Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 4, 2026
Kindred ("we", "our") is a neighborhood kindness app that lets neighbors post and
claim small favors, chat, earn points, and celebrate acts of kindness. This policy explains
what information we collect, why we collect it, and how we keep it safe. We keep things
simple: we never sell your data.
Kindred is a free beta run by Jonah Boyd, an individual, not a registered company.
There is no paid tier, no advertising, and nothing for sale.
1. Information we collect
- Account info: your name, email address, and profile photo when you sign in with
Google or email/password.
- Profile info you add: your username, a short bio, and optional phone number.
- Location: with your permission, your approximate location so we can show nearby
requests and notify neighbors within ~8 km of a new request. You can turn this off anytime
in your device settings or the app.
- Your activity: kindness requests you post, chats you have with neighbors,
acts you log, points and badges, and thank-you notes.
- Device info: a push-notification token so we can alert you about new requests
and messages.
- Content you submit for verification: the description (and optional photo) of an
act, which is checked by an AI to confirm it is genuine kindness. Your photo is used only
for that check and is not stored.
1a. How your profile photo is stored
If you add a profile photo, it is saved as an image file inside your own profile record in
our database. We do not use a separate photo hosting service, and your photo is not shared
with anyone except the other Kindred users who can already see your profile. Removing the
photo in Edit Profile deletes it.
2. How we use your information
- To run the app: show requests, connect you with helpers, send messages and notifications.
- To verify kindness acts and reward points and badges.
- To keep the community safe: block users, review reported content, and prevent abuse.
- To improve the app and provide support.
3. How we share information
- With your neighbors: your name, photo, username, and posted requests are visible to
other app users so people can help each other.
- With service providers that run the app: Google Firebase for accounts, the database,
and push notifications; Cloudflare for the server-side helpers; Google Gemini for AI kindness
verification. They only access data as needed to provide these services.
- With Esri, which serves the map images. When you open the map, the area you are
looking at is sent to Esri's map servers so they can return the picture tiles. If you
would rather not share that, don't open the map screen.
- When you report a user, your report and your email address are sent through
FormSubmit so the message can reach our inbox.
- We never sell or rent your personal information.
- We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the rights and safety of
users and the public.
3a. Cookies and analytics
Kindred does not use advertising, does not embed third-party trackers, and does not run
analytics or session-replay tools. We do not use tracking cookies. On the web version your
sign-in session is kept in your browser's local storage, which is strictly necessary to keep
you logged in and is not used to follow you around.
4. Data you share with others
Chats, requests, and acts you post are shared with the people you interact with. Please
only share what you're comfortable with.
5. Your choices and rights
- Edit or remove profile info, delete your requests and chats at any time.
- Turn off location or push notifications in your device settings.
- Delete your account and data through the app (Settings → Delete Account).
- Request a copy of your data or ask questions by emailing us (below).
6. Data retention and security
We keep your data only as long as needed to run the app, and use industry-standard
security (encryption in transit and at rest, restricted access). When you delete your
account, your profile data is removed.
7. Children's privacy
Kindred is intended for users 13 and older. When you create an account the app asks you
to confirm you are 13 or older, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from
children under 13. We do not ask for or store a date of birth. If you believe a child under
13 has provided us personal information, email us and we'll delete it.
8. Accessibility
We aim to make Kindred usable with screen readers and by keyboard alone. If you run into
a barrier, email us and we'll try to fix it.
9. Changes to this policy
If we make significant changes, we'll update this page and note the new date above.
10. Contact us
Questions about this policy? Email:
jonahb344+kindred@gmail.com