Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Sounding Pics ("Sounding Pics", "we", "us" or "our") collects, uses, stores and shares information when you use the Sounding Pics mobile app, website and related services (together, the "Service"). Please read it before creating an account or uploading content[cite: 1].

Sounding Pics is a photo-sharing and social networking service. Features may include profiles, photo posts, full-screen and grid feeds, search, public or private accounts, following (called “sounding” in the app), private sound requests and notifications[cite: 1].

1. Age eligibility

Sounding Pics is intended for people aged 13 or older[cite: 1]. You must be at least 13, or older if the law where you live requires it, to create or use an account. Do not create an account using a false date of birth or another person's details[cite: 1].

We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13[cite: 1]. If we learn that an underage person has created an account, we may restrict or terminate the account and take steps to delete the associated information, subject to any information we must retain for legal, safety or fraud-prevention reasons. A parent or guardian who believes a child has provided information to us can contact us using the details below[cite: 1].

2. Information we collect

The information we collect depends on the features you use and the permissions you grant. It may include[cite: 1]:

• Account and sign-in information: username, email address and other registration details you provide, account identifiers, authentication records and password credentials. Passwords are intended to be stored as protected password hashes rather than readable text[cite: 1].
• Profile information: profile photo, display name, biography and other profile details you choose to add, plus public/private account preferences[cite: 1].
• Photos and post information: photos you select and upload, captions or other post details you provide, and related information such as upload time and post identifiers[cite: 1].
• Social activity: follows or “Sounders”, follow/sound requests, responses, privacy choices and other interactions needed to operate the social features[cite: 1].
• Notifications: notification preferences, delivery status and device/app registration identifiers or push-notification tokens needed to deliver notifications, where this feature is enabled[cite: 1].
• Search and service activity: searches and requests sent to the Service, and basic operational records needed to deliver features, prevent abuse and troubleshoot problems[cite: 1].
• Technical and security data: IP address, request time, app version, device/app identifiers, diagnostic information and server or security logs that may be generated when the Service is used[cite: 1].
• Messages or support details: information you choose to include when you contact us or submit a report, complaint or deletion request[cite: 1].

When you choose a photo to upload, the Service needs to process that image. Images may contain embedded metadata, such as the time or location at which a photo was taken. Check photos before uploading them if you do not want that information to be included. We do not ask you to include sensitive personal information in your profile or posts[cite: 1].

We do not intend to collect precise device location, contacts, microphone recordings or SMS/call history for the photo-sharing features described in this policy. If a future feature requires additional information or device permissions, we will provide the disclosures and permissions required by law before using it[cite: 1].

3. How we use information

We use the information described above to[cite: 1]:

• Create and manage accounts, authenticate users, and maintain account security[cite: 1].
• Store and display photos and profiles, and provide the feed, grid view, search and other features you choose to use[cite: 1].
• Operate public and private account settings, manage Sounders and private sound requests, and send relevant notifications[cite: 1].
• Respond to support requests, investigate reports, detect spam, impersonation, fraud, abuse and policy violations, and enforce our rules[cite: 1].
• Maintain, troubleshoot, protect and improve the Service, monitor reliability and prevent unauthorised access[cite: 1].
• Meet legal obligations, respond to valid legal requests, protect users and the public, and establish or defend legal claims[cite: 1].
• Administer any creator or advertising programme that we introduce, including checking eligibility and handling payment-related records where applicable[cite: 1].

We process information for these purposes in accordance with applicable law and, where required, your consent. We do not use account passwords for advertising[cite: 1].

4. Profiles, public posts and private accounts

Information you make public—such as a public profile, profile photo, public post or visible interaction—may be seen by other users and may be copied, captured or shared by them. We cannot control what another user does with information they can legitimately view[cite: 1].

If you choose a private account, access to content covered by that setting is limited through the private-account and request features offered by the Service. Private settings do not mean information is invisible to us, our authorised service providers, users you approve, or people who may already have copied or captured it. Information may also be disclosed when required by law or needed to address safety or security issues[cite: 1].

Please do not publish your home address, passwords, financial details, identity documents or other information you would not want other users to see. Think carefully before uploading photos of other people; you are responsible for having any permission or legal basis required to share them[cite: 1].

5. When information is shared

We do not sell your personal information for money. We may share limited information in the following circumstances[cite: 1]:

• With other users: to show the profiles, photos, Sounders, requests and interactions allowed by your settings and the Service's features[cite: 1].
• With hosting and infrastructure providers: providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) help host the backend and store uploaded photos. Our photo storage is configured for the AWS Asia Pacific (Mumbai) region where that deployment is in use[cite: 1].
• With notification providers: Google Firebase Cloud Messaging or related Google services may process device/app tokens and technical information to deliver push notifications where enabled[cite: 1].
• With security, support and professional service providers: contractors and providers who help us protect, operate, maintain or support the Service, under appropriate access and confidentiality restrictions where applicable[cite: 1].
• For legal and safety reasons: with authorities, regulators, legal advisers or other parties when reasonably necessary to comply with law, respond to lawful process, investigate abuse, protect rights and safety, or enforce our policies[cite: 1].
• Business changes: if the Service or its assets are involved in a merger, financing, reorganisation or sale, information may be transferred subject to appropriate protections and applicable law[cite: 1].
• With your direction or consent: when you ask us to share information or otherwise agree to a specific disclosure[cite: 1].

Providers process information under their own terms and privacy notices as applicable. We do not give service providers permission to use your personal information for their own unrelated purposes merely because they provide services to us[cite: 1].

6. Advertising and creator payments

Sounding Pics may introduce, test or change advertising in the future. Advertisements may appear alongside eligible photos or other parts of the Service. We do not promise that advertising will be shown on any particular account or post[cite: 1].

If advertising or measurement partners are introduced, they may receive limited information needed to deliver, measure, protect or limit advertising—for example, app/device identifiers, general technical information, ad impressions or interactions, and information about the content or screen where an ad appears. We will update this policy and any required Google Play Data safety disclosures before or when such processing is introduced, as required by law. We will not provide users' passwords to advertisers[cite: 1].

Possible creator programme: if a creator reaches 1,000 Sounders, the account may be considered for eligibility under a Sounding Pics creator monetisation programme. This is conditional: reaching 1,000 Sounders does not automatically guarantee advertising, acceptance into a programme, or payment. If Sounding Pics elects to place advertisements on or around eligible photos, eligible creators may be paid according to the applicable Sounding Pics monetisation and payment policy in force at that time[cite: 1].

Any programme terms may set additional requirements, including account standing, original and eligible content, genuine engagement, geographic availability, minimum payment thresholds, identity or tax verification, payment method and schedule, invalid-traffic rules, adjustments and withholding where permitted by law. We will provide applicable programme terms before participation. Nothing in this policy promises a fixed rate, amount or date of payment[cite: 1].

7. Content rules, safety and account enforcement

Sounding Pics is intended to be a safe photo-sharing community. The following content and conduct are prohibited[cite: 1]:

• Nudity and sexual content: nude imagery, pornography, sexually explicit content, sexual solicitation and sexually exploitative content are not allowed, even if shared privately[cite: 1].
• Child sexual exploitation: any sexual content involving a minor, grooming, or attempts to exploit or endanger a child are strictly prohibited and may be reported to the appropriate authorities[cite: 1].
• Harassment, threats, stalking, bullying, hate or targeted abuse, doxxing, or sharing another person's private information without proper authority[cite: 1].
• Impersonation, fraud, scams, spam, deceptive engagement, automated abuse, unauthorised access or attempts to compromise the Service[cite: 1].
• Content that is unlawful, infringes another person's intellectual-property or privacy rights, or encourages violence or other serious harm[cite: 1].

We may review reported content and relevant account information, remove or restrict content, limit account features, suspend or terminate accounts, and take other appropriate action if we believe an account or its activity violates our rules, this policy, applicable law or the safety of the community. We may also act when an account otherwise appears unsuitable for the Service. Where appropriate and permitted by law, we may report serious violations to relevant authorities[cite: 1].

Do not upload content that you do not have the right to share. You remain responsible for your content and should report harmful content or accounts through any reporting controls available in the app or by contacting us[cite: 1].

8. How long we keep information and how to request deletion

We keep information for as long as needed to provide the Service and for legitimate purposes such as account administration, safety, security, dispute resolution and legal compliance. Retention periods vary by data type and purpose[cite: 1].

You can request deletion of your Sounding Pics account and associated personal information by emailing [email protected] from the email address associated with your account, where possible. Include your username and write “Account deletion request” in the subject. Do not send us your password. We may ask for reasonable information to verify that you control the account before acting on the request[cite: 1].

After verifying a deletion request, we intend to delete or anonymise associated personal information from active systems within 30 days, unless a longer period is required or permitted for legal compliance, security, fraud prevention, dispute resolution or the establishment or defence of legal claims. Residual copies in backups may remain until they are overwritten or removed through normal backup rotation, generally no longer than 90 days. Information that must lawfully be retained will be restricted to the relevant purpose and kept only for the necessary period[cite: 1].

Deleting a post or account may not remove copies that other users saved, screenshots they took, or information already lawfully shared with others. We may retain limited records of enforcement actions or deletion requests where necessary for safety, fraud prevention or legal compliance[cite: 1].

9. Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational safeguards intended to protect information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse or alteration. These measures may include access controls, protected authentication credentials, restricted server access and secure network connections. Passwords are intended to be stored as one-way hashes rather than readable text[cite: 1].

No app, transmission method or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Please use a unique password, keep your device secure, and contact us promptly if you believe your account has been compromised[cite: 1].

10. Your choices and privacy rights

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights to request access to, correction of, deletion of, or a copy of personal information; to withdraw consent where processing relies on consent; to object to or restrict certain processing; or to lodge a complaint with a relevant privacy regulator[cite: 1].

You can manage profile details and account privacy settings through the controls provided in the app. You can control app notification permissions through your device settings. To make a privacy request or raise a concern, contact us using the details below. We may need to verify your identity and may be unable to fulfil a request in full where a legal exception applies[cite: 1].

11. International processing

Your information may be processed in the country where you live and in other countries where we or our service providers operate. Those countries may have different data-protection laws. Where required, we will use appropriate safeguards for international transfers and handle information in accordance with applicable law[cite: 1].

12. Third-party services

The Service may rely on third-party infrastructure or link to third-party services. Their collection and use of information is governed by their own privacy notices and terms. We encourage you to review the relevant notices, including the privacy information published by Amazon Web Services and Firebase/Google[cite: 1].

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when the Service, our data practices or legal requirements change. We will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page and provide additional notice in the app or by other appropriate means if required. Material changes will apply from the effective date shown in the updated policy, subject to applicable law[cite: 1].

14. Contact Sounding Pics