Hohay App ("the App," "we," "us," or "our") is a free, non-profit community emergency alert platform. It allows users to share real-time alerts — such as calls for blood donation, accident response, and general emergencies — so that nearby community members can see and respond to them.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you use the Hohay App mobile application or website (hohay.protim.co.in). Please read this policy carefully. By using Hohay App, you agree to the practices described here.
We collect the following types of information to operate the Hohay App service:
- Account information: Name, phone number, or email address provided during registration.
- Device location: Real-time GPS coordinates (when you grant permission). See Section 3 for full details.
- Alert content: Text, category, and optional photos you include when posting an alert.
- Device information: Device model, operating system version, and a unique device identifier for notification delivery.
- Usage data: Anonymous, aggregated information about app interactions (screens visited, features used) to improve the service.
We do not collect payment information, sensitive documents, or any information beyond what is needed to operate community alerts.
Location is the core feature of Hohay App. Without knowing your approximate position, we cannot show you relevant nearby alerts or let you post alerts for your community.
Showing Nearby Alerts
Your location is used to filter and display emergency alerts posted within your vicinity, so you only see what is relevant to you.
Posting a New Alert
When you create an alert, your current location is attached so nearby community members can find and reach the location where help is needed.
You may deny location permission at any time via your device settings. If you do, you can still browse the app but will not be able to see nearby alerts or post new ones with an accurate location.
Hohay App requests permission to send push notifications to your device. Notifications are an essential part of the emergency-alert experience — they are how you are informed quickly when a new alert is posted near you.
We use notifications only for:
- New emergency alerts posted in your area.
- Updates on alerts you have responded to or posted.
- Important service announcements (very rare).
We will never send promotional, marketing, or spam notifications. You can manage or disable notifications at any time from your device's system settings.
Your data is used exclusively to provide and improve the Hohay App community service:
- To display nearby community alerts on your map.
- To allow you to post alerts with accurate location information.
- To send timely push notifications about relevant alerts.
- To maintain the security and integrity of our platform.
- To analyse anonymous, aggregated usage patterns and improve the app experience.
- To respond to your support requests or inquiries.
We will never use your data for targeted advertising, profiling, or automated decision-making that affects your rights.
Hohay App is a non-profit community service. We do not sell your personal data to anyone, ever.
We may share limited information only in the following situations:
- With other users (by design): Alert content and approximate location are visible to nearby community members — this is the core purpose of the app. Your personal identity details are not shared unless you choose to include them in an alert.
- With service providers: We use trusted infrastructure providers (e.g., Firebase for notifications, cloud hosting) who process data on our behalf under strict confidentiality agreements.
- For legal compliance: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of Hohay App, its users, or the public.
Your data is stored on secured servers. We implement industry-standard technical and organisational measures to protect your information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.
Location data transmitted from your device is encrypted in transit using HTTPS/TLS. We retain your data only as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time (see Section 8).
You have full control over your data. You may:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct: Update or correct inaccurate information in your profile.
- Delete: Request deletion of your account and personal data. We will process this within 30 days.
- Withdraw consent: Revoke location or notification permissions at any time through your device settings.
- Portability: Request your data in a machine-readable format.
- Opt out of notifications: Disable push notifications via device settings without affecting your ability to use the app in other ways.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 11.
Hohay App is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to delete such information.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time as Hohay App evolves. When we make material changes, we will notify you via a push notification or a prominent notice within the app, and update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.
Your continued use of Hohay App after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please reach out to us. We aim to respond within 5 working days.