Social Proximity

Human-first proximity networking powered by consent, shared interests, and conversational AI.

Overview

Social Proximity is a privacy-focused mobile application that helps people naturally discover and connect with others nearby through mutual consent and shared interests.

Using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), the app can detect when two users are physically close — such as at a café, conference, coworking space, airport, or social event — and suggest low-pressure conversation starters based on common interests.

The goal is not tracking or traditional dating, but reducing social friction and helping meaningful conversations happen organically.

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Core Idea

Instead of:

• endless swiping
• cold approaches
• awkward introductions

Social Proximity creates a subtle bridge between people already sharing the same physical space.

Example:

“Someone nearby also works with DevOps and enjoys philosophy & hardstyle.”

If both users are open to interaction, the app may reveal more information and suggest conversation topics.

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Features

Proximity Detection

• Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) based nearby detection
• Approximate distance awareness (1–3 meters)
• No GPS required

Mutual Consent

• Both users must explicitly opt in
• No passive tracking
• No forced visibility

Shared Interests

Users can optionally share:

• hobbies
• professional interests
• passions
• topics they enjoy discussing

AI Conversation Starters

The app can generate natural icebreakers such as:

• “You both work with cloud infrastructure.”
• “You both enjoy early hardstyle.”
• “Maybe ask about Kubernetes homelabs.”

Privacy First

Designed from the ground up with privacy in mind:

• No live maps
• No exact locations
• No movement tracking
• No location history
• Ephemeral identifiers
• Minimal data retention

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Use Cases

• Conferences
• Coworking spaces
• Cafés
• Networking events
• Airports
• University campuses
• Social discovery for introverts
• Professional networking

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Vision

Technology should help humans connect more naturally — not isolate them further.

Social Proximity aims to create small moments of serendipity in everyday life through respectful, consent-driven social discovery.

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Technical Direction

Mobile

• React Native or Flutter
• Native BLE integration

Backend

• FastAPI
• WebSockets
• Redis
• PostgreSQL

Infrastructure

• Docker
• Kubernetes
• Azure / Cloud-native deployment

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Principles

Human-first

The app should feel calm, respectful, and natural.

Consent-first

No interaction happens without mutual participation.

Privacy-first

Users should never feel monitored or exposed.

Minimalism

No noisy notifications or addictive mechanics.

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Future Ideas

• Event mode
• Café mode
• Conference networking
• AI-generated introductions
• Shared mood/interests
• Temporary “open to talk” sessions
• UWB support for more accurate proximity

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Status

Early concept / prototype phase.

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License

MIT License

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Author

Created by Henrik