Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Account Information

Email, name, profile details, and account preferences

Purpose: Account management and user identification

Retention: 30 days after account deletion

Payment Data

Billing information and transaction history

Purpose: Payment processing and financial reporting

Retention: 7 years for tax compliance

Usage Analytics

Platform interactions, page views, and feature usage

Purpose: Service improvement and analytics

Retention: 2 years

Content Data

Uploaded guides, comments, and user-generated content

Purpose: Content delivery and platform functionality

Retention: Until content deletion

Information You Provide Directly

Account Registration: Email address, name, password, and profile information
Payment Information: Billing address, payment method details (processed by Stripe)
Content: Guides, tutorials, comments, and other materials you upload
Communications: Messages sent through our support system or contact forms
Survey Responses: Feedback and responses to optional surveys or research

Information We Collect Automatically

Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on platform, search queries
Device Information: Browser type, operating system, IP address, device identifiers
Analytics: Performance metrics, error logs, and aggregated usage statistics
Cookies: Session management, preferences, and tracking (see Cookie Policy)

2. How We Use Your Information

Essential Platform Functions

Creating and maintaining your account
Processing payments and managing subscriptions
Delivering content and platform services
Providing customer support
Ensuring platform security and preventing fraud

Platform Improvement

Analyzing usage patterns to improve user experience
Developing new features and functionality
Conducting research and analytics
Testing and optimization of platform performance

Communication and Marketing

Sending transactional emails (receipts, notifications)
Platform updates and important announcements
Marketing communications (with your consent)
Creator program communications and opportunities

3. Legal Bases for Processing

Under GDPR and other privacy laws, we process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

Contract Performance: Processing necessary to provide our services and fulfill our Terms of Service
Legitimate Interest: Platform security, fraud prevention, and business operations
Consent: Marketing communications and optional features (you can withdraw consent anytime)
Legal Obligation: Compliance with tax, financial, and other legal requirements

4. How We Share Your Information

Service Providers

We share data with trusted third-party providers who help us operate our platform:

Payment Processing: Stripe for payment processing and billing
Authentication: Clerk for user authentication and account management
Infrastructure: Vercel for hosting and content delivery
Analytics: Privacy-focused analytics tools for platform improvement
Support: Customer service platforms for handling support requests

Public Information

Some information is publicly visible by design:

Creator profile information (name, bio, published content)
Public comments and reviews
Guide titles, descriptions, and previews
Aggregate statistics (ratings, download counts)

Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when required by law, such as in response to court orders, legal process, or to protect our rights, users' safety, or comply with regulatory requirements.

5. Data Security

We implement comprehensive security measures to protect your personal information:

Technical Safeguards

• End-to-end encryption for data transmission
• Encrypted data storage
• Regular security audits and testing
• Secure API endpoints and authentication

Operational Controls

• Limited access on need-to-know basis
• Employee background checks and training
• Incident response procedures
• Regular backup and recovery testing

While we implement industry-standard security measures, no system is completely secure. We encourage users to use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication when available.

6. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you have various rights regarding your personal data:

Your Rights Include:

Access your personal data and download a copy
Correct or update inaccurate information
Delete your account and associated data
Restrict or object to certain data processing
Data portability to other platforms
Withdraw consent for optional data uses

How to Exercise Your Rights

You can exercise most privacy rights through your account settings. For additional requests:

Data Export: Download your data through account settings
Account Deletion: Use the delete account option in settings
Other Requests: Contact us at privacy@howto.haus
Response Time: We respond to requests within 30 days

7. International Data Transfers

Our services are provided globally, and your data may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place:

Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) for data transfers outside the EU
Adequacy decisions by the European Commission where applicable
Binding corporate rules and other approved transfer mechanisms
Regular review of transfer safeguards and data localization requirements

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy:

Account Data: Retained while your account is active, plus 30 days after deletion
Payment Records: Kept for 7 years for tax compliance and financial auditing
Usage Analytics: Aggregated data retained for 2 years for platform improvement
Content: Creator content retained until explicitly deleted by creator
Support Communications: Retained for 3 years for quality assurance

9. Children's Privacy

HowTo.Haus is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn we have collected such information, we will delete it immediately.

Users between 13-17 may use our service under parental supervision, and we encourage parents to review this policy with their children.

10. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

Right to know what personal information we collect, use, and share
Right to request deletion of personal information
Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we don't sell data)
Right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights
Right to request information about data sharing for direct marketing purposes

California residents can exercise these rights by contacting us atprivacy@howto.hausor through their account settings.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes:

We'll notify users via email and platform notification
We'll provide at least 30 days notice before changes take effect
We'll update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
We'll maintain an archive of previous versions for reference

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Email: privacy@howto.haus

Data Protection Officer: dpo@howto.haus

Address: HowTo.Haus, Inc.
Attn: Privacy Team
123 Innovation Street, Tech District
San Francisco, CA 94105

Phone: +1 (555) 123-4567

Our Privacy Commitment

Quick Reference

What We Collect

Who We Share With

How We Protect It

Your Rights