EkubHub

This Privacy Policy describes how Pitron (“we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, stores, and protects personal information when you use the EkubHub mobile application (Android package et.pitrontech.equb / com.ekubhub.ekub_hub, iOS bundle com.ekubhub.ekubHub) and related digital financial services.

By creating an account or using the App, you agree to this Policy. During identity verification (KYC), you must also explicitly review and accept our Terms of Service, this Privacy Policy, and an anti-money-laundering (AML) declaration.

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01 Who we are

02 Who this Policy applies to

This Policy applies to users of the EkubHub mobile app who:

• Register and sign in with a verified phone number (OTP)
• Create, join, or administer Equb saving groups
• Complete KYC / customer due diligence (identity verification)
• Contribute payments, make transfers, or receive cycle payouts
• Engage with in-app notifications, member queues, and customer support

Age requirement: You must be at least 18 years old. Date of birth provided during KYC is strictly validated against an 18+ eligibility rule.

03 Information we collect

3.1 Account and authentication

When you register or authenticate, we process:

• Full name
• Phone number in E.164 international format
• One-time password (OTP) codes for verification
• Cryptographic access and refresh tokens for session management
• Onboarding and compliance progress state
• Client header identifier (X-Client-Type: mobile)

3.2 Profile information

We collect and manage:

• Full name, phone number, and optional email address
• Profile avatar image (selected from device gallery or camera)
• Account verification status and KYC standing
• Role assignments (e.g. Member or Organizer)
• Aggregate participation metrics (total contributed, total received, reliability rate, group counts)
• Language and UI theme preferences (stored locally on device)

3.3 Identity verification (KYC)

To verify identity and satisfy anti-money-laundering (AML) regulatory compliance, we collect:

Identification Document:

• Legal full name
• Document type (e.g. Fayda National ID, Kebele ID, Passport, Driver’s License)
• Official document number
• Date of birth, gender, and nationality

Residential Address:

• Region, zone, woreda, kebele, and house number (optional)
• Proof of address document (optional)

Economic Profile:

• Occupation, employer name, and income bracket (optional)
• Bank provider name and payout account number (optional)

Biometrics & Document Verification:

• Front (and back where required) photograph of your ID document
• Live facial photograph (selfie) for liveness and facial matching

Compliance Consents:

• Explicit acceptance of Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
• Anti-money laundering and legitimate source-of-funds declaration

Other Equb members see only a privacy-restricted subset (full name, avatar, KYC status badge, and reliability rate). ID numbers, physical street addresses, and raw document scans are never exposed to other group members.

3.4 Equb groups and membership

When managing or participating in Equbs, we process:

• Group title, description, contribution amount, currency (ETB), cycle frequency, member quotas, payout method, visibility settings, and cycle schedule
• Membership roster (user ID, group ID, role, active status, payout queue index, joined date)
• Direct invite phone numbers you enter manually to send invitation notifications
• Dynamic universal invite deep links (https://equb.deeplink.pitrontech.et/join/<CODE>)

3.5 Organizer banking information

Organizers requesting authorized group administrator status submit:

• Bank institution name, bank routing code, and commercial account number
• Proof of bank ownership document (statement or letter)
• Designated subaccount routing tokens (e.g. Chapa merchant subaccount)

3.6 Payments and transactions

We process transaction logs including:

• Contribution amounts, currency (ETB), payment channels, and settlement statuses
• Unique payment reference numbers, gateway checkout tokens, and transaction timestamps
• Recipient identifiers and payout disbursement records

Direct electronic payments are securely conducted via certified gateway partners like Chapa via encrypted WebView sessions.

3.7 Notifications and activity

We manage notification delivery covering contribution due dates, successful receipts, draw order results, cycle winner notices, and administrative alerts.

3.8 Customer support and dispute resolution

When you submit a support inquiry or dispute, we record the ticket category, description, associated Equb ID, transaction references, and supporting evidence.

3.9 Technical and device data

We process necessary technical parameters for app operation:

• Secure session tokens stored in local device storage
• Real-time connection credentials for Socket.IO group state syncing
• Deep-link intent payloads when opening links

We do not embed third-party advertising trackers, behavior-profiling SDKs, or sell user telemetry data.

3.10 Information we do not collect

• No precise GPS tracking: Address details are chosen from administrative catalogs.
• No address book harvesting: Invites only use phone numbers you specifically type.
• No raw biometric data storage: Native biometric unlock (if enabled on device) remains strictly inside your phone’s secure enclave.

04 How we use your information

We process personal data solely for transparent financial and operational objectives:

1. Facilitating Equb Cycles: Maintaining group rosters, tracking contribution payments, executing cycle lotteries or spins, and disbursing payouts.
2. Identity Verification & Regulatory Compliance: Performing KYC checks, preventing fraud, and adhering to financial anti-money-laundering (AML) standards.
3. Financial Processing: Generating payment checkout links, verifying webhooks, and routing bank payouts.
4. Service Communication: Dispatching OTP codes, upcoming payment reminders, and cycle winner alerts.
5. Customer Care & Dispute Arbitration: Resolving support tickets and investigating payment discrepancies.
6. Account & Session Protection: Safeguarding your account against unauthorized access or takeover attempts.

05 Legal bases for processing

We process your data in accordance with recognized data protection principles:

• Contractual Performance: Providing core Equb community savings and account management functionality you request.
• Consent: KYC documentation uploads, privacy policy agreements, and camera/gallery access.
• Legal & Regulatory Mandates: Retaining financial transaction records and verifying customer identity under anti-money-laundering rules.
• Legitimate Interests: Protecting the integrity and security of the financial community from fraud.

06 How we share information

We only disclose information to trusted parties essential for service fulfillment:

We never sell, rent, or trade your personal data to advertisers or third-party marketing brokers.

07 Third-party services

The App integrates securely with certified external partners:

• Chapa Financial Services: Regulated payment gateway for digital contributions
• Socket.IO Realtime: Encrypted WebSocket service for instant group status updates
• Universal Deep Linking: Domain link infrastructure (equb.deeplink.pitrontech.et and scheme et.pitrontech.equb://)

08 Data stored on your device

For high performance and offline safety, the App retains encrypted local state:

• Authentication tokens and user credentials stored in secured app preferences
• Language, theme preferences, and offline draft storage
• Cached group rosters for fast rendering

Logging out or uninstalling the app purges sensitive session authentication tokens from your local device.

09 Data retention & deletion

We preserve personal data only as long as your account is operational and necessary to complete ongoing Equb cycles, fulfill statutory tax/financial compliance, or resolve disputes.

Account Deletion: You may submit an account and personal data deletion request by contacting info@pitrontech.et (or techpitron@gmail.com) or through the in-app support center. Subject to legal and audit retention constraints, your personal profile and identity credentials will be permanently erased.

10 Security measures

We implement multi-layered administrative, physical, and technical safeguards:

• End-to-end transport encryption via HTTPS (TLS 1.3)
• Encrypted token-based authentication with auto-expiring access tokens
• Immediate revocation endpoints for ending active sessions across all devices
• Segregated access controls and restricted database access

11 Your rights and choices

As an EkubHub member, you have clear rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Review your registered profile and transaction history at any time.
• Rectification: Correct inaccurate profile information or update obsolete records.
• Revocation: Revoke optional permissions (such as camera or file gallery access) in your device settings.
• Erasure: Request deletion of your account and personal records when you are not participating in active Equb cycles.

12 Children’s privacy

EkubHub is strictly designed for adults aged 18 and above. We do not knowingly enroll or process data from minors. Any discovered minor accounts will be promptly closed and associated data purged.

13 Cross-border processing

Our core infrastructure is hosted within secure, certified cloud data centers. Payment and typography assets may route through certified global partners operating under stringent data protection standards.

14 App permissions

15 Changes to this Policy

We may amend this Privacy Policy to reflect regulatory developments or product enhancements. We will announce significant revisions through in-app notifications and official platform channels. Continued participation in Equb groups following updates constitutes acknowledgment of the revised policy.

16 Contact us

For any privacy inquiries, data subject requests, or security reports, please reach out to our dedicated compliance team: