Privacy Policy

Last Updated: July 28, 2026

Change note, July 2026. This update describes the system as it runs today. It names MailerLite as the email service, discloses bug reports and update checks, lists the centralized components, explains that shared messages and media persist on other nodes, states that encryption protects traffic in transit rather than end to end, and removes cryptocurrency language for features that were never built. Section numbers after 8 shifted accordingly.

1. Introduction

Welcome to Kunuleco. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, process, and share your information when you interact with the Kunuleco protocol, software, website, and optional centralized components (collectively referred to as "Kunuleco").

Kunuleco is designed as a universal common platform primarily operating on a peer-to-peer (P2P) basis, with optional centralized components. It enables users to manage digital interactions, publish computational objects, share static content, and engage with others across multiple protocols using a common identity standard. Given this unique structure, we've designed this privacy policy to clearly distinguish between P2P interactions (where data flows directly between users) and any interactions with optional centralized components we provide.

2. Information Collection

Kunuleco operates primarily as a peer-to-peer system with optional centralized components. This distinction is important for understanding how your information is handled.

2.1 Information in Peer-to-Peer Interactions

In peer-to-peer interactions, information flows directly between users without passing through our centralized infrastructure:

• Identity Information: Your chosen identity attributes, cryptographic keys, and credentials that enable interaction across protocols.
• Content: Content you create, share, or publish through the P2P network, including but not limited to social posts, articles, blogs, computational objects, code, and media.
• Communication Data: Direct messages and communications with other users or services.
• Computational Objects: Data related to computational objects you publish or interact with.
• Standing and Trust: Data about your Standing within communities, vouches you give or receive, and your verification status. Standing reflects a relationship within a community. It is stored and shared by the nodes involved in that community.
• Community Participation: Information about communities you join, your standing within those communities, social bonds, and adherence to community-specific rules.

This information is stored on your own node and shared directly with other users according to your settings. Some of it also persists on the nodes of the people you interact with. A direct message is saved to the chat history on your node and on your correspondent's node, and a message sent while they are offline waits in your outbox until it can be delivered. Media you share travels over IPFS, which is content-addressed, so copies may remain on other nodes after you delete your own. Deleting data on your node does not delete the copies other nodes hold. We do not have access to any of this information unless you choose to interact with the optional centralized components.

2.2 Information Collected by Optional Centralized Components

The centralized components today are the route registry, the invite short-code service, the release and update service, and the website email list. When you choose to use them, we may collect:

• Account Information: If you create an account with our centralized services, we collect information such as your username, email address, and password.
• Usage Information: Data about your interactions with our centralized components, including access times and activities.
• Device Information: Basic information about the device you use to access our centralized components.
• Support Communications: Information you provide when you contact us for support.
• Website Usage: If you visit the Kunuleco website, the web server records standard server logs, such as IP address, requested page, and time of request. We do not run third-party analytics on the website.
• Email List Subscriptions: When you subscribe through the signup form on the website, your email address and any details you volunteer are collected and stored by MailerLite, the service we use to manage these lists. MailerLite may record delivery and engagement data such as opens and clicks.
• Bug Reports: If you file a report with the /bug command in the Urchin client, the report and the session context it captures are sent to the Kunuleco development team so the problem can be reproduced and fixed. Send a report only when you are comfortable sharing what it shows. Reports are kept while they are useful for debugging and are not shared further.
• Update Checks: The Urchin client and the installer contact kunul.eco to fetch the signed release manifest when checking for or applying updates. A check discloses your IP address and the software version you run. No account is required and no identity information is sent.

2.3 Information From Third Parties

• Information from Integrated Services: When you connect Kunuleco to third-party services or protocols, we may receive information from those services in accordance with their privacy policies and your privacy settings.

3. How Information Is Used

3.1 Peer-to-Peer Information

In the peer-to-peer aspects of Kunuleco:

• Information is primarily processed locally on your device
• Data is shared directly with other users according to your settings
• Cryptographic protocols secure your communications
• Your device processes information to facilitate interactions across various protocols

We do not access, use, or process information exchanged in peer-to-peer interactions unless you specifically engage with our optional centralized components.

3.2 Information Used by Optional Centralized Components

When you choose to use our optional centralized components, we use the collected information for:

• Creating and maintaining your account on centralized components
• Providing and improving the centralized components
• Facilitating interactions that require centralized coordination
• Communicating with you about updates or support
• Ensuring security and preventing fraud
• Complying with legal obligations
• Enforcing our terms and policies
• Sending newsletters, updates, and relevant communications to subscribers of our community and developer email lists

3.3 Email Communications

When you subscribe to our email lists:

• Community Email List: We use your information to send general updates about Kunuleco, community events, project milestones, and other information relevant to the broader Kunuleco community.
• Developer Email List: We use your information to send technical updates, API changes, documentation, developer events, and other information specifically relevant to developers building with Kunuleco.
• We process this information based on your consent, which you provide by subscribing to these email lists.
• Each email we send includes an option to unsubscribe or modify your communication preferences.
• We use MailerLite to manage these communications. MailerLite may collect delivery and engagement analytics such as open rates and click-through rates.

4. How We Share Your Information

4.1 With Other Users

• Profile Information: Your profile information, including your username and any information you choose to add to your profile, may be visible to other users.
• Content: Content you post publicly is visible to other users according to your privacy settings.
• Communications: Messages and communications you send to other users are visible to the recipients.

4.2 With Integrated Protocols and Services

When you use Kunuleco to interact with external protocols (such as IPFS, Veilid, NOSTR, ActivityPub, etc.), information necessary to facilitate those interactions is shared with those protocols according to their requirements and your settings.

4.3 With Service Providers

We may share your information with third-party service providers who help us deliver our Services, such as hosting providers, payment processors, and analytics services.

4.4 For Legal Reasons

• We may share information if required by applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request.
• To enforce our terms and policies, including investigating potential violations.
• To detect, prevent, or address fraud, security, or technical issues.
• To protect the rights, property, or safety of Kunuleco, our users, or the public.

5. Data Storage and Security

5.1 Peer-to-Peer Data

For data exchanged in peer-to-peer interactions:

• Information is primarily stored on your own device
• You control which data is shared with whom through your settings
• Security relies on the cryptographic protocols implemented in the Kunuleco software
• We cannot access, control, or secure data that is exchanged directly between users
• Once you share information via P2P protocols, we cannot control how recipients use that information

The Kunuleco software encrypts traffic in transit on every supported transport and verifies identities cryptographically. Releases are signed, so an install or update can be verified before it applies. End-to-end encryption of message content is on the roadmap and is not yet implemented. Until it lands, treat message content as protected in transit, not end to end.

5.2 Optional Centralized Components

For our optional centralized components, we implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data against unauthorized or unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction, or damage. This includes:

• Encryption of sensitive data
• Regular security assessments
• Access controls for our systems
• Secure development practices

Due to the decentralized nature of many of the protocols we integrate with, some of your information may be stored on distributed networks. We provide tools to help you manage these interactions securely, but we cannot control third-party protocols.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:

• Access: You can request copies of your personal information.
• Correction: You can request that we correct inaccurate information.
• Deletion: You can request that we delete your personal information.
• Restriction: You can request that we restrict the processing of your data.
• Data Portability: You can request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
• Objection: You can object to our processing of your data.

You can exercise these rights by contacting us at privacy@kunul.eco.

6.1 Account Settings

You can update your account information and preferences at any time by accessing your account settings. These settings include options for:

• Modifying your profile information
• Adjusting privacy preferences
• Managing connections to third-party protocols
• Controlling notification settings

6.2 Communication Preferences

You can choose to opt out of certain communications by adjusting your notification preferences or following the unsubscribe instructions in our emails.

For our email lists specifically:

• You can unsubscribe from any email list by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in the footer of any email you receive
• You can update your subscription preferences to receive more or fewer communications
• You can request complete removal from our email database by contacting privacy@kunul.eco

7. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide our Services and fulfill the purposes outlined in this privacy policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

When determining how long to retain information, we consider:

• The amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal information
• The potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure
• The purposes for which we process the information
• Whether we can achieve those purposes through other means
• Legal, regulatory, and compliance requirements

8. Cross-Border Data Transfers

Kunuleco operates globally, and your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have data protection laws that are different from those in your country.

We take appropriate safeguards to require that your personal information will remain protected in accordance with this privacy policy.

9. Children's Privacy

Our Services are not directed to children under the age of 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 16, please contact us immediately.

10. Liability Limitations for Peer-to-Peer Interactions

As Kunuleco operates primarily as a peer-to-peer system:

• We do not and cannot monitor, control, or access communications or content exchanged directly between users
• We are not responsible for data transmitted, stored, or processed by users through peer-to-peer interactions
• We cannot guarantee the security, privacy, or integrity of peer-to-peer communications
• Users are responsible for their own security practices and for evaluating the trustworthiness of other users they interact with

The Kunuleco software provides tools to help you manage your privacy and security, but ultimate responsibility for peer-to-peer interactions rests with the users.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on our website and updating the "Last Updated" date. For significant changes affecting the centralized components, we will provide additional notice when possible.

12. Contact Us

13. Reputation and Trust Systems

13.1 Trust Metrics Collection and Processing

Kunuleco includes systems for calculating and managing reputation and trust metrics. These systems:

• Calculate reputation scores based on your interactions, contributions, and behavior within the network
• May incorporate attestations, verifications, and endorsements from other users
• Process data about your transaction history, content quality, and community participation

13.2 Use and Sharing of Reputation Data

Your reputation and trust metrics:

• May be visible to other users according to your privacy settings
• May be used by communities to determine access rights and privileges
• May affect your ability to access certain communities or features
• May be incorporated into social bonding arrangements

13.3 Community-Specific Standards and Metrics

Different communities within Kunuleco may:

• Maintain their own reputation metrics and trust systems
• Calculate community-specific standings that differ from your general reputation
• Require certain reputation thresholds for participation
• Require vouching or social bonds with existing members

13.4 Control Over Reputation Information

You can manage aspects of your reputation by:

• Choosing which reputation attestations to accept or display
• Adjusting which communities you participate in
• Building reputation through positive interactions
• Participating in verification processes

14. Community Standards and Governance

14.1 Community-Specific Rules

Communities within Kunuleco may establish their own standards and rules that:

• Determine acceptable content and behavior
• May be more restrictive or permissive than our general Terms
• Could include specialized content policies (e.g., allowing adult content or enforcing brand-specific guidelines)
• May implement entry requirements, verification processes, or vouching systems

14.2 Enforcement of Community Standards

Communities may enforce their standards through:

• Reputation adjustments
• Access restrictions
• Social bond mechanisms
• Community-specific moderation

14.3 Data Processing for Community Governance

Community governance may involve the collection and processing of:

• Voting records and governance participation
• Compliance with community rules
• Records of social bonds
• Attestations from community members

This information is generally processed according to the rules established by each community rather than by us.

15. Regional Privacy Rights

15.1 For California Residents

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides additional rights to California residents. These include:

• The right to know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell
• The right to delete personal information
• The right to opt-out of the sale of personal information
• The right to non-discrimination for exercising these rights

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 12.

15.2 For European Economic Area (EEA) Residents

If you are located in the EEA, the UK, or Switzerland, you have certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and similar laws.

The legal basis for processing your information includes:

• Contractual Necessity: To perform our contract with you when you use our Services.
• Legitimate Interests: For our legitimate interests, such as to improve our Services, communicate with you, and ensure security.
• Consent: When you have given us consent to process your information.
• Legal Obligation: To comply with laws and regulations.

You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe our processing of your personal information violates applicable law.

Our EU representative can be contacted at: eu-rep@kunul.eco