Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Information you provide:

• Name and email address (during account creation)
• Age confirmation (21+ verification)
• Gender (used internally for group composition — never displayed to other users)
• Activity preferences (which activities you're interested in)
• Availability (days and times you're free)
• Frequency preference (how often you'd like to be matched per month)
• Referral source (how you heard about Circl)
• Private post-hangout feedback (which group members you'd like to see again)

Information collected automatically:

• App usage data (login timestamps, screens visited)
• Hangout attendance and participation history
• Device type and browser information

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information solely to operate and improve Circl:

• To match you into groups based on shared activity preferences, availability, and compatibility
• To coordinate hangout logistics (activity, venue, date, time)
• To send you notifications about matches, reminders, and hangout updates via email
• To improve matching quality over time using your private post-hangout feedback
• To ensure comfortable group composition using gender data
• To understand which recruitment channels are working (referral source)
• To monitor and improve the overall quality of the Circl experience

3. Private Post-Hangout Feedback

After each hangout, you may indicate which group members you'd want to see again. This is the core of how Circl works, so we want to be completely transparent about how this data is handled:

Your feedback is used solely by Circl's matching algorithm to inform future group composition. When mutual signals exist between users, the algorithm increases the likelihood of re-matching them in future groups. We consider this data highly sensitive and treat it with the highest level of care.

4. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored using the following services:

• MongoDB Atlas — cloud database for user accounts, preferences, matching data, and hangout history
• Railway — backend server hosting
• Vercel — frontend application hosting
• Resend — email delivery service

We use industry-standard security practices including encrypted connections (HTTPS) and secure authentication. However, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell your data. We do not share your personal information with advertisers, data brokers, or any third parties for marketing purposes.

We may share limited data in the following circumstances:

• Service providers: With the infrastructure providers listed above, solely to operate the Service
• Legal requirements: If required by law, subpoena, or legal process
• Safety: If we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the safety of our users or the public
• With your group: Your first name is shared with members of your matched group so they can identify each other at the hangout. No other personal information is shared with group members.

6. Your Rights

• Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: You can update your information through the app or by contacting us
• Deletion: You can request deletion of your account and all associated data at any time by emailing circl.hangouts@gmail.com. We will process deletion requests within 30 days.
• Opt out of emails: You can unsubscribe from non-essential communications at any time. Match notifications and hangout details are considered essential to the Service.

7. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active. If you request account deletion, we will delete your personal data within 30 days. Some anonymized, aggregated data (such as overall matching statistics) may be retained indefinitely to improve the Service, but this data cannot be linked back to you.

8. Cookies and Tracking

Circl uses essential cookies and local storage to maintain your login session and app preferences. We do not use advertising cookies, third-party tracking pixels, or analytics platforms that track you across other websites.

9. Age Requirement

Circl is intended for users who are 21 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 21. If we learn that we have collected data from a user under 21, we will delete that information promptly.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email or through the app. Your continued use of Circl after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.