Privacy Policy

Welcome to Hellosota ("we," "our," or "us"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application (the "App") and our website at hellosota.com (the "Site"), and our smart home security camera products and services (collectively, the "Services").

Please read this policy carefully. By using our Services, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of our Services.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

• Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your name, email address, and password.
• Purchase Information: When you purchase a product, we collect billing address, shipping address, and payment method details (processed securely by our payment providers — we do not store full card numbers).
• Support Communications: If you contact us for support, we collect the content of your messages and any attachments you send.

Information Collected Automatically

• Device Information: Device model, operating system version, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information.
• App Usage Data: Features accessed, time and duration of use, settings configurations, and crash reports.
• Network Information: Your local Wi-Fi network name (SSID) is used solely to connect your camera to your home network. We do not store your Wi-Fi password.
• Log Data: IP address, browser type, pages visited on our Site, and referring URLs, collected via standard server logs and analytics tools.

Camera & Sensor Data

• Video Footage: Video recorded by your Hellosota cameras is stored locally on the device's built-in storage (8GB or 16GB depending on model) or in our optional cloud service if you subscribe.
• Motion Events: Metadata about detected motion events (timestamp, duration) may be synced to our servers to enable push notifications and event history in the App.
• Audio: Two-way audio data is transmitted in real time during active live-view sessions and is not stored on our servers unless cloud recording is enabled.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and manage your account and provide access to our Services
• Connect and configure your Hellosota cameras and accessories
• Send push notifications for motion alerts, doorbell events, and system updates
• Process your purchases and send order confirmations and shipping updates
• Provide customer support and respond to your inquiries
• Improve our products, App, and website through aggregated analytics
• Send promotional emails about new products or offers (you may opt out at any time)
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service

3. Camera, Microphone & Device Permissions

Our App requests the following device permissions:

• Camera: Required to enable QR code scanning for camera setup, and to use your phone's camera for two-way video calling features.
• Microphone: Required for two-way audio communication through your Hellosota cameras.
• Local Network / Wi-Fi: Required to discover and connect to Hellosota devices on your home network.
• Notifications (Push): Required to deliver motion alerts and event notifications to your phone.
• Storage / Photo Library: Required only if you choose to save video clips or screenshots to your phone's photo library.
• Location (optional): Used only if you enable geofencing features for automatic arm/disarm. We do not track your location continuously.

4. Local Storage & Cloud Storage

Local Storage (Free)

All Hellosota cameras include built-in local storage (8GB on S200; 16GB on S210 and S310 models). Video recordings stored locally remain entirely on your device and are not uploaded to our servers unless you explicitly enable cloud backup.

Optional Cloud Storage

If you subscribe to Hellosota Cloud, video footage is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest (AES-256) on our cloud servers. You control which cameras upload footage and can delete cloud recordings at any time through the App. Cloud data is retained for the duration of your subscription and deleted within 30 days of subscription cancellation.

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: We share data with trusted third-party vendors who help us operate our Services (e.g., cloud hosting, payment processing, push notification delivery, analytics). These vendors are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the services they provide to us.
• Business Transfers: If Hellosota is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or prominent notice on our Site.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request.
• Safety: We may disclose information if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Hellosota, our users, or the public.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide our Services. Specifically:

• Account data is retained until you delete your account.
• Motion event metadata is retained for up to 30 days in the App's event history.
• Cloud recordings are retained for the period specified by your cloud plan (typically 7 or 30 days rolling).
• Purchase records are retained for up to 7 years for legal and tax compliance purposes.
• Support communications are retained for up to 2 years.

You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time by contacting us at 957408066@qq.com.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information, including:

• TLS 1.2+ encryption for all data transmitted between the App and our servers
• AES-256 encryption for data stored in our cloud services
• Secure password hashing (bcrypt)
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Access controls limiting employee access to personal data on a need-to-know basis

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security. If you believe your account has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

8. Children's Privacy

Our Services are not directed to children under the age of 13 (or under 16 in the European Economic Area). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us at 957408066@qq.com and we will promptly delete it.

9. Your Rights & Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data (subject to certain legal exceptions).
• Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Opt-out of marketing: Unsubscribe from promotional emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in each email, or by contacting us.
• Push notification opt-out: Disable push notifications through your device's Settings app at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at 957408066@qq.com. We will respond within 30 days.

10. GDPR (European Users)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives you certain rights. Our legal bases for processing your personal data are:

• Contract performance: To provide the Services you have requested (account creation, camera setup, order processing).
• Legitimate interests: To improve our Services, prevent fraud, and ensure security.
• Consent: For marketing communications and optional features (e.g., geofencing). You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Legal obligation: Where processing is required by law.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority.

11. CCPA (California Users)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants you the following rights:

• Right to Know: The categories and specific pieces of personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell.
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal information we have collected, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to Opt-Out: We do not sell your personal information. There is nothing to opt out of regarding data sales.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.

To submit a CCPA request, contact us at 957408066@qq.com with the subject line "CCPA Request."

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you by:

• Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• Sending a notification through the App or via email

Your continued use of our Services after any changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

• Email: 957408066@qq.com
• Mailing Address: Office 216 2nd Floor, Alpha House, 27-33 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, HK