Privacy Policy

Who we are

The Seed Project is an independent initiative focused on promoting kindness through small actions.

Data controller

The Seed Project

If you need to reach us about privacy or your data, please use our Contact page.

Who this policy applies to

This Privacy Policy applies to The Seed Project website and related community features, including account access, profile features, stories, Seeds, wall posts, forum, inbox, contact forms, and connected app features where the same account and community system is used.

What we collect

We only collect data that is needed to operate The Seed Project and its community features.

Account and sign-in data

• Email address
• Account identifier
• Account creation date
• Last sign-in date and time

Profile data

• Display name
• Profile text such as about me
• Country, city, and optional age
• Profile photo or avatar images you choose to upload
• Profile settings such as whether your email is public and whether members may message you
• Community status fields such as hearts, title, and staff status where relevant

Community and user-generated content

• Forum threads and replies
• Private inbox messages
• Hug or friendship requests and accepted friendships
• Stories and Seed submissions
• Wall posts and wall replies
• Staff announcements and announcement read status
• Reports you submit about content or users

Seed and map data

• Seed code
• Seed name or anonymous setting
• Seed message
• City and country
• If you choose to attach location to a Seed, location coordinates needed to place the Seed on the map

The public map may display an approximate or rounded location rather than your exact coordinates. If you choose an anonymous mode, identifying location details may be reduced or omitted.

Contact and feedback data

• Name, email address, subject, and message when you contact us
• Survey answers and free-text feedback when you submit feedback

Technical and anti-abuse data

• Timestamps
• Browser key or similar anti-spam identifiers on some website forms
• User agent on certain website forms or surveys
• Moderation and safety metadata needed to review reports, prevent abuse, and protect the community

Photos and device permissions

If you choose to upload a profile image or use your camera through connected app features, we only process the image you choose to submit. We do not access your camera or photo library unless you choose to use those features.

Passwords

Passwords are handled through our authentication provider and are not stored by us in plain text.

How we use your data

• Create and maintain your account and profile
• Let you use stories, Seeds, wall, forum, inbox, hug, and profile features
• Show public community content on the website and in connected app features
• Place Seeds on the map
• Let staff review reports, moderate the community, and protect users
• Respond to contact messages and review survey feedback
• Prevent spam, abuse, duplicate submissions, and other misuse
• Keep the service working, secure, and updated

We do not sell your data.

Location data

If you allow location access:

• Only the location you choose to submit is used
• Exact coordinates are not publicly shown as exact personal tracking data
• Location is used only to place Seeds on the map and related community features

Legal basis

Where applicable, we process data based on:

• Consent, such as when you submit content, allow location, upload images, or choose profile settings
• Legitimate interests, such as running, protecting, moderating, and improving The Seed Project

How data is shown to other users

Some information is public or visible to other users by design when you choose to use community features.

• Display name, avatar, stories, Seeds, forum threads, and replies may be visible to others
• Private inbox messages are visible only to the participants and authorized staff where necessary for moderation or safety
• Your email is only shown publicly if you choose that setting

Third-party services and how we share data

We do not sell, rent, or license your personal data to outside parties for their own marketing or commercial purposes.

We may share or process data only in these limited ways:

• With service providers that help us run The Seed Project, such as hosting, database, storage, authentication, email, or notification infrastructure
• With staff or moderators when necessary to review reports, keep the community safe, or respond to support requests
• If required by law, legal process, or a good-faith safety obligation

Examples of providers we may use

• Supabase for database, storage, and authentication
• Cloudflare for hosting, delivery, security, and performance

Our goal is that your data is used only to run The Seed Project app and website, not to build unrelated third-party products or marketing profiles.

Data storage and retention

We keep data for as long as it is needed to run the service, support the community, comply with legal obligations, or resolve abuse and security issues.

Delete profile and data deletion

You can request deletion of your profile and account by using Delete profile in your profile.

Important:

• Deleting your profile is irreversible
• Once completed, your account cannot be restored
• Profile and account data tied to you will be deleted or anonymized
• Where full removal would break forum threads, inbox history, or community context, content may be replaced with neutral placeholder text instead of remaining under your name

Your rights

Depending on applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Access your data
• Request correction
• Request deletion
• Withdraw consent where processing depends on consent

To exercise these rights, please use our Contact page.

Security

We take reasonable steps to protect account and community data, including access control, authentication, moderation, and database security rules. No online system can be guaranteed to be perfectly secure.

Children

The Seed Project is not intended for children under 13. By using account-based community features, you confirm that you are at least 13 years old.

International users

If you use the website or connected app features from outside the country where our systems or providers operate, your data may be processed in other countries as needed to run the service.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when the website, connected app features, or legal requirements change. The latest published version should always apply.

Contact

If you have privacy questions, support questions, or want help with your data, please use our Contact page.