Privacy Policy
This is the Privacy Policy of CamWave (“CamWave,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Service”), and it is part of our Terms of User, which you can find [here]. In this Privacy Policy, the term “Service” refers to our products and offerings. Please read this document carefully to understand how we handle your data.
We value your privacy and want to be transparent about how we collect, use, and share your information. This Privacy Policy explains our data practices and outlines your rights to access, correct, or control the use of your personal information. We aim to present this information in clear, simple terms, minimizing legal and technical jargon wherever possible.
Your privacy is central to how we design and deliver the features and functionality of CamWave, allowing you to trust the platform and focus on building meaningful interactions. Unless otherwise noted or linked to a separate policy, this Privacy Policy applies whenever you use or access the Service. By using the Service, you agree to the terms outlined in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, you should not use the Service.
1. Controller
Controller: The entity responsible for data processing is CamWave. You can contact us via email at the provided address.
Data Protection Officer: Information regarding our Data Protection Officer is available in the "Legal Notice" section of this Privacy Policy. If you have any concerns about how your personal data is processed, please feel free to reach out to them.
2. Data We Collect
This Privacy Policy applies to the websites, applications, and other services we provide. We handle personal data that you, as a user of our platform, make available to us by interacting with our Services. This includes data you provide directly as well as information generated or collected while using the Services (“Data”). Collecting certain data is essential for fostering meaningful connections, such as basic profile details and the characteristics of people you’d like to connect with. Additionally, we may request your permission to access certain device features, such as your photos, videos, gallery, and audio, to enable specific functionalities. These permissions are optional, subject to your consent, and can be revoked at any time.
We also collect data automatically as you use the Service, such as access logs and device information, as well as information from third parties, such as when you connect to our platform through a social media account.
2.1 Data You Provide to Us
Account Data: To access specific features of our platform, you’ll need to create an account. During registration or account updates, we collect and store data such as your email address, name, gender, and date of birth. This data is tied to a unique identifier for your account (“Account Data”).
Profile Data: You can enhance your profile by sharing additional details such as photos, personal information, sexual preferences, or other content. This Profile Data will be visible to other users unless you delete your account. To upload media such as photos or videos, you may grant us access to your device’s camera, microphone, or gallery. Certain jurisdictions may classify some of the information you provide as “sensitive.” By sharing this data, you consent to our processing and displaying it within the Service.
Usage Data: We gather information about your interactions with the platform, including messages, followers, photos, videos, and other shared content. This also includes processing your conversations and posts as part of the Service’s operations.
Shared Content: Some parts of the Service enable you to share content with others, such as videos or profile data. Depending on the context, this shared content may be visible to other users.
Third-Party Accounts: If you link your social media or other online accounts to our Service, we may access certain information from those platforms with your permission.
Payment Data: Payments for our services are handled through iOS and Android platforms. We only receive a receipt of your transaction from these platforms and do not collect or store sensitive payment details, such as full credit card numbers.
Support and Communication: If you contact us for assistance or to report an issue, we collect and store your contact information, messages, and any additional data you provide. This may include your name, email, location, IP address, and operating system. If you request us to contact someone on your behalf (e.g., sending an invitation email), we collect and use the information necessary to complete your request.
Sensitive Information: Be cautious when sharing sensitive personal details, such as your sexual orientation, religion, or health status, in your Profile. Providing such data is entirely optional and not required. However, photos or videos you upload may indirectly reveal this information. By sharing this data, you consent to its processing and visibility to other users.
All the information mentioned above is stored by us and linked to your account within our platform.
2.2. Data from Other Sources
Along with the data you provide directly, we may also receive information about you from external sources or through automated means, including the following:
System Data: We collect technical details about your computer or device, such as your IP address, device model, operating system version, unique device identifiers, device language, browser type, browser language, and other system-related data, including platform types ("System Data").
Activity Data: Information about your usage of our Services is collected, such as the date and time you log in, features you access, search preferences, clicks, pages displayed to you, referring web pages, and any advertisements you interact with. Additionally, we gather information about your interactions with other users, such as connection details, the timing and frequency of exchanges, messages sent and received, and content posted.
Device Data: We gather details about the device(s) you use to interact with our Services, including:
Hardware and software specifics such as IP address, device model, app settings, app characteristics, app crash details, advertising IDs (e.g., Google’s AAID or Apple’s IDFA, both of which can be reset via your device settings), browser type, version, language, operating system, time zone, and identifiers linked to cookies or similar technologies that uniquely identify your device or browser.
Data with Your Consent: With your permission, we may collect:
Precise geolocation data (latitude and longitude) via methods such as GPS, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi. This data may be collected in the background even when the Service is not actively in use, provided your permissions allow it. If you choose to deny location access, we will not collect this data.
Photos and videos from your device if you consent, for instance, to upload content to your profile or stream videos on the platform.
Approximate Location Data: Based on your IP address, we may determine an approximate geographic location, such as your country, city, or general coordinates.
Information from Partners: We may obtain information about you from our partners. For example, if our advertisements are displayed on a partner’s website or platform, they may provide details about the success of the campaign.
3. How We Collect Information About You
To gather the data described above, we rely on various tools, such as analytics platforms and advertising services. Many of these tools provide you with options to opt out of data collection if you prefer.
3.1 Analytics
We primarily use your information to provide and enhance our Services while ensuring your safety. Below is a detailed breakdown of why and how we use your data, along with real-world examples.
Third-Party Usage Analytics Tools:
We leverage analytics tools provided by Google Inc. (1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA, “Google”) to analyze user behavior within our Services. This includes Firebase, operated by Google, which helps us gather insights on app usage and user interactions.
Third-Party Conversion Tracking Tools:
To monitor and optimize user engagement and conversions, we utilize tools like Adjust, Google Conversion Tracking APIs, and Facebook Conversion Tracking APIs.
Crash Monitoring Tools:
Firebase is used to identify and diagnose application crashes. This ensures smoother functionality and enhances the quality of our Services. All crash-related data is collected in an anonymized format.
3.2 Online Advertising
We use third-party advertising platforms, such as Google Ads, to display advertisements to our users across our apps and websites. These ads may be tailored to your preferences based on the data we collect (as outlined in Section 2.2) or data gathered by these ad service providers through their own tracking mechanisms. Ads shown to you may reflect your recent activities or trends over time and across different platforms.
For instance, you might see ads on other websites or platforms based on your engagement with our Services. Additionally, we may use your data to create a "custom audience" on Facebook for targeted advertising campaigns aimed at users most likely to find them relevant.
Use of Tracking Technologies:
To deliver personalized ads, cookies or similar tracking tools may be used to collect data about how you interact with our Services. These tools may also be accessed to provide customized advertisements. For this purpose, we may share a hashed, anonymized version of your personal data (rendered unreadable to humans) along with publicly shared content from our Services.
Data Privacy Measures:
All advertising processes, including personalized ads, rely exclusively on anonymized data that cannot be traced back to any specific individual. This ensures compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR.
Third-Party Platforms:
If you access our Services through a third-party platform, or interact with external links, the respective third party’s privacy policies will govern the collection, usage, and sharing of your data.
Control Over Personalized Ads:
If you reside in a jurisdiction covered by CCPA or GDPR, you can manage your personalized advertising preferences directly through the app's settings.
All third-party tools we employ comply with GDPR standards.
4. How We Use Your Information
We use your information primarily to provide and enhance our Services and ensure a safe environment. Below is a detailed breakdown of how and why we process your data, along with relevant examples:
Account Management and Service Delivery
Create and manage your account.
Offer customer support and respond to inquiries.
Process transactions and communicate about them (e.g., billing and order updates).
Facilitating Connections Between Users
Use profile analyses to recommend meaningful connections.
Display profiles to other users to foster interactions.
Improving and Innovating Our Services
Conduct research, focus groups, and surveys to enhance features.
Study user behavior to modify and improve our Services or create new ones based on feedback (e.g., introducing interest-based features).
Preventing Fraud and Unauthorized Activities
Investigate and address inappropriate or unlawful activities on or off the platform.
Use data analytics to develop countermeasures against fraud.
Retain records related to fraudulent activity for future prevention.
Ensuring Legal Compliance
Adhere to legal obligations.
Assist law enforcement as required.
Protect our legal rights and enforce terms of use.
Legal Bases for Processing Your Information
Providing Our Services: The majority of data processing occurs to fulfill the contractual agreement we have with you (e.g., maintaining your profile or recommending connections).
Legitimate Interests: We may process your information to improve our Services, ensure administrative operations, or detect fraud.
Marketing Activities:
Push Notifications: Sent only with your explicit consent.
Email Marketing: Initiated with your consent.
SMS: Sent with your consent.
Retargeting Ads: Ads may be shown on platforms like Facebook, including to audiences with similar profiles. You can opt out anytime through customer support, though it may take a few days to process.
Consent: For specific uses not covered above, we will request your consent, which can be withdrawn at any time by contacting us.
5. Sharing Your Information
5.1 With Other Users
When you voluntarily disclose information, such as by sharing a public profile or posting content, it becomes visible to others. Please ensure you are comfortable with the information you share, as its use is beyond our control once it’s public.
5.2 With Service Providers and Partners
We collaborate with third parties for operations such as data hosting, analytics, marketing, customer support, payment processing, and security. These partners only process your data as instructed and solely for the required service.
Additionally, we share limited, hashed (non-human-readable) data with advertising partners to help deliver targeted campaigns.
5.3 Legal Requirements
We may disclose your information when necessary:
To comply with legal processes like subpoenas or court orders.
To prevent or detect criminal activities, as permitted by law.
To protect the safety of individuals.
5.4 Protecting Legal Rights
We may share data:
To reduce liability in potential lawsuits.
To safeguard our legal rights, those of our users, and partners.
To enforce agreements or investigate illegal or fraudulent activities.
5.5 Monitoring for Compliance
We utilize automated systems and human moderators to ensure that user-generated content complies with our Terms of Service. Accounts or messages violating these terms may be restricted or terminated.
5.6 Business Transitions
In the case of mergers, acquisitions, restructuring, or similar events, your personal information may be transferred as part of the business assets.
Your Rights
You have specific rights concerning how your data is used, such as the ability to opt out of cookies or prevent data collection by certain analytics providers. You can update or delete your account through the app or reach out to us with specific data-related requests. To ensure you have control over your information, we provide the following tools:
Access and Update Tools: Use the tools and account settings within the app to access, modify, or delete information associated with your account.
Device Permissions: Adjust settings on your device to control data collection, like location or push notifications. Note that some features may not function properly if you limit these permissions.
Account Deletion: You can delete your account through the service’s functionality.
Here are some additional points to keep in mind:
Reviewing Your Information: Depending on the laws in your region, you may have the right to request access to the personal data we hold about you. This could include requesting a copy of your data. To do so, email us at nn@iminfosphere.com.
Updating Your Information: If you believe your information is incorrect or want it deleted, contact us at nn@iminfosphere.com. For verification, we may request proof of identity before processing your request.
Request Limitations: Requests may be denied if they are unlawful, infringe on others' rights, or prevent us from delivering services. For instance, removing your date of birth may make it impossible to maintain your account.
Uninstalling the App: You can stop all data collection by uninstalling the app. However, some device identifiers may remain stored unless you reinstall the app.
Lodging Complaints: In some regions, such as the EU, you can file a complaint with your local data protection authority if you have concerns about our handling of your information.
To exercise these rights, use the app’s feedback form or email us at nn@iminfosphere.com.
Data Retention
We retain your personal information only as long as necessary for legitimate business purposes or to comply with legal requirements. For safety, we keep some account data for six months after deletion to address potential issues.
After account deletion, most information is removed or anonymized, except for the following scenarios:
Compliance with legal obligations, such as retaining traffic data for one year.
Maintaining proof of consent for legal requirements for up to five years.
Resolving outstanding claims or disputes.
Protecting legitimate business interests, like fraud prevention or ensuring banned users do not create new accounts.
Correspondence with our support team is typically retained for up to six years unless further queries arise.
Anonymized data related to user activity may be kept longer for research purposes, ensuring it cannot be linked back to an individual.
Please note that while our systems aim to delete data per these guidelines, technical constraints may cause delays.
Data Protection and Security
We prioritize the security of your personal information. However, no system can guarantee complete security. To safeguard your account:
Keep your password confidential.
Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access.
Change your password if it’s compromised.
Our systems are regularly reviewed for vulnerabilities. If a security breach occurs, we’ll notify affected users, our Data Protection Officer, and relevant authorities within 72 hours. Additionally, we’ll post an update on our website.
If we detect potential security threats, we may suspend your access to the service without prior notice.
Children’s Privacy
Our platform is exclusively for users aged 18 or older. We do not knowingly collect data from minors. If we find an underage user, their account will be terminated, and their data will be deleted.
Should we remove an account for violating this policy, we may retain basic information to prevent the creation of new accounts that bypass our rules.
If you suspect someone under 18 is using our platform, please report them using the available in-app tools.
International Data Transfer Policy
To provide our services, we may need to transfer your personal data to our servers for processing. By using our services, you agree to the storage, transfer, and processing of your data on these servers. If you are located outside of these regions, including in Switzerland or the European Economic Area (EEA), you acknowledge that your data may be stored and processed in countries outside those regions.
This includes processing by CamWave’s global entities and its service providers, as necessary to handle transactions, manage payments, and offer support services as described earlier. We have established data processing agreements with our service providers to regulate their use of your data strictly on our behalf.
By using our services or submitting your personal data, you consent to these transfers. Our server network spans several countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey, and Canada. We take measures to ensure your data is protected, utilizing legal mechanisms for compliance.
If you wish to learn more about the safeguards we have in place to protect your data, feel free to email us at nn@iminfosphere.com.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
As we continue to develop new features and ways to enhance your experience, this policy may be updated periodically. If significant changes are made, we will inform you in advance to provide an opportunity to review and understand the updates.
Contact Information
If you have questions about this privacy policy or how your personal data is processed, or if you have specific requests or complaints, you can contact us through the following channels:
Email: nn@iminfosphere.com
Please ensure to mention CamWave and the nature of your request in the subject line of your email when contacting the representative. This will help them address your concerns promptly and effectively.