HVS ("we", "us", "our") operates the HVS audio-first social platform. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you use our app and website.

1. Information We Collect

Account information: Email address, display name, username, and profile picture you provide during registration.

Voice content: Audio recordings you create, including posts, replies, voice bios, and live room participation.

Usage data: How you interact with the app — content you listen to, accounts you follow, posts you save, and engagement metrics.

Location data: Approximate, city-level location only when you explicitly enable location features. We never store precise GPS coordinates. Location is coarsened to ~1km before storage.

Device permissions: Microphone (for recording), camera/photo library (for profile pictures), and push notification tokens — requested only when you activate the related feature.

2. How We Use Your Information

To create and manage your account and profile
To display your voice content to other users based on your privacy settings
To provide live audio rooms, rap battles, and collaborative features
To recommend content and people you may enjoy
To process payments for marketplace purchases, gifts, and subscriptions
To send notifications about activity relevant to you
To enforce community guidelines and prevent abuse
To comply with legal obligations and DMCA/copyright processes

3. Voice and Audio Data

Your voice recordings are stored securely and are only accessible to others according to your privacy settings. Private audio diary entries are visible only to you. Live room audio is transmitted peer-to-peer and is not recorded unless explicitly stated.

We do not use your voice data to train AI models or for voice cloning. Voice cloning and impersonation are strictly prohibited.

4. Location Privacy

Location is opt-in. We never track your location in the background. When you enable "Near You" or location-based features, we request your approximate location and coarsen it before storage. You can disable location at any time in Settings, and the app remains fully usable without it.

Private delivery addresses for physical gifts are kept separate from discovery location data and are never shown to senders or publicly.

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We share data only with:

Service providers (Stripe for payments, Firebase for push notifications) under strict data protection agreements
Legal authorities when required by law
DMCA agents and rights holders for copyright claims

6. Data Retention and Deletion

Your data is retained while your account is active. You can permanently delete your account and all associated data at any time in Settings → Delete Account. Deletion is irreversible and removes your posts, replies, saved items, follows, and notifications.

7. Children's Privacy

HVS is not directed to children under 13 (under 16 in the EU/UK). We require age confirmation during onboarding. Users who indicate they are under the minimum age cannot create an account. For users aged 13–17 (or 16–17 in the EU), parental consent may be required for certain features including payouts and physical gifts.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction (GDPR, CCPA, etc.), you have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate data
Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
Object to or restrict certain processing
Data portability
Withdraw consent at any time

To exercise these rights, use the in-app Delete Account feature or contact us through the app.

9. Security

We use industry-standard encryption and security measures. Payments are processed by Stripe, which is PCI-DSS compliant. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes through the app or by email.

11. Contact

For privacy questions or requests, use the in-app support or contact us through the app's Settings page.