Privacy and discretion: billing, profiles and your data

Most people on an adult dating site would rather their membership stayed their own business. That's reasonable, and it's easier to manage when you know exactly where your details go.

What your card statement shows

Payments for Adults.co.uk appear under the billing name displayed at checkout, so check that name before you pay. If you pay with a card someone else can see, or share a bank app, that's the line they'd see. Memberships renew automatically until you cancel in Settings > Billing, so the line will reappear each period until you do. Prices explains renewals.

Who can see your profile

Members of Adults.co.uk and of partner sites in the same network can see your profile. Adults.co.uk shares one member database with those sites. In plain terms:

• Members who joined through those sites can see your profile and message you, and you can see theirs.
• Each profile shows which site the member joined through.
• Anything you put in your profile can be seen by members across the network, and any of them could take a screenshot.

So write your profile as though any stranger might read it. Leave out your surname, employer, street and anything that would let someone find you before you choose to tell them.

Choosing photos with care

Every photo is reviewed before it appears, and the image rules exclude nudity and lingerie. Within those rules, think about what a picture gives away:

• a recognisable house front, car number plate, office or school logo;
• a distinctive tattoo or piece of jewellery you also show on social media;
• a photo you've already used on another app or online profile, which a reverse image search could link to your real name.

Many people start with flattering but less identifiable photos and share more once they trust someone.

A discretion checklist

Five habits cover most of what can go wrong:

1. A dating-only email address, so account emails stay out of your main inbox.
2. Message previews off on your phone's lock screen.
3. Log out on shared devices, and don't let the browser save your password there.
4. Conversations kept in the members area until you trust someone; a phone number is hard to take back.
5. No identifying details in photos until you've met.

Discretion you owe other people

Treat other members' privacy as you'd want yours treated. Don't screenshot or forward their messages or photos, and don't tell mutual acquaintances who you've seen on the site.

Sharing someone's intimate images without consent, or threatening to, is a crime in every part of the UK. If it happens to you, the Revenge Porn Helpline can help with removal, and StopNCII.org lets you create a digital fingerprint of an image so participating platforms can block it, without the image leaving your device. Our safety page lists who else to contact, and our guide to scams and sextortion explains how image threats usually start.

VPNs and ID checks

A VPN hides where you connect from. If you sign up through one, you'll be asked to complete an ID and selfie check before continuing. Our profile checks page explains that check and the optional ID badge.

Your data in the members area

Your account, profile, messages and payment records are held in the members area and handled under its privacy policy. UK data protection law gives you rights over that data, including:

Organisations normally have one month to respond. Send requests through the members help centre.

This website

The guides you're reading are on a separate, static website. It sets no cookies and runs no analytics, advertising or tracking scripts. Our hosting provider's servers log basic technical details, such as IP address and browser, for security. The full notice is in our terms of use and privacy policy.

Leaving

Cancel any membership in Settings > Billing, so nothing renews. Then open your avatar menu, go to Settings and choose Delete Account. If you have a question about what's kept after deletion, ask through the contact page.