Privacy Policy

Last updated September 28, 2026

Draft: these policies haven't been reviewed by a lawyer yet.

What we collect

• What you give us:
  • your email, and your password, which is stored only as a scrambled hash we can't read
  • your first name and birthday; only your age is shown
  • your gender, who you'd like to meet and the age range you're interested in
  • your city and state, your bio and up to 6 photos
  • your likes, letters, messages, blocks and reports, and when you read each message (First Class matches see this unless you turn read receipts off in My profile)
• Automatically: your IP address and basic details of each request, used for security, like spotting bots and limiting how fast accounts can act. We don't keep a log of your visits.
• Waitlist: if you join the waitlist before we open, your email and, if you pick one, your state. We use them only to tell you when we open, and we'll remove them whenever you ask.
• Purchases: Stripe handles payments. We receive a record of what you bought, the amount and the date. We never see your full card number.

Sensitive information

Some of what you share is sensitive. Who you'd like to meet can reveal your sexual orientation, and your photos and messages are personal. We use this only to run Hearts & Stripes, for example to show you to compatible people. We never use it for advertising.

How we use it

• To run Hearts & Stripes: your profile, Browse, Mail Call introductions, likes, matches, letters and messages.
• To keep people safe: detecting spam and scams, reviewing reports, and enforcing our Terms.
• To process purchases, provide support, and meet legal obligations.

We don't sell your information, use it for ads, or use your photos, letters or messages to train AI models.

Who sees what

• Other members see your profile. Letters are seen only by the person you send them to, and messages only by the match you're talking with. Reports are private.
• Service providers process data for us and are bound to protect it: Cloudflare (hosting, database, photo storage, security and email) and Stripe (payments).
• The law: we'll share information if the law requires it, or to protect someone's safety.
• A change of owner: if Hearts & Stripes is sold or merged, your information may transfer. We'll tell you first.

Your photos

Your photos are shown only to members who are logged in.

How long we keep it

• We keep your information while your account is open.
• When you delete your account, your profile, photos, likes, letters, messages and stamps are deleted immediately. Copies in our database backups roll off within 30 days.
• We keep purchase records, no longer linked to your account, as long as tax and accounting rules require.
• If an account is banned, we keep the minimum needed to stop it from coming back.

Your choices and rights

You can edit your profile or delete your account at any time from your profile page. To get a copy of your information or ask us to correct it, email support@heartsandstripes.us. Some states, including California, give residents specific privacy rights, such as the rights to know, correct, delete, and opt out of the sale of their information. We honor those requests for every member, wherever you live, and we respond within 45 days.

Security

We use encrypted connections, scrambled (hashed) passwords, private photo storage and limits that slow down bots. No system is perfect: if you spot a problem, please tell us at support@heartsandstripes.us.

Children

Hearts & Stripes is only for adults 18 and older. If we learn that a member is under 18, we delete the account.

Changes and contact

If we make a significant change to this policy, we'll tell you on the site or by email first. Questions? Hearts & Stripes · support@heartsandstripes.us