Muse Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Muse ("we," "our," or "us"). Muse is a social discovery and dating platform that helps users find like-minded people through music. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application.

By using Muse, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our application.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

• Create an Account: Name, age, date of birth, phone number, email address (optional). Note: Name and age are permanent and cannot be changed after account creation for safety and identity verification purposes.
• Build Your Profile: Profile photos, biography, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, height, political and religious beliefs.
• Complete Prompts: Text responses to profile prompts and selected songs for prompt responses
• Use Communication Features: Messages sent to matched users, likes, comments, and feedback
• Provide Referral Codes: Referral codes you create or use

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Location Data: We collect your precise location (with your permission) to match you with nearby users. You can update your location manually at any time from your setting preferences, and we only show your distance to other users, never your exact coordinates.
• Device Information: Device type, operating system version, unique device identifiers, mobile network information
• Usage Data: App interactions, features used, time spent in the app, cards viewed, matches made
• In-App Music Playback: Songs you choose to play within the Muse app (for our "Top Tracks of the Day" and "Recently Played" carousel features)

2.3 Spotify Integration - Important Clarifications

What We DO Collect:

• Basic Spotify account authentication (to verify you have a Spotify account)
• Playback events when you play songs through Spotify while using Muse
• OAuth tokens to enable Spotify integration and playback control

What We DO NOT Collect:

• ❌ Your Spotify listening history outside of Muse
• ❌ Your saved playlists or libraries from Spotify
• ❌ Your top artists or tracks from Spotify's servers
• ❌ Your Spotify followers or who you follow
• ❌ Your personal Spotify data beyond basic authentication

Technical Detail: We use the Spotify iOS SDK to integrate with Spotify's player. When you play music through Spotify while using Muse, we receive and store playback events from the SDK. This data powers your "Recently Played" carousel (visible on your profile to matches) and our "Top Tracks of the Day" feature (showing what Muse users are listening to in aggregate). We do not use Spotify's Web API to access your personal listening history, saved playlists, or other account data outside of active playback within Muse.

2.4 Information from Third Parties

• Apple Sign In: If you sign in with Apple, we receive your name and email (if you choose to share it)

2.5 Information We Do NOT Collect

• ❌ Microphone or audio recordings (we don't request microphone access)
• ❌ Camera footage or videos (we only access your photo library for profile pictures)
• ❌ Contacts from your address book
• ❌ Browsing history outside of Muse
• ❌ Financial or payment information (Muse is completely free with no in-app purchases)
• ❌ Health or fitness data

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

3.1 Core App Functionality

• Create and manage your account
• Display your profile to other users based on matching preferences
• Match you with compatible users based on location, preferences, and music taste
• Enable communication between matched users
• Power discovery features like Main Discovery, Music Feed, and Live Mode
• Show daily "Top Tracks" based on what Muse users are playing in-app

3.2 Personalization & Recommendations

• Suggest compatible matches based on your preferences and music taste
• Show relevant content in your Music Feed
• Provide music-based insights (if applicable)
• Customize your experience based on your settings

3.3 Safety & Security

• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, spam, and violations of our Terms of Service
• Process and respond to user reports and blocking
• Maintain the security and integrity of our platform

3.4 Communication

• Send you push notifications about new matches, likes, and messages (you can opt out)
• Respond to your support requests and feedback
• Send important service updates and policy changes

3.5 Analytics & Improvement

• Analyze usage patterns to improve app performance and user experience
• Test new features and functionality
• Understand which features are most valuable to users
• Fix bugs and technical issues

3.6 Legal & Compliance

• Comply with legal obligations and law enforcement requests
• Enforce our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines
• Protect our rights, property, and safety, and that of our users

4. How We Share Your Information

4.1 With Other Muse Users

Your profile information is visible to other users for the purpose of matching and connection. What other users can see includes:

• Always Visible: Name, age, profile photos, biography, prompts, and music selections
• Approximate Distance: Your approximate distance from other users (e.g., "5 miles away"). We never show your exact location coordinates or address
• Optional Visibility (Your Control): You can choose to show or hide additional profile information including school, work/occupation, education, religion, ethnicity, political views, and other lifestyle preferences using visibility toggles in Settings

You have full control over which optional profile fields are visible to others. Required fields (name, age, photos) cannot be hidden while actively using the app.

4.2 Service Providers

We share information with trusted third-party service providers who help us operate Muse:

• Supabase: Cloud database and authentication services (data stored in secure, encrypted databases)
• Cloudflare: Content delivery, security, and serverless functions
• OneSignal: Push notification delivery
• Spotify: Music playback authentication (Spotify does not receive your personal data beyond OAuth authentication)

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., court orders, subpoenas, law enforcement).

4.4 Business Transfers

If Muse is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or prominent notice in the app before your information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

4.5 What We DO NOT Do

• ❌ We DO NOT sell your personal information to third parties
• ❌ We DO NOT share your data with advertisers or data brokers
• ❌ We DO NOT use your data for advertising targeting outside of Muse
• ❌ We DO NOT share your Spotify listening data with anyone

5. Data Storage & Security

5.1 Where Your Data is Stored

Your data is stored securely in Supabase's cloud infrastructure, which uses industry-standard encryption both in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and at rest (AES-256). Database servers are located in secure data centers with physical and digital access controls.

5.2 Security Measures

• Encryption: All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS
• Authentication: Industry-standard JWT (JSON Web Token) authentication with secure token storage
• Access Controls: Strict row-level security (RLS) policies ensure users can only access data they're authorized to see
• Password Protection: Passwords are hashed using bcrypt before storage
• Secure Token Storage: OAuth tokens stored in iOS Keychain (device-level encryption)
• Regular Security Audits: Ongoing monitoring and security assessments

5.3 Data Retention

• Active Accounts: We retain your information for as long as your account is active
• Deleted Accounts: When you delete your account, we immediately and permanently delete all your personal data, including profile information, photos, and messages
• Reported Users: If your account is reported for violating our Terms of Service or Community Guidelines, we may retain chat history and relevant account information for moderation, safety review, and ban assessment purposes
• Analytics Data: Aggregated, anonymized usage data (with no personal identifiers) may be retained indefinitely for analytics purposes
• Backup Systems: Data may persist in backup systems for up to 30 days after deletion but is not accessible or used

6. Your Privacy Rights & Choices

6.1 Account Information

• Access: View and update your profile information any time in Settings
• Correction: Edit any incorrect information directly in the app
• Deletion: Delete your account permanently from Settings → Account → Delete Account

6.2 Location

• Grant or revoke location permissions in iOS Settings → Muse → Location
• Update your location manually anytime from within the app
• Your exact coordinates are never shared

6.3 Spotify Connection

• Disconnect your Spotify account anytime from Settings
• Revoke Muse's Spotify access at spotify.com/account/apps
• Disconnecting Spotify removes music playback features but does not delete your Muse account

6.4 Communications

• Manage push notification preferences in iOS Settings → Muse → Notifications
• Turn all notifications on or off at the system level

6.5 Data Portability (GDPR/CCPA Rights)

You have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of all personal data we have about you
• Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format (JSON)
• Deletion: Request complete deletion of your personal data
• Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Object: Object to certain types of data processing
• Restrict: Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances

To exercise these rights, email us at privacy@museapp.co with your request. We will respond within 30 days.

6.6 California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act:

• Right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
• Right to delete personal information held by businesses
• Right to opt-out of sale of personal information (Note: Muse does not sell personal information)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising CCPA rights

6.7 European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you're in the European Economic Area (EEA), UK, or Switzerland, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation:

• Legal basis for processing: Consent, contract performance, and legitimate interests
• Right to withdraw consent at any time
• Right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority
• Right to data portability
• Right to object to automated decision-making

7. Children's Privacy

Muse is not intended for users under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we discover that a user under 18 has provided us with personal information, we will immediately delete that account and all associated data.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@museapp.co.

8. International Data Transfers

Muse operates globally, and your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have different data protection laws than your country.

We take appropriate safeguards to ensure your personal data remains protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy, including:

• Using secure, encrypted connections for all data transfers
• Partnering with service providers that comply with applicable data protection laws
• Implementing contractual protections for international data transfers

9. Third-Party Links & Services

Muse may contain links to third-party websites or services (e.g., Spotify). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any information to them.

Spotify: Your use of Spotify's services is governed by Spotify's Privacy Policy, available at spotify.com/legal/privacy-policy.

10. Analytics & Cookies

10.1 Analytics

We use internal analytics to understand how users interact with Muse. This helps us improve features and fix bugs. All analytics data is anonymized and aggregated—we don't track individual user behavior for advertising purposes.

10.2 Cookies & Similar Technologies

Muse uses local storage and device preferences (UserDefaults on iOS) to:

• Remember your preferences and settings
• Keep you logged in
• Cache data for better performance

We do not use cookies for cross-site tracking or advertising.

11. Changes to This Privacy 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 changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Notify you through the app or via email for significant changes
• Request your consent if required by law

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of Muse after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

13. Additional Information for Specific Regions

13.1 California Residents

In the preceding 12 months, we have collected the following categories of personal information:

• Identifiers (name, email, phone number, device ID)
• Demographics (age, gender, location)
• Photos and visual information
• Internet activity (app usage, interactions)
• Geolocation data

We collect this information from you directly and automatically through your use of the app. We use and disclose this information for the business purposes described in Section 3.

We do not "sell" personal information as defined by CCPA.

13.2 Nevada Residents

Nevada residents may opt-out of the sale of personal information. Muse does not sell personal information as defined by Nevada law. If you have questions, contact us at privacy@museapp.co.

13.3 EEA/UK/Swiss Residents

Data Controller: Muse, Inc. is the data controller for your personal information.

Legal Bases for Processing:

• Contract: Processing necessary to provide Muse services
• Consent: Location data, marketing communications
• Legitimate Interests: Improving services, safety, fraud prevention
• Legal Obligation: Compliance with applicable laws

Data Retention: We retain data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by law.

Supervisory Authority: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

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