Hecate App Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how Mykyta Karpyshyn ("we," "us," or "our"), an individual developer, collects, uses, and discloses information from users of the Hecate mobile application (the "App"). The Hecate App provides Tarot Card readings utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI).

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data in an open and transparent manner. This policy is designed to comply with applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and relevant privacy laws in the United States.

1. Information We Collect

1.1. Information You Provide Directly

When you register for an account with the Hecate App, you provide us with the following personal information:

• Your Name: Used for personalizing your experience and readings.
• Birthdate: Used for astrological context within Tarot readings and personalization.
• Gender: Used for personalizing your experience and readings.

1.2. Information Collected Automatically

We automatically collect certain information when you use the App to help us understand how users interact with our services and to improve the App's performance:

• Usage Data & Analytics: We use Firebase Analytics and Google Analytics to collect data about your app usage, including custom events, screens tracking, session duration, operating systems, device models, and general geography. This data helps us understand user behavior and optimize the App. For EU-based traffic, IP addresses are used solely for geo-location derivation and are immediately discarded, not logged.
• Crash Reports: We collect crash logs and performance data (e.g., through Firebase Crashlytics) to identify and fix bugs and improve the App's stability. These reports typically include device information but are designed not to directly identify you.
• AI Interaction Data: We collect the inputs you provide to the Vertex AI (including Gemini AI) for your Tarot readings and the AI-generated responses. This data is processed to deliver your readings and improve the accuracy and relevance of the AI's interpretations.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To Provide and Personalize Services: To deliver Tarot Card readings tailored to your name, birthdate, and gender, and to personalize your overall experience within the App.
• To Improve the App: To understand how users interact with the App, identify areas for improvement, and enhance features and functionality based on usage data and crash reports.
• For AI Processing: To process your requests and generate personalized Tarot readings using Vertex AI (Gemini AI).
• To Communicate with You: To respond to your inquiries or provide important updates about the App.
• For Security and Fraud Prevention: To protect the integrity and security of the App and its users.

3. How We Store and Protect Your Information

Your data, including the personal information you provide and your AI interaction data, is stored securely on our cloud servers. We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration. This includes using secure storage mechanisms for local data (like Keychain storage on iOS) and relying on Firebase's robust security features for data at rest and in transit, as per best practices in their documentation.

While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Information, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

4. Sharing Your Information

We value your privacy. The Hecate App does not share your personal data with third parties for marketing, advertising, or other commercial purposes. We do not run ads within the App.

Your data is used solely for the functionality and improvement of the Hecate App as described in this policy.

We may disclose your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• With Service Providers: We use Vertex AI (a Google Cloud service) for AI processing and Firebase (Google services) for authentication, data storage (Firestore), analytics (Firebase Analytics/Google Analytics), and crash reporting. These providers process data on our behalf and are contractually bound to protect your data.
• For Legal Reasons: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court order or government agency).

5. AI Usage (Vertex AI / Gemini AI)

The Hecate App leverages Vertex AI, specifically the Gemini AI model, to generate your personalized Tarot Card readings. Your inputs (e.g., questions, personal context) are sent to the AI model to generate relevant responses. Please be assured that the data you provide for your readings is used solely for the purpose of generating your readings and improving the AI's performance for our internal use. It is not used to train public AI models or shared with other users.

6. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on your location, particularly if you are in the European Union (under GDPR) or California (under CCPA/CPRA), you have certain rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Access: You have the right to request copies of your personal data.
• Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate or complete information you believe is incomplete.
• Right to Erasure (Right to Be Forgotten): You have the right to request that we erase your personal data. You can exercise this right directly within the App on your Profile screen by initiating the "Delete Account and Data" process. This will immediately remove all your identifiable personal data (like your name, birthdate, gender, and AI interaction data) from our live database.
• Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data under certain conditions.
• Right to Object to Processing: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data under certain conditions.
• Right to Data Portability: You have the right to request that we transfer the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.

To exercise any of these rights (other than account deletion, which is in-app), please contact us using the details provided in the "Contact Us" section below. We will respond to your request within the timeframes required by applicable law.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to provide you with the Hecate App services and for legitimate and essential business purposes, such as maintaining the performance of the App, making data-driven business decisions about new features, and complying with our legal obligations.

• User-Provided Data (Name, Birthdate, Gender, AI Interaction Data): When you delete your account through the App's Profile screen, your identifiable personal data will be immediately deleted from our live database.
• Firebase Analytics / Google Analytics Data: User-level and event-level data (e.g., app usage, custom events, screens tracking) collected via Google Analytics 4 (which Firebase Analytics feeds into) is retained for a period configurable by us, typically between 2 to 14 months, before it is automatically deleted. Aggregated and anonymized analytical data, which cannot identify you personally, may be retained for longer periods for statistical purposes.
• Crash Report Data (Firebase Crashlytics): Crash stack traces and associated identifiers are typically retained for 90 days.

8. Children's Privacy

The Hecate App is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and you believe that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us, and we will take steps to delete such information from our systems.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy within the App or on our website (if applicable). You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact Mykyta Karpyshyn, the individual developer, at:

Email: techops.captain.speaking@gmail.com