1. Scope of this policy

This Privacy Policy applies to QueerFriends websites, community features, forms, emails, events, groups, profiles, and other services that link to this policy (collectively, the “Services”).

It does not govern third-party websites or services that QueerFriends does not control, even when they are linked from the Services.

2. Information we collect

Information you provide

Depending on how you use QueerFriends, you may provide:

• Account information, such as your name, email address, password, username, city, state, and country.
• Profile information, such as a profile photo, cover photo, biography, interests, friendship preferences, identity information, pronouns, age range, links, music, and other details you choose to share.
• Community content, such as posts, comments, reactions, photos, albums, group activity, events, RSVPs, and messages.
• Safety and support information, such as reports, appeals, feedback, contact requests, and attachments.
• Form and email information, such as Founding Member signups, partner applications, communication preferences, and email confirmation status.
• Payment and transaction information if paid features are offered. Payment-card details may be processed by a payment provider rather than stored directly by QueerFriends.

Information collected automatically

When you use the Services, we may receive technical and usage information, including IP address, browser type, device information, operating system, pages viewed, referring pages, approximate location derived from IP address, timestamps, cookie identifiers, login activity, and diagnostic or security logs.

Information from others

We may receive information when another member reports content, invites you, tags or mentions you, interacts with your content, or includes you in a group or event. We may also receive limited information from service providers that help us operate the Services.

3. How we use information

We may use personal information to:

• Create, maintain, and secure accounts.
• Display profiles and provide member discovery, groups, events, messaging, and community features.
• Personalize recommendations and help members find relevant people, groups, events, or activities.
• Send account notices, confirmations, safety alerts, support responses, and communications you request.
• Moderate content, investigate reports, prevent abuse, enforce community standards, and protect members.
• Detect fraud, spam, unauthorized access, malicious activity, and technical problems.
• Measure performance, understand feature usage, and improve accessibility, reliability, and design.
• Operate paid features, process transactions, and provide customer support.
• Comply with law, respond to lawful requests, and protect legal rights.

4. How information is shared

QueerFriends does not sell personal information for money. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

With other members and visitors

Information is shared according to the feature you use, your privacy settings, and the audience you select. Publicly visible content may be viewed by people who are not signed in.

With service providers

We may use providers for hosting, security, email delivery, CRM services, analytics, customer support, payment processing, content delivery, backups, and moderation tools. They may process information only to provide services to QueerFriends under applicable agreements and instructions.

For legal and safety reasons

We may preserve, access, or disclose information when we reasonably believe it is necessary to comply with law or valid legal process; protect members or the public; investigate fraud, abuse, or security incidents; enforce our agreements; or protect QueerFriends’ rights and property.

Business changes

If QueerFriends is involved in a merger, financing, reorganization, acquisition, or sale of assets, information may be reviewed or transferred as part of that transaction, subject to appropriate confidentiality protections.

5. Public and member-visible content

Your profile and community activity may include information that reveals or suggests sensitive details, including sexual orientation, gender identity, relationships, location, health experiences, or community affiliations. You should share only what you are comfortable making available to the selected audience.

Some profiles, groups, events, or posts may be available to visitors who are not signed in when the content is designated for public viewing. Public content may appear in search engines or be shared outside QueerFriends.

6. Safety, reports, and moderation

QueerFriends may use automated systems, rules, trained reviewers, and third-party tools to identify spam, scams, harassment, threats, exploitation, and other content or behavior that may violate our policies.

Content submitted through reports may be reviewed together with relevant account, technical, and interaction information. Private communications are processed for delivery and may be reviewed when reported, required for safety, or permitted by law and our policies.

Automated systems can make mistakes. Where available, members may request review or appeal certain moderation decisions.

7. Cookies, local storage, and analytics

QueerFriends and its providers may use cookies, pixels, local storage, and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember preferences, secure the Services, prevent abuse, understand usage, and improve performance.

Browser settings may allow you to block or delete cookies. Some essential features may not work correctly without required cookies.

8. Data retention and security

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to provide the Services, maintain security, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, satisfy legal obligations, and support legitimate operational needs. Retention periods vary by the type of information and why it is processed.

Deleted information may remain temporarily in backups, logs, fraud-prevention records, or records that must be preserved for legal or safety purposes.

We use administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information. No online service can guarantee absolute security, so members should use strong, unique passwords and protect access to their accounts.

9. Your choices and privacy rights

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the right to request access to, correction of, deletion of, or a copy of certain personal information. You may also have rights to object to or restrict certain processing, withdraw consent, or appeal a denied request.

You can also:

• Update many profile details through your account.
• Adjust available profile and audience settings.
• Unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link in the message. Essential account and safety notices may still be sent.
• Request account deletion, subject to legitimate legal, safety, and recordkeeping exceptions.

We may need to verify your identity before completing a privacy request. Authorized agents may be required to provide proof of authority.

QueerFriends will not discriminate against you for exercising applicable privacy rights.

10. Age requirements and children’s privacy

QueerFriends is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that such information was collected, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

Additional minimum-age requirements may apply to particular features or locations.

11. International users

QueerFriends is operated from the United States. If you access the Services from another country, your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States and other countries where our providers operate.

Where required, we will use appropriate safeguards for international transfers and honor applicable data protection rights.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as QueerFriends grows, features change, or legal requirements evolve. The effective date at the top shows when the policy was last revised.

When changes are material, we may provide additional notice through the Services or by email before the changes take effect when required.