SouthStarter Privacy Policy

Effective date: ⟨25th of September 2025 Month

Who we are. SouthStarter, Inc. (“SouthStarter,” “we,” “us,” or “our”)
Address. 2261 Market Street STE 85707, San Francisco, CA 94114, USA
Contact. info@southstarter.com (general) • DPO: Harry Federspiel — harry@southstarter.com

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect personal information when you use southstarter.com, app.southstarter.com, and our WhatsApp experiences (together, the “Services”). By using the Services, you agree to this Policy.

1) What we collect

A. Information you provide to us

  • Account & profile: name, email, role, company/organization, optional phone.

  • Content & communications: messages you send through our platform (including WhatsApp), briefings you submit, files you upload, feedback, and support requests.

  • Transactions: limited billing details (handled by our payment processor; we do not store full card numbers).

B. Information we collect automatically

  • Usage & device data: IP address, browser, OS, device identifiers, pages viewed, timestamps, referring URLs, feature interactions, and basic diagnostics/crash logs.

  • Cookies/local storage: only what’s necessary for authentication, security, and basic functionality (see Cookies, §8).

C. Information from third parties

  • Introductions & partners: if another user proposes a double-opt-in introduction, we may receive limited profile details to enable the intro.

  • Public sources: professional information (e.g., business title, company, public social profile links) to verify or enrich business context.

  • Note: We do not collect sensitive data (government IDs, health data, etc.).

2) How we use your information (and legal bases)

  • Provide and operate the Services (account creation, authentication, core features, double-opt-in introductions, and WhatsApp interactions). (Contract)

  • Customer support and service communications (respond to inquiries, send important notices). (Contract; Legitimate interests)

  • Improve and secure the Services (troubleshooting, analytics in aggregate, preventing abuse/fraud, safety monitoring). (Legitimate interests; Legal obligations as applicable)

  • Payments and accounting. (Contract; Legal obligations)

  • Marketing communications (product updates or newsletters) only with your consent or as permitted by law. (Consent/Opt-out)

We do not make solely automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects. We may use limited personalization to improve match recommendations; you can object where applicable (see Your rights, §6).

3) Sharing your information

We don’t sell your personal information. We share it only with:

  • Service providers (processors): hosting, infrastructure, security, email/SMS/WhatsApp delivery, logging/monitoring, and payments—bound by confidentiality and data processing terms.

  • Introductions you approve: if you accept a double-opt-in intro, we share the minimum necessary profile details (e.g., name, role, company, and the context of the intro) with the counterparties you chose.

  • Legal and safety: to comply with law, enforce terms, or protect rights, safety, and security.

  • Corporate transactions: if we are involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, your data may transfer under this Policy.

4) International data transfers

We are headquartered in the United States. If you are in the EU/UK or other regions with data transfer rules, we rely on appropriate safeguards (e.g., Standard Contractual Clauses) when personal data is transferred to the U.S. or other non-EEA countries.
EU/UK Art. 27 representative: ⟨Not appointed; will update here if designated⟩.

5) Data retention

We keep personal data only as long as needed for the purposes above, then delete or anonymize it.

  • Account data: kept for your account’s lifetime and deleted within a reasonable period after closure (typically 90 days), unless needed longer for legal, security, or dispute purposes.

  • Support requests & logs: typically 12 months, unless needed longer for security or dispute resolution.

  • Transaction records: retained for 7 years to meet tax and accounting requirements.

6) Your rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict or object to processing, and data portability. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.
To exercise rights, email info@southstarter.com (or harry@southstarter.com for privacy inquiries). We’ll verify your identity and respond within the timelines required by law.
If you’re in the EU/UK, you can also lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. If applicable, we will list our EU representative here once appointed.

For California residents, we handle personal information in accordance with the CPRA/CCPA; you have the right to know, delete, correct, and opt out of certain sharing. To exercise these rights, contact us at the email above.

7) Security

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal data, including encryption in transit (HTTPS), access controls and least-privilege, audit logging, and regular backups. No method is 100% secure; if a breach affects your data, we will notify you as required by law.

8) Cookies and similar technologies

We currently use only essential cookies/local storage necessary for login, session management, and security. We do not use marketing/advertising cookies. If we introduce non-essential cookies in the future, we will update this Policy and—where required—request your consent.

9) WhatsApp and other messaging channels

If you interact with us via WhatsApp, your messages are processed to deliver requested features (e.g., intake, coordination for double-opt-in introductions, scheduling). WhatsApp is provided by Meta Platforms; your use of WhatsApp is also subject to their terms and privacy policy. We store only the information necessary to provide our Services and support.

10) Children’s privacy

Our Services are not intended for children under 13 (or under 16 in the EU without parental consent). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided information, contact us to delete it.

11) Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version with a new Effective date, and, if changes are material, provide additional notice (e.g., email or in-app).

12) Contact us

Questions or requests about this Policy: info@southstarter.com
DPO: harry@southstarter.com
Postal: SouthStarter, Inc., 2261 Market Street STE 85707, San Francisco, CA 94114, USA