Cookie Policy

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, smartphone, or tablet) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently, provide a better user experience, and give website owners useful information about how their site is being used.

Cookies serve several important functions, including remembering your login status, storing your preferences, understanding how you interact with our platform, and protecting your account from unauthorized access.

How Cookies Work

When you first visit LoveConnet, our web server sends cookies to your browser, which stores them locally. Each time you return, your browser sends the cookies back to our server, allowing us to recognize you and personalize your experience. Cookies do not contain executable code and cannot access other information on your device.

Similar Technologies

In addition to cookies, we may also use similar tracking technologies including:

• Local Storage: HTML5 local storage allows us to store small amounts of data in your browser that persists across sessions. We use this to cache non-sensitive preferences and UI state for faster loading.
• Session Storage: Similar to local storage but automatically cleared when you close your browser tab. Used for temporary state during your browsing session.
• Pixels and Beacons: Tiny, transparent images embedded in web pages or emails that help us understand user engagement and verify that content has been rendered or emails opened.
• Device Fingerprinting: We collect certain device characteristics (browser type, screen resolution, installed fonts) to help detect fraud and prevent unauthorized access. This data is hashed and never used for advertising.

2.1 Essential Cookies (Strictly Necessary)

Essential cookies enable the following critical functions:

• Authentication: Keeping you securely logged in as you navigate between pages and during your entire session. Without this cookie, you would need to re-enter your credentials on every page.
• Session Management: Maintaining your active session with a unique, encrypted session identifier. This ensures your data is only accessible to you and prevents session hijacking.
• CSRF Protection: A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) token that prevents malicious websites from performing actions on your behalf without your knowledge.
• Security Headers: Cookies that enforce security policies like Content Security Policy (CSP) and help our Web Application Firewall (WAF) distinguish legitimate traffic from potential attacks.
• Load Balancing: Routing your requests to the same server throughout your session for consistent performance, especially during real-time features like messaging and video calls.
• Cookie Consent: Remembering your cookie preferences so we don't ask you again on every visit.

2.2 Functional Cookies (Preferences)

Functional cookies enhance your browsing experience by remembering choices you've made and providing personalized features. While the website will still work without them, your experience may be less convenient:

• Theme Preference: Remembering whether you prefer light or dark mode so we can apply your theme instantly on each visit without a flash of the wrong theme.
• Language Selection: Storing your chosen language so all content is displayed in your preferred language automatically.
• Notification Settings: Remembering your notification preferences for in-browser push notifications and sound alerts.
• Layout Preferences: Storing your preferred view settings (grid vs. list view, sidebar expansion state, etc.) across sessions.
• Recently Viewed Profiles: Caching recently viewed profiles locally for faster navigation — this data stays on your device and is never sent to our servers.
• Form Auto-fill: Remembering partially completed forms so you don't lose progress if you navigate away accidentally.

2.3 Analytics Cookies (Performance)

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website. All information collected by these cookies is aggregated and anonymized — we cannot identify individual users from this data. This helps us:

• Measure Traffic: Count the number of visitors, page views, and understand which pages are most popular. This helps us prioritize improvements to the areas that matter most.
• Understand Navigation: Track how users move through our website — which pages they visit, how long they stay, and where they encounter errors. This helps us optimize the user journey.
• Identify Performance Issues: Monitor page load times, error rates, and responsiveness across different browsers and devices. If a page loads slowly for users on mobile, we can identify and fix the bottleneck.
• A/B Testing: Test different versions of features, layouts, and content to determine which performs better. This ensures we make data-driven decisions about product changes.
• Feature Adoption: Understand which features are most used and which go unnoticed, helping us focus development efforts on what users actually need.

2.4 Security Cookies

These specialized cookies are part of our multi-layered security infrastructure designed to protect your account and our platform:

• Bot Detection: Cloudflare Turnstile verification cookies that distinguish human users from automated bots, scrapers, and spam accounts — without intrusive CAPTCHAs.
• Rate Limiting: Tracking request frequency to prevent brute-force attacks against your account. If someone tries to guess your password repeatedly, these cookies help us detect and block the attempt.
• Fraud Prevention: Detecting suspicious patterns like simultaneous logins from different geographic locations, which could indicate your account has been compromised.
• Device Recognition: Identifying trusted devices so you don't need to complete additional verification steps each time you log in from the same device.

The following table provides a detailed breakdown of the specific cookies LoveConnet places on your device:

Essential Cookies

Functional Cookies

Analytics Cookies

Security Cookies

The only third-party cookies that may be set when you use LoveConnet come from our trusted infrastructure partners:

You have several options for controlling and managing cookies. Please note that disabling certain cookies may impact the functionality of our website:

5.1 Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to view, manage, and delete cookies through their settings. Here are links to cookie management instructions for popular browsers:

5.2 On Our Website

When you first visit LoveConnet, you will see a cookie consent banner that allows you to accept or customize which categories of cookies you permit. You can change your preferences at any time by clicking the "Cookie Settings" link in our website footer.

5.3 Opt-Out Tools

• Google Analytics Opt-Out: Install the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On to prevent Google Analytics from collecting your data across all websites.
• Your Online Choices (EU): Visit youronlinechoices.eu to manage your tracking preferences across participating companies.
• NAI Consumer Opt-Out: Visit the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.

Some web browsers transmit a "Do Not Track" (DNT) signal to websites. Since there is currently no universally accepted standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals, LoveConnet handles them as follows:

• We respect your browser's DNT preference and will disable non-essential analytics cookies when a DNT signal is detected.
• Essential and security cookies will continue to function regardless of DNT signals, as they are required for the core operation and security of our platform.
• We encourage users who wish to limit tracking to also review our cookie management options described in Section 5 above for more granular control.

We also support the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal. When we detect a GPC signal from your browser, we will treat it as a valid opt-out request for the sale or sharing of personal information, in accordance with applicable privacy laws including CCPA.

In compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the ePrivacy Directive, the UK PECR, and similar legislation worldwide, we obtain your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device:

• First Visit: A cookie consent banner is displayed on your first visit, clearly explaining the categories of cookies we use and providing you with the option to accept all, reject non-essential, or customize your preferences.
• Granular Control: You can accept or reject each category of cookies independently (Essential, Functional, Analytics). Essential cookies are always active as they are strictly necessary.
• Consent Storage: Your consent preferences are stored in an essential cookie (lc_consent) so we don't need to ask you again on subsequent visits. This cookie does not track your browsing behavior.
• Withdraw Consent: You can withdraw or modify your consent at any time by clicking "Cookie Settings" in our website footer, or by clearing your browser cookies and revisiting our site.
• No Cookie Walls: We do not block access to our website or restrict functionality based on your cookie consent choices. Your access to LoveConnet is not conditional on accepting non-essential cookies.
• Prior Consent: Non-essential cookies are only placed on your device after you have provided affirmative consent. We do not pre-check any cookie categories or use deceptive "dark patterns" to influence your choice.
• Consent Records: We maintain records of all consent actions (grants and withdrawals) as required by applicable data protection regulations. These logs include the timestamp, IP address (hashed), and categories consented to, but are never used for marketing or profiling.

Consent for Mobile App

Our mobile application (iOS and Android) does not use browser cookies. Instead, it may use device-level identifiers and local storage for similar purposes. You can control these through:

• iOS: Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking — disable "Allow Apps to Request to Track"
• Android: Settings → Privacy → Ads — enable "Opt out of Ads Personalization" or "Delete advertising ID"

LoveConnet operates globally and complies with multiple data protection and ePrivacy regulations. Below is how each major framework applies to our use of cookies and tracking technologies:

8.1 European Union — GDPR & ePrivacy Directive

Under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the ePrivacy Directive (Directive 2002/58/EC, as amended by Directive 2009/136/EC), you have the following rights regarding cookies:

• Right to Be Informed: We must clearly explain what cookies we use, why we use them, and how long they last — which is what this Cookie Policy provides.
• Right to Consent: Non-essential cookies require your explicit, informed, freely-given consent before they can be placed on your device. Consent must be as easy to withdraw as it is to give.
• Right to Access: You can request a complete list of all cookies currently stored on your device by our website, along with the data they contain.
• Right to Erasure: You can request that we delete all cookie data associated with your account. You can also clear cookies directly through your browser at any time.
• Right to Object: You have the right to object to the use of analytics cookies and any processing based on legitimate interests.

8.2 United Kingdom — UK GDPR & PECR

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR), the same consent requirements apply as under EU law. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) enforces these regulations. You may file a complaint with the ICO at ico.org.uk if you believe your cookie rights have been violated.

8.3 United States — CCPA / CPRA

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), California residents have additional rights:

• Right to Know: You can request disclosure of the categories of personal information we collect through cookies, the sources, and the business purposes for which the data is used.
• Right to Delete: You can request deletion of personal information collected through cookies.
• Right to Opt-Out: While LoveConnet does not "sell" personal information (as defined by the CCPA), you can opt out of any sharing of cookie-derived data by adjusting your cookie preferences.
• Non-Discrimination: We will not deny you service, charge you different prices, or provide a different quality of service based on your cookie consent choices.

8.4 Brazil — LGPD

Under the Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD), Brazilian users have the right to be informed about the use of cookies, to consent to non-essential cookies, and to request the deletion of cookie-derived data. Our cookie consent mechanism fully complies with LGPD requirements, including providing clear information in Portuguese when our platform is accessed from Brazil.

8.5 South Africa — POPIA

Under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), South African users are entitled to be notified about the purpose and extent of cookie processing. We comply with POPIA by providing this Cookie Policy, obtaining consent for non-essential cookies, and ensuring that cookie data is processed lawfully using the minimum amount of information necessary to fulfill the stated purpose. You may lodge complaints with the Information Regulator at justice.gov.za/inforeg.

8.6 Nigeria — NDPR

Under the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) and the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, we are required to obtain consent before processing personal data through cookies. Nigerian users have the right to be informed about cookie usage, to withdraw consent, and to request deletion of personal data collected via cookies. We also ensure that any cross-border transfer of cookie-derived data is conducted with adequate safeguards in place.

Different cookies are retained for different periods depending on their purpose. Here is a comprehensive overview of our cookie data retention practices:

Session Cookies

Session cookies (such as lc_session and lc_csrf) are temporary and are automatically deleted when you close your browser. These cookies exist only in your browser's memory and are never written to your device's hard drive. They are essential for maintaining your state as you navigate between pages during a single visit.

Persistent Cookies

Persistent cookies remain on your device for a specified period or until you manually delete them. We set the shortest retention period practical for each cookie:

• Short-lived (up to 1 hour): Rate limiting cookies (lc_rate_limit) and security challenge cookies. These expire quickly because they serve a time-sensitive security purpose.
• Medium-lived (30 minutes – 30 days): Analytics session identifiers, A/B test assignments, and Cloudflare security cookies. These need to persist across multiple pages but not indefinitely.
• Long-lived (30 days – 1 year): Authentication tokens, theme preferences, language settings, and consent records. These improve your experience over multiple visits and would be inconvenient to reset frequently.
• Maximum lifetime: No cookie set by LoveConnet exceeds a 1-year retention period. We regularly review cookie lifetimes and reduce them wherever technically feasible.

Server-Side Cookie Data

Some cookies reference data stored on our servers (such as session data). When you delete a cookie from your browser or it expires, the corresponding server-side data is automatically purged within 72 hours. For analytics data, server-side records are anonymized within 30 days and aggregated statistical data (which cannot identify individuals) may be retained indefinitely for trend analysis and service improvement.

While our mobile applications (iOS and Android) do not use browser cookies, they employ functionally equivalent technologies. This section provides detailed transparency about these technologies:

10.1 Software Development Kits (SDKs)

Our mobile app integrates the following SDKs, each of which may access certain device information:

10.2 Device Identifiers

• Installation ID: A randomly generated identifier unique to each app installation. This is not linked to your device hardware and is reset when you reinstall the app. Used for analytics and crash reporting.
• Push Notification Token: A unique token generated by FCM (Android) or APNs (iOS) to deliver push notifications. This token changes periodically and is specific to the LoveConnet app — other apps cannot access it.
• Advertising ID: LoveConnet does not collect or use the Android Advertising ID (GAID) or iOS Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA). We do not serve advertisements and have no need for advertising identifiers.

10.3 Local Storage on Mobile

• Secure Storage: Authentication tokens are stored in platform-native secure storage (Android Keystore / iOS Keychain) which is hardware-encrypted and inaccessible to other apps.
• SharedPreferences / UserDefaults: Non-sensitive settings (theme, language, notification preferences) are stored in platform-standard key-value storage. This data stays on your device and is never transmitted to our servers.
• Image Cache: Profile photos and media are cached locally for performance. Cache is automatically managed by the OS and can be cleared via your device's app settings at any time.

LoveConnet uses some cookie-derived and tracking data in automated processes. In accordance with GDPR Article 22 and similar provisions, we are transparent about how this data influences automated decisions:

11.1 Security Decisions

• Bot Detection: Cookies and browser fingerprinting signals are used by our Cloudflare WAF to automatically block requests identified as coming from bots, scrapers, or malicious automated tools. If you are incorrectly flagged, a CAPTCHA challenge is presented rather than an outright block.
• Suspicious Login Detection: Device recognition cookies are compared with historical login patterns. If a login attempt comes from an unrecognized device and location, additional verification (such as email confirmation) is required. This does not block access — it adds an extra verification step.
• Rate Limiting: Rate limiting cookies automatically throttle requests from IPs or sessions that exceed normal usage patterns. This protects against brute-force attacks and API abuse. Throttling is temporary and resets after a short cooldown period.

11.2 Personalization

• Content Optimization: Analytics cookies inform which features and layouts perform best, allowing us to optimize the user experience. These decisions affect all users in a given A/B test group, not individuals specifically.
• No Profiling for Advertising: We do not use cookie data to create behavioral profiles for advertising purposes. Cookie-derived data is never shared with ad networks, data brokers, or used for targeted advertising of any kind.

We conduct regular cookie audits to ensure our practices remain accurate, compliant, and minimal. Our commitment to transparency includes the following measures:

12.1 Quarterly Cookie Audits

• We perform a comprehensive cookie audit every quarter, reviewing all first-party and third-party cookies on our website and mobile applications.
• Each audit verifies that all cookies listed in this policy are accurate, that no undisclosed cookies are being set, and that cookie retention periods have not changed unexpectedly.
• Audit results are reviewed by our privacy team and used to update this Cookie Policy if any discrepancies are found.
• We use automated cookie scanning tools supplemented by manual verification to ensure complete coverage.

12.2 Cookie Minimization

We follow the principle of data minimization as required by GDPR Article 5(1)(c). This means:

• Purpose Limitation: Each cookie serves a specific, documented purpose. We do not set cookies "just in case" or for speculative future use.
• Minimal Data: Cookies contain the absolute minimum data necessary to fulfill their purpose. For example, our theme cookie stores only "light", "dark", or "system" — nothing more.
• Regular Review: We periodically review all cookies and remove any that are no longer necessary, or consolidate multiple cookies into fewer where possible.
• Shortest Lifetime: We set cookie expiration to the shortest duration that still fulfills the cookie's purpose. Session cookies are preferred over persistent cookies wherever feasible.

12.3 Transparency Reports

We are committed to providing full transparency about our cookie usage. This Cookie Policy serves as our primary transparency document and is updated whenever there are material changes to our cookie practices. We also maintain internal documentation of all cookie-related data processing activities as part of our Record of Processing Activities (ROPA) as required by GDPR Article 30.

12.4 No Hidden Tracking

We may update this Cookie Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, or legal requirements. When we make updates:

• Material Changes: If we introduce new categories of cookies, expand our use of third-party cookies, or make other significant changes, we will notify you through a prominent banner on our website and update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.
• Minor Changes: For non-material updates (such as adding or removing individual cookies within existing categories), we will update this page without additional notice.
• Version History: Previous versions of this Cookie Policy are archived and available upon request. Contact our privacy team to access earlier versions.
• Notification Period: For material changes, we will provide at least 30 days' notice before the new policy takes effect, giving you time to review and adjust your preferences.
• We recommend reviewing this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies.
• Your continued use of our website after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Cookie Policy.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookie Policy or how we use cookies, please don't hesitate to reach out:

For data protection inquiries in the European Union, you may also contact our designated Data Protection Officer (DPO) at [email protected].