Privacy notice

Who we are

Sircle is operated for Sircle (Pty) Ltd (in registration), Leigh Ave, Sunningdale, Johannesburg, South Africa. For privacy questions or requests, contact support@joinsircle.com.

What we collect

Account information: first name, surname and email, plus password-based or Google sign-in information, to create and secure your account. If you sign in with Google, sign-in is handled through Google and our platform provider. We do not ask for your Google password.

Profile information: a face photo, real name, student type, short bio, gender, date of birth and the nearby road you live on. We do not ask for your exact home address. Please do not enter a street number or house number. We use these details to help people understand who they are meeting, apply age ranges, and find nearby in-person Sircles. LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok links are optional.

Activity information: the Sircles you host or join; titles, descriptions, interests, level, mode, meeting location, dates, attendance limits and age ranges; and comments and photos you add. We use these to provide and manage the activities and community.

Support and safety information: information you send when you contact us or report inappropriate behaviour, so we can answer you and protect the community.

Technical and usage information: our hosting platform processes the information needed to deliver and secure the service. Its built-in analytics reports visits, pages, referrers, duration, country, devices and login activity. If you choose Accept analytics, we also use Google Analytics to understand which pages people visit, how they reach Sircle, and their approximate location and device type. Google Analytics uses cookies to distinguish visits and sessions. We do not load Google Analytics or send it information unless you accept. We do not use it for advertising or personalised ads, and we do not send names, email addresses, dates of birth, profile details, guardian-consent tokens or form contents to Google Analytics. Google may process this usage information outside South Africa. You can reject analytics and still use Sircle, or change your choice at any time through Analytics settings. Our hosting platform's built-in analytics continues as described above.

Who can see your information

Your name, profile photo, age, bio, approximate location and any social links you add may be visible to other members. Event details and host information are shown on Sircle listings. Attendee names, comments and activity photos may be visible on event pages. Your profile location is used to calculate nearby distances. An event's location name is public, and its exact address is shown to people who join. Do not post information you need to keep confidential, or photos of other people without their permission.

Who we share information with

We use Base44 to build, host and operate Sircle. Under Base44's current terms, information stored in our Base44 workspace, which can include information members submit in Sircle forms, may be used by Base44 to train its AI models. We have not been able to opt out of this. Google provides sign-in when you choose it. Information may also be disclosed where the law requires it, or where needed to deal with safety concerns and legal claims. We do not sell your personal information.

Our providers may process information outside South Africa, including in the United States.

How long we keep information

We keep your account and profile information while your account is open. When an account is closed or deleted, we delete or de-identify its information within 30 days, except where we must keep something for legal reasons, safety or a dispute. Copies in backups may remain for a limited time before they are overwritten. We use access controls and the security measures provided by our platform. No online service can guarantee complete security.

Your choices and rights

You can edit your profile details at any time. Depending on applicable law, you may ask for access to, correction of or deletion of your information, object to how we use it, or withdraw consent. To close your account or make a request, email support@joinsircle.com. We may need to verify your identity first, and we may keep information where the law requires it.

In South Africa you can complain to the Information Regulator: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za, 010 023 5200, Woodmead North Office Park, 54 Maxwell Dr, Woodmead, Johannesburg, 2191. Visitors elsewhere may also have rights under their local law.

Safety and parent notifications

Sircle asks members for a profile with a real photo, shows a street-level location rather than a home address, and only allows Sircles to be hosted in public places. If you are under 18, we email your parent or guardian, at the address they gave when they consented, each time you create or join a Sircle. The email includes your first name and the Sircle's title, date, time and place. We keep the parent or guardian's name and email address, and a record of their consent, for as long as your account exists and for 12 months afterwards. We use their email only for consent, these notifications and withdrawal requests, never for marketing. A parent or guardian can ask us to stop the notifications by closing the account.

Children

Sircle is for people aged 16 and up. If you are 16 or 17, you tick a box when you sign up and give us a parent or guardian's email address. We refuse a parent email that matches your own email. The consent page shows your first name and surname, not a photo, and asks the person to confirm that you are their child and that they are your parent or legal guardian, and then separately to give permission to use your information. We email them this notice and a consent link. Your account stays inactive, and your profile is hidden from other members, until they agree. We email you the outcome. If they say no, or do not answer within 7 days, we lock the account and delete it and your information within 30 days.

We also check the date of birth you enter when you complete your profile. If you are under 16, we cannot keep your account and we delete it, including the details you gave at sign-up. If your date of birth shows you are 16 or 17 and we do not have a parent or guardian's consent, we ask for their email at that point.

A parent or guardian can ask for an account to be removed through the Report an account link to support@joinsircle.com, or withdraw consent by emailing the same address. We check who is asking, to protect accounts from false reports, and then close the account and delete the profile.

Profiles and interests may reveal sensitive information, such as religious beliefs. Avoid unnecessary sensitive information in profiles or posts.

Changes

We will update this notice when our processing changes and show the current effective date.