Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly, information generated by your use of the app, and information from third parties.

Information you provide:

• Account information - username, email address, phone number, date of birth, profile photo
• Content you create - videos, audio, captions, comments, messages, and live streams
• Payment information - bank account details for withdrawals (processed securely via Flutterwave)
• Communications - messages you send to other users or to our support team
• Identity verification - government-issued ID for creator verification (optional)

Information collected automatically:

• Device information - device model, operating system, unique device identifiers
• Usage data - videos watched, time spent, interactions (likes, shares, comments), features used
• Location data - country and region (not precise GPS unless you grant explicit permission)
• Log data - IP address, access times, app crashes, and performance data
• Camera and microphone data - only when you actively record content

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to operate and improve HowPha, including:

• Creating and managing your account
• Delivering and personalising your content feed
• Processing payments and withdrawals
• Sending notifications about activity on your account
• Enforcing our Community Guidelines and Terms of Service
• Detecting and preventing fraud, abuse, and illegal activity
• Improving our algorithm, features, and user experience
• Responding to support requests and user inquiries
• Complying with legal obligations

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• With other users - Your username, profile photo, videos, and public activity are visible to other users based on your privacy settings
• Service providers - We work with trusted third parties including Firebase (authentication and storage), Flutterwave (payments), and Railway (infrastructure)
• Legal requirements - We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of our users or the public
• Business transfers - In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction

4. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. If you delete your account:

• Your profile and content are removed from public view immediately
• Your data is permanently deleted from our systems within 30 days
• Some data may be retained longer if required by law or to resolve disputes
• Messages sent to other users may remain in their inbox until they delete them

5. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access - Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction - Update or correct inaccurate information in your profile settings
• Deletion - Delete your account and associated data at any time from Settings
• Portability - Request an export of your data in a machine-readable format
• Opt-out - Disable personalised recommendations or marketing notifications in Settings

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@howpha.com.

6. Security

We take security seriously. We implement industry-standard measures to protect your information:

• All data in transit is encrypted using TLS/HTTPS
• Private messages are encrypted at rest using AES-256-GCM
• Authentication is handled by Firebase with secure token management
• Payment processing is handled entirely by Flutterwave - we never store card details
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments

7. Children's Privacy

HowPha is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided personal information, we will delete it immediately.

Users between 13 and 17 may use HowPha with certain restrictions on content visibility and monetisation features.

8. Third-Party Services

HowPha integrates with the following third-party services, each with their own privacy policies:

• Google Firebase - authentication, cloud storage, push notifications
• Flutterwave - payment processing and bank transfers
• Railway - cloud infrastructure and hosting

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these services.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will notify you via the app and update the "Last updated" date at the top. Continued use of HowPha after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

• Email: privacy@howpha.com
• Support: support@howpha.com