FOSTR PRIVACY POLICY

Effective Date: January 30, 2026

Last Updated: January 5, 2026

1. INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Fostr! This Privacy Policy explains how Fostr ("Fostr," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal information when you use our SMS-based social connection service.

Your privacy is important to us. We are committed to transparency about our data practices and giving you control over your information.

By using Fostr, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please do not use Fostr.

This Privacy Policy should be read together with our User Agreement and Liability Waiver.

2. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

Account Information:

  • Phone number (required for SMS service).
  • First name.
  • Age verification (that you are 18+).
  • General location (city, neighborhood).
  • Interests and preferences.
  • Emergency contact information (optional, for future features).

During Use of the Service:

  • Social appetite preferences (Low Key / Social / Active).
  • Location information when you initiate a connection (approximate, as you provide it).
  • Photos you share for identification during meetups.
  • Feedback and ratings (1-3 scale after meetups).
  • Messages you send to Sparky via SMS.
  • SOS requests and related communications.
  • Any other information you choose to share with us.

2.2 Information We Collect Automatically

Usage Information:

  • Timestamps of when you use Fostr features (⚡ requests, broadcasts).
  • Match history (who you've been matched with, venues suggested).
  • Response patterns and behaviors.
  • Frequency of service usage.
  • Feature usage statistics.
  • Technical issues or errors encountered.

Device and Technical Information:

  • Phone number and carrier information.
  • SMS delivery and receipt confirmations.
  • IP address (if you visit our website).
  • Device type and operating system (if using our website).
  • Browser type and version (if using our website).

Location Information:

  • Approximate location data you provide when requesting matches.
  • General geographic area (neighborhood/landmark level, not GPS coordinates).
  • We do NOT track your real-time location via GPS or other means.

2.3 Information From Other Sources

Third-Party Verification (Beta Phase):

  • During our manual vetting process for "The First Wave," we may collect limited publicly available information to verify your identity and ensure community safety.
  • This may include social media profiles or professional information you provide.

Referrals:

  • If another user refers you to Fostr, we may receive your name and phone number from them.

3. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

We use your information for the following purposes:

3.1 To Provide and Improve Our Service

  • Facilitate Matches: Using our AI algorithm to match you with compatible users based on location, preferences, and availability.
  • Suggest Venues: Recommend appropriate meetup locations.
  • Enable Communication: Facilitate SMS conversations between you and Sparky.
  • Identity Verification: Share your photo with your match for identification purposes.
  • Safety Support: Provide SOS assistance and safety protocols.
  • Service Operations: Maintain, monitor, and improve Fostr functionality.

3.2 To Personalize Your Experience

  • Learn your preferences and social patterns.
  • Improve matching accuracy over time.
  • Tailor venue recommendations to your interests.
  • Optimize AI responses and recommendations.

3.3 To Ensure Safety and Security

  • Monitor for suspicious or harmful behavior.
  • Investigate and respond to SOS incidents.
  • Identify and prevent fraud, abuse, or violations of our policies.
  • Maintain community safety and trust.
  • Analyze patterns to improve safety protocols.

3.4 To Communicate With You

  • Send service-related notifications (match confirmations, venue details).
  • Provide customer support.
  • Request feedback about your experience.
  • Send important updates about Fostr (service changes, policy updates).
  • Respond to your inquiries.

3.5 To Analyze and Improve

  • Understand how users interact with Fostr.
  • Identify trends and usage patterns.
  • Develop new features and improvements.
  • Train and improve our AI algorithms.
  • Conduct research and analytics (in aggregated, de-identified form).

3.6 To Comply With Legal Obligations

  • Respond to legal requests, court orders, or regulatory requirements.
  • Enforce our User Agreement and policies.
  • Protect our rights, property, and safety.
  • Investigate potential violations.

4. HOW WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION

4.1 With Other Users

Limited Sharing for Matches: When you are matched with another user, we share:

  • Your first name.
  • A general vibe descriptor.
  • Shared interests.
  • Your photo (only after both parties accept the match).

We DO NOT Share:

  • Your phone number.
  • Your exact location or address.
  • Your full profile information.
  • Your match history with others.
  • Any other personal details without your consent.

4.2 With Service Providers

We share information with trusted third-party service providers who help us operate Fostr:

  • SMS Gateway (Twilio or similar): To send and receive text messages.
  • Cloud Storage (AWS S3 or similar): To temporarily store photos.
  • Database Hosting: To securely store user data.
  • Analytics Services: To understand usage patterns (in anonymized form).
  • Customer Support Tools: To provide assistance.

These providers are contractually obligated to:

  • Use your information only for providing services to us.
  • Maintain appropriate security measures.
  • Do not use or disclose your information for their own purposes.

4.3 For Legal and Safety Reasons

We may disclose your information when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to:

  • Comply with legal obligations (subpoenas, court orders, laws).
  • Respond to lawful requests from public authorities (law enforcement).
  • Protect the rights, property, or safety of Fostr, our users, or the public.
  • Investigate potential violations of our policies.
  • Respond to emergencies involving danger of death or serious physical injury.
  • Prevent or investigate fraud, security issues, or technical problems.

4.4 Business Transfers

If Fostr is involved in a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, bankruptcy, or other business transaction, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via SMS or email before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

4.5 With Your Consent

We may share your information for other purposes with your explicit consent, such as:

  • Enabling mutual contact exchange after "Amazing" ratings (future feature).
  • Sharing testimonials or success stories (with your permission).
  • Research or academic studies (in anonymized form).

4.6 Aggregated and De-Identified Information

We may share aggregated or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you:

  • Usage statistics and trends.
  • Community insights.
  • Research findings.
  • Public reports about Fostr.

5. DATA RETENTION

5.1 How Long We Keep Your Information

Active Account Data:

  • We retain your account information, preferences, and match history for as long as your account is active.

Photos:

  • Photos you share for identification are automatically deleted within 24 hours of upload.
  • We do not retain photos longer than necessary for the meetup.

Messages:

  • SMS message content may be retained for service functionality, safety reviews, and AI training.
  • SOS incident reports are retained for safety analysis and legal compliance.

After Account Deletion:

  • Most personal data is deleted within 30 days of account termination.
  • Some information may be retained longer for:
    • Legal compliance and regulatory requirements.
    • Fraud prevention and safety.
    • Resolving disputes or enforcing agreements.
    • Backup systems (until routine deletion cycles).

5.2 Your Right to Request Deletion

You can request deletion of your account and data at any time by:

  • Texting "DELETE MY ACCOUNT" to Sparky.
  • Email us at support@fostrapp.com.
  • Following the process in your account settings (future feature).

Upon receiving your deletion request, we will:

  • Deactivate your account immediately.
  • Delete your personal information within 30 days.
  • Confirm deletion via SMS or email.

Note: Some information may be retained as described in Section 5.1 above.

6. YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS

6.1 Rights for All Users

  • Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
  • Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Deletion: Request deletion of your account and personal data (with exceptions as noted in Section 5).
  • Portability: Request your data in a structured, commonly used format (where technically feasible).
  • Opt-Out of Marketing: Opt out of promotional messages (though service-related messages are required for Fostr to function).
  • Object to Processing: Object to certain uses of your data.

6.2 California Residents (CCPA/CPRA Rights)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

  • Right to Know: Request disclosure of:
    • Categories of personal information collected.
    • Categories of sources.
    • Business or commercial purposes for collection.
    • Categories of third parties with whom we share information.
    • Specific pieces of personal information are collected.
  • Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal information (with certain exceptions).
  • Right to Opt-Out: Opt-out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information
    • Note: We do not sell personal information for monetary consideration.
    • We may share information for targeted advertising purposes (if applicable in the future).
  • Right to Correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal information.
  • Right to Limit: Limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information (if applicable).
  • Right to Non-Discrimination: Exercise privacy rights without discriminatory treatment.
  • Authorized Agent: You may designate an authorized agent to make requests on your behalf.

6.3 Other State-Specific Rights

Residents of other states (Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, etc.) may have similar privacy rights under their state laws. Please contact us to exercise these rights.

6.4 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, you may:

  • Email: support@fostrapp.com
  • SMS: Text "PRIVACY REQUEST" to Sparky
  • Mail: [Company Address]

We will respond to your request within:

  • 45 days for CCPA requests (may extend up to 90 days with notice).
  • Reasonable timeframes for other requests.

We may need to verify your identity before processing requests to protect your privacy and security.

7. DATA SECURITY

7.1 Security Measures

We take reasonable measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction, including:

Technical Safeguards:

  • Encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL).
  • Encryption of sensitive data at rest.
  • Secure cloud infrastructure.
  • Regular security assessments.
  • Access controls and authentication.

Organizational Safeguards:

  • Limited employee access to personal data (need-to-know basis).
  • Employee training on privacy and security.
  • Confidentiality agreements with service providers.
  • Incident response procedures.

Photo Security:

  • Photos are stored temporarily in secure cloud storage.
  • Automatic deletion within 24 hours.
  • Access is limited to matched users only.

7.2 Your Responsibility

You are responsible for:

  • Maintaining the security of your phone and SMS access.
  • Not sharing your Fostr access with others.
  • Use strong device passwords/PINs.
  • Report suspicious activity immediately.

7.3 No Guarantee

Despite our efforts, no security measures are 100% secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information. Transmission of information over the internet carries inherent risks.

7.4 Data Breaches

In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will:

  • Notify affected users as required by law.
  • Notify appropriate authorities.
  • Take steps to mitigate harm.
  • Investigate and address the cause.

8. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

Fostr is NOT intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18.

If you are under 18, do not:

  • Use Fostr.
  • Provide any information to Fostr.
  • Create an account or send messages to Sparky.

If we discover we have inadvertently collected information from someone under 18, we will:

  • Delete the information immediately.
  • Terminate the account.
  • Take steps to prevent future underage use.

If you believe we have collected information from someone under 18, please contact us at support@fostrapp.com.

9. INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

Fostr currently operates in the United States (NYC). If you are located outside the United States and choose to use Fostr:

  • Your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States.
  • U.S. privacy laws may differ from those in your country.
  • By using Fostr, you consent to the transfer of your information to the U.S.

If we expand internationally, we will implement appropriate safeguards for international data transfers (such as Standard Contractual Clauses).

10. SMS/TEXT MESSAGE PRIVACY

10.1 SMS Terms and Consent

By using Fostr, you consent to receive SMS text messages from Sparky at the phone number you provide, including:

  • Service-related notifications (match confirmations, venue details).
  • Safety communications (SOS responses).
  • Feedback requests.
  • Important service updates.
  • Message Frequency: Variable based on usage (you control frequency by your use of Fostr).
  • Message and Data Rates: Standard message and data rates from your carrier may apply.
  • Carriers: Participating carriers include AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, and others.

10.2 Opting Out

You can opt out of SMS messages at any time by:

  • Texting "STOP" or "UNSUBSCRIBE" to Sparky
  • Contacting us at support@fostrapp.com

Note: Opting out will deactivate your Fostr account, as SMS is our primary service delivery method.

10.3 Help and Support

For SMS support, text "HELP" to Sparky or email support@fostrapp.com

10.4 TCPA Compliance

We comply with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and do not:

  • Send unsolicited marketing messages.
  • Use auto-dialers for promotional purposes without consent.
  • Contact you after you've opted out.

11. THIRD-PARTY LINKS AND SERVICES

Fostr may contain links to third-party websites, venues, or services. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third parties.

We are not responsible for:

  • Privacy practices of third-party websites.
  • Content or policies of external sites.
  • Data collection by venues or other third parties.
  • Third-party cookies or tracking technologies.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you visit.

12. COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

12.1 Current Use

As an SMS-based service, Fostr does not currently use cookies or tracking technologies in our core service.

If you visit our website at www.fostrapp.com:

  • We may use cookies for basic functionality and analytics.
  • We use analytics tools to understand website traffic (e.g., Google Analytics).
  • You can control cookies through your browser settings.

12.2 Future Use

If we introduce app-based features in the future, we may use:

  • Cookies
  • Web beacons
  • Local storage
  • Mobile device identifiers
  • Analytics tools

We will update this Privacy Policy to reflect any changes in our use of tracking technologies.

13. AI AND ALGORITHMIC PROCESSING

13.1 How We Use AI

Fostr uses artificial intelligence (Sparky) to:

  • Match users based on compatibility factors.
  • Suggest appropriate venues.
  • Personalize recommendations.
  • Facilitate conversations.
  • Analyze usage patterns.

13.2 AI Training

We may use anonymized or aggregated data to:

  • Train and improve our AI algorithms.
  • Enhance matching accuracy.
  • Develop new features.
  • Improve user experience.

13.3 Algorithmic Transparency

While our specific algorithms are proprietary, they generally consider:

  • Geographic proximity
  • Social appetite alignment
  • Shared interests
  • Availability status
  • Historical feedback and ratings
  • Safety considerations

13.4 Limitations

AI systems are not perfect and may:

  • Make errors in matching or recommendations.
  • Exhibit unintended biases.
  • Provide suboptimal suggestions.

We continuously work to improve our AI systems and address any issues that arise.

14. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect:

  • Changes in our practices
  • Changes in applicable laws
  • New features or services
  • User feedback

14.1 How We Notify You

When we make material changes, we will:

  • Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy.
  • Send you notice via SMS to Sparky.
  • Post the updated policy on our website.
  • Provide advance notice for significant changes (when feasible).

14.2 Your Acceptance

Your continued use of Fostr after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

If you do not agree with changes, you should:

  • Stop using Fostr
  • Delete your account
  • Contact us with concerns

15. CONTACT US

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Privacy Contact:

  • Email: support@fostrapp.com
  • SMS: Text "PRIVACY" to Sparky
  • Mail: Fostr, Attn: Privacy Office
  • Phone: NA

General Support:

  • Email: support@fostrapp.com
  • SMS: Text "HELP" to Sparky

We will respond to your inquiry within a reasonable timeframe, typically within 30 days.

16. EFFECTIVE DATE

This Privacy Policy is effective as of the date listed at the top of this document. This policy applies to all information collected before and after the effective date.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

We want to be transparent about your privacy. Here are the key points:

  • ✓ What we collect: Phone number, name, location (approximate), preferences, photos (deleted in 24 hours), match history.
  • ✓ How we use it: Matching, venue recommendations, safety support, service improvements.
  • ✓ What we share: Limited info with matches (first name, photo), technical info with service providers (like Twilio).
  • ✓ What we DON'T share: Your phone number with other users, your data for marketing purposes.
  • ✓ Your rights: Access, correct, delete your data; opt-out of marketing; California residents have additional CCPA rights.
  • ✓ Security: We encrypt data, delete photos in 24 hours, and limit employee access.
  • ✓ Your control: You can delete your account anytime by texting "DELETE MY ACCOUNT" to Sparky.

Questions? Contact us at support@fostrapp.com

Your Privacy Matters to Fostr