Next Friend – Privacy Policy

Introduction

NEXT FRIEND ("we," "us," or "our") is part of the NEXT ecosystem, designed to help users build meaningful friendships, find mentors, and share knowledge.

This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and share your information when you use our mobile application ("App") available on Android and iOS, and any connected experiences such as Next Chat.

By using the App, you agree to this Privacy Policy and acknowledge that limited account data may be securely shared within the Next ecosystem to enable seamless switching between Next Friend and Next Chat.

User Consent

Before collecting and processing your personal data, we will request your explicit consent. This includes:

• Biometric Authentication: If enabled, biometric login (Face ID or fingerprint) is handled entirely by your device. We do not store biometric data on our servers.
• Location Access: If you choose to enable location, it helps improve mentor discovery, recommendations, and relevant matches nearby.
• AI Features: Next Friend uses AI capabilities provided by Next Chat, including smart mentor suggestions, interest matching, and content assistance. No AI image generation or travel planning is performed here.
• Linked Accounts (Next Chat): When switching between Next Friend and Next Chat, your account identity and limited preferences may be shared securely to provide continuity.
• Financial and Wallet Information: For mentor bookings and in-app purchases of NEXT Tokens, you may provide card or bank details, processed only through secure, encrypted payment gateways.
• How to Withdraw Consent: You can change your permissions anytime under App Settings or request account deletion through the App or by contacting us.

Information We Collect

We may collect the following information when you use Next Friend:

• Profile Information: Your name, age, gender, date of birth, photo, address, interests, languages, mentor details, and availability hours.
• Profile Photos: Stored securely and shared only within the Next ecosystem during account switching.
• Reels: Media you post are stored as long as you choose to keep them and shown based on your privacy settings.
• Mentor Sessions and Bookings: Session details such as dates, times, duration, rates, and related reviews. Audio or video from sessions is not stored unless needed for dispute resolution. The sessions are conducted through third-party i.e. Google Meet.
• Financial Data and Wallet: Transactions using NEXT Tokens, wallet balances, and linked payment details are processed using encryption and industry-standard security.
• Biometric Data: Used only for secure login, never stored on our servers.
• Device Information: Basic details (model, OS version, App version) collected for performance and security.
• Linked Account Information: User ID, session token, and profile photo shared securely to maintain continuity between Next Friend and Next Chat.

How We Use Your Information

We use your data to:

• Enable friend discovery, mentor sessions, and booking functionality.
• Authenticate users securely.
• Process payments and manage wallet balances.
• Provide AI-driven mentor and content recommendations.
• Support cross-app functionality with Next Chat.
• Improve performance, personalization, and security.
• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements.

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your data. However, we may share limited information as follows:

• With Trusted Service Providers: For hosting, AI processing, payments, and app operations under strict confidentiality agreements.
• For Cross-App Services: Limited profile and authentication data shared with Next Chat for account continuity.
• For Mentor Transactions: Session and payment details shared with mentors and mentees to complete bookings.
• For Legal Compliance: When required by law or court order.
• For Fraud Prevention and Security: To protect users and systems against unauthorized activities.

Your Rights and Choices

You may:

• Update or delete your profile photo and personal information anytime.
• Manage visibility of your reels, and mentor availability.
• Enable or disable contact sync and location access.
• Withdraw consent or permanently delete your account via App Settings or by contacting us.

Data Security

We use multiple layers of security to protect your data:

• End-to-end encryption for messages and transactions.
• Secure authentication mechanisms and biometric options.
• Regular security audits and vulnerability testing.

While we strive for complete security, no system is 100% risk-free. You are encouraged to avoid sharing sensitive details in public spaces.

Cross-App Data Handling

When you switch between Next Friend and Next Chat, limited information such as your user ID, profile photo, and session token is shared securely to maintain a smooth experience.

Private chats, financial records, or mentor session data are never shared between apps.

Data Retention

• Profile and booking data are retained while your account is active.
• Financial transactions and wallet records may be stored for up to seven years to meet legal requirements.
• Once your account is deleted, personal data is permanently removed within 30 days unless law requires otherwise.

Children's Privacy

Next Friend is not intended for children under 13 years of age. If we discover data from a child under 13 was collected without parental consent, we will delete it immediately.

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