INITIATE

Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 1, 2026 · Maintained by Tyto Interactive d.b.a. INITIATE

This Privacy Policy explains how Tyto Interactive d.b.a. INITIATE ("INITIATE", "we", "us"), 5575 Stillwell Rd., Santa Maria, CA 93455, collects and uses information when you use our platform. By using INITIATE you agree to the practices described here. INITIATE is intended for users aged 18 and older; we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18.

1. Information we collect

  • Account information you provide: name, handle, email, password (hashed), profile details, portfolio and social links, languages, rates, and role (studio or creator).
  • Campaign and workflow data: briefs, applications, messages, deliverables, feedback, invites, and campaign status.
  • Payment information: processed and stored by Stripe. We store non-sensitive identifiers (e.g., Stripe customer and account IDs) needed to run payouts and refunds. We do not store full card numbers.
  • Uploaded content: draft videos and final deliverables. Draft videos are automatically deleted 24 hours after the final version is published.
  • Usage and analytics: product analytics events (page views, funnel events such as signup started/completed, application submitted) and device/browser metadata used to operate, secure, and improve the service.
  • Communications: emails and in-app messages you send to us or other users on the platform.

2. How we use information

  • Operate the marketplace: matching studios and creators, running campaigns, processing payments, wallet balances, and payouts.
  • Send transactional email (notifications, receipts, workflow updates, account emails).
  • Prevent fraud, enforce our Terms, and comply with legal obligations.
  • Improve the product through internal analytics and diagnostics.

3. Legal bases

Where applicable (e.g., under GDPR), we rely on: performance of a contract (to provide the platform), legitimate interests (to secure and improve the service), consent (where required, e.g., certain optional communications), and legal obligation.

4. Sharing and subprocessors

We share personal information only with the service providers required to operate INITIATE:

  • Stripe payments, Stripe Connect payouts, tax-related reporting.
  • Cloud hosting and database application hosting, authenticated database, and file storage used by the platform.
  • Email delivery sending transactional notifications and account emails.
  • Analytics internal product analytics on usage and funnel events.

We do not sell personal information. We may disclose information if required by law or to protect our rights, users, or the public.

5. Cookies and analytics

We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember preferences, and measure product usage. You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling them may break parts of the platform.

6. Data retention

We retain account, campaign, message, and transaction records for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the service, comply with legal and tax obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. Draft videos are deleted 24 hours after the final version of a deliverable is published. You may request deletion of your account from the profile page; certain financial and legal records may be retained after account closure where required.

7. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, or export your personal information, to object to or restrict certain processing, and to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. To exercise these rights, email caleb@initiateugc.com. California residents have additional rights under the CCPA/CPRA, including the right to know and the right to delete; we do not sell or "share" personal information as those terms are defined under California law.

8. Security

We use industry-standard safeguards, including encryption in transit, role-based access controls, and row-level security in our database. No system is perfectly secure; you use INITIATE at your own risk.

9. International transfers

INITIATE is operated from the United States. If you access the platform from outside the U.S., you understand that your information will be transferred to and processed in the U.S.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be announced in-app or by email. The "Last updated" date above reflects the current version.

11. YouTube channel connection

Creators can optionally connect a YouTube channel so INITIATE can automatically pull public view counts for videos submitted to campaigns. This is how performance bonuses settle without requiring manual screenshots.

  • Data accessed: channel ID, channel title, channel handle, subscriber count, and public view counts for the specific video URLs you submit. We do not access private videos, watch history, uploads you do not share with us, comments, or any other non-public YouTube data.
  • How we use it: solely to read public view counts on campaign deliverables and calculate any earned performance bonuses. We do not use YouTube data for advertising, profiling, AI training, or any purpose unrelated to running your campaigns.
  • Sharing: YouTube data is not sold or shared with third parties. It is stored in our backend and accessed only by the automated services that run view polling and bonus settlement.
  • Retention and deletion: connection tokens and channel metadata are retained while your YouTube channel remains connected. You can disconnect your channel at any time from your profile page, which immediately deletes the stored tokens and stops view polling. Account deletion also removes all associated YouTube connection data.

INITIATE's use and transfer to any other app of information received from Google APIs will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

12. Instagram account connection

Creators can optionally connect an Instagram Business or Creator account so INITIATE can pull public insights for reels submitted to campaigns. This helps studios measure campaign reach and calculate any earned performance bonuses without requiring manual screenshots.

  • Data accessed: Instagram account ID, username/profile name, profile picture, follower count, and public insights (reach, impressions, plays) for the specific reel URLs you submit. We do not access private posts, direct messages, stories you do not share with us, comments, or any other non-public Instagram data.
  • How we use it: solely to read public performance metrics on campaign deliverables and calculate any earned performance bonuses. We do not use Instagram data for advertising, profiling, AI training, or any purpose unrelated to running your campaigns.
  • Sharing: Instagram data is not sold or shared with third parties. It is stored in our backend and accessed only by the automated services that run insights polling and bonus settlement.
  • Retention and deletion: connection tokens and account metadata are retained while your Instagram account remains connected. You can disconnect your account at any time from your profile page, which immediately deletes the stored tokens and stops insights polling. Account deletion also removes all associated Instagram connection data.

13. TikTok account connection

Creators can optionally connect a TikTok account so INITIATE can automatically pull public view counts for videos submitted to campaigns. This is how performance bonuses settle without requiring manual screenshots.

  • Data accessed: TikTok open ID, union ID, display name, username, avatar URL, follower count, and public view counts for the specific video URLs you submit. We do not access private videos, watch history, videos you do not share with us, comments, direct messages, or any other non-public TikTok data.
  • How we use it: solely to read public view counts on campaign deliverables and calculate any earned performance bonuses. We do not use TikTok data for advertising, profiling, AI training, or any purpose unrelated to running your campaigns.
  • Sharing: TikTok data is not sold or shared with third parties. It is stored in our backend and accessed only by the automated services that run view polling and bonus settlement.
  • Retention and deletion: connection tokens and profile metadata are retained while your TikTok account remains connected. You can disconnect your account at any time from your profile page, which immediately deletes the stored tokens and stops view polling. Account deletion also removes all associated TikTok connection data.

14. Data deletion instructions

You can request deletion of your INITIATE account and associated personal data at any time by emailing caleb@initiateugc.com with the subject line "Account Deletion Request". Please send the request from the email address associated with your account so we can verify ownership.

When your account is deleted, we remove:

  • Your profile information, portfolio, social links, and uploaded content that is no longer needed.
  • Connected platform tokens for YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, and we stop all view/insights polling.
  • Draft videos and non-essential campaign attachments.

Some information may be retained where necessary to comply with legal, tax, or fraud-prevention obligations, or to enforce our Terms. For example, transaction records, payout logs, and campaign settlement data may be kept for the period required by law. Once that period expires, the retained data is also deleted.

If you only want to disconnect a social platform instead of deleting your full account, you can do so from your profile page. Disconnecting immediately removes the stored token and stops data polling for that platform.

15. Contact

Privacy questions or requests: caleb@initiateugc.com, Tyto Interactive d.b.a. INITIATE, 5575 Stillwell Rd., Santa Maria, CA 93455.