Privacy Policy for Write Forward

Last Updated: 11/21/24

Welcome to Write Forward ("we," "our," or "us"). Your privacy is of utmost importance to us. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you use our journaling application ("App"). By accessing or using our App, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

1. Introduction

Write Forward is a journaling application that allows you to create journal entries, receive personalized analyses using artificial intelligence, and interact with a chatbot designed to help you work through your thoughts and feelings. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your information to ensure your privacy and data security.

2. Core Functionalities of the App

Creating Journal Entries: Users can create and store personal journal entries.

Personalized Analysis: Our AI compares your entries to books, philosophical concepts, and psychological theories to provide insightful analyses.

Chatbot Interaction: Engage with a chatbot designed to assist you in working through your problems and enhancing your well-being.

Data Storage: All journal entries, analyses, and chatbot conversations are securely stored within the App.

3. Data Collection

a. Types of Data Collected:

Personal Information:

Username and Password: Collected for account creation and authentication.

Email Address: Used solely for email and password login purposes.

Content Information:

Journal Entries: All text you input as journal entries.

Analyses: AI-generated analyses of your journal entries.

Chat History: Conversations with our chatbot.

Analytics Data: Collected via PostHog to understand user interactions and improve the App. This includes:

Events: User actions such as event names, timestamps, and user properties (e.g., user ID).

User Properties: Information like user’s distinct ID, first seen, and last seen dates.

Page Views: URLs visited, referrers, and contextual page information.

Session Information: Session start and end times, duration, and user agent.

Device Information: Device type, operating system, and browser details.

b. Minimization of Personally Identifiable Information (PII):

We configure PostHog to track the minimum necessary information, avoiding the collection of sensitive personal data beyond what is essential for functionality and improvement.

4. Data Storage and Security

a. Data Storage Locations:

Cloud Storage: All user data is stored in a cloud-based PostgreSQL database managed by Neon.

b. Security Measures:

Data in Transit:

Encryption: All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using HTTPS.

SSL/TLS: Communication between our application hosted on Vercel and the Neon PostgreSQL database is secured with SSL/TLS.

Data at Rest:

Transparent Data Encryption (TDE): Neon encrypts data at the storage level to protect it when not in use.

Hosting Encryption: Vercel ensures that all application files and assets are encrypted when stored.

c. Third-Party Services:

Neon: Hosts and manages our PostgreSQL database, ensuring data security, availability, and performance.

Vercel: Provides secure hosting, serverless functions, and infrastructure services for our Next.js application.

PostHog: Utilized for analytics with configurations set to minimize PII collection.

Authentication Providers: May include third-party identity providers like Google, GitHub, or Auth0 for user authentication processes.

5. Data Sharing

a. Third-Party Services:

Analytics Providers: PostHog processes anonymized user interaction data to help us improve the App.

Authentication Providers: If you choose to authenticate via third-party services (e.g., Google), certain user information such as your email, name, and profile picture may be shared with these providers.

b. No Additional Partnerships:

We do not engage in partnerships that require sharing your data beyond the services necessary to operate and improve the App.

6. User Rights and Control

a. Access, Modification, and Deletion:

Data Access: Users can request access to their data by contacting our support team.

Data Modification: Users can update their account information, such as username and password, through the App.

Data Deletion: Users can request the deletion of all their data by reaching out to our support email.

b. Exporting Data:

While our App currently does not support comprehensive data export, we transparently disclose the types of data we collect and can provide specific data elements upon request.

c. Handling User Requests:

All user requests regarding data access, modification, or deletion are handled promptly through our support channels. We honor Data Subject Access Requests (DSAR) to ensure your data rights are maintained.

7. Data Retention

a. Free Users:

Retention Period: Data is retained for 6 months after the user's last activity.

Automatic Deletion: After 6 months of inactivity, all free user data, including profiles, event data, and session information, is automatically deleted to maintain data hygiene.

b. Paid Users:

Retention Period: Data is retained indefinitely unless the user explicitly requests deletion.

Deletion Requests: Paid users can request data deletion at any time, and such requests are honored promptly to ensure user control over their data.

Record-Keeping: Paid user data is maintained to support ongoing usage and comply with necessary record-keeping requirements.

c. Account Deletion:

Upon account deletion, all associated data, including user profiles, event data, session information, and other personal information, is immediately and permanently deleted from our systems and backups.

8. Compliance with Regulations

As an early-stage startup, Write Forward is committed to respecting user privacy and data protection. While we are actively working towards comprehensive compliance programs, we currently adhere to key data privacy principles to protect your information.

9. Communication and Transparency

a. Accessibility of Privacy Policy:

Our Privacy Policy is always accessible to users on the App's home page, ensuring you can review it at any time.

b. Notifications of Policy Changes:

Any significant changes to this Privacy Policy will be communicated to users via email to keep you informed about how your data is managed.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Email: privacy@writeforward.io