Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 2026

Christian Match (“we”, “us”, “our”) operates a faith-centred dating platform for adults in Nigeria. We respect your privacy and handle personal data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) and applicable law.

This Privacy Policy explains what we collect, why we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. By creating an account or using our service, you acknowledge this policy. During registration you must also accept our Terms of Use.

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to visitors, registered members, and anyone who contacts us about Christian Match. Our service is for adults aged 18 and over only. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18.

2. Data we collect

We collect information you provide, information generated when you use the service, and limited technical data needed to run the platform securely.

2.1 Account and contact information

Email address — required for registration, sign-in, verification, and service emails.
Password — stored only as a one-way hash; we never store or email your plain password.
Username — your public handle on the platform.
Phone number — optional or required depending on site settings. Used for account security, SMS verification codes, and password recovery. Your phone number is never shown on your profile or to other members.
Signup source — if you tell us how you heard about us (e.g. church, social media), we store that for analytics.
Legal acceptance records — timestamps showing when you accepted our Terms and acknowledged this Privacy Policy.

2.2 Profile and preferences

Information you add to build your dating profile and match preferences, which may include:

Display name, date of birth, gender, city and state
Faith and church details (denomination, attendance, role)
Relationship intent, marital status, and family or lifestyle choices
Appearance and background fields you choose to share (e.g. height, occupation, education, ethnicity)
Bio and profile photo
Discover filters and match preferences
Privacy and visibility settings (e.g. whether you appear in Discover, show location or photo publicly, accept incoming messages)
Notification preferences (email and in-app)
Timezone preference for displaying dates and times

2.3 Activity on the platform

Likes, passes, matches, and match timestamps
Messages you send and receive in match conversations
Profile visits (who viewed your profile and profiles you viewed, where enabled)
Blocks and reports you submit, including the reason and context you provide
In-app notifications and their read status
Online presence signals (e.g. last active time) used to show whether members are online

2.4 Identity verification (optional KYC)

If you submit identity verification, we collect:

Legal full name
ID type (e.g. NIN, driver’s licence, passport, voter’s card)
Photos of your ID document (front and back where applicable) and a selfie
Review status, admin notes, and review timestamps

Verification documents are used only to confirm identity and reduce fraud. They are reviewed by authorised staff and are not shown to other members.

2.5 Payments and Premium

If you purchase Premium or credits, we store transaction references, amounts, payment provider, subscription status, and receipt details. We do not store your full card or bank account details. Card and bank payments are processed by third-party providers such as Paystack, Flutterwave, Monnify, or bank transfer instructions you follow at checkout.

2.6 Content you submit

Blog posts, comments, and success stories you submit to the site
Images attached to that content

2.7 Security and account recovery

Email verification and password-reset tokens
SMS one-time codes when phone verification or SMS recovery is enabled
Two-factor authentication (TOTP) secrets if you enable 2FA
Security question and answer (hashed) if you set one
Sign-in session records (device information, IP address, user agent, and session times)
Failed sign-in attempt logs used to prevent abuse

2.8 Technical and log data

IP address and browser user agent in security, audit, and session logs
Essential cookies (see Section 8)
Audit logs of significant account actions for safety and compliance

3. How we use your data

We use personal data to:

Create and manage your account and authenticate you
Operate matching, Discover, messaging, notifications, and Premium features
Display your profile to other members according to your privacy settings and match status
Send service, security, and (where you opt in) marketing communications
Verify your email and phone, process payments, and deliver receipts
Review identity verification submissions and moderate reports
Investigate abuse, enforce our Terms, suspend accounts when necessary, and protect members
Provide self-service data export and respond to privacy requests
Improve reliability, prevent fraud, and meet legal and regulatory obligations

4. Legal bases (NDPR)

Depending on the activity, we rely on one or more of the following:

Contract — to provide the service you signed up for
Consent — e.g. optional marketing emails, certain profile fields, identity verification, and cookie notice acceptance
Legitimate interests — e.g. fraud prevention, security, moderation, and improving the platform, balanced against your rights
Legal obligation — e.g. responding to lawful requests or retaining records where required by law

5. How we share information

We do not sell your personal data.

5.1 Other members

Other signed-in members see the profile information you choose to make visible, subject to your privacy settings (Discover visibility, public photo, location display, and match status). Messages are shared only with people you have matched with. Your email and phone number are never shown to other members.

5.2 Service providers

We use trusted processors who handle data only on our instructions and for the purposes described in this policy, including:

Payment providers — Paystack, Flutterwave, Monnify, and bank-transfer workflows
SMS providers — e.g. Termii, Sendchamp, or Africa’s Talking (for verification and recovery codes)
Email delivery — our configured SMTP provider for transactional email
Real-time messaging — Pusher (or similar) to deliver live chat updates when enabled
Hosting and infrastructure — servers and storage that run the website and database

5.3 Safety, legal, and business transfers

We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or government request; to protect the rights, safety, or property of members or the public; or in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets (with notice where required).

6. Your choices and controls

Profile and privacy settings — Account → Privacy: control Discover visibility, location and photo display, and incoming messages.
Notifications — Account settings: manage email and in-app notification preferences.
Block and report — Block members or report behaviour from their profile or chat context.
Data export — Account → My data export: download a copy of categories you select (profile, messages, matches, media, payments, and more).
Deactivate account — Account → Privacy: deactivate to stop sign-in and hide active use. Your data remains until an administrator restores or deletes it.
Delete personal data — To request erasure beyond deactivation, contact us (Section 12). Some data may be retained where law or legitimate safety interests require it.
Withdraw consent — Where processing is based on consent (e.g. marketing email), you may withdraw it in settings or by contacting us. This does not affect processing already carried out.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the service. When you deactivate your account, we retain data until restoration or deletion is processed. After deletion, we remove or anonymise personal data within a reasonable period, except where we must retain records for legal compliance, dispute resolution, fraud prevention, or safety investigations. Backup copies may persist for a limited time before being overwritten.

8. Cookies and similar technologies

We use essential cookies only — for example, to keep you signed in, remember your “stay signed in” preference, record cookie-notice acceptance, and protect forms against cross-site request forgery. We do not use third-party advertising or analytics cookies on the member experience. You can control cookies through your browser; disabling essential cookies may prevent parts of the site from working.

9. Security

We use technical and organisational measures appropriate to the data we hold, including password hashing, HTTPS in production, access controls for staff, and audit logging. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure; please use a strong, unique password and enable two-factor authentication where available.

10. International transfers

Our primary audience is in Nigeria. Some service providers may process data in other countries. Where data leaves Nigeria, we take steps consistent with NDPR requirements, including appropriate safeguards where applicable.

11. Your rights under NDPR

Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you
Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
Request deletion or restriction of processing
Object to certain processing based on legitimate interests
Receive a portable copy of data you provided (also available via data export)
Withdraw consent where processing is consent-based
Lodge a complaint with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC)

To exercise these rights, use in-app tools where available or contact us below. We will respond within reasonable timelines required by NDPR.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the revised version at /legal/privacy and update the “Last updated” date. Material changes may be communicated by email or in-app notice where appropriate. Continued use after changes take effect constitutes acknowledgment of the updated policy.

13. Contact us

For privacy questions, data requests, or complaints, contact our support team at the email address shown in emails from Christian Match and in your account correspondence. If you have not received mail from us yet, use the support contact published on the site.

When contacting us, include the email address on your account so we can verify your identity before releasing or changing personal data.