Privacy Policy

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Ansar Family ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our platform.

We understand the sensitive nature of the information you share with us, particularly regarding your spiritual journey. We treat this responsibility with the utmost care and respect.

Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly to us, including:

• Personal Information: Name, email address, phone number, date of birth, and gender
• Location Information: Address, city, state/region, and country of origin
• Journey Information: Your spiritual journey type (new Muslim, reconnecting, or seeker) and areas where you seek support
• Volunteer Information: For Ansars, we collect information about your background, experience, practice level, knowledge background, and availability
• Organization Information: For Partner Hubs, we collect details about your community or organization, including infrastructure details and core team information
• Communication Preferences: Your consent to receive SMS and email communications

We also automatically collect certain information when you use our platform, including IP address, browser type, device information, and usage patterns through our analytics and authentication providers.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Connect seekers with local Ansar volunteers and community resources
• Facilitate introductions and ongoing support relationships
• Enable Partner Hubs to manage their local community programs
• Send you welcome messages, updates, and important notifications via SMS and email
• Notify you when you've been paired with an Ansar or connected to a community
• Communicate with you about your participation in our programs
• Improve our services and develop new features
• Ensure the safety and security of our community
• Comply with legal obligations and protect our rights

SMS and Email Communications

When you submit a form on our platform, we automatically send you:

• Welcome SMS: A text message welcoming you to Ansar Family and explaining next steps
• Welcome Email: A detailed email with resources and information about your journey
• Pairing Notifications: SMS and email notifications when you're connected with an Ansar or community

Opt-Out: You can opt out of SMS communications at any time by replying "STOP" to any SMS message from us. You can opt out of email communications by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us directly.

Third-Party Services: We use Twilio for SMS delivery and Resend for email delivery. These services process your phone number and email address to deliver messages on our behalf. Please review their privacy policies for more information.

Information Sharing

We share your information only in the following circumstances:

• With Your Ansar or Seeker: When we pair you with someone, we share necessary contact information (name, phone number, email) to facilitate the connection
• With Partner Hubs: If you join through a specific community, that Partner Hub will have access to your information to provide local support and coordinate gatherings
• With Service Providers: We work with trusted third-party services who help us operate our platform:
  • Convex: Database and backend services (stores your information securely)
  • Clerk: Authentication services (manages your account login)
  • Twilio: SMS delivery services (sends text messages on our behalf)
  • Resend: Email delivery services (sends emails on our behalf)
  • Vercel: Hosting and deployment services
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of our community
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction

We never sell your personal information to third parties.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Our platform uses:

• Industry-standard encryption for data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
• Secure data storage through Convex (encrypted at rest)
• Authentication and authorization controls through Clerk
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Access controls limiting who can view your information

However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. We encourage you to use strong passwords and keep your account information confidential.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your information (subject to certain exceptions, such as legal requirements or ongoing program participation)
• Withdrawal: Withdraw from our programs at any time
• Opt-Out: Opt out of non-essential communications (SMS and email)
• Data Portability: Request your data in a portable format
• Objection: Object to certain processing of your information

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@ansarfamily.org. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including:

• To provide ongoing support and connection services
• To maintain records of pairings and community connections
• To satisfy any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements
• To resolve disputes and enforce our agreements

When you request deletion of your account, we will remove your information within 30 days, except where retention is required by law or necessary for ongoing program administration. We also maintain anonymized analytics data that cannot be used to identify you.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:

• Maintain your authentication session (essential for platform functionality)
• Remember your preferences and settings
• Analyze how you use our platform to improve our services
• Ensure platform security and prevent fraud

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling certain cookies may limit your ability to use some features of our platform.

Children's Privacy

Our platform is not intended for children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at privacy@ansarfamily.org and we will take steps to remove that information.

International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have data protection laws that differ from those in your country. By using our platform, you consent to the transfer of your information to these countries. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

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. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Posting the new Privacy Policy on this page
• Updating the "Last updated" date
• Sending you an email notification (if we have your email address)
• Displaying a prominent notice on our platform

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.