Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

WhoBe (“WhoBe”, “we”, “our”, or “us”) is a privacy-first contact manager delivered by HowBe. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard information when you use the WhoBe web application, Google Sheets templates, automations, and related services (collectively, the “Services”).

By using the Services, you agree to the practices described here. You retain ownership of the data you store in your Google Sheets.

2. Information We Collect

Because you control the Sheets, you decide what information to store. Please ensure you have the right to store and share contact details, especially for EU/UK residents.

3. How We Use Information

• Provide, maintain, and improve the WhoBe experience within Google Sheets.
• Sync, organize, and enrich your network using data you supply (e.g., LinkedIn URLs).
• Power AI features you request, such as summaries, message drafts, business card extraction, and follow-up suggestions.
• Deliver automation (tagging, reminders, deduplication, notifications) at your request.
• Process payments and manage subscriptions.
• Respond to support tickets and communicate updates or security alerts.
• Analyze usage and performance to improve reliability and user experience.
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms of service.

4. AI Features & Data Sharing

What data is sent: When you use AI features, we may send the following data: text you enter, contact fields (name, company, job title, phone, email), notes, message drafts, voice transcripts, and images of business cards.

Who the data is sent to: We send this data to Google Cloud Vertex AI (Gemini) to process AI requests.

Why it is sent: We use the AI service to generate summaries, draft messages, extract business card details, and provide follow-up suggestions.

Consent: We ask for your permission in the app before sending personal data to the AI service.

Retention & protection: We only send what is necessary to fulfill the request. Data is transmitted securely. We do not sell personal data.

5. Storage & Ownership in Google Sheets

WhoBe operates inside your Google account. All core contact data is stored in Google Sheets that you own. We do not copy your full contact database to our servers.

Data storage: Core contact records live in your Google Sheets. Limited operational data (authentication records, app configuration, and subscription status) may be stored with our processors such as Google Firebase and RevenueCat. If you choose AI features, request data is transmitted to Google Cloud Vertex AI for processing as described in Section 4.

• You manage sharing permissions on the Sheets (view, edit, transfer).
• You can export, duplicate, or delete the Sheets at any time.
• Our scripts temporarily process the data to complete actions you initiate (e.g., enrichment, tagging) and then relinquish access.

If you uninstall WhoBe or revoke access, automations stop running, but your Sheets remain intact within your Google Drive.

6. Sharing of Information

We do not sell your contact data. Information may be shared with:

• Service providers that power optional features (e.g., AI processing, analytics, payments, and Google APIs) under confidentiality agreements.
• Legal authorities when required to comply with applicable law, protect safety, or enforce our rights.

You control which collaborators have access to your Sheets; please review Google’s sharing settings regularly.

7. Third-Party Processors

We use third-party processors to provide and operate the Services. These providers are required to protect your data with protections equal to or stronger than our own and may use the data only to provide services to us.

• Google Cloud Vertex AI (Gemini): AI processing of user-provided content.
• Google Firebase (Auth, Core, Storage): authentication, app initialization, and storage of user files/images where applicable.
• Google Sign-In: OAuth sign-in and permissioned access.
• Google APIs for Contacts/Drive: importing contacts or files based on the scopes you authorize (e.g., contacts.readonly, drive.file).
• RevenueCat: subscription management and receipts.

8. Data Retention

Because your contacts live in your Google Sheets, you determine retention. We keep only limited operational data (support history, billing records) for as long as needed to deliver the Services and comply with legal obligations.

9. Security

We implement encryption in transit, OAuth-based authentication with Google, access controls, and monitoring to protect the automations that interact with your Sheets. No system is perfectly secure, so we recommend enabling two-factor authentication on your Google account and reviewing Drive sharing settings to minimize exposure.

10. Your Rights & Choices

• Access, edit, or delete your contact data directly in Google Sheets.
• Disable or uninstall WhoBe automation scripts at any time.
• Request data deletion of operational logs by emailing whobe.customer@gmail.com.
• Depending on your region (e.g., GDPR, CCPA), exercise additional privacy rights by submitting a verifiable request.

11. Children’s Privacy

WhoBe is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us so we can remove it.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as our practices evolve. The “Last updated” date reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be communicated through the product or via email where required.

13. Contact Us