Privacy Policy

01 Introduction & Last Updated

This Privacy Policy ("Policy") explains how Talkiva ("Talkiva", "we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, discloses, and safeguards your information when you use our mobile application (the "Talkiva App") and our website talkiva.in (together, the "Services").

Talkiva is a platform that connects users with trained listeners through audio/video calling and 1-on-1 chat, in 35+ Indian languages, supported by a coin-based economy for purchasing session time, paying listeners, and withdrawing listener earnings.

By downloading, installing, registering on, or using the Services, you agree to the practices described in this Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Services. This Policy should be read together with our Terms of Service.

Last updated: 12 September 2026. This Policy is published in compliance with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the rules framed thereunder, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 ("DPDP Act"), as applicable in India.

02 Information We Collect

We collect personal information directly from you, automatically through your device when using the Talkiva mobile app or website, and through our authorized service partners. In accordance with Google Play Data Safety policies, we collect and process only the data strictly necessary to provide and secure our marketplace services:

a. Personal Information & Account Identifiers

• Full Name: Provided during profile setup to personalize your in-app account and support interactions;
• Phone Number: Used as your primary account identifier and verified via one-time password (OTP) for account security and authentication;
• Email Address: Used for transactional communications, coin purchase receipts, security alerts, and account support;
• Date of Birth (DOB): Used solely for mandatory age verification — Talkiva is strictly restricted to users aged 18 and older;
• Profile Pictures & Avatars: Talkiva utilizes a safe preset avatar library to preserve user anonymity. Where listeners upload profile pictures during verification, these images are processed strictly for verified listener profiles;
• Gender & State of Residence: Used to display relevant listener matching preferences and language availability.

b. Device, Technical & Network Identifiers

• Device ID & Hardware Identifiers: Unique device identifiers collected to secure account sessions, prevent device abuse or multi-account fraud, ensure licensing integrity, and deliver push notifications;
• IP Address: Collected during app and website requests for fraud prevention, location compliance, connection security, and network diagnostics;
• Operating System & App Version: Collected to diagnose performance bugs, ensure compatibility, and deliver software updates;
• Network State: Network connectivity details (WiFi/cellular) to optimize real-time streaming bitrate and network stability.

c. Communication & Session Data

• 1-on-1 Chat Messages: Ephemeral and stored messages exchanged inside the app to enable direct messaging between users and listeners;
• Call Metadata & Logs: Connection timestamps, call duration, listener ID, caller ID, and coin billing metrics. Talkiva does NOT record, listen to, or store the audio or video content of your live calls.

d. Financial & Payment Transaction Details

• Records of coin packages purchased (transaction timestamps, order IDs, Google Play purchase tokens, purchase currency, and coin balances);
• Listener earnings, redemption requests, and payout metadata (e.g., UPI ID or designated bank account details, held solely for Talkiva's internal payout system);
• Important: Talkiva never stores complete credit/debit card numbers, CVVs, expiration dates, or internet banking passwords (see Section 5).

03 Android Device Permissions & Explicit Justification

To deliver real-time 1-on-1 voice calling, video streaming, instant chat, and transaction alerts, the Talkiva Android mobile app requests specific device permissions. Below is an explicit breakdown of each permission and why it is required:

You can manage or revoke runtime permissions (Camera, Microphone, Notifications) anytime in your device settings (Settings → Apps → Talkiva → Permissions).

04 How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

1. Provide the Services — create and maintain your account, enable audio/video calls and 1-on-1 chat, and power your profile and avatar;
2. Match and connect — suggest listeners based on spoken language, availability, and ratings so you can talk in the language you're most comfortable with;
3. Process the coin economy — record coin purchases, deduct coins for sessions, credit coins to listeners, and process withdrawals of earnings;
4. Keep the platform safe — verify accounts via OTP, prevent fraud, abuse, harassment, and fake profiles, enforce our Community Guidelines, and respond to reports;
5. Support you — respond to queries, complaints, and grievances, and process refunds where applicable;
6. Improve the product — analyse aggregated usage patterns to fix bugs and design better features;
7. Communicate — service announcements and transactional updates (purchases, withdrawals), and — only with your consent — offers and product news;
8. Meet legal obligations — comply with applicable law, court orders, and lawful requests from authorities.

We do not sell your personal data. We do not use your chat messages or call metadata for advertising.

05 Payment & Financial Data

Talkiva operates a coin-based micro-economy where users purchase virtual coins to access 1-on-1 voice calling, video streaming, and chat services with listeners.

a. Payment Processing

All financial payment transactions for coin purchases are processed exclusively through certified, PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant payment service providers and app store billing platforms:

• Google Play Billing (Google LLC): The sole billing partner for all in-app purchases of digital goods (Coins) on the Android app, which supports UPI, credit/debit cards, and net banking directly through your Google Play account. Listener payouts are not processed through Google Play Billing; they are handled by Talkiva's internal payout system to the Listener's own verified bank account or UPI ID.

b. No Storage of Sensitive Financial Credentials

Talkiva does NOT store, capture, or have access to full credit card numbers, debit card numbers, CVVs, card expiration dates, or net banking passwords.

When you initiate a coin purchase, your payment data is entered directly into the secure Google Play purchase flow over encrypted TLS/SSL channels. Talkiva receives and retains only tokenized transaction receipts, order IDs, timestamps, payment status (success/failed), and coin credit amounts for order fulfillment and dispute resolution.

For listeners requesting earnings withdrawals, Talkiva securely collects your provided UPI ID or bank account details solely for the purpose of executing the payout transfer through our internal payout system.

06 Third-Party Services & Embedded SDKs

To provide high-quality real-time communications, secure authentication, cloud notifications, and payment processing, the Talkiva mobile app integrates reputable third-party software development kits (SDKs). These third parties process data strictly in accordance with their respective privacy policies:

07 Disclosure of Your Information

What other users can see

Other users (including listeners) can only see the public parts of your profile:

• Your chosen display name/nickname and avatar (never your real photo, since we do not allow photo uploads for users);
• The languages you speak and, for listeners, their specialities, bio, and ratings;
• Your online/call availability status.

Your phone number, email, date of birth, state, coin balance, and withdrawal details are never shown to other users.

What we may share with others

• Service providers — app store billing (Google Play), SMS/OTP providers, cloud hosting, and analytics vendors, strictly to operate the Services and under confidentiality obligations;
• Payment & withdrawal partners — the minimum financial details needed to complete your purchase or payout;
• Law enforcement and authorities — where required by law, court order, or a lawful request from a government or regulatory authority in India, including to investigate fraud, coercion, threats, or content involving the safety of minors;
• Safety emergencies — if we have a good-faith belief that disclosure is necessary to prevent serious harm to a user or others;
• Corporate events — in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, with notice to you and protection no weaker than this Policy.

We may also publish fully anonymised, aggregated statistics (e.g., total minutes listened) that cannot identify you.

08 Data Retention & Security

How long we keep your data

• Account and profile data — for as long as your account is active, and permanently deleted within 7 days following an account deletion request (with complete purge from backups within 90 days);
• Audio/Video Call Content — 0 days retention. Real-time streams are transmitted over encrypted channels and are never recorded or stored on any server;
• Chat messages & metadata — retained while your account is active to maintain messaging history, and purged upon account deletion;
• Financial and transaction records — retained for statutory periods (up to 7 years) as required under applicable Indian tax, GST, accounting, and RBI rules;
• Security and fraud data — IP and device signals retained for up to 180 days for abuse prevention and platform safety.

How we protect your data

• Your data is stored securely on our servers, with encryption of data in transit (TLS 1.2/1.3) and AES-256 safeguards for data at rest;
• Call sessions are routed over encrypted media channels (SRTP/DTLS); we do not record call audio or video;
• Access to personal data is restricted to authorized personnel on a strict need-to-know basis;
• Withdrawal requests require identity verification before payout.

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure (see the Disclaimer in Section 13), but we review and update our safeguards regularly.

09 Account & Data Deletion (User Rights)

In accordance with Google Play Store Data Safety rules and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act 2023), Talkiva provides users with complete autonomy to permanently delete their account and personal data at any time.

How You Can Delete Your Account & Personal Data

For detailed step-by-step instructions, visit our dedicated Account & Data Deletion Policy Page.

What Data is Permanently Deleted

• Your account profile (Full name, phone number, email address, age/DOB, state, and avatar);
• Your chat message history and communication records;
• Your device identifiers, push notification tokens, and preference flags;
• Any unspent virtual coin balances (forfeited upon account deletion as specified in our Terms of Service).

Data We Are Required to Retain After Deletion

We retain only the bare minimum data necessary to comply with statutory legal requirements:

• Financial purchase invoices, payout records, and transaction IDs (retained for statutory taxation and financial audit purposes under Indian law);
• Records of previously banned users (anonymized device hash / phone hash) strictly to prevent malicious users from re-registering and violating community safety.

10 Cookie Policy (talkiva.in)

Our website talkiva.in uses cookies and similar technologies to:

• Essential cookies: Keep the site working (security, session integrity, load balancing). These cannot be switched off;
• Preference cookies: Remember choices such as language or previously viewed sections;
• Analytics cookies: None. We do not currently use analytics or tracking cookies on our website. If that ever changes, this Policy will be updated first, and consent will be obtained where required by law.

The mobile App does not use browser cookies; it uses device identifiers for the limited technical purposes described in Section 2(b).

11 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will always show the current version.

For material changes, we will notify you through the App (and/or by email) before the changes take effect. Continued use of the Services after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy. If you disagree with a change, you may stop using the Services and request deletion of your account (Section 9).

12 Grievance Officer & Contact Info

Under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the DPDP Act, 2023, we have appointed a Grievance Officer to address your questions and complaints about this Policy or our data practices. We aim to acknowledge every grievance within 48 hours and resolve it within 30 days.

13 Disclaimer & Emergency Helpline

While we implement industry-standard safeguards, no transmission of data over the internet and no electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be absolutely secure. You share information with us at your own risk. Where technically feasible, you should also do your part — keep your OTPs and passwords private, and never share financial credentials with anyone on the platform.

Talkiva provides emotional-support conversations with trained listeners. Talkiva is not a medical or mental-health treatment service, and listeners are not doctors, therapists, or counsellors. If you are in crisis or an emergency, please contact your local emergency services or a government helpline (such as Tele-MANAS at 14416 or 1800-891-4416) immediately.

This Policy is governed by the laws of India.