🔒 Privacy Policy (v1.1)

Last updated: October 12, 2025

We care deeply about your privacy. The Confidants is built on trust — and that starts with how we handle your information. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your data.

1. Information We Collect

We collect the minimum information necessary to provide our services, including:

• Account information: Your name (real or alias), email address, and password (encrypted).
• Payment information: Processed securely through Stripe. We never store your full payment details.
• Session data: Chat transcripts, submitted questions, and session metadata (timestamps, duration).
• Optional info: Pronouns, preferences, or any details you choose to share with your confidant.
• Cookies and analytics: We may use basic cookies or analytics tools to understand how people use our site and improve our services. These do not track you across other websites and are never used for advertising.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your data to:

• Provide and improve our services.
• Facilitate secure payments and refunds.
• Help confidants prepare for sessions.
• Monitor platform quality and ensure safety.
• Comply with legal obligations if necessary.

We never sell your data, share it with advertisers, or use it to profile you.

3. Session Data and Transcripts

All chat transcripts and written questions are securely stored for:

• Quality control and dispute resolution.
• Safety, moderation, and abuse prevention.
• Legal or compliance requirements.

Even if you delete your account or remove transcripts from your dashboard, a secure copy is retained offline and encrypted in our internal system. These archives are never made public and are accessible only to a small, authorized team if required for safety, legal, or operational reasons.

4. Data Retention

We retain session data for as long as needed to support your account, comply with legal requirements, or resolve disputes. You may request permanent deletion by contacting privacy@theconfidants.co. Certain legal or abuse-related records may be retained beyond deletion requests where required by law.

5. Security Practices

We use encryption, secure hosting, and strict internal access controls to protect your data. Payment information is handled entirely by Stripe and is never visible to us.

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access, update, or delete your personal data.
• Request a copy of all data associated with your account.
• Opt out of marketing communications.
• Close your account at any time.

To exercise these rights, email us at privacy@theconfidants.co.

7. Sensitive Content

Please remember that information shared during sessions — including personal stories, images, or sensitive details — is treated as confidential but is not legally privileged. It should not be considered legal, medical, or therapeutic advice. For emergencies, please contact local services immediately.

8. Policy Updates

We may update this policy from time to time. If we make significant changes, we’ll notify you by email or through the platform. The “Last updated” date above will always reflect the most recent version.

📜 Terms of Service – Draft (v1
.1)

Effective date: October 12, 2025
Company: The Confidants™
Contact: support@theconfidants.co

1. Overview

Welcome to The Confidants, a digital platform that connects people seeking thoughtful conversation, perspective, and support (“Users”) with trusted individuals (“Confidants”) through text-based communication.

By accessing or using the Services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service (“Terms”) and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Services.

2. Nature of Our Service

The Confidants is not a therapy service, medical platform, crisis hotline, or legal advisory service. Confidants are not licensed professionals (unless explicitly stated) and do not provide medical, psychological, legal, or financial advice. All communication is for conversational, informational, and supportive purposes only. If you are in crisis or require professional help, please contact emergency services in your area.

3. Eligibility

To use The Confidants, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction).
• Agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy.
• Provide accurate and complete information during sign-up (if applicable).

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate access if eligibility requirements are not met.

4. Accounts and Security

Users may create an optional account to track sessions and access past interactions. Confidants are required to create accounts to participate. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials. Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access to your account. We are not liable for any loss or damage resulting from unauthorized access caused by your failure to maintain account security.

5. Services and Offerings

The platform currently offers:

• Async Questions: Submit a written question for a one-time response.
• Live Chat: Engage with a confidant in real-time for 10, 15, or 30 minutes.
• Extensions: Continue a chat beyond the original booking for $1/minute, billed per minute used.
• Scheduled Sessions: Book future time with a confidant based on their availability.

Future offerings may include panels, follow-up services, and subscription plans.

6. Pricing and Payment

All prices are listed in USD and are subject to change. Payment is processed securely via Stripe. For live chat sessions, payment is pre-authorized at booking and charged after 15% of the scheduled time has elapsed. Overtime charges are billed per minute based on actual usage. Async questions are paid upfront at checkout. We reserve the right to refuse service or cancel transactions at our discretion.

7. Cancellations, Refunds, and Disputes

Our refund policy (available here) forms part of these Terms. In short:

• Full refunds are issued for no-shows, technical failures, or incomplete sessions (<15%).
• Once 15% of a session has elapsed, the session is considered delivered and non-refundable.
• Async question refunds are only issued if no response is provided or the response violates quality standards.
• Abuse of the refund system may result in account suspension.

Disputes must be submitted in writing to support@theconfidants.co within 7 calendar days of the session. Disputes submitted after this period may not be eligible for review.

8. User Conduct

By using the Services, you agree not to:

• Harass, threaten, abuse, or harm confidants or other users.
• Share illegal, obscene, or hateful content.
• Upload malware, spam, or harmful software.
• Attempt to reverse engineer, scrape, or disrupt the platform.
• Use the platform for emergency or crisis situations.

Violation of these rules may result in suspension or permanent account termination without refund.

9. Confidant Conduct & Responsibilities

Confidants agree to:

• Respond thoughtfully, respectfully, and within the timeframes promised.
• Avoid providing medical, legal, or financial advice unless explicitly licensed and authorized.
• Maintain confidentiality of all user communications.
• Follow the platform’s content, safety, and conduct policies.

Confidants who violate policies may be removed from the platform without compensation.

10. Confidentiality and Data Handling

All chats and questions are confidential and will not be shared publicly. We store transcripts securely for quality control, dispute resolution, and legal compliance. Even if you delete a transcript, a secure archived copy may be retained internally. We do not sell or share personal data with third parties. Refer to our Privacy Policy for full details.

11. Intellectual Property

All content on the platform — including text, logos, brand names, and design — is the property of The Confidants. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works without our prior written permission.

12. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

The Confidants provides supportive conversation, not professional services. We make no guarantees about outcomes, accuracy, or the effectiveness of any communication. We are not responsible for any decisions made based on confidant conversations.

The Services are provided “as is” and “as available” without warranties of any kind, express or implied.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE CONFIDANTS AND ITS TEAM DISCLAIM ALL LIABILITY FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE USE OF THE SERVICE.

13. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access at any time if:

• You violate these Terms or our policies.
• You abuse the refund system.
• Your behavior threatens the safety or integrity of the platform.

Upon termination, any remaining credits or balances may be forfeited at our discretion.

14. Modifications

We may update these Terms periodically. Continued use of the platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

15. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of [Your State], without regard to conflict-of-law principles. All disputes will be resolved in the courts of [Your County, Your State].

If you access the Services outside the United States, you are responsible for ensuring that use of the Services complies with local laws and regulations in your jurisdiction.

16. Contact

For any questions, feedback, or disputes, contact:

📧 support@theconfidants.co
📍 The Confidants, PO Box 123, Montclair NJ 07042