On this page
- The short version
- Information we collect
- How we use your information
- Legal reasons for using data
- When information is shared
- Service providers and hosting
- AI features
- Videos from YouTube
- Messages and moderation
- How we protect your information
- Your controls
- Your privacy rights
- How long we keep information
- Age requirements
- International data transfers
- Third-party links and embedded content
- Notifications and permissions
- Changes to this policy
- Contact
The short version
Connect is a social app designed to help people share, discover, communicate and interact safely. This policy explains what information we collect, why we use it, and how you can control it.
- We collect the information needed to provide Connect and keep the app safe.
- We do not sell your personal data.
- You control your profile, posts, messages, privacy settings and notifications.
- You can ask to access, correct or delete your personal data.
- We use technical and organizational measures to protect your information.
Information we collect
We collect information you provide, information created when you use Connect, and limited technical information needed to run, secure and improve the app.
- Account information. Your email, username, display name, profile photo, bio and account settings.
- Profile and public content. Posts, debates, comments, mood updates, profile information and media you choose to share.
- Messages. Messages and shared media are processed so they can be delivered, displayed, synced and protected from abuse or technical issues.
- Activity information. Follows, searches, reports, blocks, preferences, interactions with content and navigation inside the app.
- Device and technical information. App version, device type, operating system, language, crash information, security logs and performance data.
- Location information. Collected only if you allow location access, and only for features that need it like location-based discovery or mood sharing.
How we use your information
We use your information to provide Connect, improve your experience, protect users and comply with legal obligations.
- To create, manage and secure your account.
- To show your feed, profile, posts, debates, comments, messages, notifications and search results.
- To personalize parts of the app, such as suggested profiles, topics, posts or discovery features.
- To deliver messages and notifications.
- To help detect spam, abuse, fake accounts, security risks and violations of our Terms.
- To review reports and apply moderation actions when necessary.
- To fix bugs, improve performance and understand how the app is used.
- To communicate with you about your account, support requests, safety notices and important app updates.
Legal reasons for using data
When privacy laws require a legal basis, we rely on the appropriate basis depending on how the information is used.
- Providing the service. To create your account and make Connect's features work.
- Legitimate interests. To keep Connect secure, prevent abuse, improve the app and protect users.
- Consent. When we ask for your permission, like for optional location access or device permissions.
- Legal obligations. When we need to keep or share information to comply with applicable law.
Service providers and hosting
Connect uses these service providers to run the app. Each one gets only the data it needs for its job.
- Supabase: accounts, database, file storage and backend functions.
- Google Firebase: push notifications and crash reports.
- Apple and Google: Sign in with Apple, Sign in with Google and notification delivery, when you use them.
- YouTube: videos in Connect play in YouTube's official player (see "Videos from YouTube").
- Groq, Mistral, SambaNova and OpenRouter: the AI behind Connect's AI features (see "AI features").
- Wikipedia, Apple Music, MET Norway, Esri and OpenStreetMap: fact checks for ConnectAI answers, song search and previews, weather, maps and place search. Your phone contacts them directly, so they see your IP address.
- We do not allow service providers to sell your personal data.
- Where required, we use contractual safeguards for data protection.
AI features
Some features use AI: ConnectAI, Ask this video, the grammar fix in chat, and the daily debates and video descriptions written for Connect's own channels.
- When you use an AI feature, what you send (your question, your draft, or a video's public details) goes to the AI provider so it can answer. Only what the feature needs is sent.
- Before ConnectAI answers a factual question, your phone may look up a short search phrase on Wikipedia. Your conversation is never sent to Wikipedia.
- If you add your own AI key, your requests go straight from your phone to the provider you chose, under that provider's terms.
- Connect does not train AI models on your content. Each provider handles requests under its own privacy policy.
- AI can be wrong. Debates and other content made by AI are labeled "Made by AI".
Videos from YouTube
Connect uses YouTube API Services to find, show and check videos. When you watch a YouTube video in Connect, it plays in YouTube's player, and Google may collect data under the Google Privacy Policy (policies.google.com/privacy).
By watching YouTube videos in Connect, you agree to the YouTube Terms of Service (youtube.com/t/terms).
- Connect keeps only the video details it needs, and refreshes or deletes them on the schedule YouTube requires.
Messages and moderation
Private messages are intended for conversations between users. We do not sell message content, and we do not use private messages to sell advertising.
To keep Connect safe, message-related information may be processed when needed to deliver messages, investigate reports, prevent abuse, fix technical issues or comply with the law.
- Users can report messages or conversations that may violate Connect's rules. A report includes the reason and any details you choose to add.
- Moderation access is limited to safety, support, legal or abuse-prevention purposes.
- Sensitive administrative actions should be restricted, logged and reviewed.
How we protect your information
We use technical and organizational measures to protect personal data. No online service can be guaranteed to be perfectly secure, but we work to reduce risks and protect users.
- We use secure connections where appropriate.
- Passwords are handled through secure authentication systems and are not stored in plain text by Connect.
- Access to production data is limited to people or systems that need it to operate, secure or support the app.
- Administrative actions should be logged to help prevent misuse.
- We review security issues and work to fix vulnerabilities as quickly as possible.
Your controls
You can manage many privacy choices directly in the app.
- Update your profile information from your account settings.
- Control what you share through your posts, debates, mood updates and profile.
- Manage available privacy settings for your account and content.
- Block users you do not want to interact with.
- Report content, accounts or messages that may violate Connect's rules.
- Manage notifications, autoplay, sensitive content and data-saving options where available.
- Delete your account from Settings when this option is available.
Your privacy rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights over your personal data. These may include the right to access, correct, delete, restrict or object to certain uses of your data, and the right to data portability.
- You can request a copy of personal data associated with your account.
- You can ask us to correct inaccurate account information.
- You can ask us to delete your account and associated personal data, subject to legal, safety and abuse-prevention exceptions.
- You can withdraw consent where processing is based on consent, such as optional location permissions.
- You can contact us if you have questions about how your data is used.
- You can file a complaint with the CNIL (cnil.fr), the French data protection authority.
How long we keep information
We keep personal data only for as long as needed to provide Connect, protect users, comply with the law, resolve disputes and enforce our Terms.
- Account and profile information is generally kept while your account is active.
- Content you delete is removed from normal visibility, but copies may remain for a limited time in backups, logs or security systems.
- When you delete your account, we aim to delete or anonymize personal data within a reasonable period, unless we need to keep certain information for legal, safety, fraud-prevention or abuse-reporting reasons.
- Reports, moderation records and security logs may be kept longer where necessary to protect users and the platform.
Age requirements
Connect is for adults aged 18 and over.
- If we learn that an account was created by someone below the required age, we may close the account and delete the associated information.
- We may take reasonable steps to handle age-related reports while respecting privacy.
International data transfers
Connect may use service providers or infrastructure located in different countries. When personal data is transferred internationally, we use safeguards required by applicable law, such as appropriate contractual protections where needed.
Some providers, like Google, Apple, Groq, SambaNova and OpenRouter, are based in the United States. These transfers rely on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework when the provider is certified, or on the European Commission's standard contractual clauses.
Third-party links and embedded content
Connect may allow users or official accounts to share links or embedded content from third-party services. When you interact with third-party content, that service may process information under its own terms and privacy policy.
- We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites or platforms.
- You should review the privacy policy of any third-party service you choose to use.
- We try to integrate third-party content in a way that respects users, creators and applicable platform rules.
Notifications and permissions
Connect may ask for device permissions only when they are useful for a feature. You can change permissions in your device settings.
- Notifications help you receive updates about messages, interactions and account activity.
- Camera or photo permissions may be used when you choose to upload or create media.
- Location permission is optional and used only for features that need location.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when Connect changes, when our practices change or when legal requirements change. If an update is important, we will take reasonable steps to notify you, such as through the app.
The date at the top of this page shows when this policy was last updated.
Contact
Connect is run from France by its founder, who is responsible for your personal data (the "data controller").
If you have questions about this policy or want to make a privacy request, contact us from Settings → Support → Report a problem and include "Privacy" in your message.
You can also contact us at: connectappfr@gmail.com.