1. Data Controller

The Kindify platform is operated as an independent community-support project. Your data is never sold, rented, or shared with any third-party company for commercial or marketing purposes.

2. Data We Collect and Why

To allow the social marketplace to function properly, we collect a minimal set of data:

• Email Address: Strictly required for creating your account, secure login, password resets, and sending the badge verification link.
• Nickname and Public Name: Used to give you a unique identity within the system.
• IP Address and Traffic Data: Recorded automatically for cybersecurity reasons and to prevent chat spam attacks.
• Photos and Video: the photos and video you upload to listings or published stories.
• Chat Messages: the content of conversations on the platform, including voice messages.
• Location and Birth Year: the city/region entered on a listing (used to display it on the map) and your birth year, collected at registration.
• Phone Number (optional): if you choose to add it in Settings, it’s completely optional and you can make it public or keep it private.

3. Who We Share Data With

We do not sell or rent your data to any company. To run the platform, we work with a few technical providers who process data strictly for the purpose of the service:

• Google: if you choose to sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address, and profile photo directly from Google, per their privacy policy.
• OpenStreetMap (Nominatim): the location entered on a listing is sent to this external service to obtain GPS coordinates for the map.
• Aruba (hosting) and Cloudflare (content delivery): host and deliver the platform, technically processing your IP address and traffic, solely to run the site.

4. How Long We Keep Data

Your account data is kept for as long as your account remains active. If you request account deletion, the request is processed within 30 days, per the legal GDPR deadline.

5. Your GDPR Rights (Right to be Forgotten)

As a user, you have the right to request access to your data, its correction, or permanent deletion of your account at any time. You can submit a deletion request directly from Profile → Settings → Danger Zone, no need to write to us.

6. Cookies and Local Storage

Kindify does not run advertising scripts and does not use commercial tracking cookies. We only use the following, strictly technical and necessary for the platform to function:

• WordPress authentication cookies: keep you securely logged into your account.
• Language cookie (valid for 1 year): remembers your chosen language — Romanian, English, or Italian — so you don’t have to pick it again on every visit.
• Temporary verification cookie (valid for 15 minutes): used only while confirming your email address, then expires automatically.
• Local browser storage (never sent to the server): remembers preferences like dark mode, whether you already closed the cookie banner, or whether you already saw the welcome tour.

7. Minimum Age

Kindify is intended for people aged 16 and over. If you are under 16, please use the platform only with the consent and involvement of a parent or guardian.