Safety Center

Emergency & Crisis Resources

If you need immediate help, these organizations are available 24/7:

Before You Meet in Person

Meeting someone from a dating app for the first time can be exciting — but taking precautions helps keep you safe. Here's what we recommend:

✅ Do

• Video call first. Before meeting in person, have a video call to verify the person matches their profile. Trust your instincts if something feels off.
• Tell someone your plans. Share the name, photo, and phone number of your date with a trusted friend or family member. Tell them where you're going, when, and when to expect you back.
• Meet in a public place. Choose a busy restaurant, café, or bar for your first few meetings. Avoid secluded locations, private homes, or your own home.
• Arrange your own transportation. Drive yourself, take a rideshare, or use public transit. Don't rely on your date for a ride, especially on the first meeting.
• Stay sober or drink responsibly. Alcohol impairs judgment. If you choose to drink, know your limits and keep your drink in your sight at all times.
• Keep your phone charged. Make sure your phone is fully charged and you have a way to call for help if needed.
• Trust your gut. If something doesn't feel right — during the date or before — it's okay to leave. You don't owe anyone an explanation.

❌ Don't

• Don't share your home address until you've established trust over multiple meetings.
• Don't share financial information — bank details, Social Security number, or workplace address.
• Don't send money to someone you've met online, no matter how compelling the story.
• Don't leave your drink unattended. If you did, order a new one.
• Don't ignore red flags. Excessive pressure, anger at boundaries, inconsistent stories, or refusal to video call are warning signs.

Recognizing Red Flags

Trust your instincts. These behaviors may indicate a potentially unsafe or dishonest person:

Scam Awareness

Romance scams are increasingly sophisticated. Scammers build emotional connections to manipulate victims. Be aware of common tactics:

Common Romance Scam Patterns

• The "too good to be true" profile: Extremely attractive photos, impressive career, says everything you want to hear.
• The emergency: After building trust, they have a sudden crisis (medical emergency, travel problem, legal issue) and need money.
• The investment opportunity: They introduce you to a "guaranteed" investment, crypto platform, or business opportunity. This is known as a "pig butchering" scam.
• The military romance: Claims to be deployed overseas, can't video call, needs money for "leave" or "communication."
• The sextortion: Persuades you to share intimate images, then threatens to share them unless you pay.

What to Do If You've Been Scammed

1. Stop all contact with the scammer. Block them on Persona and all other platforms.
2. Report them through the in-app reporting feature and via email at safety@persona-us.com.
3. Contact your bank immediately if you sent money or shared financial information.
4. File a report with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov.
5. Don't blame yourself. Romance scammers are skilled manipulators. Being victimized is not your fault.

Photo & Digital Safety

• Be mindful of metadata. Photos can contain location data (EXIF). Persona strips EXIF metadata from uploaded photos, but be careful sharing photos through external messaging apps.
• Think before sharing intimate images. Once sent, you lose control over an image. Even with trusted partners, relationships can change.
• Don't share photos that reveal personal details — your home exterior, workplace entrance, car license plate, or mail with your address visible.
• Use reverse image search. If you suspect someone is using fake photos, you can right-click and search Google Images or use TinEye to check if the photos appear elsewhere online.
• Screenshot concerning messages. If someone makes you uncomfortable, screenshot the conversation before blocking. This evidence can be useful for reports.

Understanding Consent

Consent is the foundation of any healthy interaction, whether online or in person.

Stalking & Harassment

If someone from Persona is stalking or harassing you — online or in person:

1. Block them on Persona and all social media platforms.
2. Document everything. Screenshot messages, save voicemails, note dates/times of contact.
3. Report to Persona at safety@persona-us.com. We will permanently ban the harasser's account.
4. Report to law enforcement. Stalking is a crime in all 50 U.S. states. File a police report.
5. Contact the Stalking Prevention Center: stalkingprevention.org
6. Consider a protective order. A court-issued restraining order can provide legal protection.

LGBTQ+ Safety

We are committed to making Persona a safe and inclusive space for all sexual orientations and gender identities.

• Your orientation is protected. Persona prohibits discrimination, harassment, or hate speech based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Outing is prohibited. Sharing someone's sexual orientation or gender identity without their consent is a violation of our Community Guidelines.
• Travel caution. If you're traveling to a region where LGBTQ+ identities may not be accepted or are criminalized, exercise extra caution with your profile visibility. Consider updating your profile preferences temporarily.
• Resources: The Trevor Project (1-866-488-7386), GLBT National Hotline (1-888-843-4564), PFLAG.

How to Report a Safety Concern

Persona's Built-In Safety Features

• On-Device AI: Your personality data is processed locally — never sent to cloud AI services. This minimizes data exposure.
• Block & Report: Instantly block and report any user. Blocked users cannot see your profile or contact you.
• Biometric Lock: Optional Face ID / Touch ID lock to prevent unauthorized access to the app.
• Row Level Security: Database-level security ensures users can only access their own data.
• End-to-End Encryption: Messages are encrypted in transit with TLS 1.3 and stored with AES-256 encryption.
• Photo Metadata Stripping: EXIF data (including GPS coordinates) is removed from uploaded photos.
• Offline Queue: Messages are queued securely when you're offline and sent when you reconnect — no data is lost.