Privacy Policy

Last updated: 31 May 2026

This Privacy Policy explains what information RAAW ("RAAW", "we", "us") collects, how we use it, and the choices you have. RAAW is operated by an individual based in Hyderabad, Telangana, India ("the operator"). By using RAAW you agree to this Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the app.

1. Who can use RAAW

RAAW is intended only for people aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If we learn that we have, we will delete it.

2. Information we collect

Information you give us

Phone number — used to verify your identity and sign you in (via one-time password).
Username and bio — your public profile on RAAW.
Content you post — moods, thoughts, stories, polls, asks, vents, reactions, and any images you upload.
Direct messages — messages you send to a connection are stored only so they can be delivered to that person. They stay private to your conversation — access is restricted to the two of you, and we do not use your messages for advertising, profiling, or any other purpose, and we never sell them. See Your messages below.
Contacts you choose to share — if you use "Find from Contacts", the phone numbers you select are checked against RAAW to find friends. We do not store your whole contact list.

Information collected automatically

Approximate location — if you allow it, your city, state, and country (and a coarse geohash) power location-based features like Mood Pulse. You can decline this.
Device and usage data — basic technical information needed to operate and secure the service.
Notification tokens — to deliver push notifications, if you enable them.

Early-access list (closed)

Before RAAW opened, our website invited visitors to register interest and stored the mobile number they entered. The website no longer does this — registering now creates a RAAW account directly, and is covered by the rest of this policy.

Numbers collected while that list was open are still held under the terms they were given: used only to say RAAW is available, never sold or shared, and removed at any time on request to hello@raaw.app. We also recorded which link brought you to the site, and a one-way hash of your IP address to stop the form being abused; the hash cannot be turned back into your address, and the address itself was never stored.

3. How we use your information

To create and secure your account and sign you in.
To operate core features — posting, feeds, buddies, connections, messaging, and Mood Pulse.
To help your contacts find you, and to find friends already on RAAW.
To keep RAAW safe — moderating content and enforcing our Community Guidelines.
To send you service-related and, if enabled, push notifications.
To comply with law and respond to lawful requests.

4. Your messages

Direct messages between connections are private to that conversation. We store them only to deliver them to the person you're chatting with, and access is technically restricted so that only the two participants can read them in the app. We do not read your messages to build profiles, target ads, or for any purpose other than operating the chat and keeping users safe, and we never sell them.

Messages are not currently end-to-end encrypted, which means they are stored in a form we could access if strictly required by law or to investigate serious abuse or safety threats. We only ever do so when genuinely necessary. If you need to share something highly sensitive, please keep that in mind.

5. Anonymity and visibility

RAAW lets you post anonymously and control who sees your content (public, buddies, or both). Anonymous posts do not show your username, but they are still associated with your account internally for safety and moderation.

6. How we share information

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with:

Service providers — primarily Google Firebase (authentication, database, file storage, hosting, and messaging) and content-moderation services that help us keep RAAW safe. These providers process data on our behalf under their own terms.
Other users — content and profile information you choose to make visible.
Legal authorities — where required by law or to protect the safety of users.

7. Data storage and security

Your data is stored on Google Firebase infrastructure and may be processed on servers outside India. We apply reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect it, but no system is perfectly secure.

8. Data retention

We keep your information while your account is active. When you delete your account, we delete your profile and content, except where we must keep limited records to comply with law, resolve disputes, or enforce our terms.

9. Your rights and choices

Access and correct — view and edit your profile in the app.
Delete — you can delete your account and data at any time. See Account & Data Deletion.
Location — you can decline or revoke location access in your browser/device settings.
Notifications — you can turn push notifications off.

10. Cookies and local storage

RAAW uses only functional storage needed to run the app (for example, to keep you signed in). See our Cookie Policy.

11. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. We will post the new version here with an updated date. Continued use of RAAW means you accept the changes.

12. Contact us

Questions about privacy? Email hello@raaw.app.