Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how Cerca App, the product by CERCA APPLICATIONS INC ("we","our","us," and/or "Cerca") collects, uses, and protects your information.

Cerca does not sell your personal information to third parties.

Cerca is not currently affiliated with any school or education institution, and Cerca will never disclose your identity or anonymous posts unless required by law or to law enforcement to ensure the safety of our communities.

*to ensure the safety of our college communities, we require users to verify that they own an email corresponding to the university they are claiming to be a part of. Users who do not verify their university will still be able to use the app, but will not be able to access the college community.

Disclaimer of Warranties:

WHILE WE IMPLEMENT VARIOUS METHODS TO VERIFY COLLEGE AFFILIATION, WE CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT ALL USERS WITHIN A COLLEGE COMMUNITY ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLED STUDENTS. USERS MAY GAIN ACCESS THROUGH DIFFERENT VERIFICATION METHODS, SOME OF WHICH DO NOT PROVIDE REAL-TIME ENROLLMENT STATUS. SIMILARLY, WHILE WE IMPLEMENT WAYS TO VERIFY ONE'S IDENTITY VIA A FACIAL SIMILARITY CHECK, SELFIE VERIFICATION IS NOT A GUARANTEE OF A USER'S TRUE IDENTITY OR AUTHENTICITY.

2. Information We Collect

• Personal Information: Name, phone number, age, gender, gender preferences, location, and any other details provided during registration.
• Contacts List: The name and number of your contacts to use for showing you profiles within your contacts.
• Verification Data: University email or other verification materials, selfies, photos, or videos submitted to verify identity or authenticity.
• Activity Data: Messages, interactions, and preferences within the App.
• Device Information: IP address, device type, and operating system.

3. How We Use Your Information

• To create and manage your account.
• To match you with compatible users.
• To improve user experience and app functionality.
• To ensure safety and prevent fraudulent activities.
• To comply with legal obligations.
• To send you transactional and promotional messages about Cerca.
• To improve the relevance of Cerca's advertising.

4. Sharing of Information

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We share limited information in the following circumstances:

• Trusted service providers assisting in App operations.
• Advertising platforms such as Meta. Information shared is anonymized using hashing, a cryptographic process makes the data unidentifiable on the individual level.
• Legal authorities if required by law.

You have the right to opt-out from the sharing or selling of your data, as described in section 7.

5. Data Security

We use encryption and other industry-standard measures to protect your data. While we strive for maximum security, no system is completely secure, and you use the App at your own risk.

6. Biometric Information & Selfie Verification

Cerca offers a selfie verification feature to help confirm that profiles are real people and to discourage impersonation. When you choose to verify, you submit a short selfie video, which is used to:

• Perform a liveness check to confirm that a real person is present. The selfie video is used only for this check and is not retained afterward.
• Capture a single photo snapshot from the video, which we save as a reference image. We use this reference image to perform facial similarity checks against the photos on your Cerca profile, including any new profile photos you upload in the future.

These checks are performed using Amazon Web Services, a service provider.

• What we collect: a short selfie video used solely for the liveness check, and a single photo snapshot extracted from that video which we retain as your reference image.
• Why we collect it: solely to verify identity, prevent fraud and impersonation, and protect our community. We do not use biometric information for advertising.
• Who we share it with: only Amazon Web Services, as our processing service provider. We do not sell or share biometric information with any other party, and we never use it for marketing.
• How long we keep it: the selfie video is not retained after the liveness check is complete. The reference photo snapshot is kept for the duration of your account, so we can verify any new profile photos you upload in the future. The reference photo is permanently deleted when you delete your account.
• Your consent: before we collect any biometric information, we ask you to review how it works before agreeing to proceed. You may decline, and if you do, you will simply not have a verified badge. You may also withdraw at any time by deleting your account or by emailing [email protected].

This section is provided in compliance with the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, the Texas Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act, and similar laws in other states.

7. Your Rights

We want you to be in control of your data, so we want to remind you of the following rights, options, and tools available to you. Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under your state's privacy law, and these rights may be named differently. If you have any questions about your rights or how to exercise them, please contact us at [email protected].

• Right to know what personal information we have collected about you.
• Right to access and obtain a copy of your information.
• Right to correct your data: you can update your information directly within the app by editing your profile. If you wish to update other data, contact us at [email protected].
• Right to delete your information.
• Right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information.
• Right to withdraw consent: you can withdraw consent that you've previously given us by updating or removing Device Permissions in your device settings. Certain services may lose functionality when you withdraw consent. Contact us at [email protected] for more information.
• Right to opt out of targeted advertising, sale, or sharing of information: you may opt out by emailing [email protected].

8. Retention of Data

We retain your data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy or as required by law.

9. University Privacy

We are not currently affiliated with any school or education institution.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will endeavor to communicate significant changes to you via the App or email, but will not be liable for any failure to do so.

11. Contact Us

For privacy questions, requests to exercise your rights, or any other inquiries, please contact us at [email protected].