Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to hlomo ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our community management platform and services.

hlomo is registered in South Africa (Registration: 2022/858088/07) and complies with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and applicable international data protection regulations including GDPR where applicable.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: Name, email address, phone number, organization details
• Community Information: Community names, descriptions, member lists (phone numbers/emails)
• Profile Information: Profile photos, bio, interests, preferences
• Communication Data: Messages you send through our platform, support inquiries

2.2 Information We Collect Automatically

• Engagement Metadata: Message timestamps, participant counts, response rates, activity patterns
• Usage Data: Features used, pages visited, time spent, click patterns
• Device Information: IP address, browser type, device type, operating system
• Cookies: Session cookies, preference cookies, analytics cookies

2.3 Information from Third Parties

• WhatsApp Integration: Message metadata (sender, timestamp, participant info) - NOT message content
• Authentication Providers: Google, Microsoft, or other OAuth providers (name, email, profile photo)

3. How We Use Your Information

• Service Delivery: To provide, maintain, and improve our community management platform
• Community Analytics: To generate engagement reports, health scores, and participation insights
• AI Features: To power our AI co-pilots (Bro, Harmony, Buddy) with contextual community understanding
• Communication: To send service updates, notifications, and respond to your inquiries
• Safety & Security: To detect fraud, abuse, and maintain platform security
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws and legal obligations
• Research & Development: To improve our algorithms and develop new features (using anonymized/aggregated data)

4. How We Share Your Information

We share your information only in these limited circumstances:

• With Your Consent: When you explicitly authorize us to share information
• Within Your Community: Community leaders can see aggregated analytics about their communities
• Service Providers: Cloud hosting (Firebase/Google Cloud), analytics providers, email services - all under strict data processing agreements
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or to protect rights and safety
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale (with notice to you)

We do NOT sell your personal information to third parties. Ever.

5. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide services and fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy:

• Account Data: Retained while your account is active, plus 90 days after deletion
• Community Analytics: Retained for up to 2 years for historical insights
• Aggregated/Anonymized Data: May be retained indefinitely for research and product improvement
• Legal/Security Records: Retained as required by law or for fraud prevention

6. Your Privacy Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

To exercise these rights, contact us at:

• 📧 Email: privacy@hlomo.com
• 🗑️ Data Deletion Form: Submit Request
• 📱 Phone: +27 82 414 8292

We will respond to requests within 30 days (or as required by applicable law).

7. Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

• Encryption in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest
• Secure authentication (Firebase Auth, OAuth 2.0)
• Regular security audits and penetration testing
• Access controls and principle of least privilege
• Incident response and breach notification procedures

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. Please use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication.

8. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately at privacy@hlomo.com.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than South Africa, including countries that may not have the same data protection laws. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place:

• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) for EU data transfers
• Adequacy decisions where applicable
• Compliance with POPIA cross-border transfer requirements

10. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Keep you signed in
• Remember your preferences
• Understand how you use our platform
• Improve our services

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect functionality.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via email or prominent notice on our platform. Your continued use of hlomo after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.