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Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2026  ·  Effective date: August 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how ZiphyNet collects, uses, shares, and protects your information when you use the ZiphyNet mobile application and website (together, the "Service"). We've tried to write this in plain language rather than dense legal jargon, because you deserve to actually understand what happens with your information. Please take a few minutes to read it.

1. Who We Are

ZiphyNet ("ZiphyNet," "we," "us," or "our") is a gaming community platform that lets people share posts, discuss games, message one another, and connect around a shared love of gaming. ZiphyNet is operated from Nigeria and is subject to the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDPA) and the regulations of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC). Where our users are located elsewhere, we also aim to honor the core protections found in laws such as the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

For the purposes of applicable data protection law, ZiphyNet is the "data controller" responsible for your personal information. If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, you can reach us any time at [email protected].

2. Information We Collect

We collect information in three ways: information you give us directly, information created as you use the Service, and information collected automatically by your device. We only collect what we genuinely need to run ZiphyNet.

2.1 Information you provide directly

• Account details: When you register, we collect your username, email address, and a password. Your password is never stored in readable form — it is converted into a secure cryptographic hash (using bcrypt) that even we cannot reverse.
• Profile information: Any details you choose to add to your profile, such as a profile picture (avatar) and a short bio. These are optional and are visible to other users.
• Content you create: The posts, comments, replies, votes, reactions, and community memberships you generate on the Service, including any images or videos you upload.
• Direct messages: The private messages you send to other users through the in-app messaging feature.
• Communications with us: If you email our support or safety team, we keep a record of that correspondence so we can help you and improve the Service.

2.2 Information created through your use of the Service

• Activity data: Records of your interactions — posts you view, votes you cast, communities you join, notifications you receive, and similar actions needed to make features like feeds, trending posts, and read-receipts work.
• Content interactions: Which posts you've viewed (used to count views and power your feed) and your voting history (used to show you what you've upvoted or downvoted).

2.3 Information collected automatically

• Device and technical information: Your device type, operating system, browser, and app version. We use this to deliver the app correctly and to secure your account.
• IP address: Collected when you connect to our servers. We use it for security, abuse prevention, rate-limiting, and to help verify new device sign-ins (see below).
• Push notification token: If you enable notifications, your device provides a token (via Firebase Cloud Messaging) that lets us deliver notifications to you. This token does not identify you personally to third parties.
• Sign-in security signals: When you log in from a new device or location, we generate a secure device "fingerprint" (a hash derived from your account, IP, and device type) so we can detect unfamiliar logins and, where needed, send you a one-time verification code by email to protect your account.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes, and no others without telling you:

• To create and maintain your account, and to authenticate you when you sign in;
• To operate the core features of ZiphyNet — publishing posts, showing feeds, enabling comments, voting, direct messaging, and community participation;
• To display your public profile and content to other users, as you'd expect on a social platform;
• To keep your account secure, including detecting suspicious logins and sending new-device verification codes by email;
• To send you notifications you've asked for (in-app and push), and important service or security emails;
• To moderate content and enforce our Community Guidelines, keeping the platform safe;
• To understand how the Service is used, in aggregate, so we can fix problems and improve the experience;
• To comply with our legal obligations, respond to lawful requests, and protect the rights, safety, and property of ZiphyNet, our users, and the public.

4. Our Legal Basis for Processing

Where data protection law requires us to have a "legal basis" to process your personal information, we rely on the following:

• Performance of a contract: We process the information necessary to provide the Service you signed up for (for example, storing your account and delivering your posts).
• Consent: For optional things like push notifications, which you can turn on or off at any time.
• Legitimate interests: To keep the platform secure, prevent abuse and fraud, moderate harmful content, and improve the Service — balanced against your rights and expectations.
• Legal obligation: Where we are required by law to retain or disclose certain information, including mandatory child-safety reporting.

5. AI Content Moderation

To keep ZiphyNet safe, posts, comments, and messages may be automatically screened by an AI content-moderation system (powered by Cloudflare Workers AI). This system checks content against categories of harmful material — such as hate speech, threats, sexual content involving minors, and other violations of our Community Guidelines — and helps us flag or remove content that breaks the rules.

This automated screening happens as part of normal operation of the Service. Where automated systems flag content, human review may follow before enforcement action is taken. We disclose this processing here in the interest of transparency and in line with applicable law.

6. Push Notifications

If you choose to enable notifications, we use Firebase Cloud Messaging (a Google service) to deliver push notifications to your device — for example, when someone replies to your post, messages you, or when there's important activity. To do this, your device shares a notification token with us, which we store and associate with your account so we know where to send your notifications.

You are always in control. You can disable push notifications at any time from your device's system settings or within the app's settings, and we will stop sending them. Turning off notifications does not affect your ability to use the rest of the Service.

7. Analytics and Usage Data

We collect analytics about how the Service is used so we can understand what's working, diagnose problems, and improve ZiphyNet. This includes things like page views, post view counts, feature usage, and general activity patterns. Wherever possible we look at this data in aggregate — that is, as overall trends rather than as a profile of any single person.

We use our own first-party analytics running on our infrastructure; we do not embed third-party advertising trackers that follow you across other apps and websites.

8. How We Share Information

We share your information only in the limited circumstances described below. We do not sell it, and we do not share it with advertisers for cross-site tracking.

8.1 Service providers

We rely on a small number of trusted infrastructure providers to run ZiphyNet. They process data only on our instructions and only to provide their service to us:

Provider	What they help us do
Cloudflare	Hosting, database, security, and AI content moderation
Google (Firebase Cloud Messaging)	Delivering push notifications to your device
Cloudinary	Storing and serving images and videos you upload
Resend	Sending transactional and security emails (e.g. verification codes)

8.2 Other users

Content you post publicly, along with your username and profile, is visible to other users of the Service. See "What other users can see" below.

8.3 Legal and safety reasons

We may disclose information when we reasonably believe it is necessary to: comply with a law, regulation, legal process, or lawful government request; enforce our Terms and Community Guidelines; detect, prevent, or address fraud, security, or technical issues; or protect the rights, property, or safety of ZiphyNet, our users, or the public. This includes mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse material to the appropriate authorities, as described in our Child Safety Standards.

8.4 Business transfers

If ZiphyNet is ever involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We would notify you (for example, via the app or email) of any such change and of any choices you may have.

9. What Other Users Can See

ZiphyNet is a social platform, so some of your information is public by design. It helps to be clear about what is and isn't visible to others:

• Public: Your username, profile picture, bio, posts, comments, votes counts, and the communities you participate in.
• Private: Your email address, password, IP address, device information, notification token, and the contents of your direct messages (visible only to you and the person you're messaging).

Please think before you post: content shared publicly can be seen, and potentially copied or re-shared, by others.

10. How Long We Keep Your Data

We keep your personal information for as long as your account is active, so that the Service works as expected. When you delete your account, we delete or anonymize your personal information, except where we are required to retain certain information to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, prevent abuse, or enforce our agreements.

Some information may persist for a short time in backups after deletion before being fully overwritten, and content you shared with other users (such as a direct message they received) may remain visible to them.

11. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on where you live, you may have some or all of the following rights over your personal information. We honor these rights for all our users wherever we reasonably can:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Ask us to correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete. You can edit much of your profile directly in the app.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated personal data.
• Objection and restriction: Object to, or ask us to restrict, certain processing of your information.
• Withdraw consent: Where we rely on your consent (such as push notifications), withdraw it at any time.
• Complaint: Lodge a complaint with a data protection authority — in Nigeria, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

To exercise any of these rights, email us at [email protected]. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request, and we'll respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

12. How We Protect Your Data

We take the security of your information seriously and use industry-standard measures to protect it, including:

• Encryption of all data in transit using HTTPS/TLS;
• Password hashing with bcrypt — we never store passwords in plain text;
• Server-side storage of all sensitive credentials and secrets, never exposed to the app or browser;
• New-device login verification via one-time email codes to protect against unauthorized access;
• Rate-limiting and abuse-prevention systems to defend against automated attacks;
• Access controls that restrict who and what can reach your data.

No system is ever perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. But we work hard to protect your information and to respond quickly if a problem arises. If we ever become aware of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you and the relevant authorities as required by law.

13. Children's Privacy

ZiphyNet is intended for users aged 13 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us at [email protected] and we will take steps to remove that information and close the account.

We are committed to child safety and maintain a strict zero-tolerance policy toward any content that sexualizes, exploits, or endangers minors. For full details, please see our Child Safety Standards.

14. International Data Transfers

ZiphyNet is operated from Nigeria, and the infrastructure providers we use (such as Cloudflare, Google, Cloudinary, and Resend) operate globally. This means your information may be processed and stored on servers located in countries other than your own, which may have different data protection laws. Wherever your data is processed, we take steps intended to ensure it receives an appropriate level of protection consistent with this policy.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or the Service itself. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you through the app or by email. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of the Service after a change takes effect means you accept the updated policy.

16. How to Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, we'd genuinely like to hear from you:

• General and privacy inquiries: [email protected]
• Child safety concerns: [email protected]

We aim to respond to all privacy requests promptly and within the timeframes required by applicable law.

This Privacy Policy is provided to help you understand how ZiphyNet handles your information. It does not constitute legal advice. If any provision of this policy is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full effect.