When you use the GATHER Properties, we collect Personal Information about you, the majority of which you choose to provide. We may collect data about your interactions, use, and experiences with our Properties and receive information from third-parties.
When you set up an account, we require that you provide limited Personal Information such as email or phone number and date of birth to validate that you are an adult.
You have a choice about what Personal Information you provide as part of your public profile ("GATHER Profile"). Personal Information which you include in your GATHER Profile is referred to as your "Profile Information" which is shared with other users of the GATHER Services (the "GATHER Community"). For example, you may choose to share location, HIV status, vaccination status, photos and videos. Note, however, that failing to provide certain information may impact the functionality of certain GATHER Services. You may also optionally provide Personal Information to us for feedback and customer support services or when you agree to participate in surveys. Such data varies from survey to survey.
In some jurisdictions and under some regulations, information that may reveal an individual's racial or ethnic origin or details on their health or sex life/sexual orientation, among other data, may be considered "sensitive" or "special category" Personal Information
To maintain and improve the GATHER Properties, we collect Personal Information such as user activity, hardware and software information, cookies, and leverage other technologies such as web beacons, software development kits (SDKs), local storage, and log files.
GATHER collects limited information from third-parties. For example, we may collect Personal Information from payment processors, app usage and website tracking information partners, authentication partners (e.g., Google and Facebook), machine learning partners, and our consent management platform provider.
The main reason we use your Personal Information is to enable the GATHER Properties, such as providing you with core features of the Services, providing you with support, and supporting platform safety. We only process your Personal Information in accordance with specific purposes and legal bases where required.
In general, we use your Personal Information to:
To enable you to make meaningful connections, GATHER allows you to share information about yourself with the GATHER Community and third-parties in connection with our providing you with the GATHER Properties as described in this Policy. In general, we share your Personal Information in the following ways:
The GATHER Services are intended to be a safe space where you can discover, navigate, and interact with others in the GATHER Community. As part of the Services, GATHER enables you to share your Profile Information, location, and other information with the GATHER Community.
GATHER shares Personal Information with a number of third-party partners to bring you the GATHER Properties, such as Service Providers (e.g., Sift for fraud prevention and PartnerHero for customer support), Ad / Marketing Partners help facilitate advertising experiences, and Other Partners that support the GATHER Properties and with whom you may provide Personal Information to directly (e.g., Apple for chat back up and Stripe for payment processing). For the avoidance of doubt, GATHER only shares HIV status, Last Tested Date, and vaccination status with necessary Service Providers such as companies that host data on our behalf (i.e., Amazon Web Services) or help in processing data access requests you initiate (i.e., PartnerHero) - we do not share this information with any advertising companies.
If another company acquires, or plans to acquire, our company, business, or assets, that company will possess the Personal Information collected by us and will assume the rights and obligations regarding your Personal Information as described in this Policy.
We may access, preserve and disclose Personal Information to investigate, prevent, or take action in connection with: (i) enforcement of the GATHER Terms and Conditions of Service; (ii) claims that any content or behavior violates our policies or the rights of third-parties; (iii) requests for customer service; (iv) technical issues; (v) protecting the rights, property or personal safety of GATHER, its users or the public; (vi) lawful legal requests including subpoenas, warrants, or court orders or in connection with any legal process; (vii) establishing or exercising our legal rights or defending against legal claims; (viii) tax and accounting purposes; or (ix) as otherwise required by law, collectively "Legal Obligations".
We retain your Personal Information for no longer than is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which the information was collected or as otherwise permitted or pursuant to Legal Obligations or pursuant to the GATHER Terms and Conditions of Service. We also retain a device identifier (i.e., IDFV and Android ID) and limited log information for up to a period of two years following account deletion to support internal reporting, metrics and statistics. Personal Information may be retained for longer periods of time if required for legal or security purposes. For example, GATHER may retain some account information, a device identifier (i.e., IDFV and Android ID), and limited log information for accounts that have been banned or that violate the GATHER Terms and Conditions of Service. In some circumstances, GATHER may also retain chat messages used for reporting violative behavior resulting in an account's ban.
GATHER is transitioning to the storage of chat messages on its servers to support the use of the GATHER Services including enhanced safety features and an improved user experience across multiple platforms and devices, which will result in a longer retention in compliance with our data retention policy. However, chat messages, including images and recordings, may still be retained locally on user devices and may still be retained on the recipient's device even after the information is no longer available on GATHER's servers.
Where your jurisdiction's law allows, you can make the following choices and exercise your rights regarding your Personal Information held by GATHER:
At GATHER, we take the privacy and security of your Personal Information, including information considered sensitive, seriously. Our cybersecurity team actively works to maintain the integrity, confidentiality and availability of the GATHER Properties and our policies and protocols are focused on protecting your Personal and sensitive Personal Information. We consistently strive to improve our defenses in the ongoing battle against threat actors. That said, no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is fully secure, and GATHER cannot guarantee the security of your Personal Information. Our security, safety, and privacy features are provided on an "as-is" basis. As such, their effectiveness and error-free operation cannot be guaranteed, and we cannot ensure absolute confidentiality, anonymity, or personal safety. Individuals who have specific concerns about how their data may be protected are advised not to use the Properties. In the event that we are required by law to inform you of any unauthorized access to your Personal Information, we may notify you electronically or in writing in accordance with applicable law.