1. Information we collect
Information you give us
- Phone number — to create your account and sign you in. We verify it with a one-time code sent by SMS.
- Profile details — your display name, and anything you choose to add: age, nationality, a short bio, profile and gallery photos, links to your social profiles, and the interests you select.
- Content you create — messages you send (text and photos), the sirkels you create or join, and reactions.
- Safety signals — the accounts you block and the reports you submit.
Information we collect automatically
- Location — with your permission, your device's location while you are using the app, so we can show people and sirkels near you. We convert your coordinates into a coarse area (e.g. a city or neighbourhood). We never show other users your exact location or address — only a rough sense of proximity, and only when it's recent.
- Device & usage data — a push-notification token (so we can send notifications), your app version, IP address, approximate time zone, and activity timestamps such as when you were last active.
We do not use third-party advertising or analytics/tracking SDKs, and we do not track you across other apps or websites.
2. How we use your information
- To create and secure your account, and to sign you in.
- To provide the core service: showing you relevant people and sirkels nearby, messaging, and community features.
- To send you notifications you've enabled (e.g. new messages, reactions, sirkel activity).
- To keep the community safe — reviewing reports, enforcing our Terms, and preventing abuse, spam and fraud.
- To operate, maintain and improve the app, and to fix problems.
- To comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests.
3. Legal bases (GDPR)
If you are in the European Economic Area or the UK, we process your personal data on these legal bases:
- Performance of a contract — to provide the app you've signed up for (account, messaging, sirkels).
- Consent — for optional things you switch on, such as sharing your location and receiving push notifications. You can withdraw consent at any time in your device settings.
- Legitimate interests — to keep the service safe and secure, prevent abuse, and improve the app, balanced against your rights.
- Legal obligation — where the law requires us to retain or disclose information.
4. Who we share it with
We do not sell your personal data. We share it only as needed to run Sirkel:
Other users
By design, other people can see your profile (name, photos, age, nationality, bio, interests, social links) and the content you share in conversations and sirkels. Only share what you're comfortable being seen.
Service providers (sub-processors)
| Provider | Purpose | Data |
|---|---|---|
| Vonage | Sends your SMS verification code | Phone number |
| Amazon Web Services (EU, eu-north-1) | Image storage & app hosting | Photos and app data |
| Apple (APNs) | Delivers push notifications | Push token, notification content |
| OpenStreetMap / Nominatim | Turns coordinates into a place name | Approximate coordinates |
We may also disclose information if required by law, to enforce our Terms, or to protect the rights, safety and property of Sirkel, our users, or the public.
5. International transfers
Your data is primarily stored and processed in the European Union. Some providers (for example Apple) may process data outside the EEA; where they do, appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses are relied upon.
6. How long we keep it
We keep your personal data for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account (Profile → Delete account in the app), we permanently delete your profile, your messages, and the sirkels you created, and remove your data from active systems, except where we must retain limited information to comply with the law or resolve disputes. Backups are purged on a rolling basis.
7. Your rights
Subject to applicable law, you can:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct inaccurate data — most of it you can edit directly in the app.
- Delete your account and data at any time from Profile → Delete account, or by contacting us.
- Restrict or object to certain processing, and withdraw consent (e.g. turn off location or notifications).
- Port your data — receive a copy in a portable format.
- Complain to a data protection authority — in the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO, ico.org.uk); if you're in the EU, your local supervisory authority.
To exercise any of these, email privacy@sirkel-app.com.
8. Security
Data is transmitted over encrypted connections (TLS) and stored with encryption at rest by our providers. No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information.
9. Children
Sirkel is not intended for anyone under 18, and we do not knowingly collect data from them. If you believe a minor has provided us data, contact us and we will delete it.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We'll change the "Last updated" date above and, for material changes, notify you in the app.
11. Contact
Sirkel Social Limited (company no. 17415142) · Little Whichford, Whichford, CV36 5PG, United Kingdom · privacy@sirkel-app.com