Privacy and transparency

circled.social is designed to support open participation while respecting the privacy and autonomy of its members.

The platform does not operate on attention-driven advertising models or algorithmic amplification systems.

Instead of tracking behaviour to optimise engagement, the platform focuses on structured participation through spaces and circles.

Members choose what they follow and where they participate.

What information is visible

The visibility of content depends on the structure of the space or circle where it is shared.

There are generally three levels of visibility.

Public

Content can be viewed by visitors and members.

Public discussions are intended for open participation.

Community

Content is visible to members of the platform community.

Participation may be limited to registered members.

Private or trusted relationships

Content may be restricted to specific members or groups.

These circles are used for collaboration, projects, or trusted discussions.

The visibility level is determined by the structure of the space or circle and the selected audience.

Personal profiles

Members create a personal profile when joining the platform.

Profiles allow members to:

• Participate in circles
• Follow other member, circles & discussions
• Create or manage circles
• Connect with communities

Members should only share information they are comfortable making visible within the platform.

Data and responsible use

The platform aims to collect and store only the information necessary to operate the service.

Platform data is used to:

• Manage accounts and participation
• Maintain platform functionality
• •Support moderation and community safety

circled.social does not sell user data or operate advertising-driven data collection systems.

Respecting community trust

Privacy also depends on how members interact with each other.

Members are expected to respect the privacy of others and avoid sharing personal information or sensitive material without consent.

Community guidelines and moderation policies help maintain a safe and respectful environment.

More information

Detailed legal information about data protection and platform operation can be found in the platform’s legal and privacy documentation.

Related Links

Community guidelines and terms of service

https://circled.social/terms

Community privacy

https://circled.social/privacy

Explore the platform

https://circled.social/explore

Public support and questions

https://circled.social/view-group-profile/public-support-questions

Participation on circled.social

circled.social is designed to allow people to explore and participate without unnecessary barriers.

Visitors can browse public spaces and circles, discover discussions, and follow developments across different communities.

Creating an account allows members to participate more actively.

Such as:

• Following circles and spaces
• Sharing posts and updates
• Participating in discussions
• Creating your own community circle

Participation is intended to remain simple and accessible.

Free standard membership

Joining circled.social is free.

The free standard membership allows members to participate in discussions, follow or join communities, and create their own circle.

The free standard membership allows members to create one community circle per year at no cost.

Once created, circles remain active.

This allows communities, initiatives, and local groups to establish their presence on the platform without financial barriers.

Optional membership upgrades

Some members may want to operate multiple circles or access additional features.

For this reason, optional membership upgrades may be available.

Upgraded memberships may provide:

• The ability to create additional circles
• Extended moderation tools
• Organisational or professional use cases
• Additional platform features

Membership upgrades help support the continued development and operation of the platform.

Communities and responsibility

Members who create circles help steward their community circles.

They can organise discussions, guide participation, and maintain the focus of their circle domain.

Participation on the platform is expected to remain respectful, constructive, and aligned with the community guidelines.

Shared responsibility

The platform becomes stronger the more communities participate.

Each circle contributes to a broader network of conversations, knowledge, or initiatives.

Communities shape the platform together.

Related Links

Learn how Circles work

https://circled.social/view-post/how-circles-work

Explore Spaces

https://circled.social/explore

Ask questions or get help

https://circled.social/view-group-profile/public-support-questions

What are Circles?

Circles are the places where communities interact on circled.social.

They are where members share updates, posts, discussions, announcements, and other signals.

If Spaces organise the platform structure, Circles are where the actual community activity happens.

What Circles can represent

A circle can represent many types of communities, for example:

• Local neighbourhood
• Organisation or association
• Professional network
• Project or initiative
• Thematic discussion group
• Public conversation topic

Each circle brings together people interested in that specific context.

What happens inside a Circle

Members of a circle can:

• Share updates and announcements
• Start discussions
• Publish reports or evidence
• Share stories and perspectives
• Organise polls, events and featured contents

Different types of posts help structure conversations and make it easier to understand the context of each contribution.

Public and community circles

Circles can be organised in different ways depending on the community.

Some circles are public, meaning anyone can read and participate.

Others may be community or membership circles, where participation is limited to members of that community.

This flexibility allows circles to support both open dialogue and trusted collaboration.

Creating your own Circle

Members can create their own circle to organise a community or topic.

Typical examples include:

• Neighbourhood communities
• Organisations or clubs
• Local initiatives
• Thematic discussion circles

The free standard membership allows members to create one community circle per year at no cost.

Additional circles or advanced features may be available through optional membership upgrades.

Circles and Spaces

Each public or community circle belongs to a Space.

The Space provides the context where the circle appears and helps others discover it.

Example:

Space → Local Communities

Circle → Munich - Neighbourhood

Circle → Berlin - Community

Circle → Local Initiatives

This structure keeps communities organised and easier to navigate.

Responsible circle stewardship

Each circle is maintained by its creator and, where applicable, additional moderators.

They help organise discussions, guide participation, and ensure that the circle remains aligned with its purpose.

Circle stewards are expected to act responsibly and in accordance with the platform’s community guidelines and applicable laws.

Moderators may organise content, guide conversations, and address behaviour that disrupts constructive participation.

The platform reserves the right to intervene if moderation practices violate platform rules, community standards, or legal requirements.

Footer Links

What are Spaces?

Spaces organise context on circled.social.

They help structure conversations, communities, and updates so that discussions remain understandable and easy to explore.

Instead of everything appearing in a single global feed, Spaces group related circles and topics together.

This makes it easier for members to find relevant communities and follow what matters to them.

What Spaces do

Spaces provide structure for the platform.

A Space can represent:

• Public platform area
• Thematic domain
• Country or region
• Local community context
• Project or organisational environment

Within each Space, multiple Circles can exist.

Each circle hosts a specific community or topic.

Example

A space for National Communities

Inside that space you may find circles such as:

• Nationwide communities
• Nationwide organisations
• Nationwide topics

Another space might represent:

Platform Support

Inside that space members can find circles for:

• Support & Documentation
• Frequently asked questions
• Reports

Global, National, and Local Spaces

Some Spaces are organised geographically.

For example:

🌍 Global

🚩 National

📍 Local

This structure allows communities to organise conversations at different levels.

A global discussion can exist alongside national or local circles.

Who creates Spaces?

Spaces are created and maintained by platform stewards or moderators to ensure the platform remains organised and understandable.

This helps avoid fragmentation and keeps related circles connected in meaningful ways.

What if a Space is missing?

If you believe a Space should exist for:

• a country
• a region
• a topic
• a community context

you can request it through the Public Support & Questions circle.

New spaces may be created when they help improve the structure of the platform.

Spaces and Circles

Spaces organise the platform.

Circles host the communities.

Think of it like this:

Space → provides context

Circle → hosts people and conversations

circled.social is a community platform designed to give people, organisations, and local initiatives a place to share updates, exchange ideas, and organise conversations in a structured and responsible way.

It is part of the circled ecosystem, providing the open social layer where signals, perspectives, and developments can be shared without algorithmic amplification or attention manipulation.

Instead of optimising for engagement metrics, circled.social focuses on context, communities, and trust.

People choose what they follow.

Communities decide how they organise themselves.

What you can do on circled.social

• Follow communities and initiatives
• Share updates and perspectives
• Participate in discussions
• Discover developments across domains and places
• Create your own community circle

Participation is intentionally simple and accessible.

You can read and explore freely before deciding how actively you want to participate.

How the platform is organised

circled.social uses a simple structure.

🟢 Spaces structure context.

Spaces organise topics, regions, and platform areas.

🔘 Circles host communities.

Circles are where members share posts, updates, discussions, and signals.

Examples of circles include:

• Community initiatives
• Organisations or associations
• Neighbourhood groups
• Thematic topics
• Experts or professional circles

Spaces and circles together make it easier to keep conversations organised and meaningful.

How circled.social is different

Many social platforms optimise for visibility, reach, and engagement.

circled.social works differently.

• No algorithmic feed manipulation
• No attention-based ranking systems
• Communities organise themselves through structure
• Members choose what they follow and get notified of
• Members decide who sees what while sharing

This helps create a space where conversations can remain contextual, respectful, and transparent.

Free to join

Joining circled.social is free.

With the Standard membership, you can:

• Participate in discussions
• Follow circles and spaces
• Create your own community circle

Additional features and tools may be available through optional membership upgrades.

Part of the circled ecosystem

circled.social is the public interaction layer of the circled ecosystem.

The circled ecosystem is part of circled.club

where organisations, initiatives, and long-term projects can organise collaboration, governance, and structured work.

In simple terms:

• circled.social → social interaction and signals

• circled.club → structured collaboration and initiatives

Learn more about the circled ecosystem:

https://circled.club/ecosystem

Need help or have questions?

If you have questions about how circled.social works, you can ask in the public support circle.