AltBase ("we", "us", "our") is a private network for verified alumni of AltSchool. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the rights you have over it.

If you have questions about anything below, email us at contact@altbase.cc.

What we collect

We collect the information you give us directly and a small amount of information we need to keep the service running.

Account information. When you sign up, whether by email/password or with Google, we receive your email address and the basic profile your provider returns (display name, profile photo). We do not receive your Google password.

Profile information. What you fill in during onboarding and afterwards: your full name, chosen username, avatar, AltSchool track and cohort, short bio, current role, GitHub link, portfolio or LinkedIn URL.

Verification information. A copy of your AltSchool certificate or proof of cohort, uploaded during onboarding for one purpose only: so an admin can confirm you actually studied at AltSchool. AltBase is a closed network, and this check is what keeps it that way.

This file is stored in private storage. It is never shown on your profile, never visible to other alumni, and only viewable by AltBase administrators carrying out that review. We do not use it for anything else, and we never share it outside that review.

Once an admin approves your account, we delete the certificate from our systems. We keep the fact and date of your approval, not the document itself. If we cannot verify you and your sign-up is rejected, the certificate is kept only so you can correct and resubmit it, and is deleted within 90 days of the decision if you do not.

Content you create. Posts, comments, projects, collaboration interest signals, blog posts, and messages you send inside AltBase.

Technical information. Standard server logs (IP address, browser, timestamps) used to operate the service and prevent abuse. These logs are retained for a short window for security purposes.

How we use it

• To provide AltBase: showing your profile to other alumni, displaying your posts, matching collaborators, sending notifications you opt into.
• To verify that you are an AltSchool alumnus during onboarding. Confirming your alumni status is the only thing your uploaded certificate is ever used for.
• To send transactional emails: account approval, password reset, project interest, and weekly digests you have opted into.
• To keep the service secure and prevent abuse.

We do not sell your personal information. We do not run advertising on AltBase.

Who we share it with

We rely on a small set of trusted service providers to operate AltBase. Each has a contract that limits how they use the data:

• Neon: our managed PostgreSQL database. Your account, profile, and the content you post are stored here.
• Cloudflare R2: file storage for avatars, cover images, showcase media, and verification certificates.
• Render: hosts the AltBase website and the API that serves it.
• Resend: sends transactional emails on our behalf (approvals, notifications, digests).
• Google: only when you choose Google sign-in. Google shares your basic profile with us in line with Google's privacy policy.

Two things we deliberately do not outsource: sign-in and passwords are handled by AltBase itself rather than a third-party authentication provider, and community chat and live notifications run on our own servers rather than a managed realtime service, so your messages are not routed through an outside vendor.

We do not share your data with advertisers, data brokers, or recruiters.

Cookies

AltBase uses a small number of essential cookies to keep you signed in and remember your theme preference. We do not currently set analytics or advertising cookies. When we add product analytics in the future, we will ask for your consent first and let you decline without losing access to the service.

Your rights

You can:

• Access and correct your profile at any time from your settings page.
• Delete your account. Email contact@altbase.cc to request deletion. Your account becomes inaccessible immediately; we hard-delete the underlying data after a 30-day restore window unless you contact us within that window.
• Export your data. Email us and we will provide a JSON archive of your posts, profile, and content.
• Withdraw consent for optional emails by toggling preferences in your notification settings.

If you are in the EU/UK, you have additional rights under GDPR/UK GDPR including the right to lodge a complaint with your data protection authority.

Data retention

We keep your data while your account is active. After deletion, content you posted publicly may remain visible as "removed by the author" to preserve thread context, but personal identifiers are stripped.

Verification certificates are not kept. Your certificate exists in our systems only for as long as the verification it was uploaded for: we delete it once your account is approved, and within 90 days of a rejection you do not resubmit after. We never retain it for longer than that review requires.

Children

AltBase is intended for users 16 and older. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 16. If you believe we have, contact us and we will remove it.

Changes

If we make material changes to this policy, we will update the page and email registered alumni at the address on file at least 14 days before the changes take effect.

Contact

For questions, requests, or complaints, email contact@altbase.cc.