Privacy Policy

Effective Date: August 1, 2020

Welcome to Connections’s Privacy Policy. We value the trust you place in us when you provide your personal information. This Policy describes how Connections collects, uses, shares, and protects your data, and the choices you have regarding your information.

1. Who We Are

Connections (“we” or “us”) operates a social and dating platform through our websites and apps (the “Services”). Connections is based in Gurgaon, Haryana, India (SG7/2307, Saya Gold Avenue, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh) and can be contacted by email at connections@dating-universe.com. For the purposes of data protection laws, Connections is the data controller of your personal information.

2. Applicability of This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to the Connections mobile application, website, and any other services, events, or programs offered by Connections (collectively, the “Services”). It covers information we collect through our Services and via any other interactions you have with Connections. This Policy does not apply to services operated by other organizations or companies that we do not control.

By using our Services, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information as outlined in this Privacy Policy.

3. Information We Collect

We cannot help you form meaningful connections without certain information about you. We collect information in a few different ways:

A. Information You Provide Directly

You choose to give us certain personal details when using Connections:

• Account Information: When you create an account, we ask for basic details such as your first name, date of birth, gender, and the gender(s) you are interested in. You may also provide an optional last name, a short bio or description, your interests, and photos. (Some of the information you provide may be considered “sensitive” in certain jurisdictions — e.g. your racial or ethnic background, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs. By providing this information, you consent to our processing of it for the purposes described here.)
• Additional Profile Details: You have the option to share more about yourself on your profile, such as your hobbies, education, or occupation. These details are voluntary but can help you get more from the Service by finding better matches.
• Communication with Other Users: We process the content of your communications with other users (such as messages or chat content) as part of providing the Service. Please remember that messages you send or receive through Connections may be stored or shared by the recipient; be mindful of what you disclose.
• Customer Support and Feedback: If you contact us for support or respond to surveys, you provide us with the content of that correspondence, your email address, and any other information you choose to include.
• Payment Information: If you decide to purchase any premium features (either now or in the future), you may provide payment information such as your debit or credit card number and billing details. (Note: Presently Connections does not offer paid features, but if it does, payments may be processed by third-party platforms like the Apple App Store or Google Play, which have their own privacy policies.)

B. Information from Third-Party Sources

We may receive information about you from others, including:

• Social Media Login: If you use a social media account (like Google or Facebook) to sign up or log in to Connections, you authorize that platform to share certain information with us. This may include your name, username or handle, profile photo, email address, and other information you have made public on that platform. This saves you from creating a new password and allows you to populate your profile quickly. We only receive the information you expressly allow the third-party platform to share.
• Friends or Contacts: Our Services may include features to invite friends or share profiles. If another user imports or types your phone number or email to invite you to the Service, we may receive that information. We will of course remove it upon request.
• Other Partners: We may receive information about you from our affiliates, advertisers, and other partners for the purposes of improving the Service and ad measurement. For example, we might receive demographic or interest information in aggregate to better understand our user base.

C. Information Collected When You Use the Services

When you use Connections, we collect information about how you use the Service and the devices you use to access it. This includes:

• Usage Data: We collect details of your activity on the Service. For example, the dates and times you log in, the features you use (and how often), the profiles you view, interactions with other users (such as likes or messages sent and received), and your search queries. We also log clicks and interaction with links or advertisements on the Service.
• Device Information: We receive and record information from the device and browser you use, such as:
  • Hardware and software information (IP address, device type and ID, app version, device OS, manufacturer, model, device identifiers like Apple’s IDFA or Google’s AAID, browser type, language, time zone, and any unique device or advertising identifiers).
  • Information about your wireless and mobile network connection (mobile carrier, signal strength).
  • Device sensor information where available (e.g. accelerometer, gyroscope, compass) to support features of the app (for instance, a compass for an in-app feature might be used, if any).
• Location Information: With your permission, we collect geolocation data from your device. This may be precise (GPS coordinates) or approximate (based on your IP address or nearby Wi-Fi networks). If you allow location access, we may collect it even when you are not actively using the app (background location), in order to recommend nearby matches or show your relative distance to others. You can always control or revoke location access in your device settings. If you do not grant permission for location, we will not collect it, though certain location-based features may not function.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies and local storage to collect website usage data and improve your experience (see our Cookie Policy for details). These technologies help us recognize you, store your preferences, and track site usage.

4. How We Use Your Information

We primarily use your information to provide and improve the Connections Service. Specifically, we use your data for the following purposes:

• To Operate and Maintain the Service:
  • Create and manage your account, and display your profile to other users.
  • Allow you to use features such as finding matches, messaging, and other in-app activities.
  • Provide you with customer support and respond to your inquiries or requests.
  • Process transactions you initiate (if you purchase a feature in the future).
  • Link your accounts across different devices, so you have a seamless experience. For example, if you log in on your phone and tablet, we recognize it’s you on both devices.
• To Introduce New Features and Services:
  • Register you for and enable new Connections features, apps, or updates as they are rolled out.
  • Administer your account on any new Connections services that are part of our platform ecosystem.
• To Personalize Content and Advertising:
  • Communicate with you about promotions, offers, events, or surveys that might interest you.
  • Administer contests, sweepstakes, or similar promotions (if you choose to participate).
  • Show and measure advertisements and content tailored to your interests on our Service and in marketing communications. For example, we might display ads for a premium feature or a third-party service based on your activity. We may also use third-party advertising partners who use cookies and device identifiers to serve ads relevant to you on our Service or elsewhere.
• To Improve and Analyze our Services:
  • Research and analyze how users interact with Connections to identify trends and areas for improvement. For instance, we may analyze aggregate usage patterns to decide which new feature to develop or how to improve the user interface.
  • Conduct surveys or focus groups to gather user feedback and test new features.
  • Develop new products, features, and services. (For example, if many users request a certain feature or if analysis shows a certain aspect of the app is underused, we may innovate accordingly.)
• To Prevent Fraud and Ensure Safety:
  • Monitor user activity (on and off the platform, where relevant) to detect and address violations of our Terms or illegal behavior. For example, we may detect accounts engaging in inappropriate conduct or attempts to scam users.
  • Utilize automated systems and moderators to prevent spam, fraudulent activities, and security incidents.
  • Retain data related to fraudulent or malicious activities to prevent repeat offenses and to aid in any investigations. If necessary, we use this data to ban users or provide reports to law enforcement.
• To Ensure Legal Compliance:
  • Comply with applicable laws, regulations, subpoenas, legal processes, or enforceable governmental requests.
  • Enforce or exercise our legal rights, for example to defend against litigation or investigate violations of our Terms.
  • Assist law enforcement as required by law or in the good-faith belief that such disclosure is necessary to protect the safety or rights of any person.

We rely on the following legal bases to process your information, as defined under relevant data protection laws (such as the General Data Protection Regulation “GDPR” in the EU):

• Contractual Necessity: In many cases, we process your data to fulfill the contract we have with you – that is, to provide the Services you have requested. For example, when you use our app to build connections, we need to use your information to maintain your profile, introduce you to other users, and send your messages. We cannot provide the Service without this information.
• Legitimate Interests: We may process your information when we have a legitimate interest in doing so, provided such use is fair, balanced, and does not infringe on your rights. For instance, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing and improving our Service, protecting our users and business from fraud, and showing you advertisements that help fund the Service. We carefully consider and balance any potential impact on your rights when we rely on this basis.
• Consent: Where required by law, we will obtain your consent before processing certain personal information. For example, we will ask your consent before accessing precise location or sending certain marketing communications. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us (however, withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before it was withdrawn).

5. How We Share Information

Our goal is to help you form meaningful connections, so the primary sharing of information is with other Connections users. We also share some information with service providers, partners, and in certain legal or business situations as described below:

• With Other Users: When you voluntarily disclose information on your profile or through direct communications on the Service, that information is shared with other users. For example, other users can see your profile details, including photos, first name, age, location (if you enable it), and any additional info you provide. Please be mindful: any information you share on Connections (or directly to other users) can be re-shared or used by them. We cannot control what another user does with information you have made public or sent to them. If you choose to hide certain parts of your profile or use privacy settings we provide, we will respect those settings within our Service.
• With Our Service Providers and Partners: We employ third-party companies and individuals to help us operate, analyze, improve, and market the Services. These include:
  • IT and Hosting Providers: who maintain our databases and servers, and help the Service run smoothly.
  • Analytics Providers: like Google Analytics, who assist in analyzing user behavior and measuring traffic so we can improve our product. (These providers typically only receive aggregated or de-identified data; you can learn more in our Cookie Policy.)
  • Customer Support Tools: that help us communicate with users and manage support tickets.
  • Marketing and Advertising Partners: who assist in advertising our Service on other platforms, sending out email campaigns, or measuring the effectiveness of our ads. For example, we may share a hashed (encrypted) version of your email or device ID with an advertising partner like Google or Facebook to help us reach you with relevant ads on their platforms.
  • Payment Processors: if and when payments are processed outside app stores, secure payment processors will handle your transactions (and we will not store full payment information).
  These service providers and partners only have access to the information necessary to perform specific tasks on our behalf and are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the purposes we specify. They are required to adhere to strict confidentiality and data security standards.
• For Corporate Transactions: If Connections is involved in a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, reorganization, bankruptcy, or other transaction, your personal information may be transferred as part of that deal. We will require any new owner or combined entity to honor the commitments we’ve made in this Privacy Policy regarding your data.
• When Required by Law: We may disclose your information if necessary to:
  • Comply with a legal obligation, such as a law, regulation, search warrant, subpoena, or court order.
  • Respond to governmental requests or cooperate with law enforcement under applicable law (with proper legal process).
  • Address and investigate unlawful activity, suspected fraud, or to enforce our Terms of Service and other agreements.
  • Protect the rights, property, or safety of Connections, our employees, our users, or the public. For example, we may share information with law enforcement if we believe someone is at risk of harm or to report a crime.
• To Enforce Legal Rights: We may share data if disclosure would mitigate our liability in an actual or threatened legal action; as necessary to protect our legal rights and the legal rights of our users, business partners or other interested parties; or to enforce our agreements with you. This may include sharing information with lawyers, consultants, or authorities in the event of a litigation or legal dispute.
• With Your Consent or At Your Request: We might ask for your consent to share your information with third parties in ways not covered by this Policy, in which case we will explain the purpose. Also, upon your request, we may share information with third parties. For instance, if you decide to participate in a promotional offer with a partner or integrate an Connections feature with another platform, we may share data at your direction.
• Non-Personal and Aggregated Data: We may use and share information that does not personally identify you for any purpose. This includes aggregated data (information about users collectively that cannot be used to identify any individual) and other anonymized information. For example, we may share statistics about overall app usage, dating trends, or geographic distribution of our users with media, business partners, or the general public. We may also share hashed or encrypted portions of your data that cannot be read by humans (for instance, converting your email into a unique hash) with advertising partners to assist with delivering targeted advertisements on our Services or elsewhere. These partners will not be able to identify you from this hashed data.
• Cross-Border Data Transfers: The sharing of information noted above may involve transferring your data to servers and processors in different countries (including the United States, India, or other locations). For example, if you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, your personal information may be transferred outside of those regions. We utilize standard safeguards (such as standard contractual clauses) when transferring data internationally, and we will only do so in compliance with applicable data protection laws.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Access and Control: We want you to be in control of your personal information. Depending on where you live, you may have certain legal rights regarding your information, such as the right to access the data we hold about you, the right to correct or update that data, the right to delete it, or the right to restrict or object to our processing of it. You may also have the right to data portability (to receive a copy of your data in a machine-readable format).

We provide the following tools and options for you:

• Updating Your Profile: You can review and edit information in your profile at any time by logging in and going to the profile or settings section. It’s important to keep your account information up-to-date.
• Device Permissions: On mobile, you can manage your device settings for location, push notifications, contacts, etc. If you initially consented to share precise location or other data, you can revoke that permission by changing the settings on your device.
• Account Settings: The app settings may allow you to enable/disable certain optional features or data processing (for example, turning off a profile discovery feature or pausing your account).
• Deleting Your Account: You have the right to delete your account whenever you want. You can do this by following the instructions on the Delete Account page or in the app’s Settings. Deleting your account will remove your profile from view and eventually erase your personal data as described in the “Data Retention” section below.

If you need assistance accessing, correcting, or deleting any of your information, you can contact us at connections@dating-universe.com. For your privacy and security, we may require you to verify your identity before we can fulfill your request (for example, by providing credentials or additional information). We reserve the right to deny requests that are unreasonably repetitive, unlawful, or that infringe on others’ privacy. Notably, if you request a copy of your data, we cannot include information about other users (and we may redact certain information to protect others’ privacy).

Communication Preferences: We may send you emails or push notifications about new features, promotions, account updates, or safety notices. You have choices:

• Opt-Out of Emails: You can unsubscribe from promotional emails by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in the email. (We will still send you non-promotional communications about your account, such as password resets or legal notices, as these are not subject to opt-out.)
• Push Notifications: If you do not want to receive push notifications from us (for example, alerts for new messages or matches), you can turn those off at the device level in your phone’s settings.
• Cookies: As described in our Cookie Policy, you can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. You can also opt out of Google Analytics tracking by using the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

Important Considerations:

• If you delete the Connections app from your device without formally deleting your account, your profile will still exist on our servers. Simply uninstalling does not erase your data. If you want to fully remove your data, please delete your account in the app settings first.
• After deleting your account, there is a short window (up to 90 days) during which you can contact us to restore it if deletion was accidental (see Data Retention below). After that window, your data will be permanently removed or anonymized, except as retained for legal or legitimate purposes.
• If you choose not to provide certain information or revoke consent for certain processing, some features of the Service may not function. For example, if you do not allow us to collect your precise location, you will not be able to use location-based matching. We will always indicate where information is optional.
• If you have given us consent to process your data, you can withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect any processing already done but will stop the particular processing going forward. For example, if you consented to us sending promotional SMS messages, you can revoke consent by texting STOP (or following provided instructions), and we will cease sending those SMS.

Regulatory Rights: If you are in certain regions (such as the European Union), you have the right to lodge a complaint with your data protection authority if you believe we have infringed your privacy rights. For example, EU users can contact the supervisory authority in the EU Member State where they reside, work, or believe the infringement occurred. We would, however, appreciate the chance to address your concerns directly before you do this, so please consider reaching out to us first.

7. Data Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously and use a combination of technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to protect it. These measures are designed to provide a level of security appropriate to the sensitivity of the data we collect. Our security efforts include:

• Encryption: We employ encryption protocols (such as HTTPS/TLS) to protect data transmitted between your device and our servers. Sensitive information (like passwords) is stored in encrypted form.
• Access Controls: We limit access to personal data to authorized employees and contractors who need to know that information in order to process it, and who are subject to strict confidentiality obligations.
• Monitoring: Our systems are regularly monitored for vulnerabilities and attacks. We also run penetration testing and utilize intrusion detection systems to catch threats quickly.
• Secure Infrastructure: We host data in secure facilities and use reputable cloud service providers with strong security practices. We keep our software, servers, and infrastructure updated and patched against security threats.
• Employee Training: Our staff is trained on the importance of privacy and security, and we have internal policies in place to safeguard user data.

Despite all these precautions, no service can be 100% secure. We cannot guarantee that unauthorized access, hacking, data loss, or other breaches will never occur. You should also take steps to protect your information – use a strong, unique password for Connections and do not share it with others. If you suspect that your account or information is no longer secure (for example, if you notice unusual activity on your account), please notify us immediately at connections@dating-universe.com.

In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you and the appropriate authorities as required by law.

(Note: We maintain a bug bounty program to encourage responsible disclosure of any security vulnerabilities. Security researchers can report issues to us at connections@dating-universe.com – see our Security Policy for more.)

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Policy, and as permitted by law. How long we keep data can vary based on the type of information and the context in which it was collected:

• Active Accounts: For as long as you maintain an active Connections account, we will keep the information you provide so that the Service can function. This includes your profile information, preferences, and communications.
• Account Deletion: If you choose to delete your Connections account, we begin the process of removing your personal data from our systems. We implement a “safety retention window” of 90 days (approximately three months) after account deletion before we fully purge your data. During this window, your account is not visible to other users, but we retain the information in secure storage. This retention period allows us to:
  • Protect the safety and integrity of our platform (for example, we keep data temporarily in case we need to investigate illegal or harmful behavior that was reported just before or after deletion).
  • Allow users to reconsider deletion; if you log back in within 90 days after deleting your account, you may have the option to restore your account with certain data (such as your profile info) intact.
• After 90 Days: Once the safety retention window elapses with no reactivation, we will permanently delete or irreversibly anonymize your personal data, except for limited information that we are permitted or required to keep as noted below.

Even after you delete your account or after the 90-day window, we may retain certain information:

• Legal Compliance: We may keep data as needed to comply with legal obligations. For example, some jurisdictions require that we maintain certain transaction records or communications for a set time period.
• Evidence of Consent: We may retain records of consents you have given (e.g., agreeing to Terms or this Privacy Policy, or consent to certain processing) for a reasonable period (for instance, to demonstrate compliance with regulations – these records may be kept for a number of years as required by law).
• Unresolved Issues: If there is an ongoing issue, dispute, claim, or investigation, we will retain the necessary information until it is resolved. For instance, if we receive a legal complaint about a user, we would preserve relevant data until the matter is closed.
• Preventing Harm / Reuse: We may retain certain data to detect and prevent future problems, especially for user safety. For example, if Connections banned an account for severe misconduct or safety violations, we might keep basic identification information (like email and IP address) to prevent that individual from re-registering in the future, as part of our fraud and abuse prevention measures.

When we retain data for these reasons, we do so in accordance with applicable laws and limit use of the data to the purpose for which it was retained. We also implement appropriate safeguards to secure the retained data.

After retention periods end and no legitimate need or legal requirement to retain data exists, we will either delete it or anonymize it (so that it can no longer be associated with you).

9. Children’s Privacy

Connections is strictly for users 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18. Our Services are not intended for minors. If you are under 18, do not use Connections or provide any information on our platform.

If we become aware that a user is under 18, we will take steps to remove that user’s profile and information from our database. If you are a parent or guardian and discover that your under-18 child has created an Connections account, please contact us at connections@dating-universe.com so we can take appropriate action.

We also do not allow images of unaccompanied minors on Connections profiles. Users who post any such images or who indicate they are underage will be removed. If you see a profile that you suspect belongs to someone under 18, please report it through the app or contact us.

10. Privacy Policy Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. If we make material changes to how we treat your personal information or to the Policy, we will notify you in advance in a manner commensurate with the significance of the changes – for example, by prominently posting a notice within the app, sending an email, or other reasonable means. We will indicate at the top of the Policy when it was last updated.

Please review any changes carefully. If you continue to use Connections after those changes become effective, you are considered to have accepted the updated terms of the Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to any changes, you should stop using the Services and delete your account.

11. How to Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, you can reach us in the following ways:

• Email: connections@dating-universe.com
• Mail: Connections – Privacy Team, SG7/2307, Saya Gold Avenue, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India (postal code 201014)

(Note: This address is provided for correspondence; no in-person visits, please.)

We will do our best to respond to your inquiry in a timely and professional manner. Your privacy is important to us, and we welcome your feedback.