Privacy Policy
We don’t know who you are. We never ask for a name, phone, or ID — so we can’t lose it, sell it, or hand it over. That data was never here.
Email is only for signing you back in. Not even your anonymous email next to a vote — not on the feed, not on the map, not in findings. Demographics power the stats. Change them anytime from the menu.
1. Who we are
This policy applies to the TOPICS service at https://topics.now, including the website, Progressive Web App, and the Android app that displays the same web experience (package now.topics.app).
2. What we collect
- Account email — when you sign up or sign in with email (one-time codes). Used to authenticate you and restore your votes and topics.
- Demographics you choose — e.g. sex, age band, culture, belief, education, vocation, and location (you pick a place suggestion; we store structured fields such as country and region). If you tap Use my geolocation, we receive a one-shot location from your device to suggest a place — not an ongoing track of your movements.
- Votes and topics — statements you publish, cover images you attach, and YES/NO votes.
- Device / session identifiers — cookies and a device id so guests can use the app before email signup and so sessions stay signed in.
- Technical logs — typical server logs (IP, user agent, timestamps) for security, abuse prevention, and reliability.
- Optional diagnostics — text you submit via in-app bug report.
3. How we use data
- Run TOPICS: auth, publishing, voting, results, and maps.
- Compute aggregate statistics and demographic breakdowns (with minimum counts so thin cells are not shown as precise findings).
- Prevent abuse and keep the service available.
- Improve the product using aggregated patterns.
- We may use and share anonymous aggregate voting statistics (group totals and patterns with no emails and no individual votes) — including for commercial purposes such as brand insights.
4. Companies that help us run the app
We use a few outside companies to host TOPICS and power features (servers, database, email codes, AI text helpers, cover image search, and location suggestions). They only get what they need to do that job — not to build ads about you. Depending on features in use, that can include:
- Vercel — hosting and delivery of the web app
- Neon — database storage
- Resend — sending one-time sign-in codes
- xAI — optional AI features such as title translation and cover/poster text suggestions
- Pexels — optional cover image search
- Open-Meteo — location place suggestions
Each of those companies has its own terms. They only process what is needed for the feature they provide.
5. What we don’t have vs what the app keeps
We don’t have: your real-world identity. No name, phone, or ID — we never collected it, so it isn’t ours to lose or reveal.
We keep to run the app: sign-in email (if you made an account), the demographics you chose, your topics and votes, and basic session data.
Everyone else sees: aggregates only. Not even your anonymous email next to a vote. Demographic breakdowns appear only when enough votes exist in a cell.
6. Community rules and reporting
TOPICS is for short YES/NO statements and covers. Do not publish illegal content, child sexual abuse or exploitation material, or content that harasses, threatens, or promotes hate or violence. We may remove content that breaks these rules and limit accounts that abuse the service.
If you see a topic that breaks these rules, use Hide and report on that topic in the app (Hide only | Hide and report | Cancel), or email privacy@topics.now. Hide only removes it from your view; Hide and report also flags it for us to review.
By publishing a topic you agree to these rules.
7. Sharing and links
Topic links you share expose the topic and its public tallies — not your email. If the law requires it, or we must stop abuse or a security threat, we can only provide what we actually store (for example sign-in email and votes) — not a name or ID we never had.
8. Security
We use HTTPS and standard cloud security practices. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure; please use a unique password manager habit for your email account that receives login codes.
9. Retention and deletion
We keep account, vote, and topic data while needed to operate TOPICS. Guest topics and votes drop off the public feed (HOT) after about 30 minutes; they can stay saved for you locally / after signup under product rules. You can delete your account from the in-app menu (delete account / delete guest). You can also contact us below. Some security logs may remain for a limited time.
You can delete a topic you posted without deleting your account. In the app, open that topic, tap the trash control, and confirm DELETE. That topic and its cover leave the public feed. This cannot be undone. Your account, email, demographics, and other topics and votes stay. If you cannot use the app, email privacy@topics.now with the topic link and ask us to remove that topic. Hide only only removes a topic from your view. It is not deletion.
10. Children
TOPICS is not directed at children under 13 (or the minimum age required in your country). Do not use the service if you are under that age.
11. Where the app runs
TOPICS is hosted in the cloud. The companies listed above (for example hosting and database) may store or process data in the United States and other countries where they operate. If you use TOPICS from another country, your account data may be handled there as part of running the service.
12. Your choices
- Edit demographics from the in-app menu.
- Sign out; clear site data to drop local caches.
- Delete your account from the in-app menu (delete account / delete guest).
- Delete a topic you posted (trash control in the app, or email privacy@topics.now with the topic link). This does not delete your account.
- Hide a topic (Hide only) or Hide and report from the topic hide action; find them under Hidden topics / Reported topics.
- Request access or help via the contact below or Report a bug in Settings.
13. Contact
Privacy: privacy@topics.now
Or use Hide and report on a topic, or Report a bug in Settings in the app.
14. Changes
We may update this policy. The date at the top will change when we do. Continued use after an update means you accept the revised policy.