How Locara works

Locara is a social platform built around where you live, what you care about, and who you know. You do not follow people or build a public profile. Instead, you interact inside trusted circles that reflect your real life. Everything you see is based on shared context, not algorithms or performance metrics.

There are three types of circles on Locara. These are organized into two feeds. The private feed is for first degree relationships. The public feed is based on your location and interests.

Your private feed shows posts from first degree circles. These are invitation only groups made up of people you know directly, such as friends, family, or coworkers. Each group is kept separate, so your private life stays as private as you want. Only the people you add to each circle can see your posts. These posts do not appear anywhere else on the platform. These circles are not searchable and cannot be discovered by others.

Your public feed shows posts from circles based on shared context. These include both private and public circles. Private contextual circles require an invitation. They may include groups like a neighborhood crafting group, a local parenting circle, or a community club. Public interest circles are open to anyone within a defined context, such as people in your postal code who follow a shared topic like cycling, gardening, gaming, fishing, or cars.

When you join Locara, you enter your postal code to be connected with public circles in your area. You are never tracked by live location. Your postal code is only used to determine which circles are available to you. You can join public interest circles at any time. You can request access to private contextual circles if they are discoverable and allow requests, or you can be invited directly by someone who is already a member. First degree private circles are created by you and shared only with the people you add.

Feeds on Locara are chronological. There are no algorithms, no suggested content, no trending tabs, and no follower counts. What you see is based entirely on the circles you belong to and the posts shared within them. You can sort posts in each feed to further control your experience.

When you post on Locara, you choose the exact circle it goes to. That determines who sees it. Your content never leaves the context you select. Nothing is visible outside that circle. There are no global profiles, no engagement boosts, and no data tracking. What you share stays where it belongs.

Posts can include text, links, images, and videos. Most users post local updates, questions, recommendations, or event info. You can comment on posts within any circle you are part of, but your comments are only visible inside that circle. You will receive notifications for replies and new posts from your circles only if you enable them. Notifications are muted by default. You can leave any circle at any time or adjust your settings to reduce visibility or activity from specific groups.

Locara includes a single ad banner above your newsfeeds. These are ethical ads based only on the postal code you provide when joining. The ad system does not track you across the internet and does not access any other personal data. For example, if you search for pet food somewhere else online, Locara will not show you pet food ads. You might see a pet related ad only if you join a pet related circle or if a pet brand sponsors Locara across the entire platform. In that case, everyone sees the same ad. Everyone in your postal code sees the same ad. If you are traveling, you will still see an ad tied to your original postal code, not your current location.

As Locara grows, this model will evolve. Once we reach critical mass, we plan to replace the ethical ad network with direct placement. That means the banner space could be purchased by a single global partner who wants to reach the full platform. In that case, every user would see the same ad worldwide. At the same time, local organizations may be able to sponsor specific circles. For example, a neighborhood restaurant could sponsor the local foodie group and appear only to people in that context.

We are also considering a paid, ad-free option if the community is willing to support it. This would allow users to remove banner ads entirely while still helping fund the platform’s growth and infrastructure.

Locara only stores the information required to deliver the core experience. This includes your account credentials, your starting postal code, the circles you belong to, and the content you choose to share. We do not store live location, device metadata, or anything about your activity outside the platform. Your postal code is used to place you into relevant local circles and to determine which banner ad is shown. This location is never shared with advertisers.

Your posts, comments, and likes are only visible inside the circles where you shared them. None of your activity is made public or used to build recommendation profiles. We do not use third party analytics scripts, tracking pixels, or cross site cookies. We do not sell your data or share it with ad networks. If you delete your account, all associated data and content are deleted with it, immediately.

Locara is designed to feel private, local, and relevant by default. There are no public metrics, no audience to build, and no pressure to perform. Just simple, trusted communication inside the circles that already exist in your life.