1. Introduction

Welcome to Related. We take your family’s privacy as seriously as our own. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect the memories you entrust to us.

  • The Core Promise: Your family memories are yours. We do not sell your personal data or your uploaded content to third parties.

2. Information We Collect

To provide a seamless multi-generational experience, we collect:

  • Account Data: Name, email, date of birth (to ensure age compliance), and profile photos.
  • Family Content (Your “Heirlooms”): Photos, videos, voice recordings, and text stories uploaded by users.
  • Event Data: Information related to family reunions, including dates, locations, and RSVP lists.
  • Device/Usage Data: IP addresses and app usage statistics to help us fix bugs and improve the experience.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your data strictly to:

  • Create and manage your “Family Circles.”
  • Send notifications for upcoming reunions or new memory posts.
  • Securely store and backup your digital heirlooms.

4. Sharing & Permissions

  • Family Visibility: By default, content shared within a “Circle” is visible only to members of that specific family group.
  • Third-Party Services: We may use secure cloud storage (like AWS or Google Cloud) to host your data, but they do not have the right to use your content for their own purposes.
  • Legal Requirements: We only disclose information if required by law to comply with a judicial proceeding or court order.

5. Data Retention & Deletion

  • You Are in Control: You can delete individual memories or your entire account at any time.
  • Legacy Contacts: (Optional Feature Suggestion) Since this is a “heirloom” app, you should specify what happens to a user’s data if they pass away—e.g., transferring ownership to a designated family member.

6. Children’s Privacy

Since Related connects multi-generational families, you must comply with COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act).

  • We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent.
  • Parents have the right to review and delete their child’s information.

7. Security Measures

We use industry-standard encryption (AES-256) to protect your family’s data during transit and at rest. Your memories are stored in “vault-grade” digital environments.