Hoku Privacy Policy

Hoku values and respects the privacy of all users that access Hoku products and services. This privacy policy describes how Hoku handles data and personal information, how data is stored and processed, and how users can contact Hoku regarding their privacy rights.

DATA COLLECTION AND STORAGE

Website vs. Application

This privacy policy distinguishes between the Hoku website (marketing and informational pages) and the Hoku application (the spatial visualization tool). The Hoku application operates as described below with no data collection. The Hoku website uses Google Analytics for website traffic analysis as described in the "GOOGLE ANALYTICS" section of this policy.

Hoku operates as a local, client-side application. Hoku does not collect, transmit, or store any user data, analytics, statistics, or personal information on Hoku servers or any third-party servers. Hoku does not track user activity, browsing behavior, or usage patterns. All data generated through your use of Hoku products and services, including spatial information structures, content ingestion data, navigation history, emotional classifications, and user preferences, is stored exclusively on your local device.

LOCAL DATA STORAGE

All application data is stored locally on the user's device using browser local storage, IndexedDB, or device-specific storage mechanisms depending on the platform. Hoku uses these local browser storage technologies for the following purposes only:

Preferences and Settings
 Storing your application preferences, display settings, navigation configurations, distance thresholds, interpolation parameters, and user interface customizations on your local device.

Application Functionality
 Maintaining the state of your spatial information structures, including:

Session Management
 Preserving your application session and current viewing position so you can resume exploration from where you left off, including current camera position and orientation, active navigation mode and settings, visible content and focus elements, and ongoing expansion operations.

Third-Party Authentication
 Securely storing encrypted OAuth tokens for third-party services you have chosen to connect, enabling continued access to your authorized content without requiring repeated logins. These tokens are encrypted using industry-standard encryption, stored exclusively on your local device, never transmitted to Hoku servers, automatically refreshed according to OAuth 2.0 protocols, and deleted when you disconnect a service or delete the application.

Premium Subscription Status
 Storing your subscription status and entitlement information locally to enable premium features without requiring constant server verification.

All of this data is stored locally on your device only. Hoku does not use local storage for analytics, tracking, advertising, or any purpose that involves transmitting your data to Hoku servers or third parties.

DATA BACKUP AND RETENTION

Users are responsible for backing up their data. Hoku provides functionality to export spatial structure data in JSON format, which users can save to their chosen location for backup purposes.

Data Retention by Your Device
 Because all data is stored locally on your device:

IMPORTANT: Hoku is not responsible for any data loss resulting from device failure, application deletion, browser cache clearing, device reset, or any other cause. Users should regularly export and back up any important data.

MANAGING LOCAL STORAGE

If you wish to prevent Hoku from storing data on your device, you can:

Important: If you prevent local storage or delete stored data, Hoku will not function properly. All spatial information structures, saved content, navigation history, and preferences will be lost. The core functionality of Hoku requires local data storage to maintain persistent spatial arrangements and application state. Hoku cannot provide its services without the ability to store data locally on your device.

What Happens When You Clear Storage
 When you clear Hoku's local storage (through browser settings, the Settings menu, or application deletion):

STORAGE LIMITATIONS

Browser-based storage has inherent limitations:

Hoku attempts to manage storage efficiently and will notify you if storage limits are approached. Regular exports of your spatial structures are recommended to prevent data loss.

COOKIES AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES

Hoku products and services may use browser cookies, local storage, IndexedDB, and other similar client-side storage technologies exclusively for maintaining your application state and preferences on your local device. Hoku does not use cookies for tracking, analytics, advertising, or any form of data collection that transmits information to Hoku servers or third-party servers.

When you connect third-party accounts (such as social media platforms) through Hoku, those third-party services may use their own cookies and tracking technologies according to their respective privacy policies. Hoku does not control or have access to third-party cookies.

GOOGLE ANALYTICS

Hoku uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC ("Google"), to help us understand how users interact with our website. Google Analytics uses cookies and similar technologies to collect and analyze information about website usage.

Information Collected by Google Analytics

Google Analytics collects information such as:

- How often users visit the website

- What pages they visit and in what sequence

- How long they spend on each page

- What website referred them to our site

- Technical information about their device and browser

- General geographic location (city/region level)

This information is transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States and other countries. Google uses this information to evaluate website usage, compile reports on website activity for Hoku, and provide other services relating to website activity and internet usage.

Data Sharing with Google

By using the Hoku website, you acknowledge that Google Analytics may:

- Set cookies on your device to collect usage data

- Transmit collected data to Google servers

- Process your data according to Google's Privacy Policy

Google may also use this data in accordance with their own privacy policy, which can be found at: https://policies.google.com/privacy

Opting Out of Google Analytics

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by:

- Installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on available at: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

- Adjusting your browser settings to block or delete cookies

- Using browser privacy/incognito mode

Please note that opting out of Google Analytics does not affect your ability to use Hoku's core features, as Hoku does not rely on Google Analytics data for functionality.

Important Distinction

Google Analytics is used only on the Hoku website for understanding website traffic and improving user experience. The Hoku application itself (the spatial visualization tool) does not use Google Analytics or any analytics services, and continues to operate as a local, client-side application that does not collect, transmit, or store user data as described in the "DATA COLLECTION AND STORAGE" section of this privacy policy.

THIRD-PARTY ACCOUNT ACCESS AND OAUTH AUTHENTICATION

Hoku enables users to connect to third-party services and platforms (including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, Bluesky, YouTube, Reddit, and other social media or content platforms) to access and visualize their personal content within Hoku's spatial information system.

Authentication and Security
 When you choose to connect a third-party account, Hoku uses industry-standard OAuth 2.0 or similar secure authentication protocols. This process:

All authentication credentials, access tokens, and retrieved content are processed and stored exclusively on your local device using encrypted storage mechanisms. Hoku does not transmit, store, or have access to your third-party account credentials or tokens on any Hoku servers.

Your Responsibilities
 When connecting third-party accounts, you are responsible for:

Hoku acts only as a client application that requests and displays content you have authorized. The security and privacy practices of third-party services are governed by their own policies, not by Hoku's policies.

Third-Party Storage Technologies
 When you authenticate with third-party services through Hoku, those services may set their own cookies or use other tracking technologies according to their privacy policies. Hoku does not control these third-party technologies. Please review the privacy policies of any third-party services you choose to connect. Additionally, when Hoku retrieves content from third-party APIs or websites, those services operate under their own data collection and privacy practices, which are beyond Hoku's control.

THIRD-PARTY API AND OTHER DATA SOURCES

Hoku retrieves publicly available content from third-party services through their application programming interfaces (APIs) or directly from their website to enable visualization of this content within Hoku's spatial information system. The third-party API services currently integrated with Hoku include:

How Third-Party API Data Is Handled

When you access content from these third-party services through Hoku:

User Agreement to Third-Party Privacy Policies

By accessing content from these third-party API services or websites through Hoku, you acknowledge and agree that you are also subject to the privacy policies of each third-party provider or website you access. You are responsible for reviewing these third-party API privacy policies:

You are responsible for finding and reviewing the privacy policy of any website accessed through Hoku.

Third-Party Data Collection

Hoku does not control the data collection, retention, or usage practices of third-party API providers. When you access content through these APIs via Hoku:

Hoku recommends that you review the privacy policies of all third-party services and websites whose content you access through Hoku to understand how these services collect, use, and protect your data.

Data Storage of Third-Party Content

Content retrieved from third-party APIs is stored locally on your device using the same storage mechanisms described in the "LOCAL DATA STORAGE" section of this privacy policy. This locally stored third-party content:

THIRD-PARTY DATA RETENTION

While Hoku does not collect or retain any user data on its servers, users should be aware that their Internet Service Provider (ISP), Virtual Private Network (VPN) provider, proxy service, employer network, or government agencies may log internet traffic, DNS queries, or connection metadata as part of their standard operations or legal obligations.

These third parties may retain records of:

Hoku has no control over, responsibility for, or knowledge of data collection, retention, or use practices by ISPs, VPN providers, network operators, or government entities. Users should consult the privacy policies and legal notices of their ISP, VPN provider, network operator, and relevant governmental authorities to understand what data may be collected about their internet activity.

PERSONAL INFORMATION COLLECTION

Hoku does not require user registration, account creation, or personal information submission to use the core spatial information visualization features. Users can begin using Hoku immediately without providing any personal details.

Optional Third-Party Integration
 If you choose to connect third-party accounts to visualize your content within Hoku, authentication is handled directly by those third-party services using OAuth 2.0 or similar protocols. Hoku does not collect, store, or have access to your login credentials for these services. All authentication tokens are stored encrypted on your local device only.

Premium Subscription
 If you subscribe to Hoku's premium features, payment processing is handled entirely by the app store or payment platform (Apple App Store, Google Play Store, or web payment processors). Hoku receives only the necessary transaction confirmation to activate your subscription. Payment details, billing information, and personal data associated with your purchase are governed by the payment processor's privacy policy, not Hoku's.

Support Correspondence
 When you contact Hoku support via email, we collect and retain your email address and the contents of your correspondence for customer support, troubleshooting, and service improvement purposes. This information is stored securely and is not shared with third parties except as required by law. You may request deletion of your support correspondence by contacting the Hoku Legal Department, though we may retain certain records for legal or regulatory compliance purposes.

DATA DISSEMINATION

Because Hoku does not collect user data, analytics, or statistics, there is no user data to share, sell, or disseminate to third parties.

Hoku will never share, sell, rent, disclose, release, disseminate, or transfer user personal information with a third party for monetary or other valuable consideration. User personal information is never disclosed to any third party, except pursuant to any applicable local, state, federal, or country laws, a subpoena, or by order of any court or government or regulatory agency.

Hoku reserves the right to disclose user personal information without notice to the user in response to a subpoena, or when legally requested from a governmental or law enforcement agency, regulatory body, or to respond to any emergency situation. Hoku also reserves the right to disclose user personal information in special cases, when Hoku has reason to believe that disclosing user personal information is necessary to identify, contact, or bring legal action against a user that may be causing injury or interference with (either intentionally or unintentionally) to Hoku's rights or property or anyone else that could be harmed by a user's activities.

CHILDREN'S PERSONAL DATA

Hoku respects and fully supports the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA). Hoku products and services are not directed towards anyone under 18 years of age and are not designed to specifically target anyone under 18 years of age. Hoku does not intentionally collect or use any personal information from anyone under 18 years of age, nor does Hoku have any actual knowledge that personal information is being collected from anyone under 18 years of age. No personal information should be submitted to any Hoku product or service by anyone under 18 years of age.

DATA AND INFORMATION SECURITY

To prevent unauthorized access and ensure the appropriate use of user personal information and other data, and to help protect against the loss, misuse, and alteration of user personal information and other data under Hoku's control, Hoku has implemented reasonable physical, electronic, and managerial protocols to safeguard and secure user personal information and other data. Although Hoku takes reasonable measures to safeguard user personal information against unauthorized access, no assurances can be provided that user personal information will never be disclosed in a manner that is inconsistent with this privacy policy.

Although Hoku provides a secure encrypted connection for accessing third-party services through OAuth authentication, the user is solely responsible for creating and maintaining secure credentials for their third-party accounts, and also protecting their device and authentication sessions from any unauthorized access which could be gained through the user's computer, tablet, smartphone, smartwatch, virtual assistant, flash drive, hard drive, cloud storage, or other mechanisms, devices, audio recordings, hard copies, text messages, emails, or other records.

ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND DATA DELETION

Because Hoku stores all application data locally on your device and does not maintain user accounts or server-side data storage, you have complete control over your data at all times.

Deleting Your Data

The only personal information Hoku may retain on its servers is email correspondence if you have contacted Hoku support. You may request deletion of such correspondence by contacting the Hoku Legal Department at the address below.

Because Hoku does not collect user analytics, behavioral data, or personal information through the application itself, CCPA and GDPR data access and deletion requests are generally not applicable. However, if you have questions about your privacy rights, you may contact us using the information below.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

By registering, logging in to, accessing, or using any Hoku product or service, this constitutes a legal and valid electronic signature and hence, represents evidence that you the user of any Hoku product or service fully understand and recognize the Hoku privacy policy.

Questions about the Hoku privacy policy can be sent to the Hoku Legal Department at: aimediamagic@gmail.com

The Hoku privacy policy was last updated on January 26, 2026.