Privacy Policy
Contents
HappySouls, LLC ("HappySouls," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and the choices you have. It applies to our website, mobile application, and all related services (collectively, the "Service").
1. Who We Are
HappySouls is a storytelling platform headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, USA. For users in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, HappySouls, LLC acts as the data controller. For inquiries about data processing, contact us at privacy@happysouls.com.
2. Information We Collect
Information you provide directly
- Account data: Name, email address, and password (or OAuth token) when you register.
- Profile information: Optional profile photo and a short bio.
- Recordings and transcripts: Audio, video, and text you create or upload through the Service.
- Communications: Messages you send to us via support channels.
Information collected automatically
- Usage data: Pages visited, features used, session duration, and in-app interactions.
- Device and log data: IP address, browser type, operating system, and crash reports.
- Cookies and similar technologies: We use essential session cookies and, where you consent, analytics cookies. See our Cookie section below.
Information from third parties
- Social login providers (Facebook, Google, Apple): When you sign in with a social account, we receive your name, email address, and profile picture as permitted by your privacy settings on that platform. We do not receive your social media password or post to your profile without explicit action by you.
| Category | Examples | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | Name, email, user ID | Account creation and authentication |
| Content | Recordings, transcripts, photos | Core service delivery |
| Usage data | Feature interactions, session events | Product improvement |
| Device data | IP address, browser, OS | Security and fraud prevention |
| Communications | Support emails | Customer support |
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Create and manage your account and authenticate your identity;
- Provide, operate, and improve the Service;
- Store and display your recordings and transcripts to you and those you share them with;
- Send transactional emails (account confirmations, password resets, sharing notifications);
- Send service announcements and updates — you may opt out of non-essential communications at any time;
- Detect, prevent, and investigate fraud, abuse, and security incidents;
- Comply with legal obligations.
We do not sell your personal data. We do not use your recordings or transcripts to train AI or machine-learning models without your separate, explicit consent.
4. Legal Basis for Processing (EEA/UK Users)
If you are located in the EEA or UK, we process your personal data under the following legal bases:
- Contract: Processing necessary to provide the Service you signed up for.
- Legitimate interests: Improving the Service, preventing fraud, and communicating service-critical information.
- Consent: Marketing communications and non-essential analytics cookies (you may withdraw consent at any time).
- Legal obligation: Compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
5. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell or rent your personal data. We share information only in these limited circumstances:
- Service providers: Trusted vendors who process data on our behalf (cloud storage, email delivery, analytics) under strict data processing agreements.
- Users you invite: Recordings and stories you choose to share are accessible to the recipients you designate.
- Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may transfer to the acquiring entity, which will be bound by equivalent privacy commitments.
- Legal requirements: We may disclose data when required by law, subpoena, or to protect the rights and safety of HappySouls, our users, or the public.
6. Facebook and Social Login
If you choose to log in using Facebook, we receive a limited set of data as authorized by your Facebook privacy settings: your name, email address, and profile picture. We use this data solely to create and authenticate your HappySouls account.
We are an independent service and are not affiliated with Meta Platforms, Inc. We do not publish content to your Facebook profile, access your friends list, or receive your Facebook advertising ID. You may disconnect your Facebook login at any time from your HappySouls account settings.
For information about how Facebook processes data shared through its Login product, please refer to Meta's Privacy Policy.
If you wish to have your data removed from HappySouls, please see our Data Removal Procedure or submit a request through our Facebook app settings page.
7. Data Retention
We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. When you delete your account:
- Your profile and account data are deleted within 30 days;
- Your recordings and transcripts are deleted within 30 days (unless you have previously downloaded or exported them);
- Anonymized analytics data may be retained indefinitely;
- We may retain certain data for up to 7 years to comply with legal, tax, or regulatory obligations.
8. Security
We implement industry-standard safeguards including TLS encryption in transit, AES-256 encryption at rest, access controls, and regular security reviews. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. We will notify you of a data breach affecting your personal data as required by applicable law.
9. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you;
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
- Delete your personal data (see our Data Removal Procedure);
- Restrict or object to certain processing;
- Port your data to another service in a machine-readable format;
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@happysouls.com. We will respond within 30 days (or the timeframe required by applicable law). EEA/UK users may also lodge a complaint with their local supervisory authority.
10. Children's Privacy
The Service is not directed to children under 13 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected data from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will delete that information promptly. Parents or guardians who believe their child has provided us with personal information should contact us at privacy@happysouls.com.
11. International Data Transfers
HappySouls is based in the United States. If you access the Service from outside the US, your information will be transferred to and processed in the US. For transfers from the EEA or UK, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission to ensure your data receives an adequate level of protection.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of significant changes by email or in-app notice at least 14 days before the new policy takes effect. The "Effective date" at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised.
13. Contact Us
For privacy-related questions or to exercise your rights:
- Email: privacy@happysouls.com
- Mailing address: HappySouls, LLC, Privacy Team, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801, USA
For data removal requests specifically, see our dedicated Data Removal Procedure.