Privacy Policy

Last Updated: October 2026 • Effective Date: October 2026

Welcome to Hangbuzz ("we", "our", or "us"). Hangbuzz operates the Hangbuzz mobile application and website at hangbuzz.com. We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information necessary to enable spontaneous local real-world group hangouts:

Location Data (Proximity Radar): With your permission, we collect your approximate (coarse) or precise (fine) location while the app is in foreground use. This is strictly used to display nearby hangouts, calculate proximity distances, and verify physical check-in at group meetup venues. We do not sell your location data or track you in the background.
Account & Profile Information: Your mobile phone number (used for secure SMS OTP authentication), full name, gender (used to support user safety choices, such as women-only hangouts), and profile photo.
Identity Verification Data: To maintain a safe and authentic community, users undergo an automated, one-time age and liveness check. ID card captures and selfie images are processed ephemerally in-memory for age (18+) verification and are immediately discarded. We do not store raw government identification documents on our permanent servers.
Hangouts & Chat Activity: Hangouts created, join requests, attendee confirmations, and group chat coordination messages. Group chats are automatically archived and made read-only after a hangout concludes.
Two-Way Community Ratings: Post-hangout host and participant feedback to maintain safety and mutual accountability across our community.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information solely for the following legitimate purposes:

To power the 15-minute proximity radar showing spontaneous activities happening in your immediate neighborhood.
To authenticate your account securely via SMS OTP without passwords.
To enable real-time coordination in temporary group chats for confirmed attendees.
To protect member safety through mutual ratings and community moderation.
To prevent fraud, automated bots, harassment, and abuse.

3. Data Sharing & Third Parties

We do not sell, rent, or monetize your personal data. We only share information with standard infrastructure and technical service providers strictly necessary to operate the application:

Cloud Infrastructure & Database Hosting: Secure, encrypted cloud servers equipped with automated data protection and restricted access controls.
Mapping & Geolocation Services: Technical mapping APIs utilized strictly to render public meetup venues and display proximity distances.
Telecom & SMS Delivery Gateways: Certified telecom partners utilized solely to deliver one-time verification passwords (OTPs) to your mobile device.

4. Data Retention & Account Deletion

You have full ownership of your data:

Instant In-App Account Deletion: You can permanently delete your Hangbuzz account at any time directly in the app under Settings ➔ Danger Zone ➔ Delete Account. This permanently wipes your profile, phone number hash, active plans, and ratings from our production database.
Concluded Hangouts: Stale hangouts and inactive chats are automatically scheduled for archival after completion.

5. Safety of Minors

Hangbuzz is strictly intended for individuals aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly allow or verify individuals under the age of 18.

6. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of material changes via the app or on this webpage.

7. Contact Us

If you have any questions or privacy inquiries, contact our team at:

Email: support@hangbuzz.com
Website: https://hangbuzz.com