This Privacy Policy explains how WowChat World ("we," "us," "our," or the "App") collects, uses, shares, and protects your information when you use the WOWCHAT mobile application and related services (collectively, the "Service"). By creating an account or using WOWCHAT, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.
01 Information We Collect
1.1 Information You Provide Directly
Phone number — used to create and verify your account
Profile information — display name, profile photo, bio, and any optional profile details you choose to add (gender, education, relationship status, hometown, contact details, etc.)
Content you create — messages, photos, videos, voice notes, documents, posts, comments, reactions, polls, marketplace listings, and live streams
Contacts — if you choose to sync your device contacts to find friends already using WOWCHAT
Location — only when you explicitly choose to share your location in a message or post; WOWCHAT does not track your location in the background
Payment-adjacent information — if you use Marketplace or Advertising features, we may collect information necessary to facilitate transactions, though WOWCHAT itself does not process or store payment card details directly
Parental Guardian information — if a parent/guardian sets up parental controls, we collect the information necessary to link and manage that relationship
1.2 Information Collected Automatically
Device information — device model, operating system, unique device identifiers, and app version
Usage data — how you interact with the app (features used, posts viewed, time spent), used to operate and improve the Service
Push notification tokens — so we can deliver notifications about messages, calls, and other activity
Log and diagnostic data — crash reports and performance data to help us fix bugs
1.3 Information From Third Parties
If you sign up or interact with WOWCHAT features that connect to third-party services (such as calling infrastructure), those providers may share limited technical data (e.g., call connection metadata) necessary to provide the feature.
02 How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
Create and maintain your account
Provide core features: messaging, calling, Origin (social feed), Marketplace, Channels, Live streaming, and Stories
Send you notifications about messages, calls, mentions, and activity relevant to you
Maintain safety and security, including detecting and preventing abuse, spam, and fraud
Respond to support requests and enforce our Terms & Conditions
Improve and develop new features
Comply with legal obligations
We do NOT sell your personal information to third parties.
03 How We Share Your Information
We may share information in the following circumstances:
With other users — information you choose to make visible (profile details, posts, messages to people you message, marketplace listings) is shared with the relevant recipients or the public, depending on your privacy settings
Service providers — we use third-party infrastructure providers (including cloud hosting, database, storage, messaging, and calling infrastructure providers) to operate the Service. These providers only process data as necessary to provide their service to us
Legal requirements — we may disclose information if required by law, legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of WOWCHAT, our users, or the public
Business transfers — if WOWCHAT is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction
04 Messaging and Content
Messages you send are stored on our servers to enable delivery, sync across devices, and features like message history. While we take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your messages, WOWCHAT does not currently offer full end-to-end encryption for all message types. We encrypt data in transit and at rest using industry-standard practices.
Content you post publicly (such as Origin posts, Channel posts, and Marketplace listings) is visible to other users according to your privacy and discoverability settings.
05 Children's Privacy and Parental Controls
WOWCHAT includes optional Parental Guardian features that allow a parent or legal guardian to link their account to a minor's account and manage certain settings, including content restrictions, contact approval, and activity visibility.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without appropriate parental involvement where required by applicable law. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information inappropriately, please contact us so we can take appropriate action.
06 Your Choices and Rights
Depending on your location, you may have rights to:
Access, correct, or delete your personal information
Object to or restrict certain processing of your data
Request a copy of your data in a portable format
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
You can manage most of this directly within the app (editing your profile, deleting posts/messages, clearing chat history, or deleting your account). For requests we can't fulfill directly through the app, contact us using the details below.
07 Data Retention
We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. If you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within a reasonable period, except where we are required to retain it for legal, safety, or legitimate business purposes (e.g., fraud prevention records).
08 Data Security
We implement technical and organizational measures designed to protect your information, including encryption in transit and at rest, access controls, and regular security reviews. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
09 International Data Transfers
Your information may be processed and stored in countries other than your own. Where this occurs, we take steps to ensure your information receives an adequate level of protection in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law.
10 Advertising
WOWCHAT may display advertisements from businesses within the app (including in the Origin feed and Marketplace). Advertisers do not have direct access to your personal messages or private data. Ad targeting, where used, is based on limited, non-sensitive information such as general location or account type (e.g., Business/Creator).
11 Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you through the app or by other reasonable means before the changes take effect. Your continued use of WOWCHAT after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
12 Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us at:
This Privacy Policy is intended to accurately describe WOWCHAT's data practices as of the date above. It does not constitute legal advice. We recommend having this document reviewed by a qualified legal professional familiar with applicable privacy laws in your operating jurisdictions (e.g., POPIA in South Africa, and any other regions WOWCHAT operates in).