AraConnect

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 16 July 2026

AraConnect helps people give and receive genuine compliments and discover mutual connections at live, in-person events. Privacy is the core of how AraConnect is built, not an afterthought. This policy explains what we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have.

The short version. Your profile only exists inside an event you join, and that event's data — including your compliments, connection signals, and any event photo — is automatically and permanently deleted within 48 hours after the event ends. One-sided interest is never revealed. Contact details you choose to exchange are stored only on your own device. We never sell your data and never show ads.

1. Information we collect

To create your account

Your email address or phone number, used only to sign you in with a one-time code. We do not store passwords.
A push-notification token, if you allow notifications, so we can alert you to compliments and matches.

When you join an event (deleted with the event — see Section 5)

A display name you choose for that event.
Your consent settings: which compliment categories you'll accept, whether you're open to romantic connections, and whether you're in invisible mode.
An optional "Find Me" hint (e.g. "black hoodie, near the bar").
An optional event photo. If you add one, it is stored on our servers and visible to others at that event, and is deleted when the event's data is deleted.
The compliments and connection signals ("Aligns") you send and receive, including any optional short note.
Any blocks or reports you submit, used to keep people safe.

We do not collect your precise GPS location, your contacts, your browsing history, or advertising identifiers.

2. How we use your information

To let you sign in and take part in events.
To deliver compliments and to reveal a connection only when it is mutual.
To send you notifications you've opted into.
To keep the community safe (moderation, blocks, and reports).

3. Mutual-only reveal

When you send an Align, the other person is never told unless they independently send one back. One-sided interest is never disclosed to anyone, and is deleted with the rest of the event's data.

4. Contact exchange stays on your device

When you have a mutual match and choose to share contact details (such as an Instagram handle, phone, or email), that choice is stored only on your device. It is never uploaded to our servers.

5. Automatic deletion & retention

Data	Kept for
Event participation, compliments, Aligns, matches, event photos, "Find Me" hint	Deleted within 48 hours after the event ends.
People you block (their account ID, plus the name and event you saw them at — visible only to you)	Until you unblock them or delete your account, so they stay hidden from you at every event.
Account data (email/phone, display name, push token)	Until you delete your account.
Reports submitted for safety, including a one-way hash of the reported person's phone number and email	Retained by our safety team as needed to enforce our rules, including after either account is deleted, so a reported person can't avoid them by signing up again.

Deletion is automatic and permanent — there is no cold storage or backup copy of deleted event data.

6. Content moderation

To keep AraConnect kind, notes and text you enter are screened for abusive content, both on your device and on our servers. Content that violates our rules may be blocked or removed, and may be reviewed by our safety team. Abuse can result in a permanent ban.

7. Who we share data with

We do not sell your personal data and we do not use it for advertising. We share limited data only with service providers who help us run AraConnect:

Supabase — secure database, authentication, and file hosting.
Apple — delivery of push notifications (APNs).
OpenAI — automated screening of text for abusive content.
Our messaging providers — sending your one-time sign-in codes by email or SMS.

8. Your rights & choices

Delete your account at any time in the app (Account → Delete Account). This permanently removes your account and associated data, except safety reports (see Section 5).
Notifications can be turned off in the app or in iOS Settings.
Depending on where you live (e.g. the EU/UK under GDPR, or California under CCPA), you may have rights to access, correct, or delete your personal data. Contact us to exercise them.
We never sell personal information, so there is nothing to opt out of on that front.

9. Children

AraConnect is intended for people aged 17 and older. It is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 17.

10. Security

Access to event data is restricted by row-level security so that people can only see what they're allowed to. Sign-in tokens are stored securely on your device. No system is perfectly secure, but we design AraConnect to hold as little data as possible, for as short a time as possible.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by the "Last updated" date above.

12. Contact

Questions or requests about your privacy? Email us at privacy@araapp.net.

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