Effective date: July 5, 2026 · Operator: Bushwookies United
This policy explains what data we collect when you use BWU Uplink, why we collect it, and your rights over it. We keep it plain — no legal jargon.
1. Who We Are
BWU Uplink is a private, self-hosted chat, voice, and video platform operated by Bushwookies United at bushwookiesunited.com. If you have questions about this policy, contact us at dmission17@gmail.com.
2. What We Collect
When you create an account or use BWU Uplink, we collect:
Account information — email address, username, display name, date of birth, and password (stored as a secure hash — we never see your actual password).
Passkey credentials — if you set up a passkey, we store its public key and a device label. Passkeys use standard WebAuthn public-key cryptography; the private key never leaves your device and we cannot access it.
Messages and content — text messages, file attachments, images, GIFs, pinned messages, and reactions you send in channels or direct messages.
Profile data — avatar, banner image, bio, pronouns, and accent color if you choose to set them.
Voice and video — audio and video streams when you join a voice channel or call, including camera and screen share. These are transmitted in real time and are not recorded or stored by us.
Presence and activity — your online status, when you were last active, and (if you use the desktop app and enable it) the name of a game you are currently playing.
Session information — active login sessions, including browser/device type, so you can review and revoke them.
Payment records — if you subscribe, we store your subscription status and a Stripe subscription identifier. We never see or store your card number — that is handled entirely by Stripe.
Technical data — IP address, browser type, and server access logs retained for security purposes.
3. AI Processing of Messages
BWU Uplink uses Claude AI by Anthropic to provide these features:
Content moderation — text messages may be reviewed by Claude to detect policy violations.
New-member screening — answers submitted at the welcome gate may be evaluated by Claude.
AI chat assistance — if you interact with the AI assistant, your messages are sent to Claude to generate responses.
By using BWU Uplink you acknowledge that your text messages may be processed by Claude AI. Under our commercial agreement with Anthropic, data sent through the Claude API is not used to train AI models. Voice, video, and screen share are never sent to Claude.
4. Payment Processing
BWU Uplink offers paid plans: a $10/month Premium subscription (unlocking uploads, GIFs, camera, screen share, and more) and a $49/year Self-Host License (a key to run your own BWU Uplink server). Payments are processed by Stripe, Inc.
Your card details are entered directly on Stripe's secure checkout and are never transmitted to or stored on our servers.
We store only your subscription status and Stripe's reference identifier so we can grant access and manage renewals and cancellations.
GIPHY — when you search for or send a GIF, your search terms are sent to GIPHY to return results. GIPHY Privacy Policy.
No other third parties receive your personal data.
7. Data Retention
Messages — stored indefinitely unless you delete them or your account is deleted. Deleting a message also deletes its attachments from our storage.
Account data — retained while your account is active. Deleted within 30 days of account deletion.
Server logs — IP addresses and access logs are retained for up to 90 days for security purposes.
Sessions — login sessions inactive for 60 days are automatically purged.
8. Your Rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
Access & Portability — download a complete copy of your data yourself, instantly, from Settings → Account → Download my data. It's a machine-readable JSON export of everything we hold about your account. No request or waiting required.
Correction — update inaccurate information (most can be done directly in your profile settings).
Deletion — request deletion of your account and associated data.
Objection — object to certain processing of your data.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at dmission17@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.
9. Self-Hosted Instances
If you purchase a Self-Host License and run your own BWU Uplink server, that server is under your control and this policy does not govern the data on it — you become the operator responsible for your own users' data. Your self-hosted server contacts our license authority periodically to validate your license key; these check-ins transmit only your key and a basic instance identifier, not your users' data.
10. Children's Privacy (COPPA)
BWU Uplink requires users to be at least 13 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that a user is under 13, we will delete their account and data promptly. If you believe a child under 13 has registered, please contact us immediately.
11. Security
Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text. Passkeys use device-bound public-key cryptography. All data is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections. We apply server-level security measures including firewall rules and brute-force protection, and support two-factor authentication and passkeys for account access. No system is perfectly secure — if you discover a vulnerability, please contact us responsibly.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the effective date at the top. Continued use of BWU Uplink after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.