Privacy Policy - Astrology Counsel

1. Introduction

Welcome to Astrology Counsel ("we," "our," "us," or the "App"). This Privacy Policy explains how Astrology Counsel collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal information when you use our mobile application available on Google Play Store.

Developer: Astrology Counsel
Contact Email: privacy@astrologycounsel.com
Location: India

By downloading, installing, or using the App, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the App.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of data, as defined by Google Play's Data Safety requirements:

2.1 Personal Information (Required for Core Functionality)

Data Type	Purpose	Required?
Name	Display in app, personalization	Yes
Email Address	Account creation, authentication, communication	Yes
Date of Birth	Generate accurate Vedic birth chart	Yes
Time of Birth	Calculate precise planetary positions	Yes
Place of Birth	Determine geographical coordinates for chart	Yes

2.2 User-Generated Content

Chat Messages: Questions you ask SAGE (our AI astrology guide) and conversation history
Matchup Profiles: Information about people you add for compatibility analysis (name, birth details)

2.3 App Activity & Usage Data

Feature Usage: Which features you use (reports, matchups, daily horoscope)
Session Data: App open/close times, screens viewed
Crash Logs: Technical information when the app crashes (for debugging)

2.4 Device Information

Device Identifiers: Anonymous device ID for analytics
Device Type: Phone model, operating system version
Timezone: For displaying times in your local timezone

2.5 Financial Information

Purchase History: Record of subscription purchases (via Google Play Billing)
Subscription Status: Active, expired, or cancelled status

Note: We do NOT collect or store credit card numbers, bank accounts, or payment method details. All payments are processed securely through Google Play.

3. How We Use Your Information

Purpose	Data Used	Legal Basis
Generate birth chart & horoscopes	Birth date, time, place	Contract performance
Provide AI astrology consultations	Birth chart, chat messages	Contract performance
Create compatibility reports	Your data + matchup profiles	Contract performance
Process subscriptions	Purchase history, email	Contract performance
Send account notifications	Email address	Legitimate interest
Improve app performance	Usage data, crash logs	Legitimate interest
Prevent fraud & abuse	Device info, usage patterns	Legitimate interest

4. Data Sharing & Third Parties

4.1 We Do NOT:

Sell your personal data to third parties
Share your data for advertising or marketing by third parties
Use your data for behavioral advertising
Share your birth details publicly

4.2 Service Providers We Use:

Provider	Purpose	Data Shared
Google (Firebase/Play Services)	Authentication, billing, crash reporting	Email, device ID, crash logs
Supabase	Database hosting, user authentication	All user data (encrypted)
Google Gemini AI	AI-powered astrology responses	Birth chart data, user queries
Render	Backend API hosting	API requests (encrypted)

4.3 Legal Disclosures

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or to protect our legal rights.

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures:

Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256)
Access Control: Row-level security ensures users can only access their own data
Authentication: Secure OAuth 2.0 via Google Sign-In
Infrastructure: Hosted on SOC 2 compliant providers (Supabase, Render)
No Plain Text Storage: Sensitive data is never stored in plain text

While we use commercially reasonable safeguards, no system is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Data Retention

Data Type	Retention Period
Account & profile data	Until account deletion
Chat history	Until account deletion
Reports & matchups	Until account deletion
Purchase records	7 years (legal requirement)
Crash logs	90 days
Anonymized analytics	Indefinitely (non-identifiable)

7. Your Rights & Choices

7.1 All Users Have The Right To:

Access: View your data in App Settings
Correct: Update your profile information anytime
Delete: Request complete deletion of your account and data
Export: Request a copy of your data
Withdraw Consent: Stop using the app and delete your account

7.2 How to Delete Your Data

You can delete your account and all associated data through:

In-App: Settings → Account → Delete Account
Email: Send request to privacy@astrologycounsel.com
Web Form: Visit our Data Deletion Page

Deletion requests are processed within 30 days.

7.3 Manage Permissions

You can manage app permissions in your device settings:

Notifications: Enable/disable push notifications
Storage: Required for app functionality

8. Children's Privacy

Age Restriction: This App is intended for users aged 13 years and older.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at privacy@astrologycounsel.com. We will delete such information promptly.

9. International Data Transfers

Your data may be processed in countries other than your own, including the United States and India, where our servers and service providers are located. These countries may have different data protection laws. By using the App, you consent to such transfers.

We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including standard contractual clauses where applicable.

10. Region-Specific Rights

10.1 European Union (GDPR)

If you are in the EU/EEA, you have additional rights:

Right to data portability
Right to object to processing
Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

10.2 California (CCPA)

California residents have the right to:

Know what personal information is collected
Know if personal information is sold or disclosed and to whom
Say no to the sale of personal information (we do not sell data)
Access your personal information
Request deletion of your personal information
Not be discriminated against for exercising your rights

10.3 India (DPDP Act)

Indian users have the right to:

Access and correct personal data
Data erasure
Grievance redressal
Nominate another person to exercise rights

11. Google Play Requirements

11.1 Permissions Used

Permission	Purpose
INTERNET	Required for all app functionality
BILLING	Process in-app subscriptions via Google Play

11.2 Google Play Services

This app uses the following Google Play services:

Google Sign-In: For secure authentication
Google Play Billing: For subscription payments

Use of these services is subject to Google's Privacy Policy.

11.3 In-App Purchases

We offer subscription plans (monthly and annual) processed through Google Play Billing. Payment information is handled entirely by Google. We only receive confirmation of purchase status, not payment details.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. For significant changes, we will notify you via:

In-app notification
Email (if significant)

Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

For any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your data:

Privacy Inquiries: privacy@astrologycounsel.com

General Support: support@astrologycounsel.com

Data Deletion Requests: Data Deletion Page

We aim to respond to all inquiries within 48 hours.

14. Summary (Data Safety Declaration)

For Google Play's Data Safety section:

Data Collected

Personal info (name, email, date of birth)
Location (birth place only, not device location)
App activity and usage data
Device identifiers (anonymous)

Data Shared

With service providers for app functionality only
NOT sold to third parties
NOT used for advertising

Security Practices

Data encrypted in transit
Data encrypted at rest
You can request data deletion