HELOME PRIVACY POLICY
1. WHO WE ARE
HeloMe is a social app where people share photos, videos and posts, and like, comment, follow and block each other. HeloMe is run from Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India by Girijesh Kumar. Under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act), HeloMe is the "Data Fiduciary" for your personal data.
Contact: support.helome@gmail.com
2. WHO CAN USE HELOME
HeloMe is only for people aged 18 or older. We do not knowingly collect data of anyone under 18. If we find an account that belongs to someone under 18, we delete it. If you are a parent or guardian and think your child uses HeloMe, please email us.
3. WHAT PERSONAL DATA WE COLLECT AND WHY
- Account data: mobile number (for OTP login), name, date of birth, gender, password. Used to create and secure your account, confirm you are 18+, and recover your account. Your mobile number, date of birth and gender are private. Other users cannot see them.
- Profile data: username, display name, bio, website link, profile photo. Other HeloMe users can see these.
- Content you post: photos, videos, captions, comments and likes. Other HeloMe users can see these. Photos and videos are stored in Google Firebase Cloud Storage.
- Activity data: who you follow and who follows you, people you block, posts you hid or marked "not interested", posts you liked, search history, notifications. Used to run your feed, notifications and safety features.
- Reports: when you report a post, comment or account (or someone reports you), we store the reason and what was reported. Used for safety and moderation.
- Technical data: push notification token, app installation ID, IP address, and app/device integrity checks, handled by Google Firebase. Used to send notifications, keep the app secure and stop spam and abuse.
- Settings: your notification choices, and counters we use to limit spam.
HeloMe does not ask for location, contacts, microphone or camera permission.
4. YOUR CONSENT
When you sign up you tick a box to confirm you are 18+ and accept our Terms and this Privacy Policy. We save the time and version of your consent. We use your data only for the purposes above. You can withdraw consent at any time by deleting your account (Settings > Account > Deactivation and deletion > Delete account). To delete your account and data, see how to delete your account.
5. WHO WE SHARE DATA WITH
- Other users: your profile and posts are visible to HeloMe users.
- Service providers: Google LLC (Firebase Authentication, Cloud Firestore, Cloud Storage, Cloud Functions, Cloud Messaging, App Check), who process data for us to run the app.
- Authorities: when the law requires, or to protect someone's safety.
We do not sell your personal data. HeloMe does not show ads today. If we add ads in future, we will first update this policy and ask for your consent, and we will never target ads at anyone under 18.
6. HOW LONG WE KEEP DATA
We keep your data while your account is active. When you delete your account, we delete your profile, private details, posts, comments, likes, follows, notifications and settings. Likes and comments you left on other people's posts are not removed instantly. We are setting up an automatic clean-up for them. Until it is live, email us from your registered details and we will delete them by hand within 30 days. Photos and videos you uploaded are deleted from our storage when you delete the post or your account. Abuse reports and security logs are kept for at least 12 months, or longer if the law requires, for safety and legal reasons.
7. YOUR RIGHTS
- Access / download: ask for a copy or summary of the personal data we hold about you. Email us (there is no download button yet).
- Correction: edit your details in Edit Profile, or email us.
- Erasure: delete your account and data in Settings > Account > Deactivation and deletion > Delete account.
- Withdraw consent: delete your account at any time.
- Grievance: complain to us about how your data is handled.
- Nominate: name another person to exercise these rights if you die or cannot act.
- Complaint: if we do not resolve your complaint, you can approach the Data Protection Board of India.
To use any right, email support.helome@gmail.com from the account's registered details.
8. SECURITY
Data travels over encrypted connections (HTTPS). Access is controlled with Firestore security rules, App Check and login protection. App backup is switched off. If a personal data breach affects you, we will tell you without delay: what happened, what it may mean for you, and what you can do. We will also inform the Data Protection Board of India without delay and send it a detailed report within 72 hours, as the DPDP Rules require.
9. DATA STORED OUTSIDE INDIA
Google Firebase servers may be outside India. The DPDP Act allows this unless the Government restricts a country.
10. GRIEVANCE OFFICER
Name: Girijesh Kumar (Founder and Grievance Officer)
Organisation: HeloMe
Address: Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India
Email: support.helome@gmail.com
Available: Monday to Friday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm IST
We acknowledge complaints within 24 hours and resolve them within 15 days (usually sooner). Complaints about intimate images shared without consent are handled as an emergency.
10A. COPYRIGHT COMPLAINTS
If a post copies your work, email support.helome@gmail.com with the subject "Copyright", the link to the post, proof that you own the work and your contact details. We acknowledge every complaint within 24 hours and usually act within 72 hours, and always within 15 days as per the IT Rules, 2021. Intimate images shared without consent are removed within 24 hours. An account with 3 valid copyright strikes is blocked permanently, only after we check the complaints ourselves.
11. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
If we make important changes, we will tell you in the app and ask for your consent again where the law requires.