Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Circl Technologies LLC ("Zovi," "we," "us," or "our") operates the Zovi mobile application and website at thezovi.com. We are registered in Delaware, USA (EIN: 42-3626626) with our principal place of business in Montgomery, Texas.

Contact: hello@thezovi.com

2. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly

• Account information: username, email address, and password (stored as a bcrypt hash — we never store your plain text password)
• Profile information: display name, profile photo, bio, website URL
• Phone number: stored only as a one-way cryptographic hash (SHA-256) after verification — we cannot recover your actual phone number
• Content you create: posts, photos, videos, text, comments
• Content you import: links from TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms (URLs only)
• Messages: direct messages you send to other users
• Reports: content or user reports you submit

Information collected automatically

• Engagement data: posts you like, save, view, or comment on
• View duration: how long you view each piece of content (used to improve your feed)
• Device information: device type, operating system, app version
• Usage data: screens viewed, features used, session duration
• IP address: used for security and fraud prevention, not stored long-term
• Push notification token: to deliver notifications to your device

Information we do NOT collect

• We never collect your contacts list unless you explicitly grant permission
• We never store raw phone numbers — only irreversible hashes
• We never access your camera, microphone, or location without explicit permission
• We never sell your data to advertisers
• We never build advertising profiles

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Create and maintain your account
• Build your personal content feed based on your engagement signals
• Compile your group's daily Drop (automated group feed)
• Send verification codes via SMS when you request them
• Send push notifications about group activity, messages, and account updates
• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security threats
• Improve our app and fix bugs
• Respond to your support requests
• Comply with legal obligations

We do NOT use your information to:

• Sell targeted advertising
• Share with data brokers
• Build profiles for third parties
• Make automated decisions that significantly affect you without human review

4. How We Share Your Information

We share your information only in these limited circumstances:

With other Zovi users

• Your username, profile photo, and public posts are visible to other users
• Your engagement signals (likes, saves) are shared with your group members as part of The Drop
• Ghost Mode saves are shared anonymously until the 24-hour reveal window expires
• Your direct messages are visible only to you and the recipient

With service providers

• Cloudinary (media storage — cloudinary.com/privacy)
• Railway (server hosting — railway.app/legal/privacy)
• Twilio (SMS verification only — twilio.com/legal/privacy)
• Apple (push notifications via APNs)
• Stripe (payment processing — stripe.com/privacy)
• Google (SMTP email service)

All service providers are contractually required to protect your data and may not use it for their own purposes.

We never share with

• Advertisers
• Data brokers
• Social media platforms
• Analytics companies (beyond our own internal analytics)

Legal requirements

We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of our users or the public.

Business transfers

If Circl Technologies LLC is acquired or merges with another company, your information may be transferred. We will notify you before this occurs and give you the option to delete your account.

5. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account:

• Your profile and posts are deleted within 30 days
• Your messages are deleted within 30 days
• Your engagement data is deleted within 90 days
• Backup copies may persist for up to 90 days in encrypted backups
• Some information may be retained longer if required by law

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security:

• All passwords hashed with bcrypt (minimum 12 rounds)
• All data transmitted over HTTPS/TLS
• Phone numbers stored only as SHA-256 hashes
• Authentication tokens stored in iOS Keychain (encrypted)
• API rate limiting to prevent abuse
• Account lockout after failed attempts
• Regular security audits

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but we take reasonable precautions to protect your information.

7. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Correct inaccurate data
• Delete your account and data
• Export your data
• Opt out of certain data processing
• Withdraw consent at any time

To exercise these rights contact hello@thezovi.com

California residents (CCPA)

You have additional rights including the right to know what data we collect, the right to delete, and the right to opt out of sale (we do not sell data).

8. Children's Privacy

Zovi is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If we discover we have collected information from a child under 13 we will delete it immediately. Contact hello@thezovi.com if you believe we have collected data from a child under 13.

9. SMS Communications and Phone Verification

Zovi (Circl Technologies LLC) may send SMS text messages to users who:

• Voluntarily provide their phone number in the Zovi mobile application
• Explicitly tap "Send verification code" to request an SMS message

Consent

By entering your phone number and tapping "Send verification code" in the Zovi app, you provide express consent to receive one-time SMS verification codes from Circl Technologies LLC (Zovi) at the phone number provided.

Message types

We send ONLY one-time passcode (OTP) verification codes. We never send marketing, promotional, or unsolicited messages of any kind.

Message frequency

Messages are sent only when you explicitly request them by tapping "Send verification code." You control when messages are sent.

Costs

Message and data rates may apply depending on your mobile carrier and plan.

How to opt out

Reply STOP to any Zovi message to immediately unsubscribe. After opting out you will receive one confirmation message and then no further messages will be sent. Reply START to resubscribe at any time.

Help

Reply HELP to any message for assistance. Or contact us at hello@thezovi.com or visit thezovi.com.

Data handling

Your phone number is stored only as a SHA-256 cryptographic hash. We cannot recover or view your actual phone number. We never share phone numbers with third parties or use them for marketing.

SMS provider

SMS messages are delivered via Twilio. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

Optional

Phone verification is completely optional. Zovi works without phone verification. Skipping phone verification only means you cannot use the "Find friends from contacts" feature.

For full SMS program details see our SMS Terms page.

10. Cookies and Tracking

The Zovi mobile app does not use browser cookies. Our website (thezovi.com) may use essential cookies for functionality. We do not use tracking or advertising cookies.

11. International Users

Zovi is operated from the United States. If you use Zovi from outside the US, your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States. By using Zovi you consent to this transfer.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of material changes via:

• Email to your registered address
• In-app notification
• Notice on thezovi.com

Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

For privacy questions or to exercise your rights: