Privacy
Your data, and how we look after it
Last updated: 13 August 2026
This notice explains how Circle, the community run by My Safe Spaces, collects and uses your personal data, and the rights you have. It is written to meet India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (the "DPDP Act"). For the purposes of that Act, the data fiduciary is My Safe Spaces, Inc. and its India operating entity, MSS Services India LLP.
The data we collect
We collect only what we need to run your Circle membership:
- Account and profile: name, email, WhatsApp number, your school or organisation, city, state, school board and professional role.
- Membership activity: the sessions you reserve and attend, Field Guide progress, resources you open, and invitations you send.
- Payments: if you upgrade to Plus, payment is processed by our payment partner; we store the plan, amount and status, not your card details.
- Messages you send us: questions to the clinician (which we publish answers to without your name or school) and support requests.
- Usage data: if you consent, privacy-respecting analytics about how the site is used.
Why we use it, and your consent
We process your personal data on the basis of your consent, which you give when you register and when you accept analytics cookies. We use it to: create and run your account; deliver sessions, resources and the newsletter; answer your questions; process a Plus upgrade; keep the service secure; and, where you have consented, understand and improve how Circle is used. We do not sell your data, and joining commits your school or organisation to nothing.
Cookies and analytics
Essential cookies (for signing in and keeping you signed in) are always on. Non-essential analytics cookies (Google Analytics) load only after you accept them in the consent banner. You can change your choice at any time by clearing the mss_consent cookie in your browser, and analytics will ask again.
Who we share it with
We share data only with processors who help us run Circle, under contract and only for that purpose:
- Amazon Web Services — hosting, database and email delivery.
- Google Analytics — usage analytics, only with your consent.
- Meta (WhatsApp) — WhatsApp messages, where you have given a number and opted in.
- AblePay (ablepay.in) — to process a Plus membership payment securely. We do not store your card details.
Some of these providers process data outside India. Where they do, the transfer is made in line with the DPDP Act and is limited to what is needed to provide the service.
How long we keep it
We keep your account data for as long as you are a member. When you close your account or ask us to erase it, we delete your personal data and keep only the minimum the law requires — for example, transaction and tax records — for the period we are legally required to, after which that is deleted or anonymised too.
Your rights
Under the DPDP Act you have the right to:
- Access a summary of the personal data we hold about you — download it any time from your account page.
- Correct or update your details — edit them directly on your account page.
- Erase your data — request account deletion from your account page or by writing to us.
- Withdraw consent — decline analytics, opt out of the newsletter, or unsubscribe from any message in one click.
- Nominate another person to exercise your rights in the event of death or incapacity.
- Grievance redressal — raise a concern with our grievance officer (below) before approaching the Data Protection Board of India.
Children
Circle is a professional community intended for adults (educators, counsellors, HR and wellbeing professionals and practitioners). It is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly create accounts for anyone under 18. We do not use members' data for tracking or targeted advertising.
Security
We protect your data with reasonable safeguards, including encrypted connections, secure authentication, and access limited to those who need it. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to keep yours safe and will act promptly on any breach in line with the DPDP Act.
Grievance officer and contact
If you have a question or complaint about your data, contact our grievance officer:
Changes to this notice
We may update this notice as Circle grows or the law changes. We will post the new version here and update the date above; significant changes will be notified to members.