Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Account information. When you register with email and password, we store your name, email address, and a hashed (non-reversible) version of your password. When you sign in via Google or GitHub, we receive your name, email address, and profile picture from that provider.

Profile information. Any information you voluntarily add to your profile — location, interests, languages, bio, wellness goals — is stored and used to personalise your experience and show you relevant content and connections.

Content you create. Posts, comments, journal entries, mood check-ins, messages, and group interactions are stored to provide the core features of the platform.

Usage analytics. We collect anonymised visit data including IP address, approximate geographic location (city/country derived from IP), device type, browser, screen size, timezone, and pages visited. This helps us understand how the platform is being used. This data is collected before and after sign-in.

AI conversation history. Conversations with the AI Support feature are retained for 7 days to provide continuity across sessions, then automatically deleted.

2. How We Use Your Information

• To provide, operate, and improve the BridgeSpace platform
• To authenticate your account and maintain your session
• To personalise your feed, connection suggestions, and community experience
• To send account-related emails (email verification, notifications)
• To moderate content and maintain a safe community environment
• To analyse aggregate usage patterns and improve platform performance
• To enforce our Terms of Service and prevent abuse

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

3. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate BridgeSpace:

• Microsoft Azure — cloud hosting and database storage (Australia/East Asia region)
• Google OAuth / GitHub OAuth — optional social sign-in; their privacy policies apply if you use these sign-in methods
• Anthropic — powers the AI Support chat feature; messages are sent to Anthropic's API and subject to their usage policies
• IONOS — email delivery for account verification emails
• ipinfo.io — used to derive approximate location from IP addresses for analytics purposes

4. Data Retention

• Account data is retained for as long as your account is active
• AI conversation history is deleted after 7 days
• Analytics visit records are retained for up to 12 months
• Email verification tokens expire after 24 hours and are deleted on use
• When you delete your account, your personal data is removed within 30 days

5. Cookies and Local Storage

BridgeSpace uses browser cookies to maintain your authenticated session. We also use localStorage to store an anonymous visitor ID for analytics purposes (no personal information is stored in this identifier) and sessionStorage for a temporary session ID that is cleared when you close your browser.

We do not use advertising cookies or tracking pixels.

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Export your data (available via the admin export feature for admins; user export coming soon)
• Withdraw consent for analytics by clearing localStorage in your browser

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the address below.

7. Children's Privacy

BridgeSpace is not intended for users under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with their information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes via email or an in-app notice. Continued use of BridgeSpace after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

9. Contact

For privacy-related questions or requests, please contact us at privacy@bridgespace.jmportalservices.com