Legal
Privacy policy.
- Document
- Privacy policy
- Binding version
- This page
- Paired with
- /transparency/privacy (commitment)
- Last updated
- Forthcoming with public launch
What we collect
We collect only what we need to operate the service and keep people safe. The categories are:
Account information
Email address, chosen display name, authentication credentials, age-tier status (13–15 or 16+), parental-consent record where applicable.
Content you create
Messages, posts, Circle entries, journal notes, companion conversation history, preferences, and anything else you choose to enter.
Usage information
Session events needed to run the app and fix bugs. No advertising identifiers. No cross-site tracking. No third-party analytics that profile you.
Device and network information
Device type, operating system version, app version, and the IP address used for the request. Stored for a limited period for security and abuse-prevention.
Safety and moderation information
Reports you file, enforcement actions taken, and flagged content. Retained longer than other data, because safety history has to persist.
Payment information
Handled by our payment processor. We receive confirmation of the transaction, not your card numbers.
Why we collect it
Three reasons, in order of weight:
To operate the service
Deliver messages, run the app, show you the communities you belong to, carry your Circle memory forward, and let the companion remember what you asked for help with last month.
To keep people safe
Detect harassment, respond to reports, enforce the acceptable use policy, and support moderators.
To do research, when you opt in
Aggregated, anonymized study of wellbeing outcomes, reviewed by an independent research committee. You can opt out at any time. Research data is never traceable back to an individual after the opt-in is recorded.
How long we keep it
We keep data for only as long as we have a clear reason to keep it. When the reason ends, we delete it.
Full retention windows per category live on the data practices page, and they are part of our public commitment. If a window changes, we publish the change there first.
Your rights
You can, at any time:
Access
See what we have about you, in a readable format.
Correct
Fix anything that is wrong.
Export
Download your data in a portable format. We do the work.
Delete
Close your account and have your data deleted on the published schedule. Backups purged within thirty days.
Opt out of research
Withdraw from aggregated research at any time. Past contributions stay anonymized; no new data from you is used.
Contact us
Write to privacy@elitesgen.org. A human reads every note. Response within ten business days.
International transfers
Our infrastructure is in the United States. If you use the service from outside the US, your data is transferred to the US. EU and UK registrations, and the appropriate legal basis for transfers under GDPR and UK GDPR, are forthcoming as the Foundation expands. Until then, if you are an EU or UK resident and have concerns, please contact us before creating an account.
Children
The minimum age to use Elitesgen is thirteen. Users between thirteen and fifteen need verifiable parental consent. We comply with the United States Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the equivalent standards in other jurisdictions where we operate.
Parents and guardians can request access, correction, or deletion of a minor's data at any time by writing to privacy@elitesgen.org.
How to contact us
For privacy questions, rights requests, or concerns: privacy@elitesgen.org.
A Data Protection Officer role will be appointed when the Foundation completes EU registration. Until then, privacy matters are handled directly by the Foundation's leadership.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we will publish the change on the announcements page at least thirty days before it takes effect. We will tell you what changed, in plain English, and why. We treat material privacy changes with the same weight as a change to the terms of service.
The short version.
Our public privacy commitment, written for people and not for lawyers, lives on the transparency side of the site. It is a companion to this binding document.