Privacy Policy for Tsiyon

1. Important Legal Entity & Governing Law

Tsiyon operates as a legal entity organized under the laws of the Republic of Uganda. This Privacy Policy is structured to comply with the Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019 of Uganda, as well as international data protection principles (including applicable aspects of the GDPR and global privacy frameworks).

If you access Tsiyon from outside Uganda, you acknowledge and consent to the transfer and processing of your information in accordance with Ugandan law and this policy.

2. Minimum Age Requirement (13+)

Tsiyon is intended strictly for individuals who are at least 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect, solicit, or process personal data from children under the age of 13. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verified parental consent, we will take prompt steps to delete that information and terminate the associated account.

3. Information We Collect

We collect information in three ways: information you provide directly, information collected automatically, and information derived from content moderation.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected data for the following essential purposes:

1. Service Provision: To create and manage your account, deliver your feed, facilitate 1:1 and group messaging, and maintain your social connections.
2. Community Safety & Moderation: To enforce our family-friendly community guidelines, screen for profanity or inappropriate content, and respond to user-submitted reports.
3. Beta Testing & Communication: To send you waitlist invitations, beta testing updates, security alerts, and administrative announcements.
4. Platform Improvement: To diagnose technical issues, optimize app performance, and improve navigation and feature layouts.
5. Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations under Ugandan law and enforce our Terms of Service.

6. Sharing & Disclosure of Information

We only share information in the following limited circumstances:

• Infrastructure Service Providers: With trusted third-party technology partners who assist in providing cloud hosting, database management, push notifications, and automated content moderation. These providers are bound by strict confidentiality obligations and are prohibited from using your data for any other purpose.
• Legal Requirements: If required to do so by applicable laws of Uganda or in response to valid court orders, law enforcement requests, or legal processes.
• Protection of Safety: When we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to protect the safety, rights, or property of Tsiyon, our users, or the general public, or to prevent immediate physical harm or illegal activity.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or asset sale involving Tsiyon, your personal data may be transferred to the successor entity under the same privacy commitments.

7. Data Security & Storage

We implement robust administrative, technical, and physical security measures to safeguard your personal data:

• Encryption of data in transit using industry-standard TLS protocols.
• Encrypted storage of sensitive credentials and message data.
• Restrictive access controls limiting data access solely to authorized engineering and moderation personnel.

While we take every reasonable precaution, no Internet transmission or electronic storage system is 100% secure. We encourage you to use a unique, strong password for your Tsiyon account.

8. Data Retention & Account Deletion

• Retention: We retain your personal data for as long as your account remains active or as needed to provide you with the Service.
• Account Deletion: You have the right to request the deletion of your account and associated personal data at any time through the app settings or by contacting our team. Upon confirmed deletion, your profile, posts, and personal data will be permanently purged or anonymized, subject to any legal obligations requiring temporary retention.

9. Your Rights & Choices

Under the Ugandan Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019 and applicable international data protection standards, you have the following rights:

• Right of Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Right to Erasure: Request the deletion of your personal information ("Right to be Forgotten").
• Right to Object / Restrict: Opt-out of non-essential communications or object to specific processing activities.
• Right to Data Portability: Request an export of your user-generated content in a structured, readable format.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@tsiyon.app.

10. Third-Party Links & Services

The Service may contain links to third-party websites or services (e.g., external ministry links or resource pages). Tsiyon is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party service you visit.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our platform, community features, or legal requirements. When updates occur, we will revise the "Last Updated" date at the top of this document and notify you via in-app alerts or email prior to the changes taking effect.