Privacy, in plain words
How anonymity works here
Here is what verification and aliases mean in Kin-Tikki today.
Verification happens once, at the door
We check your NPI, first name and last name against the public national registry. Automatic verification requires an active individual record, matching names and a primary physician or dentist taxonomy. We do not store the submitted name or NPI after the check. This matches registry details, not proof of identity ownership. Other members never see them.
Other members see only your alias
Your name, email, and NPI are never shown to other members. What you post appears under your alias only.
What we do hold
We store your login email and verified status, profession and specialty, because we need them to run your account and remove anyone who breaks our terms. We also store your alias, profession, posts, reports and block preferences. An unlinked HMAC-SHA256 NPI fingerprint prevents duplicate registration; its secret key is held separately from the database. Login emails are stored separately from posts, but account IDs connect them. App administrators cannot access login emails, submitted names, NPIs or registry responses. The sign-in service retains the email-to-account connection. Your journal stays on your device.
Requests from employers, boards or courts
We do not offer employers or licensing boards routine access to member conversations. We cannot promise that information will never be disclosed: a valid legal order may require account emails or posts. The email-to-alias connection exists. Disclosure rules [TO BE COMPLETED BY COUNSEL].
The limits
An alias reduces what others can see about you, but it isn't complete anonymity. Anyone in a circle can copy or repeat what you write. Don't share details that could identify a patient, a colleague, or a workplace.
If you need more than a circle right now, the support options page lists real services.