Privacy Policy

Last Updated: October 2026 • Compliant with Data Privacy Act of 2012 (RA 10173)

1. Our Zero-PII Privacy Commitment

NearFriend operates on a strict Privacy-by-Design architecture. We believe peer community communication should not require surrendering personal data. We do not collect, process, or store personally identifiable information (PII) such as your real name, email address, physical residence, or telephone number to register or chat.

2. What Information We Process

We process only the absolute minimum technical data required to deliver peer matchmaking and maintain platform safety:

Anonymous Username: The pseudonymous display handle you select during registration.
Selected Camp: Your chosen camp tag (e.g. Main Camp, Labo Camp) used solely to route peer discovery in "Same Camp" or "Any Camp" mode.
Salted Cryptographic Passcode: Your 6-digit numeric passcode is immediately hashed using an irreversible SHA-256 algorithm with a unique cryptographic salt. We cannot read or reverse your passcode.
Ephemeral Chat Transcripts: Temporary message streams that exist during active matching sessions to support real-time conversation.
Technical Security Tokens: Under Section 12(f) of RA 10173 (Legitimate Interest), non-personal system security tokens are processed strictly to enforce community conduct rules, prevent malicious access, and protect members from repeat abuse. No personal identifying information (real name, phone number, or GPS location) is ever linked to these tokens.

3. Ephemeral Messaging vs. Moderation Evidence Archival

Under ordinary operation, peer chat streams are strictly ephemeral. However, in full compliance with the Safe Spaces Act (RA 11313) and our community safety obligations, when a member actively clicks the Report button on a message, that specific message and relevant contextual dialogue are securely archived into a restricted moderation incident dossier. This evidence vault is accessible solely to authorized community administrators to investigate harassment, evaluate recidivism, and determine appropriate restriction measures.

4. How We Protect Your Identity (Mutual Secret Reveal Card)

By default, you are identified only by your anonymous nickname and avatar. Your real name, bio, and social profiles (Facebook link or Instagram handle) are securely protected and are never shared with other matches unless BOTH participants actively and mutually trigger the "Reveal" card exchange during a live chat.

5. Third-Party Infrastructure & Service Providers

To deliver a resilient, high-speed experience, NearFriend integrates with trusted infrastructure partners governed by their respective privacy standards:

Supabase: Provides encrypted, enterprise-grade cloud database hosting for authenticated accounts and moderation incident logs.
DiceBear: Generates algorithmic, privacy-safe SVG profile avatars without transmitting personal data.
Google AdSense: Serves non-intrusive sponsor advertisements to support platform operational costs.

6. Cookies & Local Storage (Google AdSense)

NearFriend utilizes local storage (`localStorage`) solely for essential functional operations (preserving your login session, saved preferences, and weekly reveal count). We do not use first-party tracking cookies.

Third-party advertising partners, including Google AdSense, may use cookies to serve non-intrusive advertisements on public pages:

Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on prior visits to this website or other sites on the Internet.
Users may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or through aboutads.info.

7. Your Rights Under Philippine Data Privacy Act (RA 10173)

Under Republic Act No. 10173, data subjects possess the right to be informed, access, object, and request the erasure or blocking of their data. Because NearFriend collects zero personally identifying data, our processing is inherently privacy-protective. You have the right to request the complete deletion of your account and associated records at any time.

8. Account Purge & Data Deletion Procedure

Because NearFriend does not collect email addresses or phone numbers, account deletion requests are verified through your anonymous username and 6-digit passcode. To request an irreversible purge of your account and saved Secret Reveal Card, submit an inquiry to our privacy desk at privacy@nearfriend.me.

9. Contact Our Data Protection Desk

For inquiries regarding data privacy compliance or our Zero-PII architecture, contact our Data Protection Desk at privacy@nearfriend.me.