Velm — Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-05-21 · Effective on first use

English

1. What This Policy Covers

This Privacy Policy explains what data Velm ("we", "us") collects, how we use it, and the choices you have. It applies to the Velm iOS app and the Velm backend API hosted at api.velm.live. By using Velm you agree to this Policy and to our Terms of Use & EULA.

2. Data We Collect

Category	What	Why	Linked to You
Identifiers	User ID, device ID (anonymous per install)	Account & session management; abuse prevention	Yes
Contact Info	Apple Sign-In email (proxy or real, as you chose at Apple ID level), optional display name	Account creation, support correspondence	Yes
Precise Location	Device GPS coordinates while the app is in use	Discovering nearby groups within a 100-meter radius. Never shared with third parties.	Yes
User Content	Messages you send, group titles you create, profile fields you fill	Delivering the Service to other users in your group	Yes
Diagnostics	Crash reports, performance metrics (anonymized)	Fixing bugs and improving reliability	No

What we do NOT collect: contacts, photos, microphone, calendar, health data, payment information, advertising identifiers (IDFA), third-party cookies, browser history, or biometric data.

3. How We Use Your Data

Provide the Service: show nearby groups, deliver messages, sync identity exchange.
Safety & moderation: enforce community standards (see Terms §2-5), investigate reports, ban abusers.
Communicate with you: respond to support emails sent to support@velm.live.
Comply with law: respond to lawful requests from government authorities.

We do not sell, rent, or use your data for advertising, tracking, profiling, or model training.

4. Anonymous Identity by Default

Inside every group you join, you are represented by a randomly generated temporary identity (an emoji animal nickname such as "Blue Dolphin" or "Quiet Fox"). Your real "main identity" (real name, avatar, bio) is hidden by default and is only revealed in a specific group when both sides have explicitly accepted a Main Identity Exchange request. Revoking an exchange immediately stops the other side from seeing your real card.

5. Location Data Specifically

Precise location is requested only after you tap a feature that needs it (e.g., creating or joining a nearby group).
Location is sent to api.velm.live only during the relevant API call (group discovery, group creation, join check). It is not continuously tracked.
Location is never shared with third parties, advertisers, or data brokers.
You can revoke location permission at any time from iOS Settings → Velm → Location.

6. Data Retention & Deletion

Messages: retained while the group is active. Groups auto-dismiss when they expire.
Soft-deleted messages (you tapped Delete on your own post): immediately invisible to other users; purged from the backing store within 7 days.
Account deletion: tap Profile → Account → Delete Account in-app. We hard-delete your identity, messages, location records, and Apple Sign-In binding within 24 hours. A data export is also available from the same screen before deletion.

7. Children

Velm is rated 17+/18+ and is not intended for children under 17. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have, contact support@velm.live and we will delete it.

8. Security

All traffic between the app and the API is encrypted with TLS 1.2+ (HSTS, modern cipher suites).
Authentication uses Apple Sign-In with replay-protection nonces; no passwords are ever stored.
Server access is restricted, logged, and protected by SSH key authentication.

9. International Users

Velm's servers are operated in the United States. By using Velm from outside the US, you consent to the transfer of your data to and processing in the US. We comply with applicable data-protection laws including GDPR for EEA users (data subject rights via support@velm.live) and CCPA for California residents.

10. Contact

Questions, data requests, or complaints: support@velm.live. We respond within one business day. The same address is reachable inside the app at Profile → Report & feedback.

11. Changes to This Policy

We will post material changes on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Continued use after such changes constitutes acceptance.

简体中文

Velm 隐私政策

1. 政策适用范围

本《隐私政策》说明 Velm（"我们"）收集哪些数据、如何使用、以及你的选择。本政策适用于 Velm iOS 客户端及位于 api.velm.live 的后端服务。使用 Velm 即表示你接受本政策与《使用条款与 EULA》。

2. 我们收集的数据

类别	具体内容	用途	是否关联身份
标识符	用户 ID、设备 ID（按安装匿名）	账号与会话管理；防止滥用	是
联系信息	Apple Sign-In 邮箱（你在 Apple ID 层选的真实或代理邮箱）、可选昵称	账号创建、客服沟通	是
精确位置	App 使用期间的设备 GPS 坐标	发现 100 米半径内的临时群聊。从不与第三方共享。	是
用户内容	你发送的消息、创建的群标题、填写的资料字段	向同群成员投递服务内容	是
诊断信息	崩溃日志、性能指标（已匿名化）	修 bug、提升稳定性	否

我们不收集：通讯录、相册、麦克风、日历、健康数据、支付信息、广告标识符（IDFA）、第三方 Cookie、浏览历史、生物特征数据。

3. 数据用途

提供服务：展示附近群聊、投递消息、同步主身份交换。
安全与审核：执行社区准则（见条款 §2-5），调查举报，封禁违规用户。
与你沟通：回复发送至 support@velm.live 的客服邮件。
合规需要：响应政府机构的合法请求。

我们不出售、出租你的数据，不将其用于广告、追踪、画像或模型训练。

4. 默认匿名身份

在你加入的每个群里，你都以随机生成的临时身份出现（emoji 动物昵称，例如"蓝色海豚""安静的狐狸"）。你的真实"主身份"（真名、头像、简介）默认隐藏；只有当双方都明确接受"主身份交换"请求后，才会在该群内向对方显示。撤销交换后，对方将立刻无法再看到你的真实卡片。

5. 关于位置数据

精确位置仅在你触发需要它的功能（如创建/加入附近群）时才请求。
位置信息仅在相关 API 调用（群发现、群创建、加群核验）期间发送给 api.velm.live，不会持续追踪。
位置数据绝不共享给第三方、广告商或数据中介。
你可以随时在 iOS 设置 → Velm → 位置中撤销位置权限。

6. 数据保留与删除

消息：群聊有效期内保留；群过期自动解散。
软删除消息（你对自己发的消息点了"删除"）：立即对他人不可见；7 天内从存储中清理。
账号注销：App 内"我的 → 账号 → 注销账号"。我们将在 24 小时内彻底删除 你的身份、消息、位置记录、Apple Sign-In 绑定。注销前可在同一页面导出数据。

7. 未成年人

Velm 分级为 17+/18+，不面向未满 17 岁的未成年人。我们不会有意收集 13 岁以下儿童的个人信息。若你认为我们误收，请联系 support@velm.live，我们会删除。

8. 安全

App 与 API 之间的所有流量使用 TLS 1.2+ 加密（HSTS，现代密码套件）。
认证使用 Apple Sign-In + 防重放 nonce；从不存储密码。
服务器访问受限、有日志，且仅允许 SSH 密钥认证。

9. 国际用户

Velm 服务器运营于美国。若你从美国境外使用 Velm，即表示同意将你的数据传输至美国并在美国处理。我们遵守适用的数据保护法律，包括欧洲经济区用户的 GDPR（通过 support@velm.live 行使数据主体权利）和加州居民的 CCPA。

10. 联系我们

问题、数据请求或投诉：support@velm.live。我们承诺一个工作日内回复。应用内同样入口在"我的"→"举报与反馈"。

11. 政策变更

重大变更我们会在本页面更新并标注新的"最后更新"日期。变更后继续使用本服务即视为接受。