Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 28, 2026

Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Cohort, LLC ("we," "us," "Cohort") collects, uses, and shares information when you use the Cohort app. Cohort is a social app built for college students to stay connected with the people they know, meet new people on campus, and find groups worth joining. Local businesses and organizations can also advertise on Cohort to reach students on a specific campus. This policy covers the profile, group, messaging, event, location, and advertising features that involves, as well as the separate business/advertiser accounts used to purchase that advertising.

Information You Provide

When you create an account we collect your full name, username, email address, phone number, date of birth, and password. Adding a profile photo, cover photo, and bio is optional. When you use the app, we collect the content you create: posts and photos, group names/descriptions/photos, messages you send in direct or group chats, and any location or caption text you attach to a post. If you set a location for a group or event, that location is stored as part of the group's or event's own content, not just used transiently. Date of birth is collected only to confirm you meet our minimum age (see "Children's Privacy" below) -- we don't display it on your profile.

Information We Collect Automatically

We collect standard device and usage information (app version, device type, crash logs) to keep Cohort working correctly, including a device push token if you enable notifications, used solely to deliver them to your device. If you grant location permission, we use your approximate location while the app is open to show you nearby groups, events, and places on the Find tab -- we do not track your location in the background or store a location history tied to your account.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to: • Create and operate your account • Show your posts, groups, and profile to other users as intended by the app's normal operation • Deliver messages and notifications (likes, comments, group activity, merge requests), including push notifications to your device if enabled • Show nearby groups, events, and places on the Find tab when location access is granted • Show sponsored posts and map pins from businesses advertising on Cohort, sometimes targeted to your campus (see "Advertising" below) • Maintain the security of the app and prevent abuse

How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. Your profile, posts, and group memberships are visible to other users the way the app is designed to work -- for example, joining a group shares your membership with that group, and a merge request shares that with the other group(s) involved -- including any group added to an existing merge later. We share information with the service providers that operate Cohort's backend, database, file storage, email delivery, and payment processing (currently Supabase, Resend, and Stripe) solely to operate the app. Our backend infrastructure runs in the western United States (Oregon). We may also disclose information if required by law or to protect the safety of our users.

Advertising

Cohort shows sponsored posts and map pins from local businesses and organizations ("advertisers") alongside regular content, always labeled as sponsored. Advertisers can target their campaigns to a specific campus or general area, but they never receive your name, profile, contact information, or any other way to identify you individually -- Cohort decides which sponsored content to display based on that targeting, not the advertiser. You can mark a sponsored post "Not Interested" or report it from its own options menu.

For Businesses & Advertisers

If you create a business/advertiser account to run a campaign on Cohort, we separately collect your business name, business address, email address, and password to operate that account, along with whatever campaign details you submit for review (photos or video, headline, description, and target campus). Payments for advertising are processed by Stripe; Cohort never receives or stores your card details. You can request deletion of your business account and its data at any time from your advertiser dashboard or by contacting privacy@hicohort.com.

Photos and Media

Photos you upload for your profile, cover, group, or posts are stored in our cloud storage and are publicly accessible via their file URL once uploaded, the same way most social apps work. Don't upload a photo you don't want to be retrievable by anyone with that link.

Data Retention & Deletion

We retain your account information for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, your profile, posts, group memberships, and messages are permanently removed from our systems, aside from information we're required to retain for legal, safety, or financial recordkeeping reasons (for example, past advertising payment records).

Your Rights

You can access and update most of your information directly from Settings and Edit Profile. You can also: • Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you • Request correction of inaccurate information • Request deletion of your account and associated data • Withdraw location permission at any time from your device's Settings To make any of these requests, contact us at privacy@hicohort.com.

Your State Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), Virginia's Consumer Data Protection Act, or similar laws in other states -- including the right to know what personal information we've collected about you, to delete it, to correct it, and to opt out of its "sale" or "sharing." Cohort does not sell your personal information, and does not share it with advertisers in any way that identifies you individually (see "Advertising" above). To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@hicohort.com -- we won't discriminate against you or degrade your experience on Cohort for exercising them.

Children's Privacy

Cohort is intended for users age 17 and older, and we ask for your date of birth at sign-up to confirm this. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 17. If we learn that someone under 17 has created an account, we will delete it and the associated data.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We'll post the updated version in the app, and material changes will be highlighted. Continuing to use Cohort after an update means you accept the revised policy.

Contact Us

Questions about this Privacy Policy can be sent to privacy@hicohort.com.