This document lets you know exactly what information we collect from you, what data we can observe as you use the app, and how we use that information.

The Application

Circles (or the "App") is a mobile app for secure social networking, developed and provided by the Circles development team, including the Circles Android lead Taras Smakula and other volunteer team members (collectively "the developers" or "the team"). It can be used with any standards-compliant Matrix server. By using the Circles app, you consent to the data practices described in this statement.

What Data Do We Collect, And How Do We Collect It?

There are only a few cases where the app developers may learn any information at all about your use of the App.

If you have the App configured to use Google push notifications, then the developers' push notification gateway will be involved in delivering push notifications from Google to your device. Push notifications include information on the Matrix event that generated the push, including: the human-readable name and Matrix user identifier for the user who sent the event and the Matrix room identifier for the room containing the event. Users who desire a greater level of privacy can configure the App to use UnifiedPush instead of Google Cloud Messaging. When a user on a third-party server receives a UnifiedPush notification through their third-party push server, the developers do not see the notification or learn anything about it.
If you obtained the App from the Google Play Store, and the App crashes, then we will receive a Firebase crash report.

What Data Do We Not Collect?

We do not intentionally collect any personal information, including your name, email, phone number, or any other personally-identifiable information.

We do not intentionally collect any sensitive personal information, such as social security numbers, genetic data, health information, or religious information. We do not need or want to know your race, sex, age, gender, religion, income, medical history, or other private and personal aspects of your life.

We do not collect any information on your use of other web sites or other apps besides those provided by the Circles project. Unlike other social platforms, we never use third-party cookies or web trackers that follow you around the web. That would be creepy.

How Will We Use Your Data?

We collect and uses your information solely to operate and deliver the services that you have requested. We may use your information as follows.

To deliver the service to you:

To deliver push notifications to your device

To improve the app:

To debug crashes and performance problems

We do not sell, trade, rent or lease its customer lists to any third parties. Not ever.
We use a third party email provider to deliver mail to our mailing list.
Under extreme circumstances, we may disclose your personal information, without notice, if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on the developers or our servers; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of the developers; and/or (c) act under exigent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of the Circles app, the associated servers, or the public.

Right to Deletion

Subject to certain exceptions set out below, on receipt of a verifiable request from you, we will:

Delete your personal information from our records; and
Direct any service providers to delete your personal information from their records.

Please note that we may not be able to comply with requests to delete your personal information if it is necessary to:

Complete the transaction for which the personal information was collected, fulfill the terms of a written warranty or product recall conducted in accordance with federal law, provide a good or service requested by you, or reasonably anticipated within the context of our ongoing business relationship with you, or otherwise perform a contract between you and us;
Detect security incidents, protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity; or prosecute those responsible for that activity;
Debug to identify and repair errors that impair existing intended functionality;
Exercise free speech, ensure the right of another consumer to exercise his or her right of free speech, or exercise another right provided for by law;
Comply with the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act;
Engage in public or peer-reviewed scientific, historical, or statistical research in the public interest that adheres to all other applicable ethics and privacy laws, when our deletion of the information is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of such research, provided we have obtained your informed consent;
Enable solely internal uses that are reasonably aligned with your expectations based on your relationship with us;
Comply with an existing legal obligation; or
Otherwise use your personal information, internally, in a lawful manner that is compatible with the context in which you provided the information.

Changes to this Statement

We reserve the right to change this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you about significant changes in the way we treat personal information by sending a notice to the primary email address specified in your account, by placing a prominent notice on our application, and/or by updating any privacy information. Your continued use of the application and/or Services available after such modifications will constitute your: (a) acknowledgment of the modified Privacy Policy; and (b) agreement to abide and be bound by that Policy.

Version 2.0

Effective as of Aug 23, 2024