Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

We collect personal information provided directly by you, data generated automatically when you interact with our platform, and information from verified third parties (such as mobile app stores and identity verification partners). This information falls into the following categories:

• Account and Identity Information: Your legal name, email address, phone number, date of birth, and official documentation or data used strictly to verify your identity.
• Profile Content: Photographs, biographical text, prompt answers, relationship preferences, and any other lifestyle or value metrics you voluntarily add to your Ruoma profile.
• Interactions and Activity: The trail of interaction with other Users, connection histories, matching patterns, and lists of Users you choose to block or report.
• Device and Technical Data: IP addresses, unique device identifiers (UDID), hardware models, operating systems, app versions, and automated crash diagnostics.
• Location Data: Your approximate geographical location derived from your device settings or IP address. Precise location data is only collected if you grant explicit, active permission via your device settings.
• Payment Information: To complete your mandatory identity check, your one-time $175 verification payment is securely processed by our third-party payment provider. Ruoma receives a transaction confirmation record (e.g., token, date of transaction) but does not store or retain full payment card details or bank account numbers on our servers.
• Support and Safety Correspondence: The contents of any communications sent to support@ruoma.ca, along with documentation related to safety reports you file or safety reports filed by other Users involving you.

2. How We Use Your Information

We process your personal information strictly for fair and lawful purposes necessary to fulfill our core service, including to:

1. Establish, maintain, and administer your account.
2. Authenticate user identity through our mandatory validation check to maintain community integrity.
3. Display your profile to Users who align with your criteria, and suggest compatible connections to you.
4. Enable end-to-end interaction and/or secure communication between matched Users.
5. Identify, prevent, and mitigate fraud, harassment, systemic abuse, or any behavior that violates our Terms of Service.
6. Deliver critical service-related updates, including structural account changes, security alerts, and revisions to our legal policies.
7. Analyze technical performance, resolve software bugs, and optimize user experience features.
8. Comply with our regulatory obligations, legal processes, and valid law enforcement requests.

3. Knowledge and Consent

Knowledge and consent are foundational to how Ruoma handles data. By registering an account and using the Service, you signify your consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as outlined in this Policy.

Providing your personal information is always voluntary; however, because certain data (such as legal name, date of birth, and verification details) is necessary to run a secure matchmaking platform, your refusal to provide this information will prevent us from providing the Service to you. You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice, by deleting your account or contacting support@ruoma.ca.

4. Limiting Collection

The personal information we collect is strictly confined to details necessary for the purposes identified within this Privacy Policy. We do not collect personal information indiscriminately, nor do we employ deceptive or unfair methods to gather data.

5. Profile Visibility and Platform Interactions

Ruoma is a collaborative matchmaking environment. By design, the photographs, prompts, and biographical details you choose to append to your profile are searchable and visible to other qualified Users and/or community members so they can evaluate compatibility.

Any text messages, media or communication you directly share with another User are visible to that specific individual. You maintain absolute control over what details you publish on your profile; we strongly advise you to exercise sound judgment and avoid sharing sensitive personal addresses or financial details.

6. Sharing and Disclosure of Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We share personal data only under the following limited circumstances:

• With Other Users: Profile elements and communications are disclosed to other users as part of core platform matchmaking functions.
• With Trusted Service Providers: We transfer data to third-party vendors who perform specialized tasks on our behalf—including cloud hosting, identity verification processing, security analytics, and customer support management. These providers are bound by strict contractual covenants to protect your data and are forbidden from using it for any purpose other than executing our explicit instructions.
• For Legal and Safety Compliance: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or formal government warrant, or if we believe in good faith that such action is vital to protect the physical safety, rights, or property of Ruoma, our members, or the public.
• Corporate Successors: In the event of a corporate merger, acquisition, restructuring, financing, or sale of company assets, your personal information may be transferred to the succeeding entity under equivalent confidentiality obligations.

7. Cookies and Digital Tracking

On our website, we utilize cookies and tracking technologies to keep you authenticated, remember your preferences, and assess traffic performance. Within our mobile applications, we utilize secure software development kits (SDKs) and device identifiers to perform similar diagnostic functions.

You can manage or disable cookie preferences directly through your web browser settings, and adjust advertising or data tracking permissions within your mobile operating system. Note that disabling these technical configurations may cause certain components of the Service to function sub-optimally.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your Ruoma account is active, or as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was originally collected.

When you formally delete your account, your profile is immediately pulled from public view and made inactive. Residual data (such as identity validation logs, safety flags, and transaction references) may be securely maintained in our archives for an extended period to comply with statutory retention laws, resolve legal disputes, prevent bad actors from re-registering, or enforce platform security.

9. Data Security

We implement robust administrative, physical, and technical safeguards engineered to match the sensitivity of the data we hold. These protocols include:

• Full data encryption in transit and at rest.
• Strict least-privilege internal access controls.
• Proactive infrastructure monitoring and vulnerability assessments.

Please be advised that no security infrastructure or digital transmission over the internet is completely infallible. You are responsible for maintaining a strong, unique account password and must notify us immediately at support@ruoma.ca if you suspect your account safety has been compromised.

10. Accuracy and Your Access Rights

Ruoma takes reasonable steps to ensure your personal information remains accurate, complete, and updated for its intended use.

Under PIPEDA, you possess the right to access, review, verify, and request corrections to the personal data we hold about you. Most profile adjustments can be managed directly by you inside the application interface. For formal access requests, or to challenge accuracy, please email support@ruoma.ca. To protect privacy, we may refuse access requests if fulfilling them would inadvertently expose the personal data of another individual, compromise ongoing safety investigations, or violate legal privilege.

11. Children's Privacy

Ruoma is exclusively tailored and legally restricted to adults aged 18 or older. We do not knowingly or intentionally gather personal data from individuals under the age of majority. If we discover that an account has been created by a minor, we will permanently purge the account and delete all associated data files from our active systems without delay.

12. International Data Transfers

Ruoma operates out of Ontario, Canada. However, the specialized cloud servers and infrastructure systems utilized by our service providers may be located in Canada, the United States, or other international jurisdictions.

By using the platform, you acknowledge that your personal data may be transferred across international borders and processed in regions where government authorities, national security agencies, or courts may obtain lawful access under local foreign statutes. We utilize rigorous contractual protections to ensure our international partners maintain a level of privacy defense equivalent to Canadian standards.

13. Revisions to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to alter or update this Privacy Policy to mirror changes in legal regulations, platform features, or operational standards. If a material policy modification is made, we will alert you via email or explicit in-app notifications prior to the update taking effect. Your continued interaction with the Service following the updated policy's effective date represents your formal acceptance of the modified practices.

14. Contact and Accountability

Ruoma is fully accountable for the personal data under its control. If you have any inquiries, concerns, or formal complaints regarding our data privacy management or our compliance with PIPEDA principles, please address your correspondence directly to our privacy officer at:

Email: support@ruoma.ca