Our Commitment to Your Privacy
GoldieCircle helps seniors and their families find benefits, resources, and support. We take your privacy seriously and only collect the information we need to help you.
What Information We Collect
Information You Give Us:
- Email and password (for your account)
- Phone number (optional, for SMS verification)
- Name or nickname you want us to use
- ZIP code (to find local benefits)
- Age range (to show age-appropriate programs)
- Chat messages with Goldie (our AI helper)
- Short summaries Goldie keeps of helpful things you tell it, so it can be more helpful next time (you control this — see “How Long We Keep Your Information” and our Terms of Service)
- Messages you post in the community Chatrooms, and the nickname you choose
- Documents you upload to the Document Helper — see “Documents You Upload” below
- Voice recordings, only while you are holding the microphone button — see “Voice and Microphone” below
- Payment details if you subscribe, buy tokens, or donate. These go directly to Stripe, our payment processor — we never see or store your full card number
Information Collected Automatically:
- Which pages you visit on our site
- How long you stay on each page
- Your device type (phone, tablet, computer)
- General location (city/state from your IP address)
How We Use Your Information
We use your information to:
- Help you find benefits and resources in your area
- Remember your preferences (text size, language)
- Keep you logged in
- Save your chat history with Goldie
- Verify your identity via SMS/text messages
- Improve our website and services
- Comply with the law
We never sell your personal information to anyone.
Cookies We Use
The cookie bar at the bottom of the page offers the same two categories described here.
Strictly Necessary Cookies (Always Active)
These are required for the website to work, and cannot be switched off:
- Keep you logged in and protect your account
- Remember your chat conversations
- Remember the settings you chose yourself — your language, your text size, and your accessibility preferences
We treat your language and text size as necessary because you asked for them. Without them the site would forget how you like to read it on every visit, which would make it unusable for many of our members. They stay on your own device and tell us nothing about you.
Page Speed Measurement (No Cookie, No Identifier)
We also measure how quickly our pages load on real visitors’ devices, because a page that is slow for you is a problem we cannot see from our own fast computers. This measurement records only the page address and how many milliseconds things took. It sets no cookie, and carries no name, no account, and no identifier of any kind — there is nothing in it that could be traced back to you, which is why it is not something you need to opt in or out of. It tells us that a page was slow, never who found it slow.
Performance Cookies (Your Choice)
These cookies help us improve GoldieCircle:
- Google Analytics tracks which features you use most
- Helps us understand what’s working and what needs improvement
- We do not send Google your name, email, or phone number. Google does assign your browser a random identifier so it can tell one visitor from another
You choose whether to allow analytics cookies. On the cookie bar at the bottom of the page, click Cookie Settings, then either switch off Performance Cookies and press Confirm My Choices, or press Reject All. Closing the bar with the × also declines them. You can change your mind at any time by opening Cookie Settings again.
SMS/Text Messaging
If you choose to sign up using your phone number, we’ll send you text messages for account verification.
What You’ll Receive:
- One-time verification codes (OTP) during signup and login
- Frequency: Approximately 1-3 messages per signup/login attempt
- No marketing: We only send security-related verification codes
Message Rates & Opt-Out:
- Standard message and data rates may apply from your mobile carrier
- Opt-out: Choose email signup instead, or contact [email protected] to remove your phone number
- Help: Text HELP or email [email protected]
SMS Service Provider:
We use Twilio for SMS delivery. By providing your phone number, you consent to receive verification codes via SMS. We do not share your phone number with third parties for marketing purposes.
Documents You Upload
The Document Helper lets you upload a letter or form — a benefit denial, a bill, an insurance notice — and have it explained, translated, or read aloud. These are often very personal, so here is exactly what happens to them:
- We do not keep your document. It is held only long enough to read the text out of it, and is then deleted automatically. We keep a count of how many uploads you have used (to apply your monthly allowance), not the document itself.
- We remove obvious personal details before the AI sees the text. Social Security numbers, Medicare numbers, card and account numbers, dates of birth, phone numbers, and email addresses are automatically stripped out of what we send to the AI provider. Names and street addresses are not removed, so please bear that in mind.
- You still see the original. The explanation you receive is based on your real document; the removal above applies to what leaves our systems.
- The text is processed by our AI, translation, and text-to-speech providers to produce the explanation, translation, or audio. They may not use it for their own purposes.
Please do not upload anything you would not want processed this way, and remember that the Document Helper is an automated reading aid — not a review by a lawyer, doctor, or benefits counselor.
Voice and Microphone
Some pages have a microphone button so you can speak instead of typing. We only listen while you are holding that button down — GoldieCircle never records in the background, and never listens when you have not asked it to.
When you finish speaking, the short recording is sent to a speech-to-text provider (currently OpenAI’s Whisper service) which converts it to words and returns the text to your screen. We do not store the recording. Whatever you then choose to send becomes an ordinary chat message. Using the microphone is free and never uses up your daily messages.
Chatrooms, Nicknames and Safety Monitoring
In the community Chatrooms you appear under a nickname you choose, not your real name, and other members cannot see your email, phone number, or full name. Game leaderboards also show nicknames.
Rooms are monitored, and private rooms are no exception. Every message — including in private rooms and in your own room with Goldie — passes through automated safety screening for scams, abuse, and signs that someone may be in danger. Most messages are checked and never looked at by a person. But:
- If a message is flagged, or another member reports it, a member of our safety team can read it in order to act on it.
- If a message suggests someone may be at risk of harming themselves, we create a safety report containing that message so our team can respond, and we show the person crisis help (988).
- We may keep records of reports, blocks, and removals so repeat problems can be dealt with.
We say this plainly because “private” here means private from other members — it does not mean nobody at GoldieCircle can ever see it. Please do not post anything you would want kept completely confidential.
Payments
Premium subscriptions, token packs, and donations are processed by Stripe. Your card details go straight to Stripe — we never receive or store your full card number. We keep a record of what you bought and when, so we can manage your membership, answer billing questions, and meet our tax and accounting obligations.
Stripe also gives us a scrambled identifier for a card (not the number itself), which we use for one narrow purpose: making sure the same card is not used to start free trials over and over. See our Terms of Service, “Free Trial.”
Who We Share Your Information With
We Share With:
- Service providers – Companies that help us run the platform (for example, website hosting, email, SMS delivery, payment processing, and security). They may use your information only to provide services to us.
- AI, language, and voice providers – To power Goldie (our AI helper), your messages may be processed by trusted AI service providers that generate Goldie’s responses. To offer the site in your language, to read content aloud, and to turn speech into text when you use the microphone, text and short recordings may also be processed by translation, text-to-speech, and speech-to-text providers. These providers process this information only to provide the feature, and are not permitted to use it for their own advertising.
- Payment processor – Stripe handles subscriptions, token purchases, and donations. Your card details go to Stripe directly, not to us.
- Benefit providers – If you request information from a specific organization (senior center, housing program, etc.), we’ll share your contact info with them so they can help you
We Never Share With:
- Data brokers, or anyone who would buy your information
- Advertisers. We do show ads from local businesses on some pages, and we choose which ads to show using general information such as the page you are reading and your broad area — but we do not give advertisers your name, email, phone number, or address, and they do not get a list of who saw their ad. Premium members see no ads at all.
- Social media companies — except a sign-in provider you choose (such as Google or Apple) if you use it to log in. If you sign in with Apple and choose to hide your email, we only ever receive Apple’s forwarding address.
- Anyone trying to sell you products
Legal Requirements:
We may share your information if required by law or to:
- Respond to court orders or legal processes
- Protect the safety of our users
- Prevent fraud or illegal activity
Your Privacy Rights
You have the right to:
Access Your Information
- See what information we have about you
- Request a copy of your data
Correct Your Information
- Update your profile anytime
- Fix any errors in your account
Delete Your Information
- Close your account and delete your data
- We’ll remove your information within 30 days
Opt Out of Analytics
- Open Cookie Settings on the cookie bar and press Reject All, or switch off Performance Cookies and press Confirm My Choices
- Closing the cookie bar with the × declines the optional cookies too
- Analytics will not track your activity
Stop Marketing Emails
- Click “unsubscribe” in any email we send
- Or adjust settings in your account
Remove Your Phone Number
- Email [email protected] to remove your phone number from our system
- You can still use email signup instead
To exercise these rights: Email us at [email protected] or use your account settings.
Security
We protect your information using:
- Encrypted connections (HTTPS)
- Secure password storage
- Regular security updates
- Limited employee access to personal data
However, no website is 100% secure. Please use a strong password and keep it private.
How Long We Keep Your Information
- Active accounts: We keep your account information as long as your account is open
- Chat history & Goldie’s memory: The short summaries Goldie keeps to remember helpful things are retained for a limited time — about 90 days by default — and you can change this or turn the feature off in your profile at any time. See our Terms of Service (“Goldie AI Memory”) for details.
- Verification codes: One-time SMS codes are short-lived and expire within minutes
- Closed accounts: We delete most information within 30 days of closing your account
- Legal requirements: Some information may be kept longer if required by law
- Aggregate data: We may keep aggregate usage statistics indefinitely to improve our services. These are counts and totals that are not linked to you
Children’s Privacy
GoldieCircle is for adults age 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has given us information, email [email protected] and we will delete it.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We’ll notify you of major changes by:
- Posting a notice on the website
- Sending an email to your registered email address
Continued use of GoldieCircle after changes means you accept the new policy.
California & Other State Residents
If you live in California or certain other states, you have additional rights:
Right to Know
- What personal information we collect
- How we use it
- Who we share it with
Right to Delete
- Request we delete your personal information
- Some exceptions apply (legal requirements, fraud prevention)
Right to Opt Out
- Opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information. We do not sell your information, but analytics cookies may count as “sharing” under some state laws
- To opt out, open Cookie Settings on the cookie bar at the bottom of any page and press Reject All. You may also email [email protected] and we will action it for you
No Discrimination
- We won’t treat you differently for exercising your privacy rights
To make a request: Email [email protected].
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to understand how people use GoldieCircle. Google Analytics collects:
- Pages you visit
- How long you stay
- What device you use
- General location (city/state)
We never send Google your name, email address, or phone number. Google does give your browser a random identifier so it can tell repeat visits apart, and it collects the general location and device details listed above. That is standard for website analytics, but it is not the same as being completely anonymous — which is why you can switch it off.
Opt out: Open Cookie Settings on the cookie bar and press Reject All (or close the bar with the ×), or install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
Contact Us
Questions about privacy?
📧 Email: [email protected]
📧 Support: [email protected]
📬 Mail us at either office:
GoldieCircle LLC — Delaware
8 The Green, Suite B
Dover, DE 19901
GoldieCircle LLC — Maryland
306 W Redwood St, STE 201
Baltimore, MD 21201
We’ll respond within 30 days.
Plain Language Summary
What we collect: Your email, phone (optional), name/nickname, ZIP code, age range, chat and chatroom messages, documents you upload, and voice only while you hold the microphone button
Why: To help you find local benefits, explain your paperwork, verify your identity, and keep the community safe
Who we share with: Service providers who help run the site (including AI, translation, voice, and Stripe for payments), and benefit providers you ask us to contact
Your documents: Read, explained, then deleted — we do not keep them
Your card: Goes straight to Stripe — we never see the full number
Chatrooms: You use a nickname, and every room — private ones included — is safety-screened. Flagged messages can be read by our safety team
Your rights: Access, correct, delete your data anytime
Cookies: Essential (always on) + Analytics (your choice)
SMS: Optional phone signup receives verification codes only (no marketing)
We never sell your data, and advertisers never get your details
This privacy policy is written in plain language to help seniors and their families understand how we protect their information. If you have questions, please contact us.
Affiliate Disclosure
GoldieCircle participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. When you click product links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
We only feature products we believe are genuinely useful for seniors and their families. Affiliate relationships are always disclosed on the pages where they appear. Other third-party affiliate programs may also be used.