Privacy Policy

HawtAds Inc. Effective Date: February 26, 2026 Last Updated: February 26, 2026

1. Introduction

HawtAds Inc. ("HawtAds," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of our users. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store, and protect your personal information when you access or use our website at https://hawtads.com (the "Website") and any related services, applications, or platforms (collectively, the "Service").

HawtAds Inc. is a corporation registered in the Province of Ontario, Canada, with its principal office at 350 Bay St, Unit 1300B, Toronto, ON M5H 2S6.

This Privacy Policy is designed to comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) of Canada, the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), and other applicable privacy laws.

By using the Service, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Service immediately.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

Data Category	Details	Purpose
Account Information	Name, email address	Account creation and management
Identity Verification	Government-issued ID, date of birth, and other KYC data (collected and processed by Stripe)	Age and identity verification
Payment Information	Payment card details, billing address (collected and processed by Stripe)	Payment processing
User Assets	Logos, images, brand kits, and other materials you upload	Content generation
Prompts and Inputs	Text prompts, creative briefs, and configuration preferences	Generating advertising creatives
Communications	Emails, support tickets, feedback	Customer support and service improvement

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

Data Category	Details	Purpose
Device Information	Browser type, operating system, device type, screen resolution	Service optimization
Usage Data	Pages visited, features used, session duration, clickstream data	Analytics and service improvement
IP Address	Internet Protocol address	Security, fraud prevention, approximate geolocation
Cookies and Tracking	Cookies, pixels, and similar technologies (see Section 8)	Analytics, functionality, and user experience
Log Data	Server logs, error reports, access timestamps	Security, debugging, and performance monitoring

2.3 Information from Third Parties

Source	Data	Purpose
Stripe	Payment confirmation, verification status, fraud signals	Payment processing and identity verification
Analytics Providers	Aggregated usage statistics	Service improvement

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

Service Delivery: To create and manage your account, process your prompts, generate advertising creatives, and provide the core Service functionality.
Payment Processing: To process subscription payments, credit purchases, refunds, and related billing activities through Stripe.
Identity Verification: To verify your age and identity in compliance with applicable laws and our Terms and Conditions.
Content Moderation: To monitor, review, and enforce our acceptable use policies and detect prohibited content.
Communications: To send you transactional emails (account confirmations, payment receipts, service updates) and, with your consent, marketing communications.
Analytics and Improvement: To analyze usage patterns, improve the Service, develop new features, and optimize user experience.
Security: To detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, unauthorized access, and other malicious activity.
Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, or enforceable governmental requests.
Dispute Resolution: To resolve disputes and enforce our Terms and Conditions.

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom (UK), or Switzerland, we process your personal data under the following legal bases:

Legal Basis	Applicable Processing Activities
Contractual Necessity	Account management, service delivery, payment processing, content generation
Legitimate Interests	Analytics, service improvement, security, fraud prevention, content moderation
Legal Obligation	Identity verification, regulatory compliance, responding to legal requests
Consent	Marketing communications, non-essential cookies and tracking

You may withdraw your consent at any time where consent is the legal basis for processing. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out prior to withdrawal.

HawtAds does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.

We share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

5.1 Service Providers

We engage trusted third-party service providers who process data on our behalf to deliver the Service:

Provider	Purpose	Data Shared
Stripe	Payment processing and identity verification (KYC)	Payment details, identity documents, email
Vercel	Website and application hosting	Usage data, IP address, server logs
PostHog	Product analytics	Anonymized/pseudonymized usage data, device information
Google Analytics	Website analytics	Anonymized usage data, device information, IP address (anonymized)
Third-Party AI Providers	AI-powered content generation	Prompts, inputs, and User Assets necessary for generation

All service providers are bound by contractual obligations to protect your data and use it only for the specified purposes.

5.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to:

A valid court order, subpoena, or legal process;
A request from a law enforcement agency or regulatory authority;
The need to protect the rights, property, or safety of HawtAds, our users, or the public; or
The investigation or prevention of fraud, security threats, or illegal activity.

5.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you of any such transfer and any changes to this Privacy Policy.

We may share your information with third parties when you have given us explicit consent to do so.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law.

Data Type	Retention Period
Account Information	Duration of your account plus 2 years after deletion
Generated Content and User Assets	1 year from the date of creation or upload
Payment Records	7 years (Canadian tax and financial record-keeping requirements)
Identity Verification Data	Retained by Stripe in accordance with their retention policies
Usage and Analytics Data	26 months from collection
Server Logs	90 days
Communications/Support Tickets	3 years from resolution

After the applicable retention period, data is securely deleted or anonymized.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

Encryption: Data encrypted in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest;
Access Controls: Role-based access controls limiting data access to authorized personnel;
Infrastructure Security: Hosting on Vercel's secure, SOC 2-compliant infrastructure;
Monitoring: Continuous monitoring for security threats and anomalies;
Incident Response: Documented incident response procedures for data breaches.

While we take reasonable precautions, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

7.1 Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that poses a real risk of significant harm, we will:

Notify affected individuals as soon as feasible;
Report the breach to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and any other applicable data protection authorities as required by law; and
Take immediate steps to mitigate the breach and prevent recurrence.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

8.1 What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our Website. We use cookies and similar technologies to provide, secure, and improve the Service.

8.2 Types of Cookies We Use

Cookie Type	Purpose	Duration
Strictly Necessary	Essential for Website functionality (authentication, security)	Session / Persistent
Analytics	Understand how users interact with the Service (PostHog, Google Analytics)	Up to 26 months
Functional	Remember your preferences and settings	Up to 1 year

8.3 Managing Cookies

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the Service.

Google Analytics Opt-Out: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
PostHog: You may opt out of analytics tracking through our cookie consent banner.

8.4 Do Not Track

We currently do not respond to "Do Not Track" browser signals, as there is no uniform industry standard for compliance. However, you may use the cookie management options described above.

9. International Data Transfers

HawtAds is based in Ontario, Canada. Your personal information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including Canada and the United States.

9.1 Adequacy

Canada has been recognized by the European Commission as providing an adequate level of data protection. For transfers to other countries, we rely on:

Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission;
Contractual safeguards with our service providers; and
Your consent, where applicable.

9.2 Risks

When data is transferred internationally, it may be subject to the laws of the receiving country, which may differ from those in your jurisdiction.

10. Your Privacy Rights

10.1 Rights Under PIPEDA (Canada)

As a Canadian resident, you have the right to:

Access your personal information held by us;
Correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information;
Withdraw consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information (subject to legal or contractual restrictions);
File a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

If you are located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, you have the following rights:

Right of Access: Request a copy of your personal data;
Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data;
Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten");
Right to Restrict Processing: Request limitation of processing of your data;
Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format;
Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests;
Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time;
Right to Lodge a Complaint: File a complaint with your local data protection authority.

10.3 Rights Under CCPA/CPRA (California)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights:

Right to Know: Request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected;
Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal information;
Right to Correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal information;
Right to Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing: HawtAds does not sell or share personal information as defined under the CCPA/CPRA;
Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.

10.4 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of the above rights, please contact us at:

Email: legal@hawtads.com

We will respond to your request within thirty (30) days or within the timeframe required by applicable law. We may request additional information to verify your identity before processing your request.

11. Children's Privacy

The Service is not intended for individuals under the age of eighteen (18). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will take immediate steps to delete that information. If you believe a child under 18 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at legal@hawtads.com.

12. Third-Party Links and Services

The Service may contain links to third-party websites, services, or platforms (including DSPs and advertising networks). This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party services. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you access through or in connection with the Service.

13. AI-Generated Content and Data Processing

13.1 How We Use AI

The Service utilizes third-party artificial intelligence technologies to generate advertising creatives based on your inputs. When you submit prompts, creative briefs, or upload User Assets, this information is processed by our AI providers to produce Generated Content.

13.2 AI Data Processing

Your prompts and inputs are transmitted to third-party AI providers solely for the purpose of generating your requested content.
We do not use your prompts, inputs, or Generated Content to train our own or third-party AI models.
Third-party AI providers may have their own data processing and retention policies; however, we contractually require them to process your data in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

13.3 Automated Decision-Making

Our content moderation system uses automated processing to detect and prevent prohibited content. If your content is flagged by automated systems, it may be subject to human review. You have the right to contest automated decisions and request human intervention by contacting legal@hawtads.com.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or the Service. When we make material changes:

We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page;
We will notify you by email or through a prominent notice on the Website; and
Where required by law, we will obtain your consent to the changes.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

15. Data Protection Officer

For privacy-related inquiries, complaints, or to exercise your data protection rights, please contact:

Data Protection Contact HawtAds Inc. 350 Bay St, Unit 1300B Toronto, ON M5H 2S6 Canada