Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

SpiralLink Team ("we", "our", or "us") operates SpiralLink, a multilingual social networking service available as mobile apps and on the web (together, the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect information when you use the Service. By creating an account or using SpiralLink, you agree to this policy.

2. Information We Collect

SpiralLink collects information necessary to provide a multilingual social networking service across platforms.

Account & authentication (Firebase)

To register, you may sign in with Google, Apple, Facebook, email and password, and/or phone number and password (availability depends on platform). We store your display name, user ID, sign-in identifiers, declared age / birth date, preferred language, profile fields you provide (such as country, city, bio, gender), membership and entitlement status, and account verification status. When a sign-in provider provides an email address, we may store that email. For phone-based accounts we store a one-way hash of the phone number and may store the last four digits for display or account matching; we do not use SMS one-time codes in this build.

Photos, videos & user content (Firebase)

Profile photos and photos, videos, or files attached to posts or messages are stored in Google Firebase (Cloud Firestore and Cloud Storage) so other users can view them. Posts, comments, direct messages, group chats, follows, blocks, content reports, activity notifications, and related records are also stored in Firebase. Direct messages are available between mutually following users (with limited greeting messages before mutual follow).

Location (coarse)

You may enter your country and city in your profile. We do not collect precise GPS location — no location APIs are required for core use. Country and city are stored as profile information you provide voluntarily.

Purchases

If you subscribe to a paid plan, we store your subscription status. On iOS, payments are processed by Apple (StoreKit / App Store). On Android, payments are processed by Google Play. On the web, payments are processed by Stripe. Payment card details are handled by those processors and are not collected by us. Early in the product lifecycle, some features may be free for everyone until phased monetization unlocks individual subscriptions.

Translation

On iOS, auto-translation uses Apple’s on-device Translation framework (iOS 18+). On Android, SpiralLink uses on-device ML Kit Translation. On the web (desktop Chrome or Edge), SpiralLink uses the browser’s on-device Translator API. Original text is stored in Firebase; translated text is generated for display and is not stored as the source of truth. We do not send UGC to Google Cloud Translation for display translation.

Advertising

Free members may see first-party sponsored ads created by advertisers in SpiralLink (stored in Firebase). We may record ad impressions, clicks, and dismissals to measure delivery. On Android (and other native builds where enabled), we also use Google AdMob to show ads. Google may process device identifiers (including the advertising ID), IP address, device type, and ad interaction data under Google's privacy policy. We do not send your SpiralLink profile (name, age, city, email, posts) to AdMob for targeting. We do not sell your profile data to data brokers.

3. Information We Do Not Collect

We do not collect government ID document images. We do not collect precise (GPS) location for core features. We do not sell your profile data (name, age, location, posts, email) to data brokers. Full phone numbers used for phone sign-in are stored as a hash (plus optional last four digits), not as a public profile field by default.

4. Advertising

Free members may see ads in the Service (for example, in the timeline), including first-party sponsored ads and Google AdMob ads on Android. Members with Ad removal (or equivalent entitlement; available from day one) do not see those ads. SpiralLink is for adults (generally 18+); AdMob is configured as not child-directed. If tracking-based third-party ads are enabled later on iOS, we will request App Tracking Transparency permission first and update disclosures.

5. Auto-Translation

To support communication across languages, SpiralLink provides auto-translation on-device: Apple Translation on supported iOS versions, ML Kit on Android, and the Chrome/Edge Translator API on the web. We do not guarantee translation accuracy or completeness. Original text remains in Firebase; translations are for on-screen display and are not stored as the source of truth.

6. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to: provide and operate the Service; verify age (birth date and self-declared age) and accounts; enable communication and auto-translation; manage paid features and purchases; prevent abuse, handle reports, and maintain safety; respond to inquiries and enforce our Terms of Use; improve the service; and show ads to free members when ads are enabled. We do not sell your personal profile for third-party ad targeting.

7. Storage & Third-Party Services

Profile data, media, posts, messages, and related records are stored in Google Firebase (Firestore and Cloud Storage). Authentication may use Apple Sign In, Google Sign In, Facebook Login, email/password, and/or phone+password depending on platform. Web hosting may use Cloudflare Pages. Payments are handled by Apple, Google Play, and/or Stripe. Ads may be served by Google AdMob. Auto-translation runs on-device (Apple Translation on iOS, ML Kit on Android, Chrome/Edge Translator on the web). Each provider processes data under its own privacy policy where applicable. We do not share your personal information with third parties except as described in this policy or when required by law.

8. Retention & Deletion

We retain your information while your account is active. You can delete your account at any time from Profile / Account settings, or request deletion from our account deletion page without keeping the app installed. After deletion, we remove your profile and related data (posts, comments, likes, messages, follows, blocks, reports, notifications, entitlements, and related media) within a reasonable period using automated deletion. Residual copies may remain in backups for a short time.

Account deletion instructions

9. Your Rights

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your information by using in-app deletion, the web account deletion page, or by contacting us. You can also block users, report content, and manage purchases from within the Service or the relevant store.

10. Children's Privacy

SpiralLink is intended only for users who have reached the legal age of adulthood in their region (generally 18 or older). We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be announced in the Service. Your continued use after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at: support@spirallink.net