Privacy policy

Who we are

SwabiConnect is a community platform for Swabi and the surrounding communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. In this policy, “SwabiConnect”, “we”, “us”, and “our” refer to the operator of the service.

For privacy questions or requests, contact privacy@swabiconnect.com. For general support, contact support@swabiconnect.com.

Information we collect

Information you give us

• Account details: email address, username, display name, password hash, and account preferences.
• Profile details: bio, photos, cover image, location text, social links, and other information you choose to add.
• Content: posts, comments, replies, likes, follows, reports, photos, videos, and messages you send to support.
• Verification details: if you apply for verification, your legal name and any identity document you upload.
• Purchase details: the VIP subscription product, status, purchase token, renewal date, and expiry date. Google Play processes your payment; we do not receive your card number.

Information collected automatically

• Security and session records: session identifiers, CSRF tokens, login timestamps, failed-login counts, lockout state, and rate-limit records.
• Technical data: the minimum information needed to deliver and secure the service, such as request time, requested page, browser type, and a coarse or transient IP-derived signal used for rate limiting and abuse prevention. We do not use this data for advertising.
• Usage records: post views, profile views (deduplicated per visitor per day), likes, comments, follows, reports, and notification state.

Information we do not collect

We do not request or collect precise device location, contacts, calendars, SMS messages, call logs, microphone recordings, health data, or advertising identifiers. The Android app denies geolocation and WebView permission requests. We do not sell personal data.

How we use information

• To create and secure accounts, verify email addresses, sign you in, and manage sessions.
• To provide the feed, profiles, posts, comments, likes, follows, notifications, search, photos, and videos.
• To review verification applications, publishing requests, reports, and account deletion requests.
• To detect, prevent, and respond to spam, abuse, fraud, malware, and unauthorized access.
• To operate optional VIP support and verify Google Play purchases.
• To send service messages such as verification links, password resets, security alerts, and moderation notices.
• To understand overall usage and improve the product, using aggregated or non-identifying information.
• To comply with applicable law and enforce our terms and community guidelines.

Legal bases

Where a legal basis is required, we rely on: performance of our contract with you (providing the service you requested); our legitimate interests (keeping the service secure, preventing abuse, and improving the product); your consent (where we ask for it, such as optional verification documents); and legal obligations (such as responding to valid legal process). You can withdraw consent at any time, but that does not affect processing that already happened.

Cookies and sessions

We use strictly necessary cookies and local storage for authentication, CSRF protection, session management, and your interface preferences. These are required for the service to work. We do not use advertising cookies, third-party tracking pixels, or behavioural advertising. If we introduce analytics or advertising cookies, we will update this policy and provide the required choices before they are used.

When we share information

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal data. We share information only in these situations:

Service providers may process information only for the purposes we specify and are required to protect it. We may transfer information as part of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, subject to this policy and applicable law.

Public content

Public posts, comments, profile details you choose to publish, and public media are visible to anyone, including people who are not signed in, and may be indexed by search engines. Treat anything you publish as public. We cannot control screenshots, search caches, or copies made by other people. Do not post someone else's private information without consent.

Identity verification

If you apply for verification, you may upload an identity document and provide your legal name. Verification documents are stored in a private media bucket with public access disabled. They are not shown on your public profile and are not served from public media URLs. Only authorized reviewers can access them, through short-lived signed links.

Verification documents are not sent to third-party media scanners. We keep verification records only as long as needed for the review and for legal or safety obligations. A verification badge, by itself, does not grant publishing permission.

Retention

We keep account and content information while your account is active. When you request deletion, we remove or anonymize the account, profile, posts, comments, likes, follows, notifications, sessions, and uploaded media, except records we must keep for legal, tax, fraud-prevention, or safety reasons.

Security, moderation, and rate-limit records may be retained for a limited period after deletion to prevent abuse and to resolve disputes. Verification documents may be deleted after a decision or after the retention period required for the review. When records are no longer needed, we delete them or aggregate them so they no longer identify you.

Security

We use hashed passwords, database sessions, HttpOnly cookies, CSRF protection, trusted-origin checks, rate limits, account lockout, access controls, private storage for sensitive documents, and security headers. Production traffic uses HTTPS. No system is completely secure, so use a strong unique password and enable two-factor authentication when available. If we become aware of a breach affecting your information, we will notify you and the relevant authorities as required by law.

International transfers

SwabiConnect is based in Pakistan. Our service providers may store or process information in other countries, including where Cloudflare, our hosting provider, or Google operate. We use contractual and technical safeguards appropriate to the data and require providers to protect it. By using the service, you understand that information may be processed outside your country.

Your choices and rights

• Access and correction: view and edit your profile and account details in Settings.
• Privacy controls: choose whether your profile is public and manage notification preferences.
• Deletion: request account deletion in Settings or through the account deletion page.
• Objection and restriction: contact us to object to or restrict certain processing.
• Portability: request a copy of the information you provided in a commonly used format.
• Complaint: contact us first; you may also complain to your local data protection authority.

We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request. We will respond within the time required by applicable law.

Account deletion

You can request deletion from the app under Settings → Account deletion, or from our account deletion page without reinstalling the app. Requests are reviewed to prevent unauthorized deletion. We aim to complete verified requests within 30 days. Some records may be retained as described under Retention.

Children

SwabiConnect is intended for people aged 13 and over and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has created an account, contact privacy@swabiconnect.com and we will delete the account and associated information. If local law sets a higher minimum age, that age applies.

Third-party services

The app and website may link to third-party sites or use Google Play Billing. Those services have their own privacy policies. We are not responsible for their content or privacy practices. The app does not include third-party advertising or analytics SDKs. If that changes, we will update this policy and the Google Play Data safety section before the change ships.

Changes

We may update this policy as the service changes. Material changes will be reflected on this page with a new effective date. If a change materially affects your rights, we will provide additional notice where required. Continued use after the effective date means you accept the updated policy.

Contact

Privacy: privacy@swabiconnect.com
Support: support@swabiconnect.com
Safety: safety@swabiconnect.com

SwabiConnect, Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.