Overview
This is what we do with your information. I'm going to be straightforward because I hate reading privacy policies that are designed to confuse you.
HIVE is built on Firebase (Google Cloud). That's where your data lives. It's encrypted, it's secure, and I picked it because it's reliable — not because I wanted to hand your data to Google. They're a processor, not the owner. I am. And I'm telling you exactly what happens with it.
What We Collect
Your .edu email — This is how we verify you're actually a student. We check the domain to figure out your school. That's it. We don't read your emails or access your inbox.
Basic profile stuff — Name, handle, major, graduation year. Whatever you choose to add. Profile photo if you want one. All optional except the handle (we need something to call you).
What you post — Messages, posts, events, whatever you create on HIVE. Obviously we store this — that's how the app works. Your content lives in your Spaces and is visible to members of those Spaces.
Basic analytics — Page views, what features get used, crash reports. This is anonymized. I use it to figure out what's broken and what people actually use. I don't track you as an individual — I track patterns.
What we don't collect — Your location (unless you explicitly share it for an event). Your contacts. Your browsing history outside HIVE. Your messages on other platforms. None of that.
How We Use It
Pretty simple:
- To make HIVE work (showing your posts, letting you join Spaces, etc.)
- To verify you're a student at the school you claim
- To send you important stuff (verification codes, security alerts)
- To fix bugs and improve features based on what people actually use
- To keep the platform safe (removing spam, handling reports)
That's it. No "personalized advertising." No "sharing with partners for marketing purposes." No selling lists of college students to recruiters. None of that garbage.
Security
Your data is protected by:
- Encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS everywhere)
- Encryption at rest (Firebase handles this)
- Email verification for authentication (no passwords to steal)
- Security rules that prevent users from accessing each other's private data
Is it perfect? No. Nothing is. But I take this seriously. If there's ever a breach, I'll tell you directly — not bury it in a press release six months later.
Your Rights
You can:
- See your data — Ask me and I'll send you everything we have on you
- Fix it — Update anything that's wrong in your profile
- Delete it — Nuke your account and we'll remove your data within 30 days
- Export it — Get a copy of your stuff if you want to leave
If you're in the EU (GDPR) or California (CCPA), you have additional legal rights. Email me and I'll help you exercise them. I'm not going to make you jump through hoops.
Retention
Your data exists as long as your account exists. Delete your account, and I delete your data within 30 days. Some stuff might stick around longer if the law requires it (financial records, legal disputes, etc.), but that's rare.
Anonymized analytics stick around because they can't be traced back to you anyway.
Children
HIVE is for college students. You need a .edu email. If you're under 13, you shouldn't be here, and if I find out you are, I'll delete your account. This isn't because I don't like kids — it's because COPPA (the children's privacy law) has specific requirements I'm not set up to handle.
Changes
If I change this policy in any meaningful way, I'll tell you. Email, in-app notification, something obvious. I won't just quietly update the page and hope you don't notice.
Minor wording changes or clarifications might happen without notice, but nothing that affects your actual privacy.
Contact
Questions? Concerns? Want your data? Email me: hiveconnects@gmail.com
HIVE
Built in Buffalo, NY