Privacy policy
At Expat Mates ("we", "our", "us"), we're committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how we handle your personal information. This policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, and your rights regarding your information. If you have any questions, please contact us – we're here to help.
What Information We Collect
To provide you with the best community experience and connect you with fellow global travelers, we collect and process the following information:
Information You Provide Directly:
- Account Information: Your name or username, email address, and password (encrypted)
- Profile Information: Home country, current location, destination country, relocation status, industry/profession, languages spoken, and any other details you choose to share on your profile
- Content You Create: Posts, comments, threads, direct messages, success stories, and any other content you contribute to the community
- Communication: Messages you send through our contact forms, support requests, or direct messages to other members
- Payment Information: If you purchase premium membership or services, payment details are processed securely by our payment processor (we never store full credit card details)
- Verification Documents: If you apply for verified member status, we may collect identification documents (stored securely and only accessible to authorized staff)
Information We Collect Automatically:
- Technical Information: IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, and referring website
- Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on site, links clicked, search queries, and interaction with features
- Location Data: Approximate location based on IP address (not precise GPS location)
- Cookies and Similar Technologies: See our detailed cookie policy below
Information From Third Parties:
- Social Media: If you link social media accounts or sign up through social login, we may receive basic profile information
- Analytics Providers: We use services like Google Analytics to understand how our community is used
How We Use Your Information
We use your personal information to provide, improve, and personalize your Expat Mates experience:
Core Community Functions:
- Create and manage your account
- Enable you to post content, comment, and participate in discussions
- Connect you with other members based on shared interests, locations, or journey stages
- Display your profile and content to other community members
- Process your membership payments and manage subscriptions
Communication & Engagement:
- Send you notifications about replies, mentions, messages, and relevant community activity (you can control these in your settings)
- Deliver newsletters, weekly digests, and important community announcements (you can opt out anytime)
- Respond to your support requests and questions
- Invite you to events, webinars, and opportunities that match your interests
- Send you personalized recommendations based on your profile and activity
Safety & Security:
- Detect and prevent spam, fraud, abuse, and security incidents
- Enforce our community guidelines and terms of service
- Verify member identities for our verified member program
- Maintain the security and integrity of our platform
Improvement & Analytics:
- Analyze usage patterns to improve features and user experience
- Conduct research and surveys (with your consent)
- Test new features and optimize performance
- Generate anonymized, aggregated statistics about our community
Legal Compliance:
- Comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests
- Protect our rights, privacy, safety, and property
- Resolve disputes and enforce our agreements
How We Share Your Information
We respect your privacy and only share your information in specific, limited circumstances:
Within the Community:
- Public Profile: Your username, avatar, bio, location (if you choose to share), and public posts are visible to all members and may be visible to search engines
- Private Groups: Content you share in private groups is visible only to group members
- Direct Messages: Only visible to you and the recipient(s)
Service Providers:
We work with trusted third-party service providers who help us operate our platform. They only access information necessary to perform their services and are contractually obligated to protect your data:
- Cloud hosting providers (to store data securely)
- Email service providers (to send notifications and newsletters)
- Payment processors (to handle transactions securely)
- Analytics services (to understand usage patterns)
- Customer support tools (to help resolve your questions)
Business Partners:
- With Your Consent: If you engage with verified service providers, expert contributors, or partners through our platform, we may share relevant information to facilitate that connection
- Aggregated Data: We may share anonymized, aggregated statistics with partners (e.g., "50% of our members are interested in relocating to Canada")
Legal Requirements:
We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or governmental request, or to protect rights, safety, or property.
Business Transfers:
If Expat Mates is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred. We'll notify you before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
We Will Never:
- ❌ Sell your personal information to third parties
- ❌ Share your email address with marketers without your explicit consent
- ❌ Publicly display sensitive information (like verification documents)
- ❌ Use your direct messages for advertising purposes
Your Privacy Controls & Rights
You have control over your information and how it's used. Depending on your location, you may have additional rights under data protection laws.
Account Settings:
- Profile Privacy: Control what information is visible on your profile
- Email Preferences: Choose which emails you receive (notifications, newsletters, opportunities)
- Visibility Settings: Control who can see your activity, send you messages, or find you in search
- Blocking: Block specific members from contacting you or seeing your content
Your Rights:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Correction: Update or correct inaccurate or incomplete information
- Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data (some information may be retained for legal compliance)
- Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, commonly used format
- Objection: Object to processing of your data for certain purposes
- Restriction: Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances
- Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing where we rely on consent
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us. We'll respond within 30 days.
Data Retention
We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide our services and fulfill the purposes described in this policy:
- Active Accounts: We retain your data while your account is active
- Deleted Accounts: When you delete your account, we remove personal information within 90 days, except where we need to retain certain data for legal compliance (e.g., transaction records for 7 years)
- Public Content: Posts and threads may remain visible after account deletion (with username removed) to preserve community discussions, unless you specifically request removal
- Backups: Information may persist in backup systems for up to 90 days after deletion
Keeping Your Data Secure
We take security seriously and use industry-standard measures to protect your information:
- 🔒 Encryption: Data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and at rest
- 🔐 Passwords: Stored using strong, one-way encryption (we never see your actual password)
- 🛡️ Access Controls: Limited staff access to personal data, with strict authorization protocols
- 🔍 Monitoring: Continuous security monitoring and regular security audits
- ⚡ Incident Response: Documented procedures for responding to security breaches
- 📚 Training: Regular security training for all team members
While we implement strong security measures, no system is 100% secure. Please use a strong, unique password and enable two-factor authentication when available.
Cookie Policy
Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us provide and improve our services.
Types of Cookies We Use:
- Essential Cookies: Required for the site to function (logging in, remembering settings). These cannot be disabled.
- Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and personalize your experience (language, theme, timezone)
- Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how the community is used (pages visited, features used, time spent). We use Google Analytics with IP anonymization.
- Advertising Cookies: Used to display relevant ads and measure campaign effectiveness (if you've opted in to marketing)
Managing Cookies:
You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. Note that disabling cookies may affect site functionality. Learn more on our detailed cookie policy page.
Third-Party Cookies:
Some features may use third-party services (embedded videos, social sharing) that set their own cookies. These are governed by their respective privacy policies.
International Data Transfers
Expat Mates serves a global community. Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own, including countries that may have different data protection laws.
When we transfer data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as:
- Standard contractual clauses approved by regulatory authorities
- Adequacy decisions recognizing equivalent data protection
- Service providers certified under recognized data protection frameworks
Children's Privacy
Expat Mates is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18.
If you believe a child under 18 has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately and we will delete it.
Third-Party Links
Our community may contain links to external websites, resources, or services (partner sites, social media, articles). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. Please review their privacy policies before providing any information.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors.
When we make material changes, we will:
- Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
- Notify you via email or prominent notice on the site
- Request your acceptance if required by law
We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.
Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this privacy policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us:
- Email: mates@expatmates.com
- Contact Form: Submit a privacy request
- Mail: Expat Mates Privacy Team, [Your Physical Address]
We aim to respond to all privacy inquiries within 30 days.
Data Protection Officer
If you're in the EU/EEA or UK and have concerns about our data practices, you can contact our Data Protection Officer at mates@expatmates.com.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.
Acceptance of This Policy
By creating an account and using Expat Mates, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this privacy policy.
During registration, we will request your explicit acceptance of this policy. Continued use of our community signifies your ongoing acceptance.
If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our platform.
Last Updated: [Date]
Version: 1.0