Privacy Policy

Last updated: 15 March 2026

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Flare ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal information when you use the Flare platform and related services.

Flare is committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about the data we handle. By using Flare, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

Account information

When you create an account, we collect your email address, authentication credentials (or third-party login tokens from Apple or Google), and date of birth or age range.

Profile data

Information you voluntarily add to your profile, including your name, age, bio, interests, intentions, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical characteristics, and social media handles.

Photos and content

Photos you upload to your public profile or private albums, and messages you send through the chat system. Private album photos are only visible to users you explicitly grant access to.

Location information

With your permission, we collect your device's GPS coordinates to display nearby profiles, venues, and meetups. See Section 4 for details on how location data is handled.

Usage analytics

We collect anonymised usage data including feature interactions, session duration, discovery activity, and technical information such as device type, operating system, and browser version. This data helps us improve the platform.

Verification data

During age verification, our AI-powered selfie scan processes your camera feed entirely on your device — no image is stored or transmitted. If ID verification is required, your uploaded document is encrypted at rest, stored in a private vault, and deleted after review.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Operate the platform — create and manage your account, display your profile, enable messaging, and provide core functionality
• Connect users — show you nearby profiles based on your location, preferences, and activity
• Improve safety and moderation — detect and prevent abuse, harassment, spam, fraud, and violations of our Community Guidelines
• Prevent fraud — identify fake accounts, ban evasion attempts, and suspicious activity patterns
• Process payments — manage subscriptions, Boost purchases, and billing (payment details are processed by third-party payment providers and not stored by Flare)
• Improve the platform — analyse usage patterns to develop new features and improve existing ones
• Communicate with you — send notifications, safety alerts, and important account updates

4. Location Data

Flare uses your device location to show nearby profiles and local venues. Your location helps us connect you with people who are around you right now.

Your exact location is never shared publicly with other users. Other users only see an approximate distance such as "< 100 m" or "1.2 km".

What location permissions enable

Location permissions allow Flare to provide the following features:

• Nearby profiles — show people who are active and close to you right now
• Local discovery — sort profiles by distance in the Grid and Swipe
• Map features — display LGBTQ+ venues and meetups near you
• Local meetups — find and create community events in your area
• Travel Mode & Passport Pass — interact with profiles in other cities

How location is collected and stored

Your device’s GPS coordinates are collected with your permission and used to calculate distances between users. Location data is updated periodically while the app is active. If your location becomes stale or you go offline, your profile may be removed from the Nearby grid until you return.

Controlling location access

You can control location access in your device settings at any time. If location access is disabled, some features may not work correctly, including Nearby profiles, distance sorting, and Map features.

You can also toggle distance visibility in Privacy Settings within the app to hide your approximate distance from other users.

5. Age Verification

Flare requires age verification during registration to ensure all users are 18 or older.

• Selfie scan — our AI estimates your age using your device's camera. This process runs entirely on your device. No image is stored, transmitted, or accessible to Flare.
• ID verification — if the selfie scan estimates your age between 18 and 24, you may be asked to upload a government-issued ID. Documents are encrypted at rest, stored in a private access-controlled vault, and permanently deleted after review.

Flare may use third-party verification providers (such as Yoti, Veriff, or Persona) in certain regions where required by law. These providers operate under their own privacy policies, which we require to meet our data protection standards.

6. Advertising & Rewarded Ads

Free users may view rewarded ads to unlock certain features (e.g. messaging users in other cities). Rewarded ads are provided by third-party advertising partners who may collect anonymised device information for ad targeting.

Plus and Premium subscribers are not shown rewarded ads. Premium subscribers have a fully ad-free experience.

Flare does not sell your personal data to advertisers. We do not share your profile information, messages, photos, or precise location with advertising partners.

7. Data Sharing

Flare does not sell your personal data. We may share limited information with:

• Other users — your public profile information, approximate distance, and online status are visible to other users as part of the platform's functionality
• Service providers — cloud hosting, payment processing, analytics, and moderation tools that help us operate the platform
• Law enforcement — when required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of our users or the public
• Verification providers — limited data shared with age/identity verification services where applicable

8. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account:

• Your profile, photos, and messages are permanently deleted within 30 days
• Anonymised analytics data may be retained for platform improvement purposes
• Verification documents are deleted immediately upon account deletion
• Legal records may be retained where required by law

9. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction — request correction of inaccurate personal data
• Deletion — request deletion of your personal data (or delete your account through the app)
• Portability — request your data in a portable, machine-readable format
• Objection — object to certain types of data processing
• Restriction — request restriction of processing in certain circumstances

To exercise any of these rights, contact us through the Help Center.

10. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including:

• Encryption in transit (TLS/HTTPS) and at rest
• Access controls and authentication for internal systems
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Secure, access-controlled storage for verification documents

While we take reasonable measures to protect your data, no system is completely secure. We encourage you to use strong, unique passwords and to report any security concerns through the Help Center.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes through the app or by email. Your continued use of Flare after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please contact us through our Help Center.