User Agreement and Privacy Notice (GDPR)

For Linked.Coffee and the Linked Coffee Telegram bot Version: 27.11.2025

This document combines the Terms of Use and the Privacy Notice in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Data controller (we, us):

Maxim Postnikov, NIE: Y6205622Y Registered address: 08912, Spain, Badalona, Carrer de Guifré 510, D-5-1 Contact for data protection queries: max@linked.coffee or m.postnikov@gmail.com Country of registration: Spain

Minimum age: 18 years

Linked.Coffee is a service that connects people from the tech community for “random coffee” conversations via Telegram and https://Linked.Coffee website.

0. TL;DR (Short version)

• Linked.Coffee connects people from the tech world for friendly “random coffee” chats via Telegram.

• You use the service through a Telegram bot. We don’t ask you for email to participate.

• We see what Telegram shows us (your Telegram ID, username, name, profile photo if available) and what you decide to tell the bot about yourself: interests, hobbies, professional background, career plans, and who you’d like to meet.

• We use this information only to:

  • match you with other people,
  • send you introductions and reminders,
  • keep the service running safely and improve it a bit over time.

• Your profile is only shown to people we match you with or to whom you explicitly allow it to be shown. We don’t sell your data and don’t spam you.

• Matching uses some simple “profiling” (we look at your interests and preferences to suggest people), but it does not make any decisions with big legal or financial impact.

• You can stop using the bot at any time and can ask us to delete your data or send you a copy of it.

• The service is run from Spain by Maxim Postnikov. GDPR applies, so you have all the usual privacy rights (access, correction, deletion, objection, etc.).

• If something is unclear or you want to use your data rights, you can contact us at max@linked.coffee or m.postnikov@gmail.com or Telegram: @max_postnikov

1. Scope of this document

This User Agreement and Privacy Notice applies to:

• the website Linked.Coffee (the “Website”), and
• the Linked Coffee Telegram bot and related services (the “Bot” and together with the Website, the “Service”).

If we provide additional policies (for example, a Cookie Policy on the Website), they form part of this document.

By using the Service, you confirm that you have read and accepted this User Agreement and Privacy Notice.

2. Key definitions

• “User”, “you” – a natural person who interacts with the Bot or uses the Website.
• “Controller” – the person who decides why and how personal data is processed: the data controller is Maxim Postnikov (details above).
• “Processor” – a service provider processing data on our behalf (for example, hosting providers, analytics tools).
• “Service” – the Linked.Coffee random coffee matching service, including the Website and the Bot.

3. Terms of Use

3.1 Eligibility and registration

• You must be at least 18 years old and have legal capacity to use the Service.
• The Service currently works via Telegram. You do not create a separate username and password in Linked.Coffee: we rely on your Telegram account to identify you.
• You are responsible for keeping your Telegram account secure and for all actions performed through the Bot from your account.

3.2 Acceptable use

You agree to:

• use the Service primarily for professional networking and informal conversations in the tech community,
• treat other Users with respect, and
• comply with applicable laws.

You must not:

• use the Service for spam, harassment, hate speech, or any illegal or harmful activity,
• attempt to hack, reverse engineer, or damage the Service,
• impersonate another person or misrepresent your identity,
• collect or scrape personal data of other Users without a valid legal basis and their consent where required.

We reserve the right to block or restrict access to the Service in case of suspected abuse or violation of these terms.

3.3 User content and licence

“User content” includes information you share through the Bot, such as:

• your name or alias,
• your interests, habits, hobbies,
• your professional background, career history, career perspectives,
• your preferences about who you want to meet and when.

You retain all rights to your User content. However, by using the Service you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, revocable, royalty-free licence to:

• store and process your User content,
• use it to match you with other Users,
• display it to Users with whom you are matched, and
• use it in an aggregated, anonymised way to improve the Service.

We will not publicly publish your identifiable User content outside the Service without your explicit consent.

You confirm that you have the right to share any User content you provide and that it does not infringe rights of others.

3.4 Relationship between Users

The Service introduces Users to each other. We are not a party to your conversations, offline meetings or any outcomes of those interactions.

You are solely responsible for your decisions, communications and meetings with other Users. Please use your judgment and common sense when meeting people, especially in person.

3.5 Service changes and availability

We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service at any time, for example:

• to add or remove features,
• to fix bugs or security issues,
• to comply with legal requirements.

Where reasonably possible, we will give you prior notice of material changes.

3.6 Disclaimers and limitation of liability

The Service is provided “as is” and “as available”.

To the extent permitted by applicable law:

• we do not guarantee that the Service will be error-free, secure, or uninterrupted;
• we are not liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential or special damages (including lost opportunities, loss of profits, or reputational damage) arising from or in connection with your use of the Service;
• our total liability in connection with the Service will be limited to the amount (if any) you paid us for accessing the Service in the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim.

Nothing in this section limits liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law (for example, liability for intentional misconduct or gross negligence).

4. Privacy Notice (GDPR)

4.1 Who is the controller?

The controller of your personal data is: Maxim Postnikov, NIE: Y6205622Y Address: 08912, Spain, Badalona, Carrer de Guifré 510, D-5-1 E-mail: max@linked.coffee or m.postnikov@gmail.com

If you have questions about privacy or wish to exercise your data protection rights, contact this email. We are independent from Telegram. Telegram Messenger LLP is a separate data controller for data it processes in connection with your Telegram account.

4.2 What data we collect

We focus on minimal data needed to run the Service. We do not require an email address to use the Bot.

We process the following categories of data:

1. Google API Services User Data Policy Disclosure

   • Linked.Coffee’s use and transfer to any other app of information received from Google APIs (specifically your email address and basic profile information) will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

2. Telegram account data

   • Telegram user ID (numerical),
   • username and display name,
   • profile photo (if accessible through the Bot),
   • language and other basic settings provided by Telegram,
   • your chats with the Bot.

3. Profile and matching data (what you voluntarily share)

   • information about your interests, habits, hobbies,
   • professional interests, career perspectives, and career history,
   • your role, industry, skill set (if you choose to share it),
   • preferences for matches (for example, “I want to meet engineers in AI/ML”, time zones, availability windows),
   • match history, feedback about past matches (if you provide it).

4. Technical and usage data

   • timestamps of interactions with the Bot,
   • basic log data (for example, when the bot sends or receives messages),
   • if you visit the Website: IP address, device and browser type, and basic analytics cookies where used.

5. Data Transfer to Third-Party AI Models

   • We do not transfer or share any data obtained through Google APIs with third-party AI models (such as OpenAI, Anthropic, or others) for training or model improvement purposes. Data is transmitted to these providers strictly for the real-time processing of the user’s specific request and is not retained or stored by the model providers for any further use.

We do not intentionally collect special categories of data (such as data about health, political views, religious beliefs, or union membership). Please avoid sending such information to the Bot. If you choose to share such data, the legal basis will be your explicit consent, and you can withdraw it at any time (see your rights below).

4.3 Purposes and legal bases for processing

We process your personal data for the following purposes and on these legal bases:

1. To provide the Service

   • creating and maintaining your profile within the Bot,

   • algorithmic matching with other Users,

   • sending you introductions and reminders via Telegram.

     Legal basis: performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR).

2. To operate, secure and improve the Service

   • monitoring usage and performance,
   • preventing fraud and abuse,
   • debugging and improving matching quality.

Legal basis: our legitimate interest to run, secure and develop the Service (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

You can object to processing based on legitimate interest (see your rights).

3. Optional communications and simple analytics
   • sending short updates or tips via the Bot about how to use Linked.Coffee better,
   • basic aggregated analytics to understand how people use the Service.

Legal basis: legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR), and in some cases your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR), especially for non-essential cookies on the Website, if any.

We do not carry out automated decision-making that produces legal effects or similarly significantly affects you within the meaning of Art. 22 GDPR. Our profiling is limited to suggesting other Users you may want to meet.

4.4 Profiling and “random coffee” matching

The Service uses simple profiling based on your profile and preferences to:

• select potential matches from the pool of Users, and
• schedule introductions via Telegram.

This profiling is necessary to provide the Service and does not produce decisions with legal or similarly significant effects for you.

You can:

• stop using the Bot at any time, and
• request deletion of your profile and matching history (see your rights).

4.5 Sources of data

We obtain personal data from:

• you, via your interactions with the Bot and the Website;
• Telegram, to the extent that the Bot can access your Telegram account data according to Telegram’s rules and your settings. We do not buy personal data from data brokers.

4.6 Recipients and processors

We may share your data with:

1. Other Users

   • We share selected parts of your profile with Users we match you with (for example, your name, short bio, interests, and any information you choose to display for matches).

2. Service providers (processors)

   • hosting and cloud providers for running the backend and storing data,
   • analytics and monitoring providers (if any),
   • communication tools that help us run the bot and Website.

These providers process data only on our documented instructions and must implement appropriate security measures. We sign data processing agreements (DPAs) with them where required.

3. Legal and authorities
   • if required by law or to protect our rights, we may share data with lawyers, courts, or regulators.

If we transfer data outside the European Economic Area (EEA), we will use appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), unless the destination country has an adequacy decision.

4.7 Retention periods

We keep personal data only as long as needed for the purposes described above:

• Profile and matching data: for as long as you actively use the Service. If you stop using the Bot for a long time, we may delete or anonymise your data after 24 months of inactivity.
• Technical logs: typically kept for up to 12 months, unless necessary longer for security or legal reasons.
• Data related to legal obligations (for example, accounting records if there are any payments): retained for the period required by applicable law.

When data is no longer needed, we will delete it or irreversibly anonymise it.

4.8 Your rights under GDPR

You have the following rights, subject to conditions and limitations in GDPR:

• Right of access – to know whether we process your data and receive a copy.
• Right to rectification – to correct incomplete or inaccurate data.
• Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data (for example, closing your profile).
• Right to restriction – to limit processing in certain cases.
• Right to data portability – to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format and transmit it to another controller.
• Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests (including profiling for matching).
• Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on your consent (for example, optional analytics or communications), you can withdraw it at any time.

To exercise your rights, contact us at: m.postnikov@gmail.com

We may need to verify your identity (for example, by confirming your Telegram account and/or e-mail if you contact us by e-mail).

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. In Spain, this is the Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD).

4.9 Cookies and website analytics

The Bot itself does not use cookies. If you visit the Website, we may use:

• strictly necessary cookies to make the Website function, and
• with your consent, analytics cookies to understand aggregate usage. Details will be provided in the Cookie banner and, if necessary, a separate Cookie Policy.

4.10 Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data, including:

• limiting access to systems to authorised persons,
• using secure communication channels where possible,
• regularly reviewing our infrastructure and processors.

No internet service is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we work to minimise risks.

If we become aware of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a high risk to your rights and freedoms, we will inform you and the competent supervisory authority where required by law.

5. Changes to this document

We may update this User Agreement and Privacy Notice from time to time, for example if we add new features or change our processing.

If the changes are material, we will try to notify you through the Bot or on the Website. The updated version will apply from the date indicated at the top. If you continue to use the Service after that date, you are deemed to accept the updated terms.

6. Contact

For any questions about this User Agreement or how we process your personal data, or to exercise your rights, please contact:

E-mail: max@linked.coffee or m.postnikov@gmail.com Postal address: 08912, Spain, Badalona, Carrer de Guifré 510, D-5-1