Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how Humans of XX ("we", "our", or "us") collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you use our platform for recording and sharing authentic personal and societal history from the 20th century. By using our services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

We collect information you directly provide to us, which may include:

Account registration information (name, email, profile picture)
Human profiles you create for 20th century individuals
Personal stories and historical accounts from people who lived most of their lives in the 20th century
Voice interviews and audio recordings
Historical photographs and documents
Personal narratives and family histories
Communications with us
Any other authentic historical content you choose to share

Important: All content you submit will be publicly displayed as part of our historical archive. By providing this information, you confirm you have the right to share these materials and stories.

We collect this data based on: (a) your explicit consent when submitting content for public display; (b) contractual necessity (e.g., account creation); (c) our legitimate interest in preserving authentic 20th century history; or (d) legal obligations (e.g., content moderation)

1.2 Information We Collect Automatically

When you use our services, we automatically collect certain information, including:

Usage data and interactions with our archive
Device information and identifiers
Log data and analytics
Location data (if permitted) for historical context
Cookies and similar technologies

1.3 Information From Third Parties

We may receive information about you from:

Payment processors
Analytics and service providers
Third-party integrations you choose to connect
Historical archives and cultural institutions (with permission)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information for purposes including:

Providing and improving our ethnographic archive
Processing transactions and payments
Communicating with you
Personalizing your experience
Analyzing usage and historical content trends
Preserving and categorizing historical materials
Ensuring security and preventing fraud
Complying with legal obligations
Other purposes with your consent

3. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

3.1 Public Historical Archive

All content you submit will be publicly displayed as part of our 20th century historical archive. This includes stories, photographs, voice recordings, and human profiles. There are no privacy settings for submitted content - everything is public by design to preserve and share these important historical narratives.

3.2 Service Providers

With third parties who perform services on our behalf, subject to confidentiality agreements.

3.3 Academic and Research Institutions

We may share anonymized, aggregated historical data with qualified academic researchers and cultural institutions for educational and research purposes.

3.4 Legal Requirements

When required by law or to protect rights, safety, or property.

3.5 Business Transfers

In connection with any merger, sale, or transfer of assets.

3.6 Consent

With your consent or at your direction.

4. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations. Specific retention periods include:

Historical content: Retained indefinitely as part of our permanent archive (unless you request removal)
Analytics data: Raw events retained for 12 months, then anonymized or deleted
System logs: Retained for 30 days for security and operational purposes
Account data: Retained until you request deletion or close your account

Historical content may be preserved for cultural and educational purposes even after account closure, but will be anonymized upon request.

5. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information and preserve historical content. However, no system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have rights including:

Accessing your information
Correcting inaccurate data
Deleting your information (subject to historical preservation needs)
Restricting processing
Data portability
Objecting to certain uses
Withdrawing consent

To exercise these rights, please contact us with your request. We will respond within 30 days and may need to verify your identity before processing certain requests.

7. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

Maintain your session
Remember preferences
Analyze usage
Provide personalized historical content

We use cookies for essential functionality (authentication, sessions) and analytics. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings, though disabling cookies will prevent the service from functioning properly.

8. Children's Privacy

We do not knowingly collect data from children under 16 (or lower age per jurisdiction, e.g., 13 in the US). If we discover such data, we will delete it promptly. Parents may contact us to request removal.

9. International Transfers

We primarily process data within the United States. When international transfers occur, we apply appropriate safeguards and ensure adequate protection levels.

10. Third-Party Links

Our services may contain links to third-party websites, historical archives, or cultural institutions. We are not responsible for their privacy practices.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of material changes by:

Posting the new policy on this page
Updating the "Last updated" date
Providing notice through our services or email

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at:

Email: legal@humansofxx.com

Last updated: January 2025