LEGAL

Privacy Policy

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data.

Last Updated: January 2025

Welcome to Synapse ("we," "our," or "us"). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your information when you use our mobile application.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

  • Account Information: Email address, username, password (encrypted)
  • Profile Information: Bio, avatar, skills, interests
  • Content: Ideas, comments, messages, project contributions
  • Communications: Support requests, feedback

1.2 Automatically Collected Information

  • Usage Data: Features used, time spent, interactions
  • Device Information: Device type, operating system, app version
  • Log Data: IP address, access times, error logs

1.3 Information from Third Parties

Authentication: When you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email, and profile picture

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

  • Provide Services: Create and manage your account, enable features
  • Improve Experience: Analyze usage, fix bugs, enhance features
  • Communication: Send notifications, updates, support responses
  • Safety: Detect fraud, enforce terms, protect users
  • Legal Compliance: Comply with laws and regulations

3. AI Content Moderation

3.1 What We Moderate

We use OpenAI's Moderation API to automatically review:

  • • User-submitted ideas and descriptions
  • • Comments and messages
  • • Profile content

3.2 How It Works

  • • Content is sent to OpenAI for analysis
  • • Flagged content may be automatically hidden or removed
  • • You will be notified if your content violates our guidelines
  • • OpenAI's Privacy: OpenAI does not store content sent to their Moderation API for longer than 30 days

4. How We Share Your Information

4.1 We Share Information With:

  • Other Users: Your public profile, ideas, and comments
  • Service Providers:
    • • Supabase (database and authentication)
    • • OpenAI (content moderation)
  • Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect rights and safety

4.2 We DO NOT:

  • Sell your personal data
  • Share your data with advertisers
  • Use your content for training AI models

5. Your Rights and Choices

5.1 Access and Control

  • View: Access your personal data anytime
  • Edit: Update your profile and settings
  • Export: Download all your data (GDPR right)
  • Delete: Request account deletion

5.2 Communication Preferences

  • • Manage notification settings
  • • Opt-out of marketing emails
  • • Control push notifications

5.3 GDPR Rights (EU Users)

If you're in the European Union, you have the right to:

  • • Access your personal data
  • • Correct inaccurate data
  • • Delete your data ("right to be forgotten")
  • • Restrict processing
  • • Data portability
  • • Object to processing
  • • Withdraw consent

To exercise these rights: Go to Settings > Privacy > Export My Data or Delete Account

5.4 CCPA Rights (California Users)

If you're a California resident, you have the right to:

  • • Know what personal data we collect
  • • Know if we sell or share your data (we don't)
  • • Delete your personal data
  • • Opt-out of data sales (not applicable)
  • • Non-discrimination for exercising rights

6. Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

6.1 Age Requirement and Parental Consent

Synapse is designed to be suitable for all ages with appropriate content moderation:

  • • Users of all ages can use Synapse
  • • Users under 13: Parental or guardian consent is required before creating an account
  • • No adult content: Our content moderation system actively filters inappropriate content
  • • Safe environment: All user-generated content is moderated using AI to ensure age-appropriate interactions

6.2 Data Collection from Children

For users under 13, we collect only the minimum necessary information:

  • • Email address (for account access and parental contact)
  • • Username (display name)
  • • Content created within the app
  • • Basic usage data for app functionality

We do not collect:

  • • Location data from children
  • • Social security numbers
  • • Financial information
  • • Unnecessary personal details

6.3 Parental Rights

Parents or guardians of users under 13 have the right to:

  • • Review their child's personal information
  • • Request deletion of their child's information
  • • Refuse further collection of their child's information
  • • Revoke consent at any time

To exercise parental rights: Contact us at support@mysynapses.com with verification of parental status.

6.4 Content Safety for All Ages

  • • AI-powered content moderation filters inappropriate content
  • • User reporting system for flagging concerning content
  • • Regular monitoring and human review of flagged content
  • • Zero-tolerance policy for adult or harmful content

7. Data Security

7.1 How We Protect Your Data

  • Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and at rest
  • Authentication: Passwords are hashed using bcrypt
  • Access Control: Limited staff access with two-factor authentication
  • Monitoring: Regular security audits and monitoring

7.2 Data Breach Notification

If a breach occurs, we will notify affected users within 72 hours via email and in-app notification.

8. Data Retention

We retain your data as long as your account is active. Upon deletion:

  • • Most data is deleted immediately
  • • Some data retained for 30 days for recovery
  • • Legal/compliance data may be retained longer as required by law
  • • Backup data permanently deleted within 90 days
  • • Inactive accounts (2+ years) may be archived after notice

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. We ensure appropriate safeguards including EU-US Privacy Shield, Standard Contractual Clauses, and adequate data protection measures.

10. Cookies and Tracking

We use:

  • • Essential: Required for app functionality
  • • Analytics: Understand app usage (with your consent)
  • • Preferences: Remember your settings

Manage preferences in Settings > Privacy > Analytics Consent

11. Third-Party Links

Our app may contain links to third-party websites. We're not responsible for their privacy practices. Please review their privacy policies.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you via:

  • • In-app notification
  • • Email (to your registered email)
  • • Notice on our website

13. Contact Us

Questions or Concerns

Email: support@mysynapses.com

Website: https://mysynapses.com/

Data Protection Officer (GDPR)

Email: privacy@mysynapses.com

14. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

We process your data based on:

  • • Contract: To provide services you requested
  • • Consent: For marketing, analytics, or optional features
  • • Legitimate Interest: To improve our service, prevent fraud
  • • Legal Obligation: To comply with laws

Summary (Plain English)

What we collect: Email, username, content you create, usage data

Why we collect it: To run the app, keep it safe, and improve it

Who sees it: Other users see your public content; we use secure services for hosting

Your rights: You can see, change, download, or delete your data anytime

Kids: All ages allowed with parental consent for under 13

AI: We use AI to check for inappropriate content and keep the environment safe

Contact: support@mysynapses.com for questions

By using Synapse, you agree to this Privacy Policy.