Privacy Policy.
Ember is a global dating application operated by Ember Dating App, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company,” “we,” “us”). This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use and share it, and the choices and rights you have. By creating an account or using Ember, you agree to the practices described here. Ember is intended only for people aged 18 and older.
1. Information We Collect.
Account information.
When you register, we collect your email address, a password (which we store only in hashed form), your name, date of birth, age, and gender. If you sign in with Google or Apple, we receive basic profile information from that provider.
Profile information.
To build your dating profile you may provide: photos, a bio, prompt answers, voice and video introductions, height, education, job and school, religion and religiosity, relationship and family preferences, political views, languages, ethnicity, heritage and community, lifestyle details (diet, alcohol, smoking, pets), interests, and personality results. Some of this is sensitive in nature; you choose what to share, and it is displayed to other users as part of your profile.
Identity, age, and location verification.
To keep the community authentic and adults-only, every member passes a check by our verification provider (Didit) before their profile can be seen. The check uses a government-issued ID and a selfie or liveness check, which may include biometric facial-comparison data processed by that provider. Ember does not keep images of your ID or your selfie. The provider also reads the sex printed on your document; we keep only that single letter and compare it with the gender you chose, because your gender decides who sees your profile. If they do not match, a member of our team reviews your profile before it is shown, and your document’s sex is never shown to anyone. The provider also checks whether the same face or document is used on more than one account, to stop duplicate and fake accounts. Ember keeps your verification status and, from the details the provider reads off your document, your nationality (the issuing country) and your age. You cannot change these yourself, which is what stops anyone from claiming to be from somewhere they are not.
Location information.
With your permission, we use your device's location to place you on the world map and to record the country you live in. Your pin is scrambled and shown at city level only; your exact location is never shown to anyone. Ember does not rank or filter members by distance: every verified member can be seen regardless of where they live. You appear on the map only after you agree to it and allow location. To leave the map, turn off location access for Ember in your device settings, or pause your account; the rest of Ember keeps working. We store your location rounded to about 11 kilometers and refresh it when you open Ember while location is allowed. We also record your device’s time zone so other members can see your local time; this does not require location access.
Messages and content.
We process the messages, voice notes, and other content you exchange with matches in order to deliver them and to keep the platform safe (for example, detecting prohibited or abusive content). Messages are translated by our translation provider so members who speak different languages can talk. Photos you upload are automatically screened for nudity, graphic violence, and hate symbols before they are stored. Voice and video calls connect directly between devices when possible; otherwise the encrypted audio and video pass through a relay that cannot see or hear them and does not record them.
Payment information.
Subscriptions and in-app purchases are processed by the app stores and payment providers (Google Play, Apple, RevenueCat, and, on the web, Authorize.net). We do not collect or store your full card number. We receive confirmation of a purchase and the associated entitlement so we can unlock premium features.
Device and usage information.
We automatically collect technical data such as device identifiers, push-notification tokens (via Firebase Cloud Messaging), IP address, app version, and basic usage activity to operate, secure, and improve the service.
Invitations, ambassadors and relationship status.
If you join Ember through another member's invitation link, we record who invited you so we can give you both Premium days once you complete ID verification, and so we can count verified invitations toward the ambassador program and its profile badge. If you and a match both tell Ember that you are together, we record those confirmations, and you may choose to pause your account, which hides your profile from others. If you agree to share your story, we record your consent, and whether you chose to use your first names; a story is only ever shared when both members have agreed.
Language and time zone.
We store the language you use the app in and your time zone, so that notifications and emails (including the daily Global Hour invitation and a weekly summary) reach you in your language at a sensible time. You can turn Global Hour reminders off in Settings and unsubscribe from emails at any time.
Launch diagnostics.
When the app first opens, it reports whether its welcome video played (for example, played or blocked), together with the platform, app version and device type. These reports are not linked to your account and are deleted after 90 days.
Cookies and tracking. Our website, emberdatingapp.org, does not set cookies and does not use analytics or advertising trackers.
2. How We Use Your Information.
- Create and manage your account and profile.
- Recommend matches and power discovery, the map, and compatibility features.
- Enable messaging and other interactions between users.
- Verify identity, age, and location to keep Ember authentic and adults-only.
- Process subscriptions and purchases and provide premium features.
- Send service messages and, where enabled, push notifications.
- Detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, abuse, and violations of our rules.
- Send notifications and emails in your app language, including the Global Hour invitation and a weekly summary.
- Give invitation rewards and run the ambassador program.
- With the consent of both members, share a success story.
- Publish aggregated statistics that cannot identify anyone (see below).
- Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms.
3. How We Share Information.
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as described below.
| Recipient | Purpose |
|---|---|
| The public (aggregated statistics) | Anonymous totals on our trust page and monthly Love Map, such as the number of verified members, bans issued, and the most-liked routes between countries. Any group smaller than three people is never shown, and nothing published can identify an individual. |
| Other users | The profile content you choose to display is visible to other members. |
| Didit | Identity, age, and document verification, including checks for duplicate accounts. |
| Cloudinary | Storage and delivery of photos, voice, and video. |
| Google (Firebase / Play) & Apple | Push notifications, sign-in, and in-app purchases. |
| RevenueCat & Authorize.net | Processing and managing subscriptions and payments. |
| Amazon Web Services | Cloud hosting, data storage, and automatic screening of uploaded photos. |
| Google Cloud Translation | Translating messages between members’ languages. |
| Cloudflare | Relaying voice and video calls, encrypted, when a direct connection is not possible. |
| Legal & safety | Authorities or third parties where required by law, or to protect users’ safety and our rights. |
If Ember is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction; we will notify you of any change in ownership or use of your personal information.
4. Your Rights and Choices.
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, or export your personal information, and to object to certain processing. Residents of the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom have rights under the GDPR; California residents have rights under the CCPA/CPRA, including the right not to be discriminated against for exercising them.
- Access and edit: most profile information can be viewed and updated directly in the app.
- Delete your account: you can delete your account in the app, or on the web at emberdatingapp.org/delete-account.html.
- Other requests: contact us at privacy@emberdatingapp.org to exercise any of your rights.
5. Data Retention.
We keep your information for as long as your account is active. When you request deletion, your account is deactivated and scheduled for permanent deletion after a 30-day grace period, during which you can reactivate by signing back in. After that period we delete or de-identify your personal information, except where we must retain certain records (for example, transaction records or information needed for safety, legal, or fraud-prevention purposes).
6. Security.
We use technical and organizational safeguards to protect your information, including encryption of data in transit and hashing of passwords. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we work to protect your data and to address vulnerabilities promptly.
7. Age Requirement.
Ember is strictly for adults aged 18 and older (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, if higher). We do not knowingly allow anyone under 18 to use the service or collect their information. If we learn that someone under 18 has created an account, we will remove it.
8. International Data Transfers.
Ember is operated from the United States, and your information is processed and stored on servers located in the United States. If you use Ember from outside the United States, you understand that your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States, where data-protection laws may differ from those in your country.
9. Changes to This Policy.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date above and, where appropriate, notify you in the app. Your continued use of Ember after an update means you accept the revised policy.
10. Contact Us.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, contact us at privacy@emberdatingapp.org.
You can also write to us at: Ember Dating App, Inc., c/o Legalinc Corporate Services Inc., 131 Continental Drive, Suite 305, Newark, DE 19713, United States.