20Spokes, Inc. ("Gethery," "we," "us," or "our") operates a private directory and communication platform for organizations. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use and share it, and the choices you have.
This Policy applies to gethery.com, our mobile applications, and related services (the "Service"). It does not apply to any organization's own websites, systems, or practices.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
1. Our Role, and Your Organization's Role
Gethery is a service operated by 20Spokes, Inc. "Gethery" is a product name, not a separate legal entity; 20Spokes, Inc. is the company responsible for the Service and for this Policy.
Access to a Gethery directory is provided by an organization — a school, parent group, club, team, or nonprofit (each, an "Organization").
- For information an Organization provides to us or directs us to process on its behalf (for example, rosters, class lists, or membership records), the Organization is the controller and we act as a service provider / processor under its instructions and any written agreement with it. That Organization's own privacy policy governs its practices; direct questions about its data to the Organization.
- For information you provide directly to us, and for the operation, security, and improvement of the Service, we are the controller.
2. Information We Collect
Information you provide:
- Account information — name, email address, phone number, password, and profile photo.
- Profile and directory information — the details you choose to display, which may include your child's first name, grade, class, or teacher; your role (parent, staff, coach); neighborhood or general location; and any bio or notes you add.
- Privacy settings — your choices about who can see you and who can contact you.
- Content you create — messages, group posts, comments, photos, files, event details, and RSVPs.
- Support and correspondence — information you send us when you contact support, respond to a survey, or join a waitlist.
- Payment information — if you purchase a paid plan, our payment processor collects and processes your payment details; we receive limited billing information such as the last four digits of a card and billing contact.
Information collected automatically:
- Device and usage data — IP address, browser and device type, operating system, pages and screens viewed, actions taken, timestamps, referring pages, and crash and diagnostic data.
- Cookies and similar technologies — see Section 10.
- Approximate location derived from IP address. We do not collect precise geolocation unless you expressly enable a feature that requires it.
Information from others:
- From your Organization — membership, roster, grade/class assignment, role, and contact details used to invite you and place you in the correct directory.
- From other members — for example, if someone invites you or adds you to a group.
- From third-party services you connect — such as a calendar provider or single sign-on provider, limited to what that service shares under your authorization.
3. How We Use Information
We use personal information to:
- Create and manage accounts, and authenticate users;
- Operate the directory, apply your privacy settings, and enable members to find and contact one another;
- Deliver messages, groups, calendars, events, and notifications;
- Provide customer support and respond to inquiries;
- Send service and transactional communications (invitations, security alerts, changes to terms, receipts);
- Send product and marketing communications, where permitted — you can opt out at any time;
- Monitor, investigate, and prevent fraud, abuse, harassment, spam, and security incidents;
- Analyze usage to maintain, troubleshoot, and improve the Service;
- Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Use.
Where required by law, we rely on the following legal bases: performance of a contract; our legitimate interests in operating and securing the Service; your consent (which you may withdraw); and compliance with legal obligations.
4. How We Share Information
We share personal information only as described here:
- With other members of your Organization, according to your privacy settings and the Organization's configuration. This is the core purpose of the Service — information you make visible in a directory will be visible to the members who have access to that directory.
- With your Organization and its administrators, who may view and manage membership and certain content in their directory.
- With service providers who process information on our behalf under contract — hosting and cloud infrastructure, email and SMS delivery, analytics and error monitoring, customer support tooling, and payment processing. They may use the information only to provide services to us.
- For legal reasons — when we believe in good faith that disclosure is required by law, subpoena, or legal process, or is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Gethery, our users, or the public, including to investigate suspected fraud, abuse, or threats of harm.
- In a business transfer — in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, or sale of assets, subject to this Policy or a successor policy with notice to you.
- With your direction or consent — including when you connect a third-party integration.
- In aggregated or de-identified form that cannot reasonably be used to identify you.
We do not sell personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising or targeted advertising. We do not use member contact information to advertise to you on behalf of third parties.
5. Your Privacy Controls and Choices
- Directory visibility. You control what appears in your profile and who can see and contact you. You can change these settings at any time in your account.
- Messages. You can block or report other members and limit who may message you.
- Access, correction, and deletion. You can view and edit most of your information in your account, and you may request deletion of your account. If your Organization supplied information about you, we may direct your request to that Organization.
- Marketing email. Use the unsubscribe link in any marketing message, or contact us. You cannot opt out of essential service and transactional messages while you hold an account.
- Notifications. Manage push and email notifications in your account or device settings.
6. Children's Privacy
The Service is intended for adults. We do not knowingly permit anyone under 18 to create an account and we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13.
Adult members and Organizations may enter limited information about children — such as a first name, grade, class, or teacher — for the purpose of identifying family connections within a directory. The adult or Organization submitting that information is responsible for having the right and any necessary consent to submit it.
Where an Organization is a school, the Organization is responsible for its obligations under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and applicable state student-privacy laws, including providing any required notice and obtaining any required parental consent. We process school-supplied data at the Organization's direction, use it only to provide the Service, and do not use it to build advertising profiles or sell it.
If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information to us directly, contact privacy@gethery.com and we will delete it.
7. Data Retention
We retain personal information for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the Service. After account deletion or the end of your Organization's use of the Service, we delete or de-identify personal information within a reasonable period, except where we must retain it to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, prevent fraud or abuse, or enforce our agreements. Residual copies may persist in secure backups for a limited retention period. Messages you sent to others may remain visible to those recipients.
8. Security
We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information, including encryption in transit, access controls, and least-privilege practices. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for keeping your password confidential and for activity under your account. If we become aware of a breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you and any applicable regulator as required by law.
9. International Users and Transfers
The Service is operated in the United States and is intended for users in the United States. If you access it from outside the U.S., you understand that your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country. Where required, we use appropriate safeguards for such transfers.
10. Cookies and Similar Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember your preferences, secure the Service, and understand how it is used. We use:
- Strictly necessary cookies for authentication, session management, and security;
- Preference cookies to remember your settings;
- Analytics cookies to measure usage and improve the Service.
We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling necessary cookies will prevent parts of the Service from working. We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) and other browser-based opt-out preference signals. Because we do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising, there is nothing for such a signal to opt you out of — but we treat it as a valid request and will continue to honor it.
11. Your Rights
U.S. state privacy rights (including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, and other states with comparable laws). Subject to verification and legal exceptions, you may have the right to:
- Know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose;
- Access or receive a portable copy of your personal information;
- Correct inaccurate personal information;
- Delete personal information;
- Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information and of targeted advertising — we do not sell or share personal information for these purposes;
- Limit the use of sensitive personal information — we do not use sensitive personal information for purposes requiring a limitation right;
- Not be discriminated against for exercising these rights;
- Appeal a denial of a request, where state law provides an appeal right.
European Economic Area, UK, and similar jurisdictions. Where applicable, you may have rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, objection, and withdrawal of consent, and the right to lodge a complaint with your supervisory authority.
How to exercise your rights. Email privacy@gethery.com from the address associated with your account, or use the controls in your account settings. We will verify your identity before responding and will respond within the time required by law. An authorized agent may submit a request on your behalf with proof of authorization. If your Organization supplied the information, we will refer your request to that Organization.
12. Third-Party Links and Services
The Service may link to or integrate with third-party sites and services. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Review their policies before providing information to them.
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Policy from time to time. We will post the updated Policy with a new "Last updated" date and, for material changes, provide additional notice such as email or an in-product message before the change takes effect. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance.
14. Contact Us
Questions, requests, or complaints:
20Spokes, Inc.
2626 W Rascher Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
privacy@gethery.com