privacy policy

1. Notice

When we collect information that can identify you, we will tell you what we are asking for and why. That usually happens when you create an account, update your profile, post content, invite someone, or change a privacy setting. On the website we may also ask for permission to use cookies that are not strictly necessary.

If we introduce a new use of personal data that is not covered by this policy, we will ask for your permission before using your data for that purpose, unless the law allows us to proceed without it.

2. Your consent

You can choose what to share with us. Some information is required for Yankee to work (for example, an email address or phone number to create an account, and the content you decide to post). If you do not want to provide that information, you may not be able to use the related features.

For optional data, such as marketing cookies or non-essential product emails, you can refuse without losing access to the core product. By creating an account or continuing to use Yankee after being shown this policy, you agree that we may process your information as described here.

3. What we collect

3.1 Account information

When you sign up or manage your profile, we may collect:

• Name, username, display name, and profile photo
• Email address and/or phone number
• Password or authentication credentials (stored in hashed form)
• Account settings, language, and notification preferences
• Contacts you choose to invite or sync, if you grant that permission

3.2 Content you create

When you post or share on Yankee, we will store that content so we can show it to the people you intend. This can include posts, comments, reactions, photos, videos, captions, community content, memory items, and drafts. Visibility will depend on the audience you choose (for example public, followers, a community, or a private circle).

Direct messages and calls are designed to be end-to-end encrypted. That means the message content will be encrypted on your device and can be read by the intended recipients on their devices. Yankee will not keep a readable copy of those message contents for our own use. We may still store metadata needed to deliver the message (such as who sent it, when, and to whom).

3.3 Usage and technical data

To keep the service reliable and safe, we collect limited technical and usage information, such as:

• Device type, operating system, app version, and browser type
• IP address, approximate location derived from IP, and timestamps
• Crash logs, performance metrics, and diagnostic events
• Actions needed for security and abuse prevention (for example login attempts)

We do not build advertising profiles from this data, and we do not sell it to data brokers.

3.4 Cookies and similar technologies

On our website we may use cookies or local storage for signing in, remembering preferences, and understanding how the site is used. Essential cookies are needed for basic function. Optional cookies, if any, will be presented so you can accept or refuse them.

4. How we use your data

We use personal data to:

• Provide, operate, and improve Yankee (feeds, posts, communities, memory, reach, notifications)
• Authenticate you and secure your account
• Deliver content to the audiences you choose
• Send service emails (password resets, security alerts, important product notices)
• Respond to support requests and reports of abuse
• Detect spam, fraud, and violations of our terms
• Comply with law and enforce our agreements
• Understand aggregate usage so we can fix bugs and improve reliability

If you opt in to product updates or newsletters, we may also email you about new features. You can unsubscribe at any time.

5. Sharing and third parties

We do not sell your personal information. We do not share your content with advertising networks. We only share data when it is needed to run Yankee, when you ask us to, or when the law requires it.

Typical categories of service providers include:

• Cloud hosting and storage
• Email and push notification delivery
• Crash reporting and infrastructure monitoring
• Customer support tooling
• App distribution platforms (such as the Apple App Store)

These providers process data on our instructions and are expected to protect it under appropriate agreements. They are not allowed to use your Yankee content for their own advertising.

We may disclose information if required by a valid legal process (for example a court order or lawful request from law enforcement). Where legally allowed, we will try to notify you before disclosing your information.

If Yankee is involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you before your data becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

6. Storage, security, and retention

We will store data on servers operated by us or our infrastructure providers. Where available, you may be able to choose a region for encrypted backups (for example EU or US). We use industry-standard measures such as encryption in transit (TLS), access controls, and hashed passwords.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We work to protect your data, but we cannot guarantee absolute security.

We keep account and content data for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the service. If you delete your account, we begin removing personal data from active systems. In most cases this completes within 30 days. Encrypted backups and residual copies in disaster-recovery systems may take longer to expire naturally.

We may retain limited information longer when required by law, to resolve disputes, to prevent abuse, or to enforce our terms (for example records of a ban).

7. Your rights

Depending on where you live (including under the GDPR and similar laws), you may have rights to:

• Access — ask for a copy of personal data we hold about you
• Rectification — correct inaccurate information
• Erasure — ask us to delete personal data, subject to legal limits
• Restriction — ask us to limit processing in certain cases
• Portability — receive data you provided in a portable format, where technically feasible
• Objection — object to certain processing, including direct marketing
• Withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent

Many of these actions are available in account settings (edit profile, export, delete account). For anything else, email yankee@foretheist.com. We aim to respond within five business days, and no later than the timeframe required by applicable law.

If you are in the European Economic Area or UK, you may also lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

8. Children

Yankee is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age required in your country). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children below that age. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

9. International transfers

Yankee may process data in the United States and other countries where we or our providers operate. When we transfer personal data across borders, we use appropriate safeguards required by applicable law (such as standard contractual clauses where relevant).

10. Opting out

You can turn off non-essential product emails using the unsubscribe link in those messages, or from your notification settings. You can also disable optional permissions on your device (contacts, camera, microphone, notifications) at any time. Doing so may limit related features.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy as Yankee changes. When we make material changes, we will post the updated policy here and update the "Last updated" date. Where required, we will also notify you in the app or by email before the changes take effect. If you do not agree with the updated policy, you should stop using Yankee and may delete your account.

12. Contact

Questions about this privacy policy, or requests to exercise your privacy rights, can be sent to:

Yankee LLC, a Foretheist product
Email: yankee@foretheist.com