# Privacy Policy

Effective Date: February 28, 2026

## 1. Who We Are

**App Vulture** (“the Service”) is operated by **App Vulture**, a sole proprietorship (“we,” “us,” or “our”). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you use our website at [appvulture.com](/content/site-root.html), how we use it, and your choices.

## 2. Information We Collect

### 2.1 Account Information

When you sign up using Google or GitHub OAuth, we receive your **name, email address, and profile picture** from the provider. We do not receive or store your password from these providers.

### 2.2 Chat & Query Data

When you use the Service, we store the queries you submit and the AI-generated responses (“chat threads”) so you can access your conversation history. If you share a thread via a public link, the thread content becomes accessible at that URL.

### 2.3 Payment Information

Payments are processed by **Stripe**. We do not store your full credit card number on our servers. We receive and store only a Stripe customer ID and basic transaction metadata (plan type, billing dates) to manage your subscription.

### 2.4 Automatically Collected Data

We collect standard server logs (IP address, browser user-agent, pages visited, timestamps). We use **local storage** in your browser to save preferences like theme settings. We use **Google Analytics 4** to collect anonymized usage data (pages visited, session duration, general geographic region, device type). Google Analytics uses cookies to distinguish unique visitors. This data helps us understand how people use the Service so we can improve it. We do not use advertising or ad-targeting services.

## 3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

- Provide, maintain, and improve the Service
- Authenticate your identity and manage your account
- Process payments and manage subscriptions
- Enforce our [Terms of Service](/content/terms/index.html) and prevent abuse
- Respond to support requests

We do **not** sell your personal information. We do **not** use your data for advertising or ad targeting.

## 4. AI Processing & Third-Party Models

Your queries are sent to third-party AI model providers (such as Google Gemini and Amazon Bedrock) to generate responses. These providers process your query text to produce outputs, subject to their own privacy and data handling policies. We do not share your account information (name, email) with these providers—only the query content necessary to generate a response.

## 5. Data Sharing

We may share your information only in these limited circumstances:

- **Service providers:** Stripe (payments), AWS (hosting and AI), Google Cloud (AI models), Google Analytics (anonymized usage metrics)—only as needed to operate the Service.
- **Legal requirements:** If required by law, court order, or governmental authority.
- **Business transfer:** In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the successor entity.

## 6. Data Retention

We retain your account information and chat history for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will delete your personal data within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal or compliance purposes. Server logs are retained for up to 90 days.

## 7. Cookies & Local Storage

We use **essential cookies** for authentication (session tokens). We use browser **local storage** to save your theme preference and UI state. Google Analytics sets cookies (such as `_ga`) to distinguish unique visitors and measure site usage. We do not use advertising cookies.

## 8. Security

We use industry-standard measures to protect your data, including HTTPS encryption in transit, encrypted storage at rest (AWS), and OAuth-based authentication. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

## 9. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your data
- Export your data in a portable format

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [support@appvulture.com](mailto:support@appvulture.com). We will respond within 30 days.

## 10. Children’s Privacy

The Service is not directed to individuals under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn that we have collected data from a child, we will delete it promptly.

## 11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the “Effective Date” above and notify you through the Service or by email. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

## 12. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: [support@appvulture.com](mailto:support@appvulture.com)