Last updated: April 28, 2026
Introduction
WPFolks ("we," "our," or "us") operates the wpfolks.org website. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and use our services.
Information We Collect
Information you provide
- Account information: Name, email address, username, and password when you create an account
- Profile information: Bio, skills, location, social links, availability status, and "currently building" project
- Content: Posts, comments, plugin submissions, job listings, and resource submissions you create
- WordPress.org data: If you connect via WordPress.org, we import your public contribution data (core commits, plugins, support answers)
Information collected automatically
- Usage data: Pages visited, features used, and interaction patterns
- Device information: Browser type, operating system, and device type
- Log data: IP address, access times, and referring URLs
How We Use Your Information
- To create and maintain your WPFolks profile
- To display your profile in the member directory and on the leaderboard
- To enable community features (feed posts, plugin showcase, event attendance)
- To send you notifications about activity on your profile and content
- To send our weekly community digest (you can unsubscribe at any time)
- To improve the platform based on usage patterns
- To enforce our community guidelines and prevent abuse
Information Sharing
We do not sell your personal information. We share information only in these cases:
- Public profile: Your profile, posts, and plugin submissions are publicly visible by design
- Service providers: We use hosting, email, and analytics services that process data on our behalf
- Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect our rights
Data Security
We implement industry-standard security measures including encryption in transit (TLS), secure password hashing, and regular security audits. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure.
Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access, correct, or delete your personal information
- Export your data in a machine-readable format
- Opt out of marketing emails
- Delete your account entirely (this removes all your data from our systems)
Cookies
We use essential cookies for authentication and session management. We use analytics cookies (with consent) to understand how the platform is used. You can disable non-essential cookies in your browser settings.
Children's Privacy
WPFolks is not intended for users under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 16.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting a notice on the platform and updating the "last updated" date above.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at hello@wpfolks.org or through our contact page.
The WPFolks app
The WPFolks app for iOS and Android talks to this same site, so everything above applies. This section covers what is different on a phone.
Account and sign-in
The app uses the same account as the website: your name, email address, username and avatar. You can sign in three ways: email and password, Continue with Google, or Sign in with Apple. When you use Google or Apple, they tell us your name and email address so the account can be created or matched. We never see your Google or Apple password.
Location
Location is optional and the app works fully without it. If you allow it, approximate coordinates are stored on your account and used for two things: showing you folks near you, and telling you about events nearby. It is approximate on purpose, and it is never shown to anyone as a precise position.
You can turn it off at any time with the Nearby folks switch in app Settings, which stops you appearing to others. Your location is deleted when you delete your account.
Push notifications
If you allow notifications, your device gives us a push token which is stored on your account and used to deliver messages through Expo, the service that runs the app. Every type of notification can be switched off individually in the app. Tokens are removed when you sign out of a device and when you delete your account.
App sessions
Each time you sign in on a device, the app creates a named session for that device rather than storing your password. You can see every active session and revoke any of them from Settings. Revoking one signs that device out immediately.
Photos on your device
The app asks for photo library access for two reasons only: to save a Photo Directory image you chose to download, and to upload an image you chose for your profile or a post. Nothing is read from your library, scanned, or uploaded unless you pick it.
Services the app relies on
- Expo, to deliver push notifications to your device.
- Google and Apple, when you use their sign-in buttons.
- Gravatar, which serves profile images by an anonymised hash of an email address.
- WordPress.org, for plugin, theme and Photo Directory information. Public data only.
- OpenAI, for two things: checking posts automatically for content that breaks the community guidelines, and writing the daily WordPress trivia questions. No personal data is sent for trivia.
- WordPress.com, which hosts the site.
Keeping and deleting your data
Your data is kept while your account exists. You can delete your account yourself from the app or the website, without asking anyone. The account deletion page explains exactly what is removed, what stays without your name on it, and how long it takes.
Age
WPFolks is for folks aged 16 and over. The app is not directed at children and we do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 16.
Privacy questions about the app
Write to hello@wpfolks.org, or use the support page.