Privacy Policy
Effective: [date on publication] · Version 2026-06-07-v1
Stoophood ("we") operates from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and handles your personal data in line with UAE data-protection law. This Policy explains what we collect, why, and your choices.
1. Data we collect
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Identity & contact | email, phone number, display name, handle |
| Profile | bio, avatar, country of origin, your primary Stoop |
| Content | posts, comments, reactions, stories |
| Messaging | direct messages (1:1 and group). Direct messages are not end-to-end encrypted. |
| Behavioural | login events, IP address, last-active time |
| Trust & reputation | trust label, tenure, profile stage, contribution counts |
| Technical | authentication token, the sh_auth cookie, locale, theme |
| Consent | your consent records (terms, privacy, analytics, marketing) |
2. How we use your data
To provide and secure the service, show your Content to the relevant communities, run messaging and notifications, moderate the platform, maintain trust and reputation features, and meet legal obligations.
3. Who we share data with
We use service providers that process data on our behalf to run Stoophood: Google (sign-in), Vercel (frontend hosting), Railway (backend and database), Cloudflare R2 (media storage), Sentry (error monitoring). We do not sell your personal data.
4. Where your data is processed
Our providers may process data in regions outside the UAE, including the United States and the European Union. By using Stoophood you understand that your data may be transferred to and processed in these regions with appropriate safeguards.
5. How long we keep data
| Data | Retention |
|---|---|
| Story media/metadata | deleted/archived after 24 hours |
| Direct messages | while your account is active |
| Login events | about 12 months |
| Deleted account | 30-day recovery window; afterwards personal data is retained for legal-defence purposes for up to ~2 years, then permanently deleted, unless under legal hold |
| Data-export download link | 7 days |
When an account is deleted, your identity is removed from any remaining Content (it shows as "deleted user").
6. Your rights and choices
You can access and download your data, correct it, delete your account, and withdraw consent:
- Download my data: Settings → Privacy (a machine-readable export). Received direct messages are excluded to protect other people's privacy.
- Delete account: Settings (30-day recovery window, then finalized as in §5).
- Marketing / analytics consent: Settings and the cookie banner.
To make a request, use Settings or email info@stoophood.com.
If you are located in the EEA, the UK, or California, you may have additional rights under your local laws (such as access, deletion, portability, and objection). Contact info@stoophood.com and we will honour applicable rights.
7. Children
Stoophood is for users 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18.
8. Cookies
See our Cookie Policy for the cookies and storage we use and your choices.
9. Security
We take reasonable measures to protect your data. Note that direct messages are not end-to-end encrypted and should not be used for highly sensitive information.
10. Changes and contact
We may update this Policy; the version and effective date appear above. Questions or requests: info@stoophood.com.