This Privacy Notice for [Hoot Me] ("Company," "we," "us," or "our"), describes how and why we might collect, store, use, and/or share ("process") your information when you use our services ("Services"), such as when you download and use our mobile application (Hoot Me) or engage with us in other related ways.

What Information Do We Collect?
How Do We Process Your Information?
What Legal Bases Do We Rely On?
When And With Whom Do We Share Your Information?
Do We Use Cookies And Other Tracking Technologies?
How Do We Handle Your Social Logins?
Is Your Information Transferred Internationally?
How Long Do We Keep Your Information?
How Do We Keep Your Information Safe?
Do We Collect Information From Minors?
What Are Your Privacy Rights?
Controls For Do-Not-Track Features
Do United States Residents Have Specific Privacy Rights?
Do We Make Updates To This Notice?
How Can You Contact Us About This Notice?
Safety Guidelines And User Interaction Disclaimer

1. WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?

Personal information you disclose to us: We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you register on the Services.

Identification Data: Name, email address, phone number, and social network identifiers.
Selfie Verification (Mandatory): To ensure the safety of our community, we require a real-time selfie during registration. This selfie is matched against your profile photo using AI-based liveness detection to confirm you are a real person.
Government-Issued ID (Optional): You may optionally submit a copy of your Government-Issued ID for enhanced identity verification. Providing your ID earns you a "Verified" badge on your profile, increasing trust within the community.
Geolocation Data: We collect precise geolocation information to allow you to create events in your area or find events nearby.

2. HOW DO WE PROCESS YOUR INFORMATION?

We process your information to provide, improve, and administer our Services, for security and fraud prevention, and to comply with law.

To facilitate account creation and authentication.
To verify identity: Using AI-powered selfie liveness detection to ensure all users are real. Optional Government ID submission provides an additional layer of trust.
To enable event creation: Using location data to tag and host events.
To protect our Services: Monitoring for "bad actors" or suspicious behavior.

3. WHAT LEGAL BASES DO WE RELY ON?

If you are in the EU or UK, we only process your personal information when we have a valid legal reason (i.e., "legal basis") under the GDPR, such as:

Consent: When you give us permission to use your ID and location.
Performance of a Contract: To provide the event-joining service you signed up for.
Legitimate Interests: For the safety and security of all Hoot Me users.

4. WHEN AND WITH WHOM DO WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION?

We may share data in specific situations:

Vendors/Service Providers: We may share data with third-party ID verification services or cloud hosting providers.
Other Users: Your profile name and photo are shared with others when you join an event. Your Government ID is NEVER shared with other users.
Legal Obligations: We may share data to comply with law enforcement or in the event of a safety incident.

5. DO WE USE COOKIES AND OTHER TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES?

We may use cookies and similar tracking technologies (like web beacons and pixels) to access or store information regarding how you interact with our App to improve your user experience.

6. HOW DO WE HANDLE YOUR SOCIAL LOGINS?

If you choose to register or log in using a social media account (e.g., Google or Facebook), we may have access to certain information about you provided by that provider, such as your name, email address, and profile picture.

7. IS YOUR INFORMATION TRANSFERRED INTERNATIONALLY?

Our servers are located on Firebase cloud. If you are accessing our Services from outside, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed by us in our facilities and by those third parties with whom we may share your personal information.

8. HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION?

We keep your information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this notice.

User Profiles: We keep your data as long as your profile exists.
Deletion: Users have the provision to delete their data at any time via Profile → Settings. Upon deletion, your data is removed from our active databases, subject to legal retention requirements.

9. HOW DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION SAFE?

We have implemented appropriate and reasonable technical and organizational security measures designed to protect the security of any personal information we process, specifically for the storage of sensitive ID documents.

10. DO WE COLLECT INFORMATION FROM MINORS?

We do not knowingly solicit data from or market to children under 18 years of age. By using the Services, you represent that you are at least 18.

11. WHAT ARE YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS?

In some regions (like the EEA, UK, and Canada), you have rights that allow you greater access to and control over your personal information. You may review, change, or terminate your account at any time.

12. CONTROLS FOR DO-NOT-TRACK FEATURES

Most web browsers and some mobile operating systems and mobile applications include a Do-Not-Track ("DNT") feature. At this time, we do not currently respond to DNT browser signals or any other mechanism that automatically communicates your choice not to be tracked online.

13. DO UNITED STATES RESIDENTS HAVE SPECIFIC PRIVACY RIGHTS?

California, Virginia, and other state residents have specific rights regarding "Sensitive Personal Information." Our collection of your Government ID and Precise Geolocation falls under these categories. You have the right to request access to this data and limit its use.

14. DO WE MAKE UPDATES TO THIS NOTICE?

Yes, we will update this notice as necessary to stay compliant with relevant laws. The "Revised" date at the top of this notice will indicate when changes were made.

15. HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE?

If you have questions or comments about this notice, you may email us at support@hootme.app.

16. SAFETY GUIDELINES AND USER INTERACTION DISCLAIMER

Hoot Me is a platform for meeting new people. While we verify users through selfie validation (and optionally Government ID) to enhance safety:

In-Person Interaction: We are not responsible for the conduct of any user.
Public Places: We strongly advise all users to meet in public places and inform others of their plans.
Assumption of Risk: By using Hoot Me to meet strangers, you assume all risks associated with such interactions.

HOOT ME PRIVACY POLICY

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