Terms of Use

HYV Terms of Use 

Effective Date: 9/27/2025
HyvForge LLC 

Welcome to HYV, a proximity-based social discovery platform developed and operated by HyvForge LLC (“we,” “us,” “our”). These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the HYV mobile application and related services (the “Services”). 

By using HYV, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not access or use the Services. 

1. Eligibility 

You must be at least 18 years old to use HYV. By using the Services, you confirm that you are of legal age and fully able to enter into this agreement. 

We do not knowingly allow anyone under 18 to register. If we learn that you are underage, your account may be terminated immediately. 

2. User Accounts 

To access certain features, you must create an account. You agree to: 

• Provide accurate, current information; 
• Keep your login credentials secure; 
• Take responsibility for all activity under your account. 

We may suspend or terminate your account at our sole discretion for any violation of these Terms or if your conduct harms the platform or its users. 

3. Freemium and Subscription Services 

HYV offers both free and premium features. By subscribing, you agree to: 

• Authorize charges through RevenueCat or other third-party payment processors; 
• A recurring subscription unless canceled before renewal; 
• No refunds unless required by law. 

Certain features or event functions may require one-time or in-app purchases. Payment disputes must be directed to the appropriate payment processor. 

4. User-Generated Content 

You may post content including text, images, videos, links, events, and other media. You retain ownership of your content, but grant HYV a worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute it solely for the purpose of providing and promoting the Services. 

HyvForge LLC is not responsible for content posted by users. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, reliability, legality, or quality of any user-generated content. You acknowledge that using the Services may expose you to content that could be offensive, inaccurate, misleading, or inappropriate. 

You are solely responsible for the content you post. 

5. Prohibited Content and Conduct 

You agree not to post, upload, or share any content that: 

• Includes nudity, sexually explicit material, or NSFW content; 
• Harasses, threatens, or defames individuals or groups; 
• Incites violence or illegal activity; 
• Contains spam, malware, or fraudulent links; 
• Violates intellectual property or other legal rights. 

NSFW or offensive content is strictly prohibited, even in private messages. We reserve the right to remove any content and/or terminate accounts at our discretion. 

6. Moderation and Enforcement 

HYV uses a combination of automated moderation, user flagging, and human review. We reserve the right to: 

• Remove content that violates these Terms or our Community Guidelines; 
• Suspend or permanently ban accounts for repeat or severe violations; 
• Report illegal content or activity to law enforcement. 

However, we do not actively monitor all content and make no guarantees about detecting or removing all violations. 

7. Location and Third-Party Services 

To function properly, HYV requires access to your device’s location data. By using the Services, you consent to this usage. 

HYV integrates with third-party APIs and platforms including: 

• Google Maps (for location and maps), 
• RevenueCat (for payments), 
• Apple (for social sign-in). 

Use of these services is governed by their respective terms and privacy policies. 

8. Event Ticketing

HYV may allow users or third parties to create, host, or sell tickets to events. HYV is not a party to these transactions unless explicitly stated. We do not guarantee the quality, safety, legality, or fulfillment of events or transactions facilitated through HYV. All sales are final unless otherwise stated. 

9. Privacy 

Your data is collected and handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy. HYV stores all user data exclusively in the United States and does not sell user information. 

10. Intellectual Property 

All HYV branding, features, software, and content (except user submissions) are the intellectual property of HyvForge LLC. You may not copy, modify, or distribute any portion of the platform without our express written permission. 

11. Termination 

We may suspend or terminate your access to HYV at any time, with or without cause. Grounds may include: 

• Violating these Terms; 
• Engaging in fraud or abuse; 
• Threats to community safety or app integrity; 
• Legal obligations or takedown requests. 

You may terminate your account at any time from within the app settings. 

Data Deletion: Account termination is subject to HYV’s Data Deletion Policy, as set forth in our Privacy Policy. Upon termination, HYV will permanently delete or de-identify your personal information in accordance with applicable law, subject to limited retention required for legal, tax, or fraud-prevention purposes. 

12. Disclaimers 

HYV is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind. We do not guarantee: 

• That the Services will be uninterrupted or error-free; 
• That all content is accurate or safe; 
• That community standards will be uniformly enforced. 

You use HYV at your own risk. 

13. Limitation of Liability 

To the maximum extent permitted by law, HyvForge LLC shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, punitive, or consequential damages resulting from: 

• Your use of or inability to use the Services; 
• User content or behavior; 
• Third-party services; 
• Data loss or unauthorized access. 

Our total liability is limited to the amount paid by you in the twelve months preceding the claim. 

14. Dispute Resolution and Arbitration 

All disputes must be resolved via binding arbitration in King County, Washington, under the rules of the American Arbitration Association. You waive the right to participate in any class action. 

Each party will bear its own costs. 

15. Governing Law 

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Washington, without regard to conflict of law principles. 

16. Changes to These Terms 

We may update these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via in-app notice or email. Continued use of the Services after changes constitutes acceptance. 

HYV Privacy Policy 

Effective Date: 9/27/2025 

HyvForge LLC 

1. Introduction 

At HyvForge LLC (“HYV”, “we”, “us”, or “our”), we respect your privacy. This Privacy Policy outlines what data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and your rights. HYV is designed with privacy by design, meaning we only collect the minimum data necessary to provide core functionality — and nothing more. 

This policy complies with applicable privacy laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CCPA/CPRA), and the California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA). 

2. Key Commitments 

• We do not sell your personal data 
• We do not track or profile users for advertising 
• We do not store unnecessary personal information 
• We honor access and portability rights under CCPA/CPRA (downloadable copy of your data upon request) 
• We use data only to operate HYV 

3. What We Collect 

We categorize personal information consistent with CPRA requirements: 

a. Identifiers 

• Name, Username, and Email address 
• Optional profile image and bio 

b. Precise Geolocation Data (Sensitive PI) 

• Last known location within a 0.25 mile debounce radius (used to match you with nearby events and users) 
• Classified as “Sensitive Personal Information” under CPRA 
• Used transiently and not stored historically beyond session or last known point 
• Users can limit use of precise location via in-app privacy controls (e.g., coarse-only mode) 

c. Content You Submit 

• Photos, videos, and posts you voluntarily upload 
• Exif metadata (including location) is stripped prior to storage to prevent disclosure of precise location 

d. Device & Usage Data 

• Device type, OS version, and crash logs (for troubleshooting) 

e. Payment Information 

• Processed securely via RevenueCat 
• We do not store your credit card or payment details 

4. AI-Based Content Moderation & Appeals 

HYV uses AI-powered content moderation systems to help maintain a safe, respectful environment. These systems automatically detect and flag content that may violate our Terms of Use or Community Guidelines, including but not limited to nudity and other NSFW content, harassment, threats, hate speech, incitement of violence or criminal activity, spam/phishing/malware, and content that infringes intellectual property. 

Flagged content may be reviewed by human moderators, and appropriate action — including content removal or account suspension — may be taken. Moderator actions do not monitor private conversations unless content is reported or core safety thresholds are met. 

If your content or account is restricted, you will receive notice and may appeal by emailing appeals@hyvforge.com. Appeals are reviewed with reason codes and a target response time of 14 business days. HYV will periodically publish a summary of moderation actions and appeals to promote transparency. 

5. How We Use Your Data 

• To provide and improve app functionality 
• To facilitate proximity-based features (e.g., nearby events and users) 
• To manage subscriptions and billing 
• To moderate user-generated content and keep the community safe 
• To detect and resolve technical issues 

We do not use your data for advertising, behavioral profiling, or third‑party marketing. 

6. Sharing and Disclosure 

We do not sell or share personal data for advertising purposes. We disclose limited information only to: 

• Service providers / contractors who support HYV operations (e.g., hosting, moderation, payment processing); they are contractually bound to limit use, protect data, delete on request, and comply with applicable law 
• Third parties only when required by law or when you expressly authorize sharing 

Vendor Transparency Matrix: 

RevenueCat

• Data Shared: Subscription status
• Purpose: Payment management
• Retention: Account lifetime
• Role (CPRA): Service Provider
• Location of Processing: US 

Stream.io

• Data Shared: User IDs, chat content
• Purpose: Messaging functions
• Retention: Session + safety
• Role (CPRA): Service Provider
• Location of Processing: US 

Apple / Google Login

• Data Shared: Identifiers (OAuth)
• Purpose: Account creation / login
• Retention: Session + account
• Role (CPRA): Third-Party Auth Provider
• Location of Processing: Global

Maps API (Apple/Google)

• Data Shared: Location queries
• Purpose: Map display & routing
• Retention: Session only
• Role (CPRA): Service Provider
• Location of Processing: Global

7. Cookies and Session Storage 

• Essential session storage to maintain your login and enable real‑time local content 
• No cookies/local storage used for behavioral tracking, advertising, or third‑party analytics 

8. Data Retention 

We retain your data only as long as necessary, by category: 

• Account information: Deleted within 90 days of account deletion 
• Precise location data: We store a single last known location as required for app functionality 
• Content uploads: Retained until you delete the content or delete your account 
• Payment/transaction records: Retained as required by law (up to 7 years) 
• Security logs/abuse reports: Retained up to 12 months for fraud and abuse prevention 

Full retention details are provided in our Retention Matrix (available in‑app and on our website). 

9. Data Deletion Policy
HYV provides users with the ability to request deletion of their personal information at any time by contacting info@hyvforge.com. When a deletion request is received, HYV:

• Permanently deletes active account information and user-generated content from our production systems within 30–45 days.
• Ensures residual copies in backups and disaster recovery systems are securely overwritten and expire within 90 days.
• Retains only the information necessary to comply with legal obligations (e.g., payment records required by tax law) or to resolve active disputes and fraud prevention cases.
• Confirms completion of deletion to the requesting user once processing is finalized. 

If HYV determines an account is under the minimum required age of 18, all associated data will be removed as soon as practicable.

10. User‑Generated Content 

You are responsible for the content you post. While we moderate based on policy violations and community reports, we do not monitor or endorse user submissions. Use the Service and content at your own discretion. 

11. Your Rights 

Depending on your location, you may have the right to: 

• Access the personal data we hold about you 
• Request a downloadable, portable copy of your data 
• Request correction or deletion 
• Limit use and disclosure of Sensitive Personal Information (e.g., precise location) 
• Object to or restrict processing where applicable 

How to exercise your rights: Email us at info@hyvforge.com. We will verify your request and respond within statutory timelines (e.g., 45 days under CPRA). 

12. GDPR‑Specific Rights (EEA Residents) 

Under GDPR, HYV processes your data based on: (i) contractual necessity (Article 6(1)(b)), (ii) consent (Article 6(1)(a)), and (iii) legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)). 

You may have additional rights under GDPR, including data portability, erasure, and the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. 

13. CCPA/CPRA‑Specific Rights (California Residents) 

• Right to know the categories of personal information collected, the sources, the purposes of use, and categories of disclosures 
• Right to access, correct, delete, and to receive a portable copy of your information 
• Right to limit use and disclosure of Sensitive Personal Information 
• Right to be free from discrimination for exercising your privacy rights 

HYV does not sell or share personal data for cross‑context behavioral advertising. 

14. Children’s Privacy (18+ Age‑Gating) 

• HYV is intended for users 18 years and older only 
• At signup, we request month and year of birth; under‑18 users are blocked from creating accounts 
• Signals (e.g., user reports, parent/guardian notices) may result in investigation and termination of underage accounts 
• Parents/guardians may report underage accounts at underage@hyvforge.com 

15. Data Security 

• Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS) 
• Access control and session protection 
• Regular patching and server hardening 

No system is perfectly secure, but we follow industry best practices to protect your data. 

16. Changes to This Policy 

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material updates will be communicated via the app or email. Continued use of HYV after changes take effect indicates acceptance of the revised policy. 

17. Contact Us 

For privacy‑related inquiries, requests, or complaints, contact: 

HyvForge LLC 

info@hyvforge.com 

18. Notice at Collection & Mobile Permission Prompts 

• On first run, HYV presents a Notice at Collection describing categories of PI, purposes, and retention highlights 
• When requesting access to location, camera, or notifications, HYV uses just‑in‑time permission prompts explaining the business purpose 
• An in‑app Privacy Center links to this Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, and Community Guidelines