Sup is a messenger for the social web. This policy covers the Sup apps for iOS and Android, the Sup Server that powers them, and this website, including the waitlist. It explains what we collect, why, how long we keep it, and what you can do about it.
The short version:
- We don't sell your data, show ads, or track you across the web.
- This website sets no cookies and runs no analytics or third-party scripts.
- Messages in Sup version 1 are not end-to-end encrypted. They are encrypted in transit and stored on our servers, so treat them accordingly.
- You can leave the waitlist or delete your Sup data at any time.
Who we are
Sup is operated by Pixelfed Inc., a company based in Alberta, Canada ("we", "us"). You can reach us about privacy at [email protected].
The fediverse, briefly
You use Sup with an account you already have on a fediverse server, such as a Mastodon, Pixelfed or Loops server. That server is run by someone else, often a volunteer or a community. It has its own privacy policy, and it keeps its own copy of your account, your posts, and messages you send through it. We can't control what your server, or the servers of the people you talk to, do with that data.
The waitlist and this website
What we collect
- Your fediverse handle and the public details your server publishes about your account: your account address, username, server, public key and inbox address. We need these to recognise you and to message you.
- Information about your server from FediDB, such as the software it runs and roughly how many active users it has. We use this to check that Sup supports your server and to pace launch messages so small servers aren't overwhelmed.
- Your waitlist post: its address, and whether it passed our check. To verify it we read the post, which you made public.
- Your personal link (a short code) and, if you joined through someone else's link, who referred you. Referrals don't change anyone's place in line. When Sup opens, we may use them to suggest people you already know.
- Whether you follow @sup, so we know our invite message will reach you.
- Timestamps: when you signed up, verified, and when your spot locked.
What stays in your browser
The site keeps a random token and the referral code you arrived with in your browser's local storage, so it can show your place in line when you come back. These are not cookies, aren't sent anywhere except to this site's waitlist API, and you can clear them at any time.
IP addresses
Our servers see your IP address when you visit, as every website does. We use it briefly to limit abuse (for example, too many signups from one place) and we don't store it in our database. Our web server keeps standard access logs for up to 14 days for security and debugging. The site is served through Cloudflare, which processes requests to protect and speed up the site.
How long we keep it
- Signups that are never verified are deleted automatically after 7 days.
- Verified signups are kept until you get access to Sup, or until you leave the waitlist.
- You can leave at any time with the "Leave the waitlist" button on this site, from the browser you signed up with, or by emailing us. That deletes your signup, your link and your referral records.
When it's your turn
We send your account address to Sup Server so you can sign in, and send you a direct message from @[email protected] on the fediverse. That message is delivered through your server like any other.
The Sup app and Sup Server
Signing in
You sign in through your own fediverse server, which asks you to approve Sup. Your server then gives Sup Server an access token so Sup can act for you, for example to read and send your direct messages and to see who you follow. We never see your password. We store that token on Sup Server, encrypted, until you sign out or revoke Sup's access from your server's settings.
Messages
- Messages with people on other apps or servers travel over the fediverse as direct messages. Sup Server keeps a cached copy for up to 90 days so the app is fast and works across your devices. Your server, and the recipients' servers, keep their own copies under their own policies.
- Chats where everyone uses Sup can skip the fediverse and stay on Sup Server. These messages are kept for 1 year, then deleted automatically. You or the other participants can delete them sooner.
- Vanishing mode. In a chat with Vanishing mode on, messages are deleted from Sup Server 24 hours after they're sent. Anyone in the chat can still take a screenshot or copy a message before then.
- Encryption. Messages are encrypted in transit (HTTPS) and stored on servers we control. In this first version they are not end-to-end encrypted, which means Pixelfed Inc. could technically access them. We only access message content when it's needed to keep the service running, to investigate a report of abuse, or when the law requires it.
- Photos, videos and files you send are stored with our storage provider for as long as the message they belong to.
Presence, typing and calls
Online status and typing indicators are passed between participants in real time and are not stored. Voice and video calls are set up through Sup Server and connect directly between devices where possible. When a direct connection isn't possible, call audio and video are relayed through our own TURN server in Canada. Call media is encrypted in transit, and we don't record or store it. We keep basic call records (who, when, how long) so they show in your chat history.
GIFs
GIF search is provided by Klipy. Searches go through Sup Server, so Klipy receives your search terms but not your IP address or account details.
Notifications
Push notifications are sent through Expo's push service, which passes them to Apple (on iOS) or Google (on Android) for delivery. To do that, Expo and Apple or Google receive a device token and the notification's contents. We keep notification contents to a minimum, and you can turn notifications off at any time in the app or your device settings.
What we don't do
- No advertising, and no selling or renting of your data.
- No third-party analytics or tracking SDKs in the app.
- No reading your messages to profile you.
Deleting your data
You can delete your Sup account from the app. That deletes your data from Sup Server, including cached messages, Sup-to-Sup chats and media, within 30 days, except where we must keep something to comply with the law. Messages already delivered to other people or to other fediverse servers stay with them.
Who we share data with
Only the service providers we need to run Sup, and only what they need:
- Our hosting and storage providers, which run our servers in Quebec, Canada.
- Cloudflare, for network security and delivery.
- Klipy, for GIF search.
- Expo, Apple and Google, for push notifications.
- FediDB, which we ask about your server's software (we send the server name, not your account).
- Your fediverse server and the servers of the people you message, which receive what you send.
We may also disclose information if the law requires it, to protect people from serious harm, or as part of a merger or sale of the company, in which case this policy continues to apply to your data.
Where your data is stored
Our servers, including Sup Server, its database, media storage and our TURN server, are located in Quebec, Canada. Some of the providers above, such as Cloudflare, Expo, Apple, Google and Klipy, process data in other countries, including the United States. Where data leaves your country, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses.
Legal bases (EU and UK users)
- To provide Sup to you, under our agreement with you (our Terms of Use).
- To run the waitlist, because you asked to join it.
- To keep Sup secure and prevent abuse, in our legitimate interests.
- To meet legal obligations.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, including under Canada's PIPEDA, Alberta's PIPA and the GDPR, you can ask us to access, correct, export or delete your personal information, and object to or restrict how we use it. Email [email protected] and we'll respond within 30 days. You can also complain to your privacy regulator, such as the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or your local data protection authority.
Children
Sup isn't intended for anyone under 16. If you believe a child has signed up, contact us and we'll remove their data.
Changes
If we change this policy, we'll update the date at the top. If a change is significant, we'll tell you in the app or by direct message before it takes effect.