Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to ExpatsSphere ("we," "our," or "us"). We are a United States-based platform dedicated to connecting the global expat community. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information. By using our services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Information We Collect

• Account Information: To create an account, we collect your name, email address, nationality, and current country of residence.
• Profile Content (Optional): You may choose to provide a profile picture, birth city, interests, and work experience.
• Verification Data: We use email verification to ensure account authenticity. We do not collect government-issued IDs or passports.
• Technical & Location Data: We collect IP addresses and approximate location data to help you discover local events and members.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Facilitate connections between members.
• Recommend relevant events, groups, and local resources.
• Ensure platform safety through content moderation.
• Process payments via our third-party provider, Stripe. (Note: ExpatsSphere does not store your credit card details on our servers).

4. Data Retention and Instant Deletion

We believe you should have full control over your data.

• Instant Deletion: If you choose to delete your account, your profile and personal data are purged from our active database immediately.
• Backups: Residual data may remain in encrypted server backups for up to 30 days before being fully overwritten.

5. Third-Party Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We only share data with essential service providers, such as cloud hosting (AWS/Google) and payment processors (Stripe), solely to operate our services.

6. Global Privacy Rights (GDPR & CCPA)

Regardless of your location, we honor your rights to:

• Access the data we hold about you.
• Request the correction or erasure of your data.
• Opt-out of any future marketing communications.