Privacy Policy

Information you provide

Account information. When you create or use an account, we collect information such as your email address, account identifier, authentication provider, username, and display name. If you use Sign in with Apple or Google Sign-In, we receive the information that provider makes available to us. We do not receive your Apple or Google password.

Profile information. We collect profile information you choose to provide, such as a profile photo, About information, and other profile fields available in the Service.

Storylines, Moments, and media. We collect the content you create or upload, including Storyline titles and descriptions, Moment photos and captions, content dates, and the audience or privacy settings you select.

Social activity. We collect actions needed to provide Tembo’s social features, such as Storylines you follow or unfollow and accounts you block.

Reports and support communications. If you report content or an account, contact support, submit a privacy request, or communicate with us, we collect the information you submit and the information reasonably necessary to investigate and respond. A report may include the reported profile, Storyline, or Moment; a reason; optional details; and the reporting account. We keep the reporter’s identity confidential from the reported person, except where disclosure is required by law.

Information collected automatically

When you use the Service, we and the providers that help us operate it may automatically collect:

• app version, build, and environment;
• device type, operating system, and operating-system version;
• IP address and basic network information processed when your device communicates with the Service;
• account and session identifiers used for authentication and security;
• limited product events, such as successful or failed sign-in method, onboarding completion, Storyline creation, Moment publishing outcomes, profile views, follows and unfollows, and account deletion outcomes;
• crash reports, error details, stack traces, diagnostic data, and performance information; and
• security logs and records used to prevent abuse, investigate incidents, and protect the Service.

Our product analytics are designed not to include captions, Storyline or Moment text, biographies, usernames, display names, email addresses, authentication tokens, or signed media URLs. Tembo does not use session replay or broad touch/screen autocapture in its launch analytics configuration.

Photos and device permissions

If you choose to add a photo, Tembo may request access to your photo library so you can select and upload that photo. Tembo does not need access to your contacts, microphone, or precise location for its current core features. You can manage photo permission through your device settings, although disabling it may prevent you from adding photo Moments or profile media.

We use information to:

• create, authenticate, secure, and maintain your account;
• provide profiles, Storylines, Moments, feeds, discovery, following, and other Service features;
• apply and enforce your privacy and audience choices;
• store, moderate, process, and deliver uploaded media;
• let users report content or accounts and block other users;
• detect, prevent, investigate, and respond to fraud, abuse, policy violations, security incidents, and technical problems;
• operate customer support and respond to privacy, content, and account-deletion requests;
• understand whether core features work and improve the reliability and usability of the Service;
• enforce our Terms of Use and Community Guidelines; and
• comply with law and protect the rights, safety, and integrity of Tembo, our users, and others.

We do not use your content to train a Tembo generative artificial-intelligence model.

Tembo is designed for sharing, but visibility depends on the settings and relationships that apply to the content.

• An Everyone audience means the content may be visible to signed-in Tembo users.
• A Circle audience means the content is limited to people in your Circle when that feature and audience are available.
• An Only you audience means the content is visible only to you.
• A Storyline may inherit your account-level visibility or use a narrower audience. It cannot use a broader audience than your account permits.
• Blocking creates a safety boundary between accounts and may prevent either account from viewing or interacting with the other’s content.

Even when content is private or limited, Tembo may process it to provide the Service, enforce safety rules, investigate reports, secure the Service, and comply with law. Privacy settings do not prevent a person who can view content from capturing or sharing it outside Tembo, so only post content you are comfortable sharing with the selected audience.

Tembo may use automated systems and service providers to assess text and images for potential violations of our Terms or Community Guidelines. Automated results are evidence for Tembo’s safety process; they do not by themselves determine who may view content. Content may be allowed, held for review, rejected, or removed under Tembo’s policies.

Authorized personnel may review reports, content, related account information, and moderation records when reasonably necessary to enforce our policies, protect users, or comply with law. We limit access to this information based on operational need.

We may disclose information in the following circumstances.

Other Tembo users

We disclose profile information, Storylines, Moments, and social activity to other users as needed to provide the Service and according to applicable privacy, audience, and blocking rules.

Service providers

We use providers that process information on our behalf to operate the Service. Depending on the feature, these providers include:

• Supabase for authentication, databases, server functions, and application infrastructure;
• Cloudflare for media storage, processing, security, and delivery;
• PostHog for limited product analytics;
• Sentry for error monitoring, crash diagnostics, and performance monitoring;
• Apple and Google for authentication and app-platform services; and
• Expo/EAS for application builds, updates, and related app infrastructure.

These providers process information under their own terms and privacy commitments and only for the purposes for which we engage them or as otherwise permitted by law.

Legal, safety, and enforcement reasons

We may preserve, access, or disclose information if we reasonably believe it is necessary to:

• comply with law, regulation, legal process, or a valid governmental request;
• protect the rights, property, safety, or security of Tembo, our users, or others;
• investigate or prevent fraud, abuse, security incidents, or violations of our policies; or
• establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

Business transfers

If Tembo is involved in a merger, financing, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, sale of assets, or similar transaction, information may be disclosed or transferred as part of that transaction, subject to applicable law.

With your direction

We may disclose information when you ask us to or give us permission.

Tembo does not sell personal information for money. Tembo does not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising and does not use third-party targeted advertising in the current Service.

If our practices change, we will update this Privacy Policy and provide choices required by applicable law before using information for those purposes.

We keep information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, including to provide and secure the Service, comply with law, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements.

Retention depends on the type of information:

• Account, profile, Storyline, Moment, relationship, and media records are generally retained while your account or the relevant content remains active.
• Content you delete is removed from normal user-facing surfaces. Some underlying records or provider copies may remain temporarily while deletion and media cleanup are completed.
• If you delete your account, Tembo immediately makes your account, profile, relationships, Storylines, Moments, and media unavailable through the Service. Authentication deletion and provider cleanup may complete asynchronously.
• Limited security, fraud-prevention, moderation, report, transaction, diagnostic, backup, or legal records may be retained when reasonably necessary or legally required. Where account-linked safety or audit records must remain after account deletion, Tembo will restrict access and de-identify account references where appropriate.
• Backups and provider systems may retain copies for a limited period under their normal deletion cycles, but those copies are not restored to the live Service except where necessary for security or disaster recovery.

Depending on the feature and your location, you may be able to:

• edit profile information;
• change account or Storyline visibility;
• follow or unfollow Storylines;
• block another user;
• report a profile, Storyline, or Moment;
• delete a Moment or Storyline;
• delete your account; or
• request access to, correction of, deletion of, or a copy of certain personal information.

To use in-app controls, open Persona → Settings. To delete your account, open Persona → Settings → Account → Delete account and follow the confirmation steps. If you cannot access the app, email support@heytembo.com from the email address associated with your account. See Make a privacy request for details.

We may need to verify your identity before completing a privacy request. Never send us your password, verification code, access token, or social sign-in credentials. We may deny or limit a request where permitted by law, such as when we cannot verify the request or must retain information for security, legal, or safety reasons. You may use an authorized agent where applicable law permits, but we may require proof of authority and verification of your identity.

You will not be discriminated against for exercising an applicable privacy right. If we deny a request and local law provides an appeal right, you may appeal by replying to our decision or emailing us with the subject Privacy appeal.

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information. Data transmitted between the Tembo app and our services is encrypted in transit using secure network protocols such as HTTPS/TLS. Access to production systems and sensitive moderation information is restricted based on operational need.

No system is completely secure. You are responsible for protecting access to your device and authentication accounts and for notifying us if you believe your Tembo account has been compromised.

Tembo and its service providers may process information in the United States and other countries where privacy laws may differ from those where you live. Where applicable law requires a transfer mechanism or additional safeguards, we will use appropriate measures for the transfer.

Where applicable law requires a legal basis, we process information:

• to perform our contract with you, including providing and securing your account and content;
• for our legitimate interests, including operating, improving, protecting, and preventing abuse of the Service, where those interests are not overridden by your rights;
• with your consent, where we ask for it, including for device permissions you may withdraw through device settings; and
• to comply with legal obligations or protect vital interests.

Where applicable, you may object to or request restriction of certain processing and may lodge a complaint with your local data-protection authority.

Tembo is not directed to children under 13, and users must meet any higher minimum age required in their country. We do not knowingly collect personal information from a child who is not legally permitted to use the Service. If you believe a child has provided personal information in violation of this section, contact us so we can investigate and take appropriate action.

If you are under the age of legal majority where you live, you may use Tembo only with the permission of a parent or legal guardian.

The Service may contain links to third-party websites or services. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies, not this Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review those policies before providing information.

We may update this Privacy Policy as the Service changes. If a change materially affects your rights or how we use personal information, we will provide notice through the Service, our website, email, or another appropriate method before the change takes effect when required by law. The date at the top shows when this Policy was last updated.

For privacy questions or requests, contact: