This policy explains what information [OPERATOR LEGAL NAME] ("24H", "we", "us") collects through the 24H app, how we use it, who can see it and how long we keep it.
The short version
- Your Georgia Tech email is used only to verify that you're a student and to sign you in. Other users never see it.
- In a room, people see only your alias for that day, what you post, and whether you're online or typing.
- Room messages, photos, voice messages and games are permanently deleted about 24 hours after the room closes.
- Photos have location and camera details removed on your phone before they're sent.
- If you send your phone number to someone, only they see it, and it's deleted with the room.
- If you buy a plan, Apple processes the payment. We never see your payment details.
- We don't sell your information, show ads, or use analytics or tracking tools.
- You can delete your account at any time in Settings.
What we collect
Account information. Your @gatech.edu email address and a record of when you created your account and signed in. We send a one-time code to that address so you can sign in. We also record which version of the Terms of Service you accepted and when.
What you post. Messages, replies, daily drops, reactions, photos, voice messages, GIFs, polls and poll votes, pool games (the moves and the result), together with the alias you used, the room and the time. Other members see vote counts, not who voted for what. We also keep records of which room you were placed in, and when.
Photos. You choose photos one at a time with the iOS photo picker, so 24H never gets access to the rest of your library. Before a photo is sent, the app re-encodes it on your phone and downsizes it. This removes location (GPS), camera and other embedded metadata. If you've turned on Apple's Sensitive Content Warning (or Communication Safety) on your iPhone, 24H uses Apple's on-device analysis to blur photos that may contain nudity and to stop such photos from being sent. That analysis happens entirely on your phone; neither Apple nor we receive the photos or the results.
Microphone. 24H uses the microphone only while you are recording a voice message. A clip is sent only when you tap send. Discarded recordings are deleted from your phone and are never uploaded.
GIFs. GIF search is provided by GIPHY. When you open the GIF picker or a room shows a GIF, your phone requests it directly from GIPHY, so GIPHY receives your search terms and your device's IP address, under GIPHY's own privacy policy. We store only which GIF you sent (its GIPHY ID and size), like any other message.
Safety information. If you report a message, we store a copy of that message, the alias of the person who wrote it, and the reason you chose. If you block someone, we store that block. If you send a problem report, we store what you wrote. When a moderator decides a report, we record the decision (keeping or removing the message, and any suspension and its length), which moderator made it and when. If your account is suspended, we store when the suspension ends.
Your day in a room. Your daily mood, if you set one, is stored with your room membership and shown to your room. It's deleted with the room.
Activity counts. We count how many messages you've sent, how many rooms you've joined, how many days you've posted and your posting streak. These are numbers only, not what you wrote. Your streak is shown to you; God Mode members can see all of their counts.
Push notifications. If you allow notifications, we store your device's push token and send notifications through Apple's push service. A notification shows the sender's alias and a preview of the message (for example "Sherlock: see you at the Culc"), so it may appear on your lock screen. Queued notifications are deleted within a day of being sent.
Settings. Your notification preferences, your daily mode (Group or Individual) and default mode, and whether your account is active or suspended.
Phone numbers you send. In Group Mode you can send your phone number to up to two people in your room each day. We store the number, who sent it and who received it so we can show it to that one person. We don't add it to your account or use it for anything else.
Payments. Paid plans are App Store subscriptions; Apple handles payment under its own privacy policy. We receive from Apple, signed by Apple: which plan you bought, its status, renewal or expiry date, whether it will renew, and the App Store transaction ID. Apple doesn't share your name, Apple ID or payment details with us.
Online and typing status. While you have a room open, the other members can see that your alias is "here now", and when you're typing. We don't store this after you disconnect.
Technical information. Like most online services, our hosting provider automatically logs technical information when the app connects to our servers. This includes IP address, device and app type, and request times. We use it for security and to prevent abuse. Sign-in sessions are stored on your device in the iOS Keychain.
What we don't collect. Your name, contacts, photos, precise or approximate location, or advertising identifiers. We only have your phone number if you choose to send it to someone. 24H contains no advertising, analytics or tracking software.
How we use information
We use the information above to:
- Verify that you're an eligible Georgia Tech student, sign you in and keep your account secure.
- Place you in daily rooms and deliver your messages to the members of your room.
- Review reports, enforce our Terms and Community Rules, and protect users. This includes applying rate limits and preventing abuse.
- Send you sign-in codes and important notices about the service.
- Comply with the law and respond to lawful requests.
If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we rely on these legal bases:
- Performance of our contract with you, to provide 24H.
- Our legitimate interests, for safety, security and preventing abuse.
- Compliance with legal obligations.
Who can see your information
Other members of your room see your alias, your posts and reactions, and whether you're online. They never see your email address or any account identifier. People you block or report are not told.
God Mode members' badge and profile color appear next to their alias in every room they join, so others may notice the same badge and color on different days. If you choose a God Mode alias, you choose it from the same anonymous names.
The person you send your phone number to sees it, along with the alias you used that day. Nobody else in the room does.
Our team can access account and content information when it's needed to run 24H. This includes handling reports, investigating abuse, providing support and meeting legal obligations.
Service providers process information on our behalf, under contract, only to provide their services to us:
- Supabase: database, authentication and real-time messaging. Its infrastructure is hosted by Amazon Web Services.
- [EMAIL DELIVERY PROVIDER]: sends sign-in codes.
- Apple: sells and bills paid plans through the App Store.
GIPHY receives GIF searches and GIF requests directly from your phone, as described under "GIFs" above.
Legal and safety disclosures. We may disclose information when we believe in good faith that the law requires it, such as a valid subpoena or court order. We may also disclose it to prevent death or serious harm, to investigate fraud or abuse, or to protect the rights, property or safety of our users, the public or 24H.
Business transfers. If 24H is involved in a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, your information may be transferred under this policy.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
How long we keep information
- Room messages, replies, daily drops, polls, votes, reactions and room membership: permanently deleted from our database about 24 hours after the room closes, which is about 48 hours after the room opens.
- Photo and voice files: deleted from storage within about an hour after the message they belong to is deleted.
- Backups: deleted information may remain in encrypted database backups until they expire under our hosting provider's schedule, typically within [BACKUP RETENTION, e.g. 7] days.
- Reports of messages: kept, including the copy of the reported message and any reported photo or voice file, for as long as needed to handle the report, enforce our Terms, keep the community safe and meet legal obligations.
- Phone numbers you send, and your daily mood: permanently deleted with the room, about 24 hours after it closes.
- Activity counts and streaks: kept until you delete your account.
- On your phone: so 24H opens instantly, the app keeps a copy of your current status, your current room's recent messages, photos and voice messages, GIFs you've seen, and anything you've typed but not sent, on your device. It's replaced when your room changes and deleted when you sign out. iOS may also clear it to free up space.
- Push tokens: kept until you sign out, delete the app (Apple then tells us the token is invalid) or delete your account. Sent notifications are deleted within a day.
- Daily mode choices: deleted after a few days.
- Plan records: kept until you delete your account, or longer if needed for tax, accounting and legal obligations. Apple keeps its own purchase records.
- Blocks: kept until you unblock the person or delete your account.
- Problem reports: kept for as long as needed to address them and for our records.
- Moderation decisions: kept for as long as needed to enforce our Terms (for example, to recognize repeated violations) and to meet legal obligations.
- Account information and settings: kept until you delete your account.
- Technical logs: kept for the period set by our hosting provider, typically a few days to a few weeks.
Deleting your account
You can delete your account at any time in Settings > Delete account. This immediately and permanently deletes:
- Your account and email address.
- Your room memberships and all messages, photos, voice messages, polls, votes and reactions you posted. Photo and voice files are removed from storage within about an hour.
- Your blocks and settings.
Reports you made, and reports about messages you posted, may be kept as described above. They are no longer linked to your account. Backups expire on the schedule above.
Your choices and rights
You can:
- Change your notification preferences in Settings.
- Unblock people in Settings > Blocked members.
- Delete your account at any time.
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to request access to, correction of, deletion of, or a copy of your personal information. You may also have the right to object to or restrict certain processing. To make a request, email support@the24h.app from your @gatech.edu address so we can verify it's you. We will respond within the time required by law, and within 45 days at most. If we deny your request, you can appeal by replying to our decision, and we will respond to the appeal within 60 days. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights. EEA and UK residents may also complain to their local data protection authority.
Do Not Track. 24H doesn't track you across other apps or websites, so it doesn't respond to Do Not Track signals.
Security
We protect information using encryption in transit (TLS) and server-side access controls. These controls ensure that users can only reach their own room and data. Sign-in sessions are stored in the iOS Keychain. No system is perfectly secure, and we can't guarantee absolute security.
Age requirement
24H is only for people who are 18 or older. We don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If you believe someone under 18 is using 24H, contact us and we'll delete the account.
Where information is stored
24H is operated from the United States, and your information is stored and processed in [DATA REGION, e.g. the United States]. If you use 24H from outside that country, your information will be transferred there.
Georgia Tech
24H is not operated by or affiliated with the Georgia Institute of Technology. We don't share your information with Georgia Tech, except as described under "Legal and safety disclosures". Information in 24H is not part of your education records.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy. If we make a material change, we'll notify you in the app before it takes effect. The effective date at the top shows when this policy last changed.
Contact
[OPERATOR LEGAL NAME]
[MAILING ADDRESS]
support@the24h.app