Privacy Policy

Last updated 14 October 2026. This applies to the WHAM mobile apps and the website at wham.social.

WHAM is a public conversation platform for India. Most of what you post is public by design. This page explains what we collect, why, who can see it, and what you can do about it. Questions: prathamagg02@gmail.com.

1. What we collect

• Account details. When you sign in with Google, Apple or email we receive your name, email address and profile photo from that provider. You choose a username, display name, optional bio, and optional area of expertise.
• Location you choose. You pick your state (and optionally city) yourself. We do not read your device GPS. It is used to show what is happening near you and to label posts.
• Interests. Topics you select during setup.
• Your content. Posts, replies, quotes, polls, hashtags, photos and videos you upload, and links you attach.
• Activity. Likes, reposts, bookmarks, follows, mutes, blocks, poll votes and reports you make.
• Usage events. To count views and engagement we record events such as a post being viewed, how long it stayed on screen, link and media opens, the platform (Android, iOS or web), and a random session identifier. These are used for post statistics, trending topics and improving the service.
• Device push token. If you allow notifications, a token that lets us send push notifications to your device.
• Verification requests. If you apply for a verified badge, the details and evidence links you submit (for example an official email address and web page), and the reviewer's decision and note.
• Technical data. IP address and basic request logs, kept on our server for security and abuse prevention.

2. What is public

Your username, display name, photo, bio, state or city, verification badge, posts, replies, follower and following counts and lists, and post statistics (views, likes and so on) are visible to anyone, including people who are not signed in and search engines. Your email address, interests, bookmarks, mutes, blocks and device token are private and are not shown to other users.

3. How we use it

• To run the service: sign you in, show your feed, deliver notifications, show your public profile.
• To calculate India Pulse trends and post statistics from public activity.
• To keep the platform safe: handle reports, detect spam, enforce the Community Guidelines and the Terms.
• To send emergency alerts sent by approved government accounts, which go to all users in India.
• To review and record verification decisions.

We do not sell your personal data. We do not show advertising and we do not use your data to build advertising profiles.

4. Who we share it with

• Google Firebase (Google LLC) provides sign-in, file storage for photos and videos, and push notifications. Google processes your data under its own terms and may do so outside India.
• Hosting providers that run our servers and database.
• Authorities, when the law requires it or to protect people from serious harm.

Emergency alerts and public posts are, of course, visible to everyone.

5. How long we keep it

We keep your data while your account exists. When you delete your account (see below) your profile, posts, uploads, activity, follows, notifications, device tokens and verification details are removed. Usage events lose their link to you. We keep a minimal anonymous placeholder record (shown as “Deleted user”) and records of reports and moderation actions, which may refer to the account, for as long as needed to keep the platform safe and meet legal duties. Routine backups are overwritten within a short period.

6. Your choices and rights

• Edit your profile, location and interests in the app or on the website at any time.
• Mute or block accounts, and report content.
• Notifications can be turned off in your device settings. Emergency alerts use a separate channel.
• Delete your account and data from Settings in the app, or at wham.social/delete-account.
• Access or correct your data, or ask a question about it, by emailing prathamagg02@gmail.com. We aim to reply within 30 days.

Under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 you have rights to access, correct and erase your personal data and to nominate someone to act for you, and you can complain to us first and then to the Data Protection Board of India.

7. Children

WHAM is for people aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has an account, email us and we will remove it.

8. Security

Data is sent over HTTPS. Sign-in is handled by Firebase Authentication and we never see your password. No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. International transfers

Our service providers may process data in other countries. We take reasonable steps so that your data is handled with appropriate care.

10. Changes

If we make a significant change we will tell you in the app or on this page, and update the date above.

11. Contact

WHAM, prathamagg02@gmail.com.