Come say hi.

We’d love to have you. Questions or ideas? Write to us at support@hineighbours.com.

Get it onGoogle Play

This Privacy Policy explains how Sangrahah (“Hi Neighbours”, “we”, “us”, or “our”), the operator of the Hi Neighbours mobile application and website (together, the “Platform”), collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal data. It is published in accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, the rules made thereunder, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (“DPDP Act”) and applicable rules, as amended from time to time.

By creating an account or using the Platform, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform.

1. Who we are

Hi Neighbours is a community platform that lets people join and create local and interest-based communities, post content, comment, vote, message other members, and see trust indicators built around community participation. We currently operate primarily in India, with initial focus on Guwahati and Shillong.

For the purposes of the DPDP Act, we act as the Data Fiduciary in respect of the personal data described below.

2. Information we collect

a. Information you give us

• Account & identity: your mobile number (used for OTP sign-in), and, where you choose email sign-in, your email address; your display name; profile photo/avatar; and your chosen home locality.
• Content you create: posts, comments, votes, communities you create or join, community titles/roles, private messages you send, images and media you upload, reports/confirmations, and any other content you submit.
• Communications: messages you send to us (e.g. support, grievance, or feedback), and your communication preferences.
• Future features (when launched): if you use business/promotion features, your business details; if you use fundraising (“Raise Money”) features, additional verification/KYC and payment-related information required to comply with law and our payment partners.

b. Information we collect automatically

• Approximate location only. We use a coarse, locality-level indicator (a shortened geohash) to show you relevant local content. We do not collect, store, display, or share your precise GPS coordinates or exact address.
• Device & technical data: device type, operating system, app version, language, IP address, and similar identifiers.
• Usage data: how you interact with the Platform (e.g. communities viewed, content posted, features used), and log data.
• Cookies and similar technologies on our website, where applicable.

c. Information from third parties

• Our authentication and SMS/OTP providers (to send and verify one-time codes).
• Our infrastructure and content-moderation providers (see Section 5).
• Where applicable in future, payment and verification partners for fundraising features.

d. Images and metadata. When you upload images, we process them through a pipeline that strips embedded metadata (such as EXIF location data) before storage, so that hidden location or device information in your photos is not retained or exposed.

3. How we use your information

We use personal data to:

• create and secure your account and authenticate sign-in;
• operate core features — communities, posts, comments, votes, feeds, search, and private messaging;
• show you relevant local and interest-based content using your approximate locality;
• calculate and display trust scores and community indicators (including “Community Confirmed” labels in local-news communities);
• detect, prevent, and address spam, abuse, fraud, safety issues, and violations of our Terms;
• send you service communications and, where you have opted in, other updates (see our Communications & Email Consent notice and Section 6);
• respond to your requests, grievances, and legal obligations;
• analyse and improve the Platform.

We process your data based on your consent and other lawful bases permitted under the DPDP Act (such as certain legitimate uses and legal compliance).

4. The Platform is public by nature

Communities, posts, comments, votes, display names, profile photos, and trust indicators are, by default, visible to other users of the Platform and may be visible publicly depending on the community. Please do not post anything you consider private or sensitive. Private messages are intended to be seen only by you and your recipient, but you are responsible for whom you choose to message.

5. How we share information

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only as follows:

• With other users, as described in Section 4 (public/community content).
• With service providers who process data on our behalf under contractual safeguards, including cloud hosting and database services (e.g. Supabase), SMS/OTP delivery, and automated content moderation (e.g. Cloudflare Workers AI).
• For legal reasons: to comply with applicable law, legal process, or enforceable governmental request; to enforce our Terms; or to protect the rights, safety, and property of users, the public, or us.
• In a business transfer: in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, subject to this Policy.
• With your consent, for any other purpose disclosed to you.

6. Communications

When you sign in and consent, we may send you emails and/or in-app or push notifications. Some communications are essential to the service (e.g. one-time codes, security and account notices, and important legal or policy updates) and cannot be opted out of while your account is active. Other communications (e.g. activity digests or product updates) are optional, and you can turn them off in settings, via the unsubscribe link, or on our Unsubscribe page. Details are set out in our Communications & Email Consent notice.

7. Data retention

We retain personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Platform, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When you delete your account, we delete or de-identify your personal data within a reasonable period, except where retention is required by law or for legitimate purposes (e.g. fraud prevention, records of transactions). See our Account & Data Deletion page.

8. Data security

We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures, including access controls, row-level security, encryption in transit, and metadata stripping for images. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If a personal data breach occurs, we will act in accordance with applicable law.

9. Your rights

Subject to the DPDP Act, you may have the right to:

• access a summary of the personal data we process about you;
• correct, complete, or update your personal data;
• erase your personal data (subject to legal exceptions);
• withdraw consent at any time (this may limit your ability to use certain features);
• nominate an individual to exercise your rights in the event of death or incapacity; and
• grieve — raise a complaint with our Grievance Officer (see our Grievance Redressal page), and, where unresolved, approach the Data Protection Board of India.

To exercise these rights, use the in-app options where available or email delete@hineighbours.com (for deletion) or grievance@hineighbours.com. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

10. Children, child sexual abuse material, and disclosure to authorities

The Platform is intended for users aged 18 and above. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we learn that we have collected data from a person below the applicable age of majority without lawful consent, we will take steps to delete it. If you believe a minor is using the Platform, please contact us.

We do not treat child sexual abuse material lightly, and we never will. Any content that sexually exploits, abuses, endangers, or sexualises a minor — including child pornography or child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in any form, and any attempt to solicit, groom, or traffic a minor — is met with zero tolerance. Where we detect or are made aware of such content, we will:

• remove it immediately and permanently ban the accounts involved, and take down the community concerned where its purpose or conduct enabled the content;
• preserve the content and the associated account, device, IP, and log records as evidence, even after removal from public view and even if the user attempts to delete their account;
• report the matter to the police and other competent authorities and cooperate fully with them, as required under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO), the Information Technology Act, 2000 (including Section 67B), the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021; and
• pursue and support legal action against those responsible, to the fullest extent available under the law.

Disclosure of user and moderator information. Where we are required to do so by law, or on the order of a court, tribunal, or other competent authority or lawfully authorised government agency, we may disclose the personal information we hold — including identity, registered mobile number or email, IP address, device information, activity logs, and content — relating not only to the user who posted the content, but also to the president, moderators, or administrators of the community in which the content was posted or permitted to remain. We may also disclose such information where we reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent imminent harm to a child or to any person. We will limit any such disclosure to what the law or the order requires.

To report content of this kind, email grievance@hineighbours.com or support@hineighbours.com immediately, and use the in-app reporting tools. If a child is in immediate danger, contact the police (dial 112 in India) or the childline helpline (1098).

11. Processing and storage location

Your data may be processed and stored on servers operated by our providers, which may be located outside India, subject to safeguards and to any restrictions notified under the DPDP Act. By using the Platform, you consent to such processing where permitted by law.

12. Third-party links and services

The Platform may contain links to third-party sites or services (including, in future, businesses or payment providers). We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Please review their policies separately.

13. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version with a revised “Last updated” date and, for material changes, provide additional notice. Continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

14. Contact us and Grievance Officer

For privacy questions: support@hineighbours.com.

Grievance Officer: Rohit Choudhary, Hi Neighbours — grievance@hineighbours.com. Full details and timelines are set out on our Grievance Redressal page.

Hi Neighbours is operated from Guwahati, Assam, India. Correspondence should be sent by email to the addresses above.

These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Hi Neighbours mobile application and website (together, the “Platform”), operated by Sangrahah (“Hi Neighbours”, “we”, “us”, “our”).

By creating an account or using the Platform, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy and Community Guidelines. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering into a binding contract under Indian law to use the Platform. By using it, you represent that you meet these requirements.

2. Your account

• You sign in using a mobile number (via one-time code) or, where offered, email. You are responsible for keeping access to your number/email and account secure, and for all activity under your account.
• You agree to provide accurate information and to keep it updated.
• You may not impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation.
• We may refuse, suspend, or terminate accounts at our discretion, including for the reasons in these Terms.

3. The service

Hi Neighbours lets you join and create communities on local and general-interest topics; create posts; comment; upvote and downvote; message other members; and view trust scores and community indicators. Some communities have designated leaders (“presidents”) who may set posting rules within their community. Certain local-news communities may display a “Community Confirmed” label when other members confirm a report.

We may add, change, or remove features (including planned features such as business promotions and community fundraising) at any time.

4. Your content and licence

You retain ownership of the content you create (“User Content”). By posting User Content, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable licence to host, store, reproduce, adapt (e.g. resize images, strip metadata), publish, display, and distribute that content for the purpose of operating, promoting, and improving the Platform. This licence ends when you delete the content or your account, except for (a) content others have shared or saved, and (b) reasonable backup copies and records required by law.

You represent that you own or have the rights to your User Content and that it does not violate these Terms or any law or third-party right.

5. Acceptable use — prohibited content and conduct

You must not create, post, share, message, or organise communities around content or conduct that:

1. Promotes, glorifies, incites, or threatens violence, terrorism, or harm against any person or group;
2. Insults, demeans, or incites hatred or hostility on the basis of religion, caste, creed, ethnicity, race, place of birth, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic, or is otherwise hate speech;
3. Harasses, bullies, stalks, threatens, or intimidates any person, or coordinates such behaviour;
4. Is sexually explicit, obscene, or pornographic; sexually exploits, endangers, or depicts minors in any way (which we treat with zero tolerance and will report to authorities as required by law — see Section 6A);
5. Discloses another person’s private or personal information without consent (“doxxing”), including precise location, contact details, or identity documents;
6. Is defamatory, knowingly false, misleading, or spreads misinformation likely to cause public harm, panic, or communal disharmony;
7. Is unlawful, or promotes illegal goods, services, activities, or the evasion of law;
8. Infringes intellectual property, privacy, publicity, or other rights;
9. Is spam, a scam, fraud, a pyramid scheme, or deceptive; or manipulates votes, trust scores, confirmations, or engagement through bots, fake accounts, or coordinated inauthentic behaviour;
10. Contains malware, or attempts to hack, disrupt, overload, reverse-engineer, or gain unauthorised access to the Platform or its systems;
11. Impersonates any person or entity, including our staff or community leaders; or
12. Otherwise violates our Community Guidelines or applicable law.

6. Content moderation, takedown, and community removal

We may remove content, close communities, and suspend or terminate accounts. Specifically, and without limiting our other rights:

• We may, at our sole discretion and with or without prior notice, remove, restrict, hide, or delete any post, comment, message, image, community, or account that violates these Terms, our Community Guidelines, or applicable law — including any community or content that promotes violence, insults or attacks religion or any protected group, spreads hate speech, or otherwise breaches Section 5.
• We may take down or permanently delete an entire community (and remove its president/roles) where the community’s purpose, name, or activity violates our policies or the law.
• We use a combination of automated moderation (including third-party AI moderation) and human review. We also rely on user reports/flags. Automated systems are not perfect, and we do not guarantee that all violating content will be detected or removed.
• Where required by law (for example, in respect of certain non-consensual intimate content), we will act within the timelines prescribed under applicable rules.
• We may preserve and disclose content and account information where required by law or to protect users and the public.

Removal decisions may be appealed to our Grievance Officer (see the Grievance Redressal page). We may also permanently ban repeat or serious offenders.

6A. Child safety — zero tolerance

Content that sexually exploits, abuses, endangers, or sexualises a minor — including child pornography or child sexual abuse material in any form, and any attempt to solicit, groom, or traffic a minor — is never tolerated. We remove it immediately, permanently ban the accounts involved, take down the community concerned, preserve the content and associated records as evidence, report the matter to the police and other competent authorities, and support legal action against those responsible under POCSO, the IT Act (including Section 67B), and other applicable law.

Where required by law or by an order of a court or competent authority, we may disclose the information we hold about the user who posted such content and about the president, moderators, or administrators of the community in which it was posted or permitted to remain. Community presidents and moderators are responsible for the communities they run. Full details are in Section 10 of our Privacy Policy.

7. Reporting and safety

You can report content or users through the in-app reporting tools or by contacting support@hineighbours.com.

Hi Neighbours is not an emergency service. Local reports and confirmations are user-generated and may be inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date. Do not rely on the Platform for emergencies or safety-critical decisions. In an emergency, contact the appropriate authorities (in India, dial 112).

8. Trust scores and “Community Confirmed”

Trust scores and community indicators are our own signals, generated using factors we determine and may change at any time. They are not guarantees of any user’s identity, honesty, or reliability, and “Community Confirmed” only reflects that other members confirmed a report — it is not verification by us and is not a guarantee of truth. You should exercise your own judgement.

9. Businesses, promotions, and fundraising (where offered)

Where we make business/promotion or community fundraising (“Raise Money”) features available, additional terms, verification (including KYC), fees, and payment-partner terms will apply and are incorporated by reference. We are not a party to transactions, donations, or arrangements between users, businesses, or fundraisers, and we are not responsible for them. Contributions and dealings are at your own risk. We do not guarantee outcomes, delivery, or use of funds by any campaign or business.

10. Intellectual property

The Platform, including its software, design, trademarks, and branding, is owned by us or our licensors and is protected by law. Except for your User Content and the rights we expressly grant, you receive no rights in the Platform. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works from the Platform without our permission.

11. Third-party services

The Platform relies on third-party services and may link to third-party content. We are not responsible for third-party services, content, or terms.

12. Disclaimers

The Platform and all content are provided “as is” and “as available”, without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free, or that User Content (including local reports and confirmations) is accurate or reliable.

13. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we and our officers, employees, and partners will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for loss of data, goodwill, or profits, arising from or related to your use of the Platform or any User Content. Our total aggregate liability for any claim relating to the Platform will not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid us, if any, in the twelve months before the claim, or (b) INR 1,000, except where such limitation is not permitted by law.

14. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your User Content, your use of the Platform, or your violation of these Terms or any law or third-party right.

15. Suspension and termination

You may stop using the Platform and delete your account at any time via the Account & Data Deletion page. We may suspend or terminate your access at any time for violation of these Terms, legal reasons, or risk to the Platform or others. On termination, Sections that by their nature should survive (e.g. content licence for already-shared content, disclaimers, liability, indemnity, governing law) will survive.

16. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of India. Subject to applicable law, the courts at Guwahati, Assam shall have exclusive jurisdiction, and you consent to that jurisdiction and venue.

17. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will post the updated version with a revised date and, for material changes, provide additional notice. Continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

18. Grievance redressal and contact

For complaints and grievances, please see our Grievance Redressal page, or contact our Grievance Officer at grievance@hineighbours.com. General queries: support@hineighbours.com.

Hi Neighbours is operated from Guwahati, Assam, India. Correspondence should be sent by email to the addresses above.

Hi Neighbours, operated by Sangrahah, is committed to addressing your concerns about content, conduct, and personal data on our Platform. This page is published in accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and applicable rules.

1. Grievance Officer

In accordance with the applicable law, the details of our Grievance Officer are:

• Name: Rohit Choudhary
• Designation: Grievance Officer, Hi Neighbours
• Email: grievance@hineighbours.com
• Contact: by email at grievance@hineighbours.com (Guwahati, Assam, India)
• Working hours: Monday–Friday, 10:00–18:00 IST, excluding public holidays

The same officer also serves as the contact point for grievances relating to the processing of your personal data under the DPDP Act, unless a separate Data Protection Officer is named.

2. What you can raise a grievance about

You may contact the Grievance Officer regarding, among other things:

• content that you believe violates our Terms, Community Guidelines, or the law (e.g. hate speech, incitement to violence, insults to religion or protected groups, harassment, misinformation, obscenity, or content harmful to minors);
• a community that violates our policies or the law;
• removal or restriction of your content, community, or account (an appeal);
• misuse of your personal data, or exercise of your rights (access, correction, erasure, withdrawal of consent, nomination);
• impersonation, privacy violations, or disclosure of personal information; or
• any other concern about the Platform.

3. How to file a grievance

Email grievance@hineighbours.com with:

1. your name and contact details (and your account handle/registered number, if any);
2. a clear description of the grievance;
3. the specific content, community, user, or data involved (with links, screenshots, or identifiers where possible);
4. the relief or outcome you are seeking; and
5. a statement that the information you provide is accurate to the best of your knowledge.

We may contact you to verify your identity or seek more information.

4. Our timelines

• We will acknowledge your grievance within 24 hours of receipt.
• We will resolve the grievance within 15 days of receipt, or within any shorter period required by applicable law.
• For complaints regarding content that is in the nature of non-consensual intimate imagery or impersonation of that kind, we will act to remove or disable access within 24 hours of a valid complaint, as required by the IT Rules, 2021.
• For child sexual abuse material, we act immediately on becoming aware, preserve records as evidence, and report to the competent authorities (see Section 10 of our Privacy Policy).
• For data-protection grievances under the DPDP Act, we will respond within the timelines specified under the Act and its rules.

5. Escalation

If you are not satisfied with the resolution of a personal-data grievance, you may, after exhausting the grievance mechanism, approach the Data Protection Board of India in accordance with the DPDP Act. Nothing on this page limits any right or remedy available to you under law.

6. Contact

• Grievance Officer: grievance@hineighbours.com
• Data deletion requests: delete@hineighbours.com or our Account & Data Deletion page
• General support: support@hineighbours.com

Hi Neighbours is operated from Guwahati, Assam, India. Correspondence should be sent by email to the addresses above.

This notice explains what emails and notifications Hi Neighbours (“we”, “us”) sends when you sign in and consent, and how you can control them. It supplements our Privacy Policy.

1. Your consent

When you create an account and sign in, and where you tick the relevant consent option, you agree that we may contact you by email, in-app notification, and/or push notification at the contact details associated with your account, for the purposes below. You can withdraw optional consent at any time (see Section 4).

2. What we send

a. Essential communications (cannot be switched off while your account is active):

• Sign-in and security: one-time verification codes, new-device or suspicious-activity alerts, and password/account-recovery messages.
• Account and transactional notices: confirmations of important actions you take, and messages required to operate the service.
• Legal and policy updates: material changes to our Terms, Privacy Policy, or this notice, and other legally required notices.

b. Service communications (on by default, can be adjusted in settings):

• Activity relevant to you — for example replies to your posts, mentions, comments, community announcements, membership approvals, or messages you receive.
• Updates to your trust score or community roles.
• Periodic activity digests summarising what’s happening in your communities.

c. Optional / promotional communications (only if you opt in): product news, new features, tips, surveys, and offers.

We do not sell your contact details, and we do not send you third-party advertising emails.

3. Frequency

We aim to keep communications relevant and minimal. Digests and optional emails are sent on a reasonable, limited schedule. Essential and activity-based messages are sent as needed.

4. How to control communications

• In-app settings: adjust notification and email preferences at any time.
• Unsubscribe link: optional and most service emails include an unsubscribe or preferences link. You can also use our Unsubscribe page.
• Essential messages: for security and legal reasons, you cannot opt out of essential communications while your account is active. To stop all messages, delete your account (email delete@hineighbours.com, use in-app deletion, or our Account & Data Deletion page).

5. Contact

Questions about communications: support@hineighbours.com.