This Privacy Policy explains how HowlHub (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, discloses, and protects personal data when you use the HowlHub app, website, and related services.
The data controller is Prism Elite Ltd, trading as HowlHub. Privacy requests: support@howlhub.app.
01Information we collect
1.1 Information you provide
- Account data: email address, password (stored as a one-way hash, not in plain text), username, display name, date of birth, bio, and photos.
- Profile details you choose to add, some of which may be sensitive information (see section 1.4).
- Messages, voice notes, reports, photos, videos, and other content you upload.
- Event details you choose to post.
- Referral or ambassador codes, if you use one.
- Payment card details are processed by our payment providers. We do not store full card numbers.
1.2 Information collected automatically
- Device type, operating system, and device identifiers.
- Location, if you enable it. This may be your actual location, a randomised or approximate location, or hidden, depending on your settings.
- App usage data (features used, session activity).
- Push notification tokens.
- Security and server logs needed to operate and protect the service.
1.3 Information from third parties
- Age-verification result from our provider: pass or fail, date, and method used.
- Subscription and payment status from our payment providers.
- App store information needed to manage subscriptions.
1.4 Sensitive information
Some information on HowlHub is special category data under UK GDPR. Using HowlHub may itself indicate your sexual orientation. You can also choose to add your sexuality, gender identity, position, dynamic, Energy tags and what you are looking for, and anything you write about yourself, for example in your bio, may reveal information about your health. All of these are optional, so please think about what you are comfortable sharing.
We process this information only with your explicit consent, which you give when you add it to your profile. We use it only to show it on your profile and to let you and other members filter search results. You can remove it at any time in Edit Profile, which withdraws your consent for that information. We do not use it for advertising and we never sell it.
02How we use your information
- To create and administer your account and authenticate sessions.
- To operate, maintain, and improve HowlHub.
- To display you on the map and help you find nearby users, if you allow it.
- To provide messaging, profiles, events, and other app features.
- To send service notifications.
- To process subscriptions and payments.
- To confirm that users are 18 or over.
- To moderate content and enforce our rules.
- To detect fraud, spam, abuse, and security incidents.
- To comply with the law, including reporting certain illegal content.
03Legal bases
Where UK GDPR / GDPR applies, we process personal data only where we have a lawful basis:
- Contract: to provide the service you signed up for.
- Legal obligation: age checks, safety reporting, and other duties we cannot avoid.
- Legitimate interests: running, securing, and improving the app, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights.
- Consent: where we ask for it, for example certain optional permissions. You can withdraw consent where we rely on it.
- Explicit consent: for the sensitive information you choose to add to your profile (see section 1.4). You can withdraw it at any time by removing that information.
04How we share your information
4.1 With other users
Your profile and the location setting you choose can be visible to other users. Messages are visible to people in that conversation. Event posts are visible to other users.
4.2 Service providers (processors)
We use third-party processors to run HowlHub. They only receive what they need to do their job, under contract. That includes:
- hosting and object storage
- push notifications
- payment and subscription processors (currently RevenueCat and Stripe)
- age verification (currently Didit)
- content-safety and scanning tools (currently Sightengine, Amazon Rekognition and Microsoft PhotoDNA)
They are not permitted to use your data for their own marketing.
4.3 Legal requirements
We may disclose information if required by law, or if needed to protect someone’s safety or to deal with fraud, security incidents, or illegal content.
4.4 Business transfers
If HowlHub is sold or transferred, personal data may transfer with the business.
05Location data
If you enable location, we use it to place you on the map.
You can choose to:
- show your actual location
- randomise or approximate your location
- hide your location
You are responsible for the setting you choose. Other users may see you on the map if you show or randomise your location. You can change this in Privacy & Safety settings.
We do not sell location data.
06Age verification
HowlHub is only for adults aged 18 or over. A third-party provider, currently Didit, checks your age before you can use the app. This may use a selfie and, if needed, an identity document.
HowlHub stores only the result: whether you passed, when, and which method was used. We do not receive or keep your selfie, ID images, or ID document numbers.
The provider has its own privacy policy. If you do not pass, you cannot use the app.
07Content checks and safety
Uploads may be scanned automatically for illegal or prohibited content. Images are checked by our content-safety processors listed in section 4.2: Sightengine and Amazon Rekognition check for prohibited content such as nudity in public photos, violence and hate symbols, and Microsoft PhotoDNA compares images against known child sexual abuse imagery. Reported or flagged content may also be reviewed.
If the law requires us to report or retain certain information, we will do that even if you later ask us to delete your account.
08Events
If you post an event, the details you enter, including place and time, can be seen by other users.
09Data retention
We keep personal data while your account is active and for as long as we need it to run the service or meet legal duties.
You can request account deletion in Settings. We will delete or anonymise data we no longer need, unless the law requires us to keep it.
10International transfers
Some processors are based outside the UK, including in the United States. Where personal data leaves the UK, we use appropriate safeguards required by UK GDPR, such as the UK–US Data Privacy Framework where a provider is certified, or standard contractual clauses / the UK addendum.
11Security
We use technical and organisational measures appropriate to the risk. In practice that includes:
- encryption of data in transit (HTTPS / TLS)
- passwords stored as one-way hashes, not plain text
- session tokens instead of keeping you logged in with a raw password
- access to production systems limited to people who need it to run the service
- payment card data handled by PCI-compliant payment providers, not stored on HowlHub
- age-verification images processed by the provider and not kept by us
No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee that unauthorised access will never occur.
12Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- access the personal data we hold about you
- correct inaccurate data
- request deletion
- restrict or object to certain processing
- receive a copy of your data (portability)
- withdraw consent where we rely on it
Contact support@howlhub.app. In the UK you can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
13Children’s privacy
HowlHub is only for users 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If we learn a user is under 18, the account will be terminated.
14Cookies and tracking
The mobile app does not use browser cookies in the same way a website does. We may use analytics to understand how the app is used in aggregate. The website may use limited cookies required to operate the site.
15Changes to this policy
We will notify you of important changes in the app. Where required, we will ask you to agree before you continue using HowlHub.
16Contact
Prism Elite Ltd, trading as HowlHub.