Talk Mate policies
Privacy Policy
This notice describes the information Talk Mate processes, why it is needed, and the choices available to you.
Last updated: October 8, 2026
1. Information we process
We process account and eligibility data such as your real first and last name (as on your passport), nickname, email, phone number, gender, nationality, authentication identifiers, university, Student ID, roster, team, and role; content and activity such as chats, bookings, attendance, mission submissions and photos, reviews, reports, points, and support requests; and technical data such as IP address, device or browser details, cookies, push tokens, and security logs. For paid gatherings we process payment status (for example paid, refunded). Card details are handled by Stripe and are never stored by Talk Mate; we receive only transaction and refund status.
2. Why we use information
We use information to create and secure accounts, verify program eligibility, assign teams, provide chat and program features, manage attendance and activities, send notifications, respond to support, prevent abuse, investigate reports, meet legal duties, and prepare authorized program or language-institute reports. In particular: your real name and phone number are used for gathering rosters, check-in, and contact on the day of an event; your gender is used to arrange rooms and groups on trips and for anonymised program statistics; and your nationality is used to match mentors and conversation partners, for anonymised reports to partner universities, and for statistics.
3. When information is shared
Information may be shared only as needed with authorized university or program staff, language institutes receiving program reports, vendors that provide hosting, authentication, email, push notifications, analytics, or payments, and authorities when required by law or necessary to protect rights and safety. KOPLE (partner trip organiser): for KOPLE trips you register for, with your consent, we share your name, email, and phone number for the participant list and for contact on the day. Gender and nationality are never shared with KOPLE. Stripe processes payments for paid gatherings. We do not sell personal information.