Privacy Policy

Last updated: 22 May 2026

Howziiit ("we", "us", "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights under the UK GDPR.

1. Who we are

Howziiit is a dating app for South Africans living abroad, currently operating in the United Kingdom. If you have questions about this policy, contact us at [email protected].

2. Data we collect

Account data

Email address or phone number (used for sign-in via OTP)
Display name, date of birth, gender
City, province of origin, rugby team, years abroad, bio, height
Lifestyle and preference fields you provide (drinking, smoking, religion, cultural background, etc.)

Content you provide

Photos you upload
Profile prompt answers
Messages you send to matches
Reports you submit about other users

Technical data

GPS location (used to verify you are in the UK)
Device type and platform
Push notification token
App usage and error logs

3. How we use your data

To operate the app, match you with other users, and deliver messages
To enforce our community guidelines (anti-bot, anti-fraud, abuse prevention)
To process subscriptions and one-time purchases via Stripe
To send push notifications you opt in to receive
To comply with legal obligations

4. Legal basis for processing

We process your data based on:

Contract — to provide the service you signed up for
Consent — for optional features like push notifications and marketing emails
Legitimate interest — fraud prevention, security, abuse moderation
Legal obligation — when required by law

5. Who we share data with

Stripe — for payment processing (we never see your card details)
Resend — for sending OTP and account emails
Expo — for push notification delivery
Cloudflare — DNS, CDN, and DDoS protection for our website
Hetzner Online GmbH — hosts our database and application (located in Germany)

We do not sell your data. We do not share your profile with advertisers.

6. Data retention

We keep your data for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, we erase your personal data within 30 days, except where we are legally required to retain certain records (e.g. financial records for HMRC).

7. Your rights under UK GDPR

Access your data (in-app: Settings → Export my data)
Correct your data (Edit Profile)
Delete your data (Settings → Delete account)
Restrict or object to processing
Data portability
Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk)

8. Children's data

Howziiit is strictly for users aged 18 and over. If we learn we have collected data from anyone under 18, we will delete it immediately.

9. International transfers

Our servers are in the EU. Some service providers (Stripe, Expo) may transfer data to the US under Standard Contractual Clauses or the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

10. Security

We use industry-standard security: HTTPS everywhere, hashed passwords (where applicable), encrypted secrets, rate limiting, JWT-based session tokens, and security headers (HSTS, X-Frame-Options, etc.). No system is 100% secure, but we work hard to protect you.

11. Cookies

The Howziiit website uses essential cookies for security and session management. The mobile app does not use cookies.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via the app or email.

13. Contact

For any privacy questions, email [email protected].