Your information, kept small and kept safe

What we collect

To match you

Your first name, city and state (or country), time zone, the times you’re free (only if you have a weekly crew), your activities, how you like to talk, the languages you speak and your year of birth.

Only if you choose to share it

Gender and table preference, relationship status, number of children, what fits your week (work, school or home life), your school, dietary needs, your birthday, seating preference, whether you're open to more than friendship, languages you're learning, whether you're open to meeting in person, a mobile number for text reminders and a bring-a-friend code.

After sessions

Your check-ins: whether you came, how it went, who you’d like to see again, any report or block, and a one-time “would you recommend Alongside?” answer.

Research questions (only with consent)

Three short wellbeing questions at sign-up and every four weeks, and how well each table fit you. These are used, without names, to see whether Alongside helps people feel less lonely.

To sign you in

Your email address, used only for sign-in links and reminders.

Who can see what

Your table

Your first name, your city and state, your age (unless you hide it), your birthday (if you allow it) and anything you post in table notes.

People you both said yes to

Your messages to them, and how to reach you if you choose to share it, only while you both still want to stay in touch. Messages are seen only by the two of you. If you report a conversation, the reported person's recent messages are sent to organizers with your report.

Only you

Your private notes about tablemates. Your check-in answers are never shown to your table, and people are never told who reported or blocked them.

Organizers

Your profile, check-ins and reports, so they can run matching, keep tables safe and follow up on reports.

Avoid people I know

Phone numbers and emails you list are scrambled with a secret key as soon as you add them. We keep only the scrambled version, a short hint (like the last two digits) and your note, and nobody can see your list but you.

Open to more

Completely private. Nobody can see whether you turned it on. A tablemate only finds out if you both chose each other.

Meetups

Meetups you post (title, place, time and your first name) are shown to members in your city. People going see each other's first names and notes. Places and events come from OpenStreetMap, Google and Ticketmaster; we send them only the city you search, never who you are.

Live tables

When you host or join one, the people at it see your first name. The host's first name and what they're doing are shown to members who could join.

Find someone now

While you're looking for company, a few members who'd fit (people you've met first) may get an alert with your first name and what you're doing. Nobody you blocked or are avoiding is ever alerted. When you're seated, the people at your table see your first name, pronouns, and your age and birthday only if you allow it.

Your organization

If you joined with a code from a school, employer or group, its organizers can see your profile, attendance and any reports you file.

Nobody else

There are no public profiles. Other members can’t search for you or see your details.

Services we use

Video calls

Calls run inside Alongside and go straight between the people at the table, encrypted. When a direct path is blocked (some work or school Wi-Fi), the encrypted call passes through Cloudflare, which can’t see or hear it. The noise filter runs on your own device. Alongside never records calls, and the house rules don’t allow anyone else to.

Hosting

Your account and data are stored with Supabase, and the site runs on Vercel.

Who's at a table right now

While you're in a table's call, your page checks in every 30 seconds so others can see who's there and whether you're just listening. Once you leave, the table only keeps that you were there, for check-ins and “people you've met”.

Photos in messages

Photos you send in a message are shrunk on your phone, stored privately and can only be opened by you and the person you sent them to. If you delete a message, its words and photo are removed for both of you.

Your location (Explore)

Only if you turn it on. Your phone shares a rough position (about a city block) so Explore can list places near you. It's used for that one search and never saved, and nobody else sees it. You can turn it off any time in your phone's settings.

Your profile photo

Optional. Your phone shrinks it to a small square before upload, which also strips the location and camera details photos usually carry. It's stored with Supabase and shown only to people you share a table with (and organizers, if it's reported). Remove it any time in Settings and it's deleted.

Your phone number

Optional. If you add it, it's used for text reminders only when you ask for them, and in scrambled form so people who already know you can choose not to be seated with you. No member ever sees it.

Phone notifications

If you turn on alerts, your browser gives us a notification address (not your phone number). We send at most 3 a day, and you can turn them off any time.

Text messages

If you turn on text reminders, your mobile number is used only to send them (through Twilio, if the organizer has set it up). Reply STOP to stop.

Emails

Sign-in links and reminders are sent by email (through Resend, if the organizer has set it up).

AI welcomes

If turned on, Claude by Anthropic writes each table’s one-line welcome. It’s given only the activity, the time and the general conversation style, never names or contact details.

Your choices

• Change or remove any optional answer in Settings at any time.
• Hide your age or birthday from your table.
• Add, change or remove your profile photo. Without one, people see your first initial.
• Pause matching whenever you need a break.
• Withdraw a stay-in-touch yes, which hides your contact again.
• Block someone so you’re never seated with them again.
• Delete your account any time with Delete my account in Settings. This permanently removes your sign-in, profile, photos, messages and history straight away. Organizers keep any safety reports other members made about you, so a deleted account can’t be used to dodge a report.