Personal Data Protection Policy
Last updated: 26 September 2026 · Read with our Privacy Policy
Your data, right now
These tools use the anonymous device ID stored in this browser. They only work on the browser you use Strangely with.
Device ID: —
1. Our commitment
Strangely is built to need as little personal data as possible. You can use it without giving us your name, email or phone number. This policy explains the principles we follow, the legal bases we rely on, and how you can exercise your rights. It is written to meet the standards of the EU and UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applies to everyone, wherever they live, including users in Pakistan, India and the Gulf.
2. Principles we follow
- Lawful, fair and transparent — we tell you in plain language what happens to your data.
- Purpose limitation — data collected for matching, friends or safety is used only for that.
- Data minimisation — no accounts, no recordings, no chat storage, no analytics.
- Accuracy — your preferences are yours to edit at any time in the app.
- Storage limitation — short, fixed retention periods (see the retention table); old reports are deleted automatically every hour.
- Integrity and confidentiality — HTTPS everywhere, end-to-end encrypted calls, random unguessable device IDs.
- Accountability — we keep this policy up to date and answer every data request.
3. Legal bases
| Purpose | Data | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Matching you with someone and running the call | Device ID, preferences, IP address (in memory) | Performance of our service to you (contract) |
| Friends and "talk again" | Pairs of device IDs, nicknames | Contract — you both asked for it |
| Blocking, reports, trust score, suspensions | Device IDs, report reason, chat evidence | Legitimate interest in keeping users safe; legal obligation where applicable |
| Live captions | Your own speech, processed by your browser | Your consent (off by default, switch off any time) |
| Answering messages and complaints | What you write, optional email, optional device ID | Legitimate interest in handling your request |
4. Your rights
- Access and portability — Download my data above gives you everything our server holds about this device in a machine-readable file.
- Erasure — Delete my data removes your friends and blocks and anonymises reports you filed. Clear this device wipes your preferences, history and device ID from this browser.
- Rectification — change your nickname, languages and other preferences in the app's Filters.
- Objection and restriction — you can object to safety processing; tell us through the complaints bot.
- Automated decisions — automatic suspensions (three different reporters in 24 hours) last one hour. You can ask a human to review any suspension.
- Withdraw consent — switch captions off in Settings at any time.
What we keep even after "Delete my data", and why: reports against your device (for 24 hours), an active suspension, and your trust score. These protect other people and would be pointless if they could be wiped by the person they concern. You can still ask us to review them.
We answer requests sent through the contact page within 30 days (usually much sooner). We will never charge you, unless requests are clearly unfounded or excessive.
5. Security measures
- HTTPS with a trusted certificate; plain HTTP is redirected.
- Voice encrypted end-to-end (WebRTC DTLS-SRTP); relays cannot decrypt it.
- Server-side filtering of links, handles and phone numbers in chat and room tools.
- Rate limits on messages and complaints; message size limits.
- Operator-only access to the server's data files; no third-party analytics or ad scripts.
6. Data breaches
If a breach is likely to put your rights at risk, we will notify the competent data protection authority within 72 hours where required, and tell affected users in the app without undue delay.
7. Children
Strangely is strictly 18+. A report of "Seems under 18" blocks that person for the reporter and counts towards automatic suspension. You can also tell us directly through the complaints bot. Any data we learn belongs to a child is deleted.
8. International transfers
Our hosting and some service providers are outside some users' countries. Where the law requires, transfers are protected by appropriate safeguards (such as standard contractual clauses).
9. Complaints to an authority
We'd like the chance to fix things first — please use the complaints bot. You also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority (for example the ICO in the UK, or the supervisory authority in your EU country).
10. Contact
Data protection questions and requests: contact page (choose "Privacy / my data").