Privacy Policy

Last Updated: February 18, 2026

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

Data Category	Examples	Sensitivity Level
Account Information	Email address, password (hashed), display name, date of birth	Standard
Profile Information	Photos, bio text, location (city/region), gender identity, pronouns	Standard
Relationship & Lifestyle Data	Relationship structure (poly, ENM, swinging, etc.), partner links, what you're seeking	Sensitive / Special Category
Sexual Preference Data	Kinks, desires, boundaries, Discover card responses, compatibility preferences	Sensitive / Special Category
Communication Data	Messages, Whispers, chatroom posts, stories, polls	Mixed
Verification Data	Photos for verification, email verification status, phone number (if provided)	Standard
Payment Information	Payment method details (processed and stored by our payment processor, not by Kindred directly)	Financial
Support Communications	Emails, reports, feedback you send us	Standard

1.2 Information We Collect Automatically

Data Category	Examples	Purpose
Device Information	Device type, operating system, browser type, unique device identifiers	Service operation, security
Usage Data	Pages visited, features used, time spent, click patterns	Service improvement
Log Data	IP address, access times, referring URLs, error logs	Security, debugging
Location Data	Approximate location derived from IP address; precise location only if you grant permission	Matching users by proximity
Cookies and Tracking	Session cookies, preference cookies (see Section 8)	Service operation

1.3 Information We Derive or Infer

Data Category	How It's Created	Purpose
Compatibility Scores	AI analysis of your profile, preferences, and Discover card responses compared to other users	Matching
Trust Score	Calculated from verification status, account age, community vouches, activity patterns	Community safety
Behavioral Signals	Patterns in your usage (e.g., response times, engagement levels)	Service improvement, safety
NLP-Derived Interests	Natural language processing of your bio and written content to identify interests and preferences	Enhanced matching

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

2.1 Core Service Operation

• Creating and maintaining your account and profile
• Matching you with compatible users based on your preferences and our algorithms
• Facilitating communication between matched users
• Processing payments for subscriptions
• Calculating and displaying Trust Scores

2.2 AI-Powered Matching

• Our matching system uses artificial intelligence to analyze your profile information, Discover card responses, stated preferences, and behavioral patterns to identify compatible matches.
• What the AI sees: Your profile text, Discover card answers, stated preferences, relationship structure, location, and engagement patterns.
• What the AI does NOT see: Your private messages, payment information, or real identity (matching operates on anonymized profile data).
• How matching works: Our system compares your stated preferences and characteristics against other users' profiles to generate compatibility scores. These scores are used to prioritize which profiles appear in your feed.
• You control it: You can modify your preferences at any time, and changes are reflected in future matching. You can request an explanation of why a particular match was suggested.

2.3 Safety and Security

• Detecting and preventing fraud, fake accounts, and bots
• Identifying and removing prohibited content (including CSAM detection)
• Enforcing our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines
• Investigating reports and complaints
• Protecting the security of the Service and our users

2.4 Service Improvement

• Analyzing usage patterns to improve features and user experience
• Conducting internal research and analytics (using aggregated, anonymized data)
• Testing new features

2.5 Communications

• Sending service-related notifications (matches, messages, security alerts)
• Sending marketing communications (only with your opt-in consent; you may unsubscribe at any time)

2.6 Legal Compliance

• Complying with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes
• Responding to lawful requests from law enforcement and government agencies
• Enforcing our legal rights

3. How We Share Your Information

3.1 With Other Users

• Your public profile information is visible to other authenticated Kindred users, subject to your privacy settings (e.g., incognito mode).
• Messages and Whispers are visible to their intended recipients.
• Your Trust Score is visible to other users.

3.2 With Service Providers

We share information with third-party service providers who assist us in operating the Service:

Provider Type	Data Shared	Purpose
Cloud hosting	All data (encrypted)	Infrastructure
Payment processor	Email, payment method	Billing
Email service	Email address	Transactional emails
Analytics	Anonymized usage data	Service improvement
Content moderation	Photos, reported content	Safety
Age verification (if implemented)	Photo ID, selfie	Compliance

All service providers are bound by data processing agreements requiring them to protect your data and use it only for the specified purpose.

3.3 We Do NOT:

• Sell your personal data to third parties. Ever.
• Share your sexual preference data, kink information, or relationship structure with advertisers.
• Share your data with data brokers.
• Allow third-party advertising on the platform.
• Use your private messages for advertising or AI training beyond match improvement.

3.4 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid legal process, including:

• Court orders and subpoenas
• Law enforcement requests related to criminal investigations
• NCMEC reports (mandatory for CSAM)
• Legal proceedings to which Kindred is a party

When legally permitted, we will notify you of such requests.

3.5 Business Transfers

If Kindred is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you before your data becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

4. Your Rights

4.1 All Users

Right	Description	How to Exercise
Access	View the personal data we hold about you	Account settings or email safety@kindredfriend.com
Correction	Update inaccurate personal data	Edit your profile or contact us
Deletion	Delete your account and personal data	Account settings → Delete Account, or email us
Data Portability	Receive a copy of your data in a portable format	Email safety@kindredfriend.com
Withdraw Consent	Stop us from processing data based on your consent	Delete specific data or your account
Opt Out of Marketing	Stop receiving promotional communications	Unsubscribe link or account settings

4.2 Additional Rights for EU/EEA/UK Residents (GDPR)

• Right to Restriction of Processing: You may request we restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to Object: You may object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: You may file a complaint with your local data protection authority.
• Data Protection Officer: Contact our DPO at safety@kindredfriend.com.
• Legal Basis for Processing: We process your data based on: (a) your explicit consent (for special category data); (b) performance of our contract with you (for account and service data); (c) our legitimate interests (for safety and security); (d) legal obligations (for compliance data).
• International Transfers: If your data is transferred outside the EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place (Standard Contractual Clauses or adequacy decisions).

4.3 Additional Rights for California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

• Right to Know: You may request we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we've collected about you.
• Right to Delete: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to exceptions.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale: We do not sell personal information. If this changes, we will provide a "Do Not Sell My Personal Information" link.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights.
• Categories of PI Collected: Identifiers, personal records, protected classifications (sexual orientation), commercial information, internet activity, geolocation, sensory data (photos), inferences.
• Sensitive Personal Information: Under CPRA, sexual orientation and other data we collect is "sensitive personal information." You have the right to limit our use of this data to what is necessary to provide the Service.

4.4 Response Timeline.

We will respond to all rights requests within 30 days (GDPR) or 45 days (CCPA). If we need additional time, we will notify you.

5. Data Retention

Data Type	Retention Period	Reason
Active account data	Duration of account	Service operation
Deleted account data	Removed within 30 days of deletion request	Compliance with deletion rights
Anonymized analytics	Indefinite	Service improvement (cannot identify you)
Legal compliance records	Up to 3 years after account deletion	Legal obligations, dispute resolution
CSAM reports	As required by law	NCMEC / law enforcement cooperation
Payment records	7 years	Tax and financial compliance
Server logs (IP, access)	90 days	Security and debugging

6. Data Security

6.1 Technical Measures

• Encryption in transit (TLS/HTTPS)
• Encryption at rest for stored data
• Password hashing using PBKDF2 with 100,000 iterations
• Session management with cryptographically random tokens
• Regular security assessments and code audits
• Access controls limiting employee access to user data on a need-to-know basis
• Rate limiting to prevent abuse

6.2 Organizational Measures

• Employee training on data protection
• Data processing agreements with all service providers
• Incident response procedures
• Regular review and updating of security practices

6.3 What We Cannot Guarantee.

While we implement reasonable security measures, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data Breach Notification

7.1 Our Commitment.

In the event of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will:

• Notify affected users without undue delay, and no later than 72 hours after becoming aware of the breach (GDPR requirement);
• Notify the relevant supervisory authority within 72 hours (GDPR);
• Provide details of: the nature of the breach, the categories and approximate number of affected individuals, likely consequences, and measures taken to address and mitigate the breach;
• For California residents, provide notification as required by Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.82.

7.2 Given the Sensitivity of Our Data.

Because our platform handles sexual preference and lifestyle data — information that could cause significant harm if exposed — we hold ourselves to a higher standard than the legal minimum. We will err on the side of notification.

8. Cookies and Tracking

8.1 Cookies We Use

Cookie	Type	Purpose	Duration
kindred_session	Essential	Maintains your login session	Session / 30 days
Preference cookies	Functional	Remembers your settings	1 year
Analytics cookies	Performance	Helps us understand usage	1 year

8.2 No Third-Party Advertising Cookies.

We do not use third-party advertising cookies or allow advertising networks to track you on our platform.

8.3 Cookie Consent.

For EU/EEA/UK users, we will request your consent before setting non-essential cookies via a cookie consent banner. You may withdraw consent at any time through your browser settings or our cookie preference center.

8.4 Do Not Track.

We respect Do Not Track ("DNT") signals. When we detect a DNT signal, we disable non-essential analytics cookies.

9. Children's Privacy

The Service is not intended for anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we learn we have collected information from a minor, we will immediately delete it and report to the appropriate authorities if the context warrants.

10. International Data Transfers

If you are located outside the United States, your data may be transferred to and processed in the United States. We ensure appropriate safeguards through Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and other legally approved mechanisms.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via email or in-app notification at least 30 days before they take effect. Your continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

12. Contact Us

For general privacy inquiries: safety@kindredfriend.com

For data rights requests: safety@kindredfriend.com

For EU Data Protection Officer: safety@kindredfriend.com

For CCPA requests: safety@kindredfriend.com