Privacy Policy

Introduction

Welcome to Congratulator ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and related services.

Information We Collect

Personal Information

When you use Congratulator, we may collect the following types of personal information:

• Account Information: Name, email address, and authentication credentials when you create an account
• Birthday Data: Names, birth dates, and relationship information for people in your birthday list
• Personalization Data: Details about people's interests, personality traits, and relationship context that you provide to enhance message personalization
• Generated Messages: AI-generated birthday messages and your usage history
• Device Information: Device type, operating system, app version, and unique device identifiers

Automatically Collected Information

• Usage Data: How you interact with the app, features used, and frequency of use
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, and access times for our web services
• Crash Reports: Automatically generated error reports to help us improve app stability

Notification and Permission Data

• Notification Preferences: Your choices about receiving birthday reminders and notifications
• Device Permissions: Information about permissions you've granted, such as notification access
• Notification Interaction: Whether you open, dismiss, or interact with notifications we send

How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

• Core Functionality: To provide AI-generated birthday messages and send reminders
• Personalization: To create relevant, personalized messages based on the information you provide
• Birthday Notifications: To send you local push notifications reminding you of upcoming birthdays at appropriate times (1 week before, 1 day before, and on the birthday)
• Account Management: To create and maintain your account, authenticate users, and provide customer support
• Improvements: To analyze usage patterns and improve our AI algorithms and app features
• Communications: To send you important updates, security alerts, and support messages
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws and regulations

AI and Data Processing

Congratulator uses artificial intelligence to generate personalized birthday messages. Here's how this works:

• Local Processing: When possible, AI processing happens on your device to maintain privacy
• Cloud AI Services: For advanced features, we may use secure cloud-based AI services (OpenAI, OpenRouter)
• Data Minimization: We only send the minimum necessary information to AI services
• No Training: Your personal data is never used to train AI models
• Temporary Processing: AI services process your data temporarily and do not store it permanently

Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our app:

• Cloud Infrastructure: For secure data storage and app hosting
• AI Services: For generating personalized messages (OpenAI, OpenRouter)
• Authentication: For secure user account management (Clerk)
• Analytics: For understanding app usage and performance

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, regulation, or legal process, or to protect our rights, property, or safety.

Push Notifications and Permissions

Congratulator uses local push notifications to help you remember important birthdays. Here's how our notification system works:

Types of Notifications

• Birthday Reminders: Local notifications scheduled 1 week before, 1 day before, and on the birthday at 9:00 AM
• App Updates: Occasional notifications about important app features or updates (optional)
• System Alerts: Critical notifications about account security or data issues (cannot be disabled)

How Notifications Work

• Local Processing: All birthday notifications are scheduled locally on your device - no data is sent to external servers
• Permission Required: We will ask for your permission before sending any notifications
• Fully Controllable: You can enable, disable, or customize notifications at any time in the app settings or your device settings
• Deep Linking: Tapping a notification will take you directly to the relevant birthday information in the app
• Privacy Respectful: Notifications only show information you've already entered into the app

Managing Your Notification Preferences

• In-App Controls: Use the "Birthday Reminders" section in app settings to manage notifications
• Device Settings: Control notifications through your device's system settings
• Granular Control: Schedule notifications for all birthdays or remove them completely
• No Impact on Core Features: Disabling notifications does not affect message generation or other app functionality

Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information:

• Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit and at rest
• Access Controls: Strict access controls limit who can view your data
• Regular Security Audits: We conduct regular security assessments and updates
• Secure Infrastructure: We use reputable cloud providers with strong security credentials
• Privacy by Design: Security and privacy considerations are built into our app architecture

Your Privacy Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request to see what personal information we have about you
• Correction: Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
• Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format
• Opt-out: Opt out of certain data processing activities
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing where applicable
• Notification Control: Enable, disable, or modify notification preferences at any time through app settings or device settings
• Permission Management: Revoke notification permissions through your device settings without affecting other app features

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services and fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy:

• Account Data: Retained until you delete your account
• Birthday Data: Retained as long as you keep entries in your birthday list
• Message History: Retained according to your app settings and preferences
• Usage Data: Typically retained for 2 years for analytics purposes
• Legal Requirements: Some data may be retained longer to comply with legal obligations

International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. We ensure that such transfers comply with applicable data protection laws and implement appropriate safeguards.

Children's Privacy

Congratulator is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected such information, please contact us immediately.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Posting the updated policy on our website
• Sending a notification through the app
• Emailing you at the address associated with your account

Your continued use of Congratulator after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

Regional Privacy Rights

European Union (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Union, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the right to object to processing and the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

California (CCPA)

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know about personal information collected, the right to delete personal information, and the right to non-discrimination.