Privacy

We have nothing to gain from your data.

Most platforms bury privacy in a menu you have to go find. Here it's part of what Steppe is: a member-owned nonprofit that runs no ads, keeps no trackers, and has nothing to gain from your information.

Last updated June 2026

Our commitments

Six promises we keep.

We never sell or share your data

There's no one to sell it to, and no business here that wants it. Steppe runs on member dues, full stop.

No advertising, no ad-tech

No third-party trackers, no advertising pixels, and no behavioral profiles. Nothing watches what you do in order to sell you something or to someone later.

We verify you're a neighbor, then delete the proof

Membership means showing you live in the area. The moment a person confirms it, we delete what you sent and keep only that you're verified, the date, and the method — never an ID, a document, or your legal name. To each other, members are known by a name they choose, not their legal one. Because we don't keep the proof, we can't produce or disclose it, even under legal process.

Your profile is private by default

Every personal field starts hidden. You choose, one at a time, whether it's visible to no one or to all members. Two things stay visible so the community can trust and hold itself accountable: that you're verified, and — if you're a moderator — that role.

Messages stay inside Steppe

Conversations between neighbors stay between neighbors. We don't read them, and we never sell or share them. We keep them only for a limited window, and would hand them over only if valid legal process required it.

You can leave with everything

Export all of your data any time, and delete your account whenever you want. When you go, we delete our copy.

The record

What we collect, and why.

Only what we need to run a verified, member-owned community. Nothing is kept “just in case.”

Account basicsRequired

Your email — that's how you sign in — and the display name you choose, so neighbors know who they're talking to.

While a memberdeleted on leaving

Dues & paymentRequired

Handled by our payment processor. We see that you've paid, and we never store your card.

Processornot held by us

Residency checkOnce

Proof you live in the area. A person reviews it to confirm you're eligible, then it's deleted — we keep only that you passed, the date, and the method.

Deletedthe moment it's checked

What you postYou choose

Listings, messages, group activity, and the votes you cast. You create it, and you can remove it.

Until youdelete it

Minimal logsSecurity

Basic technical records to keep the service running and safe. No tracking profiles.

Short-termthen purged

Your rights

You're in charge of it.

See itView everything we hold about you.

Export itDownload your data and take it with you.

Correct itFix anything that's wrong, any time.

Delete itClose your account and we erase our copy.

This plain-language page is the one we actually live by. We keep only what a verified, member-owned community needs — your account, what you choose to post, and messages for a short window — each kept to a minimum and shared only if valid legal process requires it. Your verification proof isn't on that list: once we've confirmed you're a neighbor, it's gone. There's a full legal policy with the formal detail if you want it, and we're always glad to answer questions.

Full policy: steppe.community/legal/privacy
Questions: Contact us
The full legal policy is available in English, and the English version governs.