Effective Date: 08/19/2022
Last Updated: 08/27/2024
At Hiliree, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you use the Hiliree mobile application and website (the “Service”). It also outlines your rights regarding your personal data under global privacy regulations, such as the GDPR, CCPA, LGPD, PIPL, and other applicable laws.
By using Hiliree, you agree to the collection and use of your personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Service.
- Information We Collect
When you use Hiliree, we collect the following types of information:
1.1 Personal Information
Personal information refers to any data that can identify you either directly or indirectly. The types of personal information we collect include:
- Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your name, phone number, email address, profile picture, and other account-related details.
- Family Tree Data: Information you provide about family members, such as names, relationships, birthdates, and similar details for building and managing family trees.
- Contact Information: If you invite others to join your family tree or app experience, we collect their names, phone numbers, or email addresses.
- Financial Information: For users participating in contributions and projects, we collect payment-related information (e.g., credit card details, banking information). Payment processing is handled by third-party providers such as Stripe and Paystack, and we do not store full payment details.
- Device Information: We collect data about your device, including device ID, IP address, operating system, and browser type for security and analytics purposes.
1.2 Non-Personal Information
Non-personal information refers to data that, by itself, cannot identify you. This includes:
- Usage Data: Information about how you interact with our app or website, such as pages visited, time spent on the Service, and error reports.
- Location Data: If you enable location services, we collect data on your geographic location.
1.3 Information from Third Parties
We may receive information about you from third-party service providers, such as when you log in via a third-party account (e.g., Google or Apple) or link your account to external services.
- How We Use Your Information
Hiliree uses your information to provide and enhance the Service. The specific purposes include:
- Account Management: To create, manage, and update your user account and profile information.
- Family Tree Creation and Management: To enable the creation, sharing, and editing of family trees.
- Communications: To send you important notifications, such as security updates, service-related messages, and support responses.
- Financial Transactions: To facilitate secure payments and contributions via third-party payment processors such as Stripe (for international transactions) and Paystack (for African transactions).
- Customer Support: To provide support for any inquiries or issues you may encounter while using Hiliree.
- Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal requests, including data protection laws like GDPR, CCPA, and others.
- Analytics and Performance: To monitor, analyze, and improve the app’s performance, security, and usability.
- Legal Bases for Processing Your Data (For GDPR Users)
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), we process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:
- Consent: You have provided explicit consent for specific data processing activities.
- Contract: The processing is necessary to fulfill a contract with you, such as providing access to the Service.
- Legal Obligation: We process your data to comply with applicable laws or regulations.
- Legitimate Interests: We process your data for our legitimate business interests, such as improving the Service, provided that your rights do not override these interests.
- How We Share Your Information
Hiliree does not sell your personal data to third parties. However, we may share your information under the following circumstances:
4.1 Third-Party Service Providers
We use trusted third-party service providers to support our Service. These providers process data on our behalf and are bound by strict confidentiality agreements and legal obligations to protect your data. Some of the key third-party services we use include:
- GetStream for chat, voice, and video communication features.
Privacy Policy: GetStream Privacy Policy - MongoDB for managing and storing family tree data and other app data securely.
Privacy Policy: MongoDB Privacy Policy - AWS (Amazon Web Services) for hosting, cloud infrastructure, and secure data storage.
Privacy Policy: AWS Privacy Policy - Stripe for processing payments and financial transactions for international users.
Privacy Policy: Stripe Privacy Policy - Paystack for processing payments and financial transactions within Africa.
Privacy Policy: Paystack Privacy Policy - Google Play Store and Apple App Store for app hosting and distribution.
Google Play Privacy Policy: Google Privacy Policy
Apple Privacy Policy: Apple Privacy Policy
4.2 Legal Compliance and Protection
We may disclose your personal information when required to do so by law, in response to a court order, government request, or other legal process, or to enforce our legal rights.
4.3 Business Transfers
In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of Hiliree’s assets, your personal information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you of such transfers and give you the opportunity to opt out.
- Your Rights
Depending on where you live and applicable laws, you have certain rights concerning your personal data:
5.1 Right to Access
You have the right to request access to the personal data we hold about you.
5.2 Right to Rectification
You have the right to request corrections to any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
5.3 Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten)
You can request the deletion of your personal data. We will erase your data unless we are required to retain it for legal reasons.
5.4 Right to Data Portability
You can request that we provide you with a copy of your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
5.5 Right to Object
You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data for specific purposes, such as marketing or profiling.
5.6 Right to Restrict Processing
You can request that we restrict the processing of your personal data under certain circumstances, such as when the data’s accuracy is contested.
5.7 Right to Withdraw Consent
If you have provided consent for specific data processing activities, you can withdraw it at any time. However, withdrawing consent may limit your access to some features of the Service.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@hiliree.com. We may request verification of your identity before processing your request.
- Data Security
We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data from unauthorized access, loss, or disclosure. These measures include:
- Encryption: Data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using SSL/TLS.
- Access Controls: Access to personal data is restricted to authorized personnel and service providers.
- Regular Audits: We conduct regular security audits to maintain the integrity of our systems.
While we take significant steps to secure your personal data, no system is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we are committed to protecting your information to the best of our ability.
- Data Retention
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy. When we no longer need your data, we will securely delete or anonymize it, in compliance with applicable laws.
Retention Periods:
- Account Data: Stored for the duration of your account’s existence, unless you request deletion.
- Financial Data: Retained as long as necessary for payment processing and in compliance with financial regulations.
- Family Tree Data: Retained until you delete the data or close your account.
- International Data Transfers
Hiliree operates globally, and your data may be transferred and processed in countries outside of your jurisdiction. We ensure that such transfers comply with applicable data protection laws.
For GDPR Users:
We use Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or other appropriate safeguards to protect your data when it is transferred outside the European Economic Area (EEA).
For Brazilian Users (LGPD):
International data transfers comply with the LGPD, ensuring that your data is only transferred to countries with an adequate level of protection.
- Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Hiliree uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your interactions with the Service. This helps us provide a better user experience, analyze usage patterns, and deliver personalized content. Please refer to our Cookies Policy for more detailed information on how we use cookies and your options for managing cookies.
- Refer to our Cookies Policy.
- Children’s Privacy
Hiliree is not intended for users under the age of 13, or the applicable age of consent in your jurisdiction. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we discover that a child has provided us with personal data, we will promptly delete it from our systems.
- Changes to This Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page and providing a notice within the app or via email. Your continued use of the Service after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.
- Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data handling practices, please contact us at:
Email: privacy@hiliree.com