Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Friends of Medicine, LLC (“FOM,” “we,” “us”) collects, uses, shares, and protects information when you use the Friends of Medicine member portal at portal.friendsofmed.com and related services (the “Platform”). By using the Platform you agree to this Policy and to our Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

The Platform is a professional networking service. It is not intended for protected health information (PHI) or patient-identifiable information, and you should never submit such information to it.

2. Information we collect

Information you provide:

• Account and profile information — your name, email address, and the professional details you choose to share (professional status, credentials, licensure, organization, services offered, biography, and profile photo). This information is self-reported and is not independently verified by FOM.
• Content you submit — the needs you post, listings, messages you send to other members, and files you upload as message attachments.
• Communications — messages you send to us for support or other purposes.

Information collected automatically:

• Usage and device data — such as IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, and actions taken on the Platform, collected through cookies and similar technologies.

Information from third parties:

• Payment confirmation data from our payment processor (see below). We do not collect or store your full payment card number.

3. How we use information

We use information to:

• Create and maintain your account and profile;
• Operate the Platform and facilitate connections between members;
• Process payments for connections and need bundles;
• Communicate with you about your account, transactions, and service updates, and (where permitted) send marketing communications you can opt out of;
• Maintain the security and integrity of the Platform, prevent fraud and abuse, and enforce our Terms and Code of Conduct;
• Improve and develop the Platform;
• Comply with legal obligations.

4. How information is shared

We are not in the business of selling your personal information, and we do not sell it. We share information in the following ways:

• With other members — your profile information is visible to other members of the Platform, and the content of your messages and any attachments is shared with the member(s) you are connected with. Do not share anything you would not want a connected member to see.
• With service providers (subprocessors) who help us operate the Platform, including Supabase (database hosting, authentication, and file storage), Vercel (application hosting), Stripe (payment processing), and GoHighLevel / HighLevel (customer relationship management and communications). These providers may process your information only to provide services to us.
• For legal and safety reasons — to comply with law, respond to lawful requests, enforce our Terms, or protect the rights, safety, and property of FOM, our members, or others.
• In a business transfer — if FOM is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

5. File uploads and attachments

Files you attach to messages are stored privately and are accessible only to you and the member(s) you are connected with in that conversation. To protect privacy, we remove embedded metadata (such as geolocation) from uploaded images. Uploaded files are deleted along with the rest of your data when your account is closed (see Retention).

6. Data retention

• We retain your profile, messages, and uploaded files while your account is active.
• When your account is closed, we soft-delete it and then permanently delete your data and uploaded files after a 30-day grace period.
• We retain records we are legally required to keep — for example, transaction and tax records held by our payment processor — for as long as required.

7. Security

We use technical and organizational measures designed to protect your information, including encryption in transit, access controls that restrict data to the members involved in a conversation, and private file storage. No system is completely secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your choices and rights

You can review and update your profile information at any time from your account. You may have rights to access, correct, delete, or obtain a copy of your personal information, or to object to or restrict certain processing. To make a request, contact us at privacy@friendsofmed.com; we will respond as required by applicable law. Members are located in Florida; Florida’s consumer privacy statute (the Florida Digital Bill of Rights) generally applies only to very large businesses, but we extend these choices to all members as a matter of practice.

You can opt out of marketing communications using the unsubscribe link in those messages or by contacting us.

9. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember your preferences, and understand how the Platform is used. You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling some cookies may affect how the Platform works.

10. No protected health information

The Platform is not designed for, and must not be used to store or transmit, protected health information or patient-identifiable information. If you submit such information in violation of our Terms, you do so at your own risk, and we may remove it.

11. Children

The Platform is intended for professionals and is not directed to anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

12. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated by email and/or via the Platform, and the “Last updated” date above will reflect the most recent revision.

13. Contact

Questions or privacy requests: privacy@friendsofmed.com.