Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Huddle LLC ("Huddle," "we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, and share information when you use our mobile application ("App") and related services (collectively, the "Service").

By using Huddle, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: When you register, we collect your phone number, username, display name, date of birth, and optional profile photo.
• Profile Content: Profile pictures and bio information you choose to add.
• Check-In Photos & Captions: Photos you take or upload as part of huddle check-ins, along with captions you write.
• Location Data: If you choose to attach a location to a check-in, we collect your device's GPS coordinates and derive a human-readable location name (e.g., city or neighborhood) via reverse geocoding. We store recent locations on your device (up to 5) for convenience. We do not continuously track your location in the background.
• Contacts: If you grant permission, we access your device's contact list to help you find friends who already use Huddle and to invite others to join. Phone numbers from your contacts are sent to our server to check for matches with existing users. We do not permanently store your full contact list — phone numbers are used only during the matching process.
• Communications: Messages, pokes, comments, and other content you submit within the App.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device Information: Device model, operating system version, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information.
• Usage Data: Features you use, screens you visit, actions you take, and the time, frequency, and duration of your activities. This may include anonymous session recordings to help us understand and improve the user experience.
• Push Notification Tokens: If you grant permission, we collect your device's push notification token to deliver notifications.
• Crash & Diagnostics Data: Error reports and performance data to help us improve the App.

2.3 Information from Third Parties

• Authentication is handled via your phone number with a one-time verification code, or through Sign in with Apple. When using Sign in with Apple, we receive your name and email (if you choose to share it) from Apple.
• We do not purchase data from third-party data brokers.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, operate, and maintain the Service.
• Create and manage your account.
• Enable you to participate in huddles — including check-ins, leaderboards, and streaks.
• Send push notifications about huddle activity (check-ins by members, pokes, likes, comments, and invites) based on your notification preferences.
• Personalize your experience and surface relevant content.
• Monitor and analyze usage and trends to improve the Service.
• Detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent transactions, abuse, and other illegal activities.
• Comply with legal obligations.
• Communicate with you about updates, security alerts, and support messages.

4. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only in the following circumstances:

• With Other Users: Your username, display name, profile photo, and huddle activity (check-in photos, streaks, adherence statistics) are visible to other members of shared huddles according to the visibility settings you select (Private, Members Only, or Public).
• Service Providers: We share data with trusted third-party vendors who assist us in operating the App, including cloud infrastructure (Supabase), image storage (Cloudflare R2), automated content moderation (OpenAI), analytics, crash reporting, and push notification services. These parties process data only as directed by us and are bound by confidentiality obligations.
• Business Transfers: If Huddle is involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you before your data is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or government request, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Huddle, our users, or the public.
• With Your Consent: We may share information with third parties when you explicitly consent.

5. Automated Content Review

Every photo you upload as a check-in is reviewed by an automated AI moderation system before it appears on the Service. This is required to maintain a safe environment and comply with platform policies.

• Uploaded photos are sent to OpenAI's content moderation service for analysis against categories such as explicit, violent, or otherwise objectionable content.
• Per OpenAI's API Terms of Service, your photos are not used to train OpenAI's models.
• OpenAI may retain inputs for up to 30 days for abuse monitoring, after which they are deleted.
• Review is performed by automated systems; human review only occurs if our request triggers an abuse alert at OpenAI.
• Photos that fail review are deleted from our storage immediately, and the corresponding check-in is not posted.

In addition, check-ins that have already been posted may be hidden if multiple users report them, or removed by our team. If your check-in is removed, you will receive a notification in the App with information on how to appeal.

Only check-in photos are subject to this automated review. Other content (profile information, captions, comments, messages) is reviewed only on a reactive basis (e.g., in response to user reports).

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. When you delete your account, we delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days, except where retention is required by law or for legitimate business purposes such as fraud prevention and dispute resolution.

Check-in photos are deleted from our storage servers within 30 days of account deletion. Cached copies on other users' devices may persist until the cache is cleared.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard technical and organizational measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. All data is transmitted over encrypted connections (TLS/HTTPS) and stored in encrypted databases.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security and encourage you to keep your device secure and report any suspicious account activity.

8. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten"). You can delete your account directly from Settings › Account › Delete Account.
• Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Objection / Restriction: Object to or request restriction of certain processing activities.
• Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@download-huddle.com. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Push Notifications

We send push notifications to inform you of huddle activity and interactions. You can manage which notification types you receive in Settings › Notifications at any time. You may also disable all push notifications through your device's system settings, though this will affect all notifications from the App.

10. On-Device Storage and App Tracking

We store authentication tokens securely on your device using encrypted storage. Certain data (such as cached images and pending actions while offline) may be stored locally on your device to improve performance and enable offline functionality.

On iOS, we request your permission via Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework before any tracking across apps or websites owned by other companies. You can change this preference at any time in your device's system settings.

11. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or 16 where applicable under local law). We enforce a minimum age requirement during registration by collecting date of birth and preventing account creation for users who do not meet this threshold. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under these ages. If we learn that we have collected such information, we will delete it promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@download-huddle.com.

12. International Data Transfers

Huddle is operated in the United States. If you access the Service from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States and other countries where our service providers are located. By using the Service, you consent to such transfers. We take appropriate safeguards to ensure that your personal information receives an adequate level of protection wherever it is processed.

13. Third-Party Links and Services

The App may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

14. Software Updates

We may deliver updates to the App over-the-air (without requiring a new download from the app store) to fix bugs, improve performance, or deliver new features. These updates are downloaded and applied automatically when you open the App while connected to the internet.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you via a push notification or prominent notice in the App, and update the "Effective Date" at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Service after the changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated Policy.

16. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Huddle LLC
Email: support@download-huddle.com