Sphere Privacy Policy

Sphere is a social media platform

When you complete a Checkin on the Sphere platform, your posts are by default visible to everyone using the Sphere app. To make a post private, please unselect the "Share with community" checkbox. Furthermore, all replies to any posts are visible by all users. There is no way to directly message users within Sphere.
One of our community guidelines is to never post self identifying information. We don't want anyone to use your posts/comments to identify you, so we ask that you please help us keep you anonymous. And if you see anyone else's posts/comments that break their anonymity, please report them!

Everything you voluntarily post in the Sphere program is logged on our server. If you attempt to create a post or reply, we still keep it on our server for our data analysis. If you choose to delete your post/reply, we will hide it from all users, but we will still retain it for our data analysis. If you wish for us to completely delete your data, please contact your study coordinator.
Additionally, Sphere collects which operating system your phone is running (iOS or Android) as well as a completely anonymous ID your phone generates for you so we can send you notifications about new replies/reactions. These IDs can never be used for any other purpose and cannot be used to identify you or your phone.
Sphere collects no other identifying information about you or your phone. The app only knows your User ID, which is a random five-digit code assigned to you at the beginning of the study. The app and server do not know anything else about you other than what you enter into the app.

In order to use Sphere, you are required to be within an academic study. If you wish to have your Sphere data deleted, please contact your study coordinator. They will work with you to make sure you leave the study correctly or maintain the correct data required to remain in the study. Rest assured, they will pass on any request for data deletion to us, and we will delete your data as requested. In order to maintain study participant anonymity, we ask that you please do not contact us directly and work only through your study coordinator.