Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 2026

      We keep this short and honest. ShukaHub does not sell your data. Messages stay between you and the people you chat with.
    

1. What We Collect

Data	Why	When
Numeric user ID	Identifies your account	At registration
Display name, username, bio, avatar	Your public profile	When you set them
Email address	Password recovery, 2FA (optional)	If you add one
SHA-256 password hash	Account authentication	At registration / password change
Messages and file uploads	Delivering messages to recipients	When you send them
Online / last-seen status	Presence indicator to friends	While you use the app
FCM push token	Sending push notifications	When you enable notifications
Draft messages	Restoring unsent text across devices	While you type

We do not collect your IP address, location (unless you explicitly share it in a chat), or any advertising identifiers.

2. How We Store Your Data

All data is stored in Google Firebase Firestore and Firebase Storage, hosted in Google Cloud. File attachments are additionally stored on Cloudinary. Both providers maintain industry-standard security practices. Our Firebase project is shukahub-chat.

Password hashes are computed client-side using SHA-256 before being stored. We never see or store your plaintext password.

3. How We Use Your Data

To operate the messaging service (store and deliver messages).
To show your profile to users you communicate with.
To send push notifications for new messages.
To let you recover your password via email.

We do not use your data for advertising, profiling, or any purpose beyond operating ShukaHub.

4. Who Can See Your Data

Your friends — can see your display name, avatar, online status (unless hidden), and messages you send them.
Group members — can see messages you post in shared groups.
ShukaHub administrators — have access to all Firestore data for moderation purposes only.
Third parties — we do not share your data with any third party except Google (Firebase/Firestore) and Cloudinary as infrastructure providers.

5. File Uploads

Images and files shared in chats are uploaded to Cloudinary under the shukahub_files folder. File URLs are accessible to anyone who has the URL. Files older than 7 days may be automatically purged. Do not share sensitive documents via ShukaHub.

6. Data Retention

Your data is retained as long as your account exists. You can permanently delete your account and all associated data at any time from Settings → Delete Account. Deletion is irreversible.

Message history in chats you participated in may remain visible to other participants until they delete the chat from their end.

7. Cookies and Local Storage

ShukaHub uses browser localStorage and sessionStorage to store your login session, preferences, and message drafts. No third-party tracking cookies are used.

8. Children's Privacy

ShukaHub is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe a child has created an account, please contact us and we will remove it promptly.

9. Your Rights

You have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data at any time through the app settings. For any data-related requests you cannot fulfill yourself, contact us via the contact page.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy. The latest version will always be at shukahub.com/privacy with an updated date. Continued use of ShukaHub after an update constitutes acceptance.

11. Contact

Privacy questions? Reach us via our contact page.