Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

This Privacy Policy explains how bound, operated by YOCHAN, collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal data when you download, install, register for, or use the bound mobile application and related services.

If you have any questions about this policy or how your personal data is handled, please contact us via the support email listed in the footer.

2. Data We Collect

Account data: email address, birthday, gender, display name, and login and verification status.

Profile data: self-introduction, interest tags, profile photos, connection goals, interaction pace, and meetup preferences.

Location and event data: city-level location, nearby events, event participation status, comments, chats, event interaction records, and your device's latitude and longitude when you actively use location features such as event check-in or venue discovery.

Device and usage data: device identifiers, operating system, app version, push tokens, crash logs, and basic interaction events.

Safety and support data: reports, blocks, moderation records, and messages you send to our support team.

3. How We Use Data

We use data to provide services such as accounts, event discovery, interest recommendations, chat, notifications, customer support, and safety moderation.

We also use aggregated or de-identified data to improve product quality, detect abuse, keep the community safe, and comply with legal obligations.

Some assistive features may use AI services to generate self-introduction drafts, chat suggestions, or topic ideas. We do not send full payment information, precise location, or face verification images to AI services.

4. Location Data

bound may use approximate location or the city you choose to show nearby events and improve recommendations.

When you actively use event check-in, venue discovery, or other features that require location, bound may collect your device's latitude and longitude — with your permission — to complete that feature and keep events safe.

bound does not continuously track your precise location in the background.

5. Face Verification and Safety Features

If you choose to use face verification, bound may process the selfie images you submit or facial feature data derived from them, and link the verification result to your bound account for app functionality, safety, fraud prevention, and trust signals.

Face verification is voluntary. If you choose not to use it, you can still use bound, but some trust or safety features may be limited.

6. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data.

To provide our services, we may share necessary data with service providers for cloud hosting, push notifications, login verification, place lookup, AI assistance, customer support, analytics, error monitoring, and Apple App Store / Google Play in-app subscription verification. bound does not process payments on its website and does not collect full payment card numbers.

Our current main third-party processors include Firebase / Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Google Maps Platform, Anthropic, and Apple App Store / Google Play platform services.

We may disclose data as required by law, court order, or competent authorities, or where necessary to protect user safety.

7. Data Retention and Deletion

We retain data for as long as needed to provide services, maintain safety, comply with legal obligations, or resolve disputes.

You can request account deletion in the app. We process account deletions promptly and delete, de-identify, or restrict access to personal data no longer needed for the service.

Some records may be retained under this policy for legitimate purposes such as safety, fraud prevention, dispute resolution, backup integrity, legal compliance, or platform subscription records.

8. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you may request to access, correct, delete, restrict the processing of, or obtain a copy of your personal data.

You can also adjust device permissions, turn off push notifications, or submit a data rights request via our support email.

9. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect data, including encryption in transit, access controls, auditing, and security reviews.

No online service can guarantee absolute security. If a data incident occurs that requires notification by law, we will handle it in accordance with applicable law.

10. Protection of Minors

bound is only for users aged 18 and over.

If we discover or reasonably suspect that an account belongs to a user under 18, we will disable or delete the account.

bound has a zero-tolerance policy toward Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) and Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). For our full child safety standards, reporting channels, and contact point, see: https://www.bound-app.com/child-safety-standards

11. Policy Updates

We may update this policy for product, legal, or operational reasons. We will notify you of material changes through the app, the website, or other reasonable means.