Greetings! At Supportiv, we commend your proactive approach to understanding the intricacies of personal data, privacy, and ethical considerations of the services you use.
In an era when assurances of data protection are worthy of skepticism, it’s a good idea to question the reliability of promises made by companies regarding data security.
At Supportiv, we are committed to transcending the norm and fostering an environment of unequivocal trust.
Why? The foundational ethos of Supportiv is deeply rooted in the principles of anonymity and privacy. Our design from-the-ground-up is a testament to our unwavering commitment to these values.
In the sections below, we provide a detailed overview of our data collection practices, delineating clearly what information we do and do not gather. You’ll discover how Supportiv stands apart in its approach to data privacy and offers a refreshing deviation from commonplace practices.
Many companies strive to gather extensive information about their users, aiming to leverage this data both internally and externally (through collaborations with third-party advertisers or data brokers). The prevalent corporate ethos often revolves around amassing a wealth of user data, anticipating its potential utility in future endeavors.
This data accumulation extends across diverse platforms, from websites to native mobile applications, often occurring subtly, without explicit user awareness. Indeed, some companies develop apps specifically designed to harvest unique data unattainable through their websites or web apps.
We understand that opening up can be challenging. That’s why, from the inception of Supportiv, we have chosen a path divergent from the norm. Supportiv is meticulously crafted to minimize data tracking, ensuring you retain your anonymity while still receiving a fully functional service.
Unlike native apps, Supportiv operates solely as a webapp, eliminating the need for deep access to your device. There’s no need to download, install, or register—simply click the “Chat Now” button, and you’re ready to share your thoughts, without ever inputting your real name, email address, phone number, or any other personally identifying information.
Independent, public users can rest assured that their payment information is encrypted and never stored on Supportiv. We utilize third-party payment services like Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, or Stripe to segregate payment data, ensuring no connection can be made between your chat conversations on Supportiv and your identity.
For those accessing our site through a partner-sponsored link (like your health plan, employer, school, etc.), we’ve eliminated the need for payment, account creation or login, distributing direct access links exclusively to eligible populations.
To enhance the user experience for our returning visitors, we utilize browser signals, the least intrusive method, to distinguish new users. This is the extent of the personal information we collect, as we believe in fostering an environment where you can discuss your experiences openly, without the burden of stigma or risk of being identified. We strive to combat the prevailing stigmas around emotional wellbeing and foster the understanding that struggling is an inherent part of being human.
You have seen or experienced this before: You search for something on your phone and next thing you know you see an ad about it on a different platform! That’s just the normal data exchange that happens across the common services we all use.
Many companies pass information about users between their site or app and various advertising platforms. This is done through the use of what are called “tracking pixels.” Each ad platform (like Facebook, Linkedin, etc.) has their own custom tracking code that many companies willingly install on their website, giving these platforms access to user data from the website.
This is a common practice in digital advertising, as it helps companies get the best “return” on their marketing dollars. The more Facebook knows about what you do outside of Facebook, the better it can show you ads you’re likely to click on. In essence, tracking pixels help companies save money, at the expense of putting your personal data at risk. Tracking pixels are why we all feel like our social media apps are listening in to our conversations. They’re not listening, but they’re getting data on everything we do across the Internet.
Ad platforms want us to share information with them, because more than helping us deliver ads, their entire business model is based on gathering information about you.
Ad platforms may say they won’t abuse your data, but we cannot protect your data once it’s in someone else’s hands. Therefore, Supportiv has refused to engage in this practice from day one, despite immense pressure from the ad platforms we use–like Meta. When we run ads, we don’t receive user information from the ad platform, and we don’t report back to the ad platform about who did what on our website, even though doing so would reduce any advertising costs. We flat-out refuse to endanger your privacy.
Many companies, from social media giants like Meta to search engines like Google–and even organizations deemed trustworthy, such as Oracle and credit reporting agencies–monetize user data by selling it to brokers. Once acquired by data brokers, your information becomes virtually accessible to anyone.
Unlike these entities, Supportiv operates on a foundational principle of not monetizing your personal information. Our revenue model is based on partnerships with sponsors—companies that offer our services as a well-being benefit to their employees, aiming to enhance employee well-being and productivity. We assure you that our services are not a conduit for companies to target or monitor individual employees.
While sponsors receive high-level topic summaries (e.g., 12% of users expressed anxiety concerns this month), we guarantee the anonymity of individual users. We don’t collect personal information, ensuring we couldn’t assist sponsors in monitoring individual users even if requested. We acknowledge the potential identifiability of messages’ content; therefore, we strictly share aggregated topic summaries, ensuring individual messages and identities remain confidential.
At Supportiv, the data we collect is limited to anonymous struggles and conversations. We refer to this as ‘data’ in the technical sense, but it’s important to clarify that this information is entirely devoid of personal identifiers. It is fundamentally impossible to trace these messages and struggles back to an individual user.
Our commitment to anonymity means that the content shared on our platform remains confidential and unattributable. We prioritize the privacy and security of our users, ensuring that the conversations and struggles shared on Supportiv are treated with the utmost respect and discretion. This approach allows our users to express themselves freely and openly, without the concern of their identity being revealed or their information being misused.
At Supportiv, we utilize the data we collect with the utmost responsibility, primarily focusing on internal enhancements to serve our users better. Here’s how we use your anonymous data:
Improving language models
We analyze anonymous conversations and struggles to refine our language models continually. This enables us to understand user needs better and respond more accurately and empathetically, fostering more meaningful and supportive interactions.
Enhancing resource matching
Data helps us fine-tune our resource matching algorithms, ensuring that users are directed to the most relevant and helpful resources available, tailored to their individual struggles and needs.
Delivering a superior user experience
By leveraging the insights gained from anonymous data, we strive to enhance every aspect of the user experience. Our goal is to create a supportive environment that is increasingly intuitive, responsive, and user-friendly, allowing individuals to navigate their struggles more effectively.
In essence, every piece of data is used with the singular goal of elevating the user experience and providing more accurate support and resources.
We are committed to continuous improvement and innovation to meet the evolving needs of our users while maintaining the highest standards of privacy and confidentiality. If you have outstanding questions about Supportiv’s Data, Privacy, and Ethics, we encourage you to reach out to us at info@supportiv.com.
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