Our privacy promise
Nine defaults we ship locked. You choose to share more - we do not ask for it by default.
We never show when you were last active
Your last-active timestamp is never visible to other members unless you turn it on. In practice, this means no one can tell if you checked the app ten minutes ago or ten days ago. We made this call because presence data creates social pressure. People read into it. It produces anxiety on both sides without adding value to the actual relationship.
Read receipts are off by default
Senders do not see if you have read their message unless you opt in. In practice, you can read at your own pace without triggering an expectation of immediate response. We made this call because read receipts transform messaging into a surveillance layer. That is the opposite of what a deliberate relationship requires.
Typing indicators are off by default
Your typing status is not broadcast to the other person unless you opt in. In practice, you can draft, revise, and think without the other person watching a dot pulse. We made this call for the same reason as read receipts. Real-time surveillance of how fast someone types has no relationship value.
Matches see a vague distance, not an exact one
Your distance from a match is shown as a rough label ("in your area") by default, not precise miles or kilometers. In practice, no one can triangulate your home neighborhood from Northgiven data. We made this call because exact distance is a vector for location stalking. Vague proximity tells you what you need to know for logistics without exposing where you live.
We do not track or show who viewed your profile
No view history is recorded or shown to any user by default. In practice, you can look at profiles without generating a notification on the other end. We made this call because profile-view tracking creates a competitive dynamic. People optimize for views rather than actual compatibility. We would rather that pressure not exist.
We never show response time statistics publicly
Your average response time or response rate is never shown to any other member, ever. This is not a default that can be toggled on. In practice, no one can see if you reply in 2 minutes or 2 days. We made this call because response-time stats gamify availability. Fast repliers are not better partners. We refuse to imply otherwise.
Trust scores are internal - never shown as badges
We compute behavioral signals across seven dimensions and use them to rank matches. None of this surfaces as a visible score, badge, or label on any profile. In practice, no one can see your "trust rating" or compare scores. We made this call because public behavioral scores create a leaderboard that people game. The signals work better when they are invisible to the people they measure.
We do not and will not do screenshot detection
Northgiven will never implement screenshot detection, screenshot notifications, or any OS-level monitoring of what you do with content you receive. This is a categorical commitment, not a default. In practice, there is no code for this, and there will not be. We made this call because screenshot surveillance is a form of control that has no place in a relationship-building product.
You are not findable by phone contacts by default
Members cannot be found via phone-contact import unless they explicitly opt in. In practice, uploading your contacts to Northgiven will not surface people you know unless those people have turned on discoverability. We made this call because contact-graph discovery exposes your Northgiven membership to people you did not choose to tell.
The underlying principle
Every platform defaults to maximum visibility and asks users to opt down. We default to maximum privacy and let users choose to be more visible. That is not a feature. It is a position on who the product is for. The product is for the people using it, not for engagement metrics.
These nine promises are enforced in CI. Each one has a corresponding test that fails the build if the default changes. We ship them locked because defaults are what most users experience. A default that ships wrong ships wrong for everyone.
Northgiven is invite-only and launching in St. Petersburg, FL.
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