Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Koiniva is operated by Nikolas Rowland and Ian Zhao in New York, United States. Koiniva is an independently operated project and is not a nonprofit organization.

Questions about this policy or your information can be sent to contact@koiniva.org.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect information that you provide, that is created through your use of Koiniva, or that is needed to keep the service working.

• Account information: email address, username, encrypted password or login method, account type, and optional profile image or biography.
• Organization information: organization address or location, contact details, profile information, and information submitted by an organization account.
• Event and participation information: events created, event descriptions and images, dates, locations, registrations, check-ins, reviews, notifications, and personal calendar entries.
• Messages to the assistant: text you choose to send through Koiniva’s AI assistant.
• Technical information: session cookies, basic request logs, and limited usage events needed for security, troubleshooting, and understanding whether important features work.

Please do not submit sensitive personal information that Koiniva does not request.

3. How We Use Information

• To create and maintain accounts.
• To connect volunteers with aquarium and marine-conservation events.
• To process registrations, check-ins, reminders, reviews, and account requests.
• To provide support, respond to questions, and send service-related emails.
• To secure, maintain, troubleshoot, and improve Koiniva.
• To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service.

We do not sell or rent personal information. We do not use personal information to make decisions about credit, employment, housing, or insurance.

4. When Information Is Shared

Information may be visible to other users when that visibility is part of the service. For example, event listings and organization profiles may be public, organizers may see event participants, and reviews may show the reviewer’s username and profile image.

We may also share information when required by law, to protect users or the service, in connection with a transfer of the project, or with service providers that process information for us.

5. Service Providers

Koiniva currently relies on service providers that may process limited information on our behalf:

• Replit: application hosting and platform infrastructure.
• Neon: PostgreSQL database hosting for account and event data.
• Google: optional Google sign-in and advertising services. Google may receive authentication or device information under its own policies.
• OpenAI services provided through Replit: processing messages submitted to the AI assistant.
• Private Email: delivery of verification codes, password-reset messages, reminders, and other service emails.
• Umami or Replit analytics: limited interaction events used to understand whether key features are working.

These providers have their own terms and privacy practices. Koiniva does not control information that a provider collects independently, such as through advertising technology.

6. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Koiniva uses a session cookie to keep users signed in and support account security. Hosting, analytics, Google sign-in, and advertising providers may also use cookies or similar technologies. You can limit cookies through your browser, but parts of Koiniva may stop working correctly.

7. Data Retention and Security

We retain information while an account is active and as reasonably needed to operate Koiniva, resolve disputes, prevent abuse, and meet legal obligations. Users can request account deletion through the account settings or by contacting us.

We use reasonable safeguards, including password hashing and access controls. No internet service can guarantee complete security, so users should use a unique password and protect their login information.

8. Your Choices and Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or receive a copy of your personal information. You may update certain account information in settings or email contact@koiniva.org. We may need to verify your identity before completing a request.

9. Children’s Privacy

Koiniva is not intended for children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 provided personal information, contact us so we can review and delete it. Users under the age of legal majority should use the service with permission from a parent or guardian.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy as Koiniva changes. We will post the revised policy here and update its effective date. If a change materially affects how we use personal information, we will provide additional notice when reasonably possible.

11. Contact

For privacy questions or requests, email contact@koiniva.org.