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Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 2026

Howie is a platform built on trust. That extends to how we handle your personal information. We collect only what we need, protect it seriously, and will never sell it.

What we collect

When you join the waitlist, we collect your email address. When you create an account, we collect your name, phone number, date of birth, and the photos you upload to your profile. We also collect information about the introductions you make and receive on the platform.

Why we collect it

Your email is used to notify you about your waitlist status and important updates. Your profile information is used to help your network introduce you to compatible people. Your phone number is used only for account verification via OTP — we do not use it for marketing.

How we protect your data

Sensitive information — including your phone number and date of birth — is encrypted at the application level before it is stored. Photos are stored on secure cloud infrastructure with private access controls. We do not store passwords.

Who can see your profile

Your profile is only visible to people within your trusted network on Howie — people who are connected to you through at least one mutual contact. We do not surface your profile to strangers or to anyone outside your network.

What we do not do

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your data to train AI models without explicit consent. We do not share your contact details with other users — all communication on Howie happens through the platform.

Third-party services

We use Firebase for push notifications, Cloudflare R2 for photo storage, and Fast2SMS for OTP delivery. These services process data only to the extent necessary to provide their function. We do not pass your profile data to any of them.

Data retention

If you delete your account, your profile is soft-deleted and removed from all network views within 24 hours. We retain anonymised usage data for product improvement. You can request full deletion by emailing us.

Your rights

You can request a copy of the data we hold about you, ask us to correct inaccurate information, or request deletion of your account and associated data at any time. Email us at the address below.

Changes to this policy

If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you via the app or by email before the changes take effect. Continued use of Howie after notification constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Questions about your data? Email us at howiee2026@gmail.com and we will respond within 48 hours.