Privacy Policy.

01 Information We Collect

1.1 Account Information

• Phone number, email address, username, profile picture, display name, bio, date of birth, gender, interests, website links.
• Verification documents for Creator or Business accounts (ID, company docs, GST/Tax ID).
• Payment information for subscriptions, purchases, or creator payouts (UPI, bank, PayPal).

1.2 Content & Activity Data

• Messages, media (photos, videos, GIFs, voice notes), posts, comments, reactions, likes, shares, bookmarks.
• Short-form videos (Shots), Stories, iFeed content, event participation, planner tasks, and live stream interactions.
• Engagement analytics, watch time, completion, audience interaction, follower activity.

1.3 Device & Technical Data

• Device identifiers, IP address, browser type, OS, location (with user consent), app version, push notification preferences.
• Multi-device login sessions, QR code access, activity logs for security and account management.

1.4 Transaction & Monetization Data

• Purchase history (coins, subscriptions, premium content), shop orders, affiliate link tracking, creator earnings, ad spend.
• In-app currency (Howdy Coins), gift transactions, Diamonds from live streams, commission payouts.

02 How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve Howdy features (chats, posts, content discovery, planner, live streams).
• Authenticate accounts, prevent fraud, secure payments, and detect policy violations.
• Personalize content, recommendations, ads, and notifications.
• Facilitate transactions, payouts, subscriptions, and premium content unlocks.
• Enable creators and businesses to monetize via ads, shop, affiliate marketing, live gifts, or premium content.
• Analyze platform usage, engagement metrics, and trends to improve user experience.
• Communicate account-related updates, promotional offers, and legal notices.

03 Account Types & Feature Access

Howdy offers three account types:

3.1 Personal Accounts

• Basic messaging, group chats, limited media sharing, disappearing messages, iFeed posts, Shots (up to 60 sec), event joining.
• Privacy control: public or private profile visibility.
• Cannot monetize content.

3.2 Creator Accounts

• Enhanced analytics, longer Shots (up to 3 min), scheduling, live streams, collaboration posts, event hosting (public/private).
• Monetization: Creator Fund, premium content, tips, subscriptions, live gifts, brand collaborations.
• Access to limited ad boosts and insights.

3.3 Business Accounts

• Full analytics, product tagging, shop management, advanced DMs (auto-replies), bulk messaging, event promotion.
• Monetization: Ads, campaigns, affiliate marketing, branded content, product sales, shop integration.
• Ad Manager access for full campaign creation and targeting.

04 Chats & Messaging Privacy

• Messages are end-to-end encrypted; only participants can read content.
• Media sharing limits depend on account type (100 MB personal → 500 MB business).
• Disappearing messages can be set for 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days.
• Multi-device access supported; users can view and revoke sessions.
• Personal, Creator, and Business accounts have tiered group sizes, broadcast limits, and call participant limits.
• Quick reply templates, auto-replies, and analytics available for Creator & Business accounts.

05 Content & Social Feed (iFeed) Privacy

• Posts, Stories, Shots, Reels, and Planner events follow account-specific visibility rules.
• AI-powered feed recommendations may use engagement, interests, and location.
• Event participation via "I'm In" adds events to Planner; public event hosting available for Creator & Business accounts.
• Content insights and analytics vary by account type.

06 Premium Content & Subscription

• Creators may offer single premium content unlocks (Shots ₹99, Posts ₹89, Long Videos ₹399) or subscription access (1 month ₹199, 3 months ₹599, 12 months ₹1,799).
• Users access premium content via paywall; auto-renewing subscriptions unless cancelled.
• Revenue sharing: 80% creator / 20% Howdy for single unlocks; subscription revenue: 75%, 72%, 70% by duration.
• Platform enforces compliance (no adult, violent, copyright-infringing content).

07 Creator Funds & Live Gifts

7.1 Creator Funds

• Performance-based rewards for original, high-quality content.
• Eligibility: Creator/Business account, 18+, KYC, minimum followers, consistent posting, clean account.
• Rewards tracked via dashboard; withdrawal min ₹500; penalties apply for violations.

7.2 Live Gifts

• Users purchase Coins → send virtual gifts → convert to Diamonds → cash payout to creators.
• Creator eligibility: 18+, live-enabled, clean account, KYC.
• Revenue split: coin purchase 100% Howdy, creator withdrawals 70% / 30%.

08 E-Commerce Privacy

• Verified sellers can list products, manage inventory, pricing, shipping, and process refunds/exchanges.
• Buyers provide address, phone, and payment info; orders tracked and updates sent in chat.
• Howdy stores transaction and order data for operational purposes and analytics.

09 Advertising & Campaigns

• Only Business accounts may create ads, boosts, affiliate marketing campaigns, and paid partnerships.
• Ads may appear in feeds, stories, reels, explore, search, shop, messages, or collaborations.
• Audience targeting uses location, interests, age, gender; budgets, duration, creatives, analytics tracked.
• Howdy collects campaign data (billing, creatives, performance metrics) and enforces compliance.

10 Affiliate & Creator Marketplace

• Marketplace enables campaigns, brand collaborations, secure payments via escrow, content submission, analytics, and dispute resolution.
• Howdy earns fees from marketplace, withdrawals, and optional promotional upsells.
• Fraud prevention, content compliance, and payment security enforced.

11 Data Security

• End-to-end encryption for chats and media.
• Two-factor authentication (2FA) and login alerts for all accounts.
• Device management allows session review and revocation.
• Secure storage and encrypted backups; personal data can be downloaded or deleted on request.

12 User Rights & Controls

• View, update, or delete account info and content.
• Control who can see posts, stories, and events.
• Opt-out of targeted ads where legally permitted.
• Cancel subscriptions or premium content access anytime.

13 Revenue & Payout Compliance

• Creators & businesses must comply with local laws, age limits, tax obligations, content policies, and payout eligibility.
• Howdy reserves the right to withhold payouts for violations, fraud, or disputes.
• Platform fees and revenue shares are applied transparently.

14 Policy Violations & Enforcement

• Content violating copyright, adult, violent, misleading, or illegal rules will be blocked or removed.
• Monetization privileges may be suspended or revoked.
• Repeated violations may result in account termination.

15 Children & Age Restrictions

• Users must be 18+ to earn, receive payments, or access monetized features.
• Personal accounts require a minimum age of 13.

16 Changes to Privacy Policy

• Howdy may update this Privacy Policy to reflect new services, features, or legal requirements.
• Users will be notified of significant changes; continued use constitutes acceptance.

17 Contact & Support