Privacy Policy for Matchmaking Lab

Introduction

Matchmaking Lab LLC ("we," "us," or "our") operates the matchmaking service at matchmakinglabs.org (the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you use our Service.

We are a human-run matchmaking service. A real matchmaker reviews every profile and decides every match. We are not an app or a swiping platform, and we do not have a public directory of daters.

We communicate with daters over WhatsApp only. We do not operate an SMS program, we do not send text messages, and there is no SMS opt-in. Our WhatsApp number is (646) 396-3476. By submitting a profile or messaging us on WhatsApp, you consent to the collection and use of information as described in this Privacy Policy.

Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide

When you create a profile with Matchmaking Lab, we collect:

• Contact Information: Name, WhatsApp or mobile number, email address
• Profile Information: Date of birth, age, gender, height, location, where you grew up, religious background and observance, family background, education, occupation
• Preferences: What you are looking for in a spouse, relationship goals, lifestyle and observance preferences, willingness to travel or relocate
• Photos: Profile pictures you or your reference upload
• Communication Data: Messages and responses you send us on WhatsApp, and our replies
• Matchmaking Notes: Notes taken by your matchmaker during intake calls and follow-ups, references you give us, and feedback about dates you went on
• Booking and Payment Details: Intake call bookings, and the fact and date of payment. Payments are made through Venmo or PayPal directly. We never see or store your card, bank, or account credentials.

WhatsApp Message Information

• We collect and store the phone number you use on WhatsApp
• We log the WhatsApp messages we send and receive with you
• We record delivery status and timestamps so we know whether a match message reached you
• We record your replies (for example YES, NO, BUSY, or a reason you passed) so your matchmaker can act on them

Automatically Collected Information

• Device information (device type, operating system)
• Usage data (how you interact with our Service, including whether a profile link you were sent has been opened and how many times)
• IP address and browser type

Sensitive Information

By the nature of Jewish matchmaking, the information you give us includes details about your religious beliefs and observance, and it may include information about your family and your health or medical background if you choose to share it. Some privacy laws treat this as sensitive or special category data.

We collect it only because you have chosen to give it to us for the purpose of being matched, and we use it only to find and evaluate matches for you and to describe you to a potential match. We do not use it for advertising, we do not sell it, and we do not use it to build profiles of you for any purpose other than matchmaking. You can ask us to remove any specific detail from your profile at any time.

How We Use Your Information

Matchmaking Services

• Create and maintain your dating profile
• Identify compatible matches based on your preferences and background
• Facilitate introductions between matched daters
• Coordinate dates and follow-up communications
• Keep a history of who you have been suggested to and who you have already dated, so we do not repeat a match

WhatsApp Communications

• Send match proposals and profile links
• Notify you when someone is interested in meeting you
• Provide introduction messages with contact information once both sides have said yes
• Send intake call reminders, date scheduling messages, and follow-up messages
• Deliver service updates and important notifications

Service Improvement

• Analyze usage patterns to improve how we match people
• Gather feedback to enhance the experience
• Study what makes matches succeed, in aggregate

Legal and Safety

• Comply with legal obligations
• Protect against fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity
• Enforce our Terms of Service

How Matches Are Sent

So that you know exactly when and to whom your information goes out, this is how our match flow works:

• The boy sees the match first. When we put together a match, the girl's profile is sent to the boy first. The girl is not contacted at that stage and is not told the match exists.
• The girl receives the boy's profile only once he has said he is interested. If the boy passes, the girl is generally never shown his profile and never learns the suggestion was made.
• The one exception is a unique circumstance that the girl has explicitly discussed with her matchmaker in advance. In that case, and only in that case, the order may be handled differently by agreement with her.
• We send one match at a time. You will not be shown multiple suggestions at once. A new match is only sent after the current one has been resolved.
• Contact information is exchanged only when both sides have said yes. Until then, neither side receives the other's phone number.

You are never matched with someone unless you have agreed, and you can decline any match without giving a reason.

Profile Share Links

When we show your profile to a potential match, we do it through a private share link rather than by attaching your profile to a message. These links:

• Are password protected. The recipient must enter an access code to see anything.
• Are unlisted. They are not indexed by search engines and cannot be found by browsing our site.
• Expire automatically after 7 days. Once a link expires it stops working, and the recipient can no longer open your profile with it.
• Can be revoked earlier at any time. If you ask us to pull a link back, we can disable it immediately.
• Are logged. We record when a link was created, who it was sent to, and how many times it was opened.
• Show a limited version of your profile. Your phone number, your matchmaker's private notes about you, your dating history, and your feedback about past dates are never included in a share link.

Please note that anyone who can open a link can still take a screenshot of what they see. We ask recipients to keep profiles private, but we cannot technically prevent someone from saving or re-sharing what has already been shown to them. Share only what you are comfortable having seen.

WhatsApp Messaging

Message Types and Frequency

When you give us your number and message us on WhatsApp, you will receive:

• Match Proposals: Notifications about a potential match
• Profile Links: Private links to view a potential match's profile
• Introduction Messages: Contact information when both sides are interested
• Date Coordination: Messages about scheduling and confirming dates
• Follow-up Messages: Check-ins about how a date went and whether you want to go out again
• Intake Call Messages: Booking confirmations, reminders, and payment details
• Service Updates: Occasional updates about the Service

Message frequency varies based on your activity level and the matches available. You may receive anywhere from 0 to 10 messages per week.

Data Rates

WhatsApp messages are delivered over the internet, not over SMS. Your mobile carrier may charge for the data used, according to your plan. We do not charge for messages.

Stopping Messages

You can stop messages at any time by:

• Sending STOP on WhatsApp to (646) 396-3476
• Telling your matchmaker in a message that you want to pause or stop
• Blocking our number in WhatsApp
• Emailing us at sophia@matchmakinglabs.org

After you stop, we will send one final confirmation message. You may still receive a small number of messages about a match that is already in progress. To start again, send START on WhatsApp to (646) 396-3476.

Help and Support

For help, send HELP on WhatsApp to (646) 396-3476, or email sophia@matchmakinglabs.org. This number is WhatsApp-only. It does not receive SMS and it is not a voice line.

How We Share Your Information

We do NOT sell your personal information to third parties, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

Your mobile number and messaging information will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

With Potential and Matched Daters

• Your profile information is shared with a potential match through a private, password-protected link that expires after 7 days, as described above
• When both you and the other dater express mutual interest, we share your contact information (name and phone number) so the two of you can arrange a date
• A potential match may share your profile link with a parent, a reference, or a rabbi they consult, in the ordinary way that a shidduch is discussed. We ask that this be kept private but we do not control it.

With Matchmakers and References

• Matchmakers working with Matchmaking Lab can see the profiles and notes they need in order to suggest matches. They are bound to keep that information confidential and to use it only for matchmaking.
• If you give us references, we may contact them to ask about you.

Service Providers

• WhatsApp (Meta): Our messages with you are delivered through WhatsApp. WhatsApp processes your phone number and the message content in order to deliver them, under its own privacy policy.
• Base44: Our platform provider, which hosts the Service and stores profile data
• Cloud Hosting Providers: Which run the servers our messaging bridge operates on
• Analytics Providers: To understand how our Service is used (anonymized data only)

Our service providers are permitted to use your information only to provide services to us, and not for their own purposes.

Legal Requirements

• When required by law, court order, or legal process
• To protect the rights, property, or safety of Matchmaking Lab, our daters, or others
• In connection with a business transaction (merger, acquisition, or sale), in which case we will notify you and this Policy will continue to apply until you are told otherwise

Information Other People Give Us About You

Sometimes a friend, a parent, a shadchan, or a community member submits someone's name and details to us, or refers them, before that person has been in touch with us themselves. This is normal in shidduchim, but we want to be clear about it.

If someone has given us your information, we will only use it to reach out to you and ask whether you want to be in our system. You are never shown to a potential match, and no profile of you is shared, until we have spoken with you and you have agreed. If you ask us to remove you, we delete what we hold and do not contact you again.

If you submit someone else's information to us, you confirm that you have a good faith basis for doing so and that the information is accurate to the best of your knowledge.

How Matches Are Decided

We use software to help sort and rank possible matches based on the preferences and background information you gave us. That ranking is only a suggestion to your matchmaker. A human matchmaker reviews and decides every match before anything is sent. No decision that affects you is made by automated processing alone, and you can ask us how a particular suggestion came about.

Data Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your personal information:

• Secure, encrypted connections (HTTPS) for all web traffic
• Password-protected, expiring profile view links
• Access controls limiting who can view your information
• Admin accounts restricted to authorized Matchmaking Lab staff and approved matchmakers
• Regular security assessments

However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you and any regulator as required by applicable law.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as:

• Your profile is active
• It is necessary to provide our services
• It is required by law or for legitimate business purposes

If you become engaged, married, or ask to go inactive, we keep a minimal record so that we do not suggest you to someone again by mistake. You can ask us to delete that too.

You may request deletion of your profile and personal information at any time by messaging us on WhatsApp at (646) 396-3476 or emailing sophia@matchmakinglabs.org. Message logs are retained for up to 12 months for service quality and dispute resolution, then deleted.

Your Rights and Choices

To exercise any of these rights, message us on WhatsApp at (646) 396-3476 or email sophia@matchmakinglabs.org. We will respond within the time required by applicable law, and in any case as quickly as we reasonably can. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request, usually by confirming details we already hold about you. You may use an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf.

Children's Privacy

Our Service is intended for daters who are 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a person under 18, we will delete it immediately. If you believe a minor has given us information, contact us at sophia@matchmakinglabs.org.

Cookies and Tracking

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies that are necessary to keep you signed in, to remember your session, and to keep the Service secure. We may also use basic analytics to understand how pages are used. We do not use advertising cookies and we do not allow third parties to track you across other websites for advertising.

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, though parts of the Service may stop working if you do. Because we do not track you across other sites for advertising, we do not respond to browser Do Not Track signals.

California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the CPRA:

• Right to know what personal information is collected, used, and disclosed
• Right to know whether personal information is sold or shared (we do not sell or share it)
• Right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information
• Right to correct inaccurate personal information
• Right to delete your personal information
• Right to limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information
• Right to equal service and price

We do not sell or share personal information, and we have not done so in the preceding 12 months. We use sensitive personal information only to provide the matchmaking service you asked for. To exercise your rights, contact us at sophia@matchmakinglabs.org.

Other U.S. State Privacy Rights

If you live in a state with a comprehensive privacy law, including Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Montana, and others as they take effect, you have rights to access, correct, delete, and obtain a copy of your personal data, and to opt out of targeted advertising, sale, and profiling. We do not engage in targeted advertising, sale of personal data, or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects. To exercise your rights, or to appeal a decision we make about a request, contact us at sophia@matchmakinglabs.org.

International Daters

We are based in the United States and your information is stored and processed there. If you are located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, Canada, Israel, Australia, or elsewhere outside the United States, your information will be transferred to the United States, which may have different data protection laws than your country. We rely on your consent and on appropriate safeguards for that transfer.

If the GDPR or UK GDPR applies to you, our legal bases for processing are your consent (which you may withdraw at any time), the performance of our agreement with you, and our legitimate interest in running a matchmaking service. Where we process special category data such as religious beliefs, we rely on your explicit consent. You also have the right to object to processing, the right to restrict processing, and the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Third-Party Services and Links

Our Service uses third-party services that have their own privacy policies:

• WhatsApp (Meta): https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/privacy-policy
• Base44 Platform: https://base44.com/privacy

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party services, or of any other website or app you reach through a link from our Service.

Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflict of law rules, except where the privacy law of your own state or country gives you rights that apply regardless.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Posting the updated policy on this page
• Updating the "Last Updated" date
• Sending a WhatsApp message if the change is significant

Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, contact us:

Matchmaking Lab LLC
WhatsApp: (646) 396-3476 (WhatsApp only, no SMS or calls)
Email: sophia@matchmakinglabs.org
Website: matchmakinglabs.org

For help with messages, send HELP on WhatsApp to (646) 396-3476.