Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 2026

PUNCH is built privacy-first. This policy explains what we collect, why, how long we keep it, and the control you have over it. Plain language, no dark patterns. If anything here is unclear, email hello@punchsocial.co.

1. What we collect

• Account information — your handle, email, and/or phone number, and your display name and avatar.
• Content you create — posts, comments, stories, live streams, and the media you upload.
• Device & technical data — device model, operating system, app version, and IP address.
• Usage analytics — how you navigate the app, to improve the product (via PostHog).
• Crash & error reports — diagnostic data when something breaks (via Sentry).
• Payment information — if you subscribe or tip, processed by Stripe. We never see or store your full card number.

2. What we do not collect

• The contents of your DMs. Direct messages are encrypted; we cannot read them.
• Facial recognition data. We do not run facial recognition on your photos.
• Your contacts — unless you explicitly choose to sync them.
• Precise location — unless you explicitly add a location to a post.

3. How we use your information

To operate and secure the service, deliver your content to the people you choose, power features you turn on (such as discovery or notifications), process payments, prevent abuse and enforce our moderation policy, and comply with the law. We do not sell your personal data, and we do not train AI models on your private content.

4. Third-party services

We rely on a small set of trusted providers to run PUNCH:

• Supabase — database, authentication, and media storage
• Agora — live video streaming
• Stream — direct messaging infrastructure
• Mux — video processing and playback
• Cloudflare — DNS and content delivery
• Hive AI & OpenAI — automated content moderation
• Stripe — payments and creator payouts
• Resend — transactional email
• Sentry & PostHog — error monitoring and product analytics

5. Your rights and choices

• Access — request a copy of your data.
• Delete — delete your account in-app (Settings → Account). Deletion is permanent after a short grace period.
• Portability — export your content in a machine-readable format.
• Correction — update your profile and account details any time.
• Opt out — turn off marketing email and tune or disable algorithmic recommendations entirely.

6. Children and minors

PUNCH is not intended for anyone under 13. Users under 18 receive additional protections by default, including restrictions on who can message them and limits on targeted recommendations. We comply with COPPA and applicable child-safety requirements.

7. Data retention

We keep account data until you delete your account, plus a 30-day grace period to allow recovery. You can delete individual posts at any time. Operational logs are retained for up to 90 days and encrypted backups for up to 35 days, after which they are purged.

8. Government and legal requests

We disclose data only when legally required, we push back on overbroad requests, and we intend to publish a regular transparency report summarizing the requests we receive.

9. Data location and transfers

Data is primarily stored in the United States (US-East region). Where we serve users in other regions, we apply appropriate safeguards for cross-border transfers consistent with GDPR and other applicable laws.

10. Security

Data is encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest. Direct messages are encrypted. Access to production systems is restricted and logged, and we conduct security reviews before major releases.

11. Changes to this policy

We will update this page as PUNCH evolves and note the date at the top. For material changes we will notify you in-app or by email before they take effect.

12. Contact

Questions or requests: hello@punchsocial.co.

This policy is a working draft prepared for launch and will be reviewed by counsel before broad public release. It reflects PUNCH's current data practices in good faith.