dCon Social ("the App," "we," "us," or "our") is operated by Volatile Apps. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. By creating an account, you agree to this policy.
dCon Social is an 18+ app. You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, regardless of which mode (Friends or Dating) you use. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If we learn that an account belongs to someone under 18, we will terminate it and delete associated data.
1. Information We Collect
Account information
- Email address and password (if you sign up with email), or your Google account identifier and basic profile info (if you sign in with Google).
Profile information
- Badge name (always visible to other users); first/last name (visible to other users only if you turn on the matching privacy toggle, otherwise stored privately where only you can read it); date of birth (stored privately and only used to compute and display your age); gender, sexual orientation, relationship status, your dating preferences (genders and age range you want to see, visible to other users so preferences can be matched mutually), a short bio, your selected Dragon Con programming tracks (up to 5), and any social media handles you choose to add.
Photos
- Profile photos (up to 6, visible to other users you match or browse).
- A private photo album, visible only to you.
- Photos you choose to post to the public gallery feed, visible to other users in the same mode (Friends or Dating) as you.
Location information
- If you use Con Radar (a proximity feature active only during a window around the Dragon Con convention dates), the App collects your precise device location (GPS). It is collected only while Con Radar is open on your screen — never in the background — and only after the App explains why it needs location and you agree.
- Your exact GPS position never leaves your device. Before anything is stored, it is rounded to about a city block (roughly 100 m), and we store only that rounded location and the time it was recorded. Each update replaces the previous one, so no location history is kept.
- While it is stored, your rounded location is available to other signed-in users of the App so their app can show who is nearby. Only attendees who have also turned on Con Radar appear to each other.
- Location sharing stops working outside the convention window. Turning on Ghost Mode deletes your stored location immediately and stops new updates (it also hides you from swipe decks). Deleting your account deletes it too. You can deny or revoke the location permission in your device settings at any time; the rest of the App works without it.
Messages
- Chat messages you send through the App are processed and stored by our chat provider, Stream (GetStream, Inc.), on our behalf. See Section 4.
Safety and moderation data
- Reports you submit about other users, blocks you create, and records generated by our automated safety system (e.g. a computed trust score used to detect abusive behavior). This data is used only for trust and safety purposes and is not shown to other users.
Usage information
- Likes, passes, matches, Side Quests you create or join, and general interaction data needed to operate matching and messaging features.
Device and technical information
- Push notification tokens (so we can deliver notifications), and basic device/app diagnostic information collected automatically by our infrastructure providers (Firebase, Google Play services).
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information above to:
- Create and manage your account and profile.
- Operate matching (Friends and Dating pools are always kept strictly separate — see Section 5).
- Power Side Quests, Con Radar, chat, and the public gallery/message board features.
- Detect, investigate, and act on abuse, harassment, fake profiles, and underage use, including through our nuisance-score based enforcement system and text-message moderation.
- Send you push notifications you've opted into.
- Maintain the security and reliability of the App.
We do not sell your personal information.
3. How We Share Your Information
We share information only as follows:
- With other users, according to your own privacy settings and the mode-based visibility described throughout this policy (e.g. your badge name, profile photos, bio, and any content you post to public boards or the public gallery feed are visible to other users of the same mode).
- With service providers who process data on our behalf, under contract, only to provide the App:
- Google Firebase / Google Cloud — authentication, database, file storage, and backend functions.
- Stream (GetStream, Inc.) — chat message delivery and storage.
- Google Sign-In — optional authentication method.
- For legal reasons, if required to comply with a law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our users or the public.
- In a business transfer, if we're involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, in which case we'll notify you before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
We never share your private album photos, your exact real name (if hidden), or your email with other users, and we keep no location history (see "Location information" above for how your current location is used).
4. Third-Party Services
The App relies on the following third-party services, each governed by its own privacy policy:
4a. Child Safety Standards
See our Child Safety Standards page for our policy on child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE), how we enforce it, and how to report a concern.
5. Friends vs. Dating Mode
dCon Social strictly separates the Friends and Dating pools. Profile visibility, likes, and matches in one mode are never shared with or shown in the other. Dating mode is opt-in and requires you to be 18 or older, the same minimum age as the rest of the App.
6. Your Choices and Rights
- Privacy toggles: You can hide your first name, last name, and email from other users at any time in your profile settings.
- Ghost Mode: Hides you from all swipe decks and Con Radar, and deletes your stored Con Radar location.
- Blocking and reporting: You can block or report any user at any time; blocking is mutual and immediate.
- Access or correct your data: Most profile information can be viewed and edited directly in the App.
- Delete your account: Open Profile → Delete Account in the App, or — if you no longer have the App installed — visit dcon-social.web.app and sign in with the same account. Requesting deletion immediately hides your profile, photos, and posts. You then have 180 days to sign back in and restore your account before it, and all associated data, is permanently deleted. You can also email us at the address in Section 9 to request deletion. We will process email requests within a reasonable time, except where we're required to retain certain records (e.g. active safety investigations, legal obligations).
Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the right to request a copy of your data or to object to certain processing. Contact us to exercise these rights.
7. Data Retention
We retain your information for as long as your account is active, plus a reasonable period afterward to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our safety policies. Side Quests are automatically deleted a short time after they expire. Safety and moderation records may be retained longer to prevent repeat abuse across accounts.
8. Data Security
We use industry-standard safeguards provided by our infrastructure providers (Google Firebase) to protect your information, including encryption in transit and access controls on our backend systems. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Contact Us
If you have questions about this policy, or want to request access to or deletion of your data, contact us at:
jarod@volatileapps.com
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we'll notify you through the App or by other reasonable means before the changes take effect. Continued use of the App after changes take effect means you accept the updated policy.