purposes
3. Message Encryption
All messages sent through Friendship Circle are encrypted using Fernet symmetric encryption before they are stored on our servers. Your encryption key is unique to your account.
This means: we cannot read your messages. Our staff, engineers, and moderation team do not have access to the content of your conversations. In the event of a data breach, encrypted messages are unreadable to any attacker.
Messages flagged by automated content safety filters are reviewed in obfuscated form to enforce community guidelines, without revealing the full conversation context.
4. How We Use Your Information
- To create and maintain your account
- To match you with compatible users based on shared struggles
- To enforce our community guidelines and prevent abuse
- To send essential security and account notifications (not marketing, unless you opt in)
- To improve the platform through aggregate, anonymised analytics
5. Sharing Your Information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party. We may share limited data with:
- Service providers: Hosting, email delivery, payment processing — under strict data processing agreements.
- Law enforcement: Only when legally required by a valid court order or subpoena, and only to the minimum extent required.
Other users on the platform see only your username and the match overlap you share. They never see your email, IP address, or any other identifying information.
6. Data Retention
- Account data: Retained while your account is active, then deleted within 30 days of account deletion.
- Messages: Retained for the duration of an active connection. Deleted 30 days after a connection is closed.
- IP logs: Deleted after 90 days.
- Aggregate analytics: Retained indefinitely in anonymised form.
7. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
- Object to or restrict certain processing
- Data portability
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@friendshipcircle.app. We respond within 30 days.
8. Cookies
We use only essential cookies required to operate the platform (session management, CSRF protection). We do not use advertising or third-party tracking cookies.
9. Children's Privacy
Friendship Circle is not intended for users under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a minor has registered, please contact us immediately and we will delete the account.
10. Changes to This Policy
We will notify registered users of material changes to this policy by email and via an in-app notice at least 14 days before changes take effect. Continued use of the platform after that date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
11. Contact
For privacy enquiries: privacy@friendshipcircle.app
For general support: Contact page