The easy version of this feature is “upload a selfie and we will cartoon it”. We did not build that, for three reasons.
1. A face is biometric data
Under India's DPDP Act 2023 a face carries serious obligations. An app that promises it cannot read your messages should not quietly start holding the one identifier you can never change.
2. Real faces help catfishers
A scam-prevention app should not hand out real photos to strangers.
3. A drawing can feel things
Because we own the drawing, we can redraw it smiling, laughing or saying namaste. That is what makes reactions personal.
Three rules we enforce in the code
- No religion field. We store “headwear 4”, meaning the dastaar drawing. We never store or infer faith.
- Named by garment, not by faith. The picker says “Taqiyah” or “Tilak”, never “Muslim option” or “Hindu option”.
- Grouped, never ranked. Head coverings are grouped as draped, wrapped or fitted; drapes as over one shoulder, across the body or full wrap.
One item is missing on purpose: the Naga shawl. Among several Naga communities the right to wear certain shawls was earned through deeds or feasts. If a community grants the right to wear something, we do not hand it out in a menu.
