Privacy Policy

We collect several different types of information for various purposes in order to provide and improve our services to you.

1. Information you provide

When you create a Hicoo account, we collect the following information:

• Email address
• Nickname
• Gender
• Age/date of birth
• Country/region
• Languages you speak or are interested in
• Avatar, if you choose to upload one

When you create a Hicoo account by connecting a third-party social media platform such as Facebook, Apple, or Google, or when you link your Hicoo account to a third-party social media account, we will obtain basic user information such as your nickname, avatar, and email address with your authorization to help set up your account.

2. User-generated content

We may collect content you generate for moderation purposes, such as comments, text, messages, pictures, images, audio, or other data materials that you upload, distribute, or stream while using Hicoo services, in order to ensure that we comply with applicable content regulations in relevant jurisdictions.

3. Information collected automatically

When you use the application, our servers automatically collect certain technical information, including:

• Device information: device model, operating system and version, app version, unique device identifiers such as Android ID, IDFV, IDFA, and OAID, hardware and software characteristics, device brand, and device manufacturer.
• Log data: IP address, mobile carrier, app activity patterns, crash reports, system performance data, and the dates and times you use Hicoo.
• Approximate location inferred from your IP address. We do not collect GPS location information.

4. Payment information

If you make in-app purchases, we may collect certain payment-related information, such as your full name, billing country, purchase amount, and payment method, so that you can complete payment through our authorized third-party payment providers. Our authorized third-party payment companies will transmit the last four digits of the credit card or debit card number you use to us in encrypted form so that we can analyze the security of your payment behavior and prevent fraud. We do not directly collect or store your full credit card or bank account information.

5. Communication records

When you contact us, we may keep records of your communications and content or your contact information so that we can communicate with you, help resolve issues, or document the resolution process and outcome.

With your authorization, we may collect information through the following device permissions:

• Microphone (optional): used for voice chat with other users in voice rooms and for sending voice messages in private chats. We access the microphone only when you actively use voice features. Refusing this permission will not affect other features of the app.
• Camera (optional): used for taking photos or videos to set your avatar or share content. We access the camera only when you actively choose to use it. Refusing this permission will not affect other features.
• Photo library/storage (optional): used to select and upload photos from your device to set your avatar, room background, and shared content. Refusing this permission will prevent you from uploading images but will not affect other features.
• Notifications (optional): used to send you relevant service notifications. If you do not wish to receive such notifications, you may disable our notification access at any time.

You can manage these permissions at any time through your device settings.

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

1. With other users

• Your nickname, avatar, age range, country, and language preferences are visible to other users in voice chat rooms and on your profile.
• We will never display your email address to other users.

2. With service providers

We may share information with third-party service providers who help us operate the app, including cloud hosting and storage providers, content moderation and review services, analytics providers, payment processors, and security and anti-fraud services. These providers are contractually required to handle your data securely and only for the purposes we specify.

3. With affiliated companies

We may disclose your personal information to our affiliated entities to the extent necessary for service delivery, customer management, content customization, analytics, security, and compliance.

4. For legal reasons

We may disclose your information if required by law, regulation, or legal process, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to comply with applicable law, protect and defend our rights or property, prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing or illegal activity, protect the personal safety of users or the public, or protect against legal liability.

5. Business transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your information may be transferred as part of the transaction. We will make reasonable efforts to ensure that the entity receiving your personal information uses it in a manner consistent with this Privacy Policy.

6. Aggregated data

We may generate and share aggregated insights that do not identify you. Aggregated data is not considered personal information because it does not directly or indirectly reveal your identity.

Your personal information may be processed by us or trusted third-party vendors in countries outside your country of residence, including countries where data protection and privacy laws may differ from those in your country. In accordance with applicable data protection and privacy laws, we will take appropriate steps to ensure that your personal information remains protected and secure when transferred from your country to jurisdictions with different levels of personal data protection. These steps may include, where applicable, transfers made pursuant to data transfer agreements implementing standard data protection clauses.

Where permitted by applicable data protection and privacy laws, we may also transfer your personal information to regions outside your country of residence.

This application may contain links to third-party websites or services. When you click a link through Hicoo to any other website, mobile application, or third-party content, you will be directed to that third party's website or application. We do not control, review, or take responsibility for those third-party websites or applications or their content. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party services. We strongly encourage you to review the privacy policy of every website or application you visit.

1. We take appropriate administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. For example:

• We use SSL/TLS encryption for data in transit.
• We use encryption technology and anonymization to protect sensitive data stored at rest, such as passwords.
• Only authorized employees are permitted to access personal information, and only for permitted business functions.
• We use firewalls and trusted protection mechanisms to defend against malicious attacks.
• We provide employees with security and personal information protection training.

2. We will take all reasonably practicable steps to avoid collecting irrelevant personal information.

3. Please note that no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. Although we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

4. If a data breach occurs that may pose a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and the relevant regulators in a timely manner as required by applicable law. Notification may be delivered by email, in-app notice, or other appropriate means.

1. You may choose not to provide personal information at any time. You may opt out of push notifications by adjusting permissions on your mobile device. If you do not wish to share information, you may disable the microphone, camera, or similar features on your mobile device. However, choosing not to provide certain information may prevent you from using some features of Hicoo services.

2. Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights:

• Right of access: you may request access to the personal data we hold about you.
• Right of rectification: you may request correction of inaccurate personal data.
• Right of deletion: you may request deletion of your personal data.
• Right to data portability: you may request transfer of your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
• Right to object: you may object to certain processing of your personal data.
• Right to restrict processing: you may request restriction of the processing of your personal data.
• Right to withdraw consent: if processing is based on consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time. This does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
• Rights relating to automated decision-making and profiling: if you believe automated decision-making or profiling has a legal or similarly significant effect on you, you may ask us to stop.

3. To exercise these rights, you may use the in-app feedback or help function, or send your request to [email protected]. We will respond within a reasonable period and in accordance with applicable law, usually within one month after completing appropriate verification procedures.

4. Account deletion

You may delete your account at any time in the app by following these steps:

1. Go to the My page and tap Settings.
2. Tap Delete Account.
3. Read the deletion instructions and tap Apply for Deletion.
4. Tap Confirm to delete your account.
5. After you tap Confirm, your account will be deleted.

A step-by-step illustrated guide is available here: Account Deletion Guide

After deletion:

• Your account cannot be reactivated.
• Your profile information will be removed.
• Your chat history and posted content will be deleted or anonymized.
• Any remaining virtual items will be forfeited and are non-refundable.

You may also request account deletion by emailing [email protected]. Please note that if certain information must be retained for safety, security, and fraud prevention purposes, we may keep some information. For example, if we disable a user account for unsafe conduct or a security incident, we may retain certain information about that account to prevent that user from opening a new Hicoo account in the future.

5. You have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent data protection authority in your jurisdiction.

You may also wish to review our Community Guidelines for rules related to user conduct and privacy expectations on the platform.

When you upload user content, you automatically upload certain metadata associated with that content. Metadata describes other data and provides information about user content that may not always be apparent to viewers. With respect to user content, metadata may describe how, when, by whom, and in what format the content was collected. It also includes information such as your account name or user ID number, which may allow other users to trace content back to your user account.

Hicoo is not directed to anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we learn that a user under 18 has created an account or that we have collected personal information from anyone under 18, we will immediately take steps to delete that account and all related data. If you are a parent or guardian and you know that your child has provided personal data to us, please contact us immediately.

For more information, please review our Child Safety Policy.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. Before changes become effective, we will inform you by email and/or a prominent notice on our service, and we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy become effective when they are posted on this page. By continuing to access or use the service after changes become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised Privacy Policy.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

[email protected]