Privacy Policy

VerseMine ("we," "us," or "our") operates the VerseMine mobile application (the "App"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your rights regarding your data.

We are committed to transparency, particularly around how third-party AI services process your content. Please read this policy carefully.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Account Data

When you create an account, we collect:

• Email address — used for authentication, account recovery, and service communications.
• Display name — visible to other users in community features.
• Username — your unique identifier within the App.
• Date of birth — used solely for age verification to comply with COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act). Stored as a date; not displayed publicly.

1.2 Profile Data (Optional)

You may choose to provide additional profile information. All of the following are optional and can be removed at any time:

• Bio
• City
• Church
• Instagram handle

1.3 User Content

When you use the App, you may create the following content:

• Text reflections and comments — your written responses to daily Bible passages.
• Photos of Bible pages — images you photograph and submit for AI-powered study feedback.
• Voice recordings — audio reflections you record. Audio is transcribed on your device using a local Whisper model; only the resulting text transcript is uploaded to your account. The original audio is not transmitted to our servers or any third party for transcription. See Section 3.3.

1.4 Usage Data

We collect non-identifying usage data through PostHog (see Section 4) to understand how the App is used and to improve the experience. This includes:

• Device type and operating system
• App usage patterns (screens visited, features used, session duration)
• App version

We do not collect your Advertising Identifier (IDFA) and do not engage in cross-app tracking.

1.5 Crash and Performance Data

We collect crash logs and performance data through Sentry (see Section 4) to identify and fix bugs. This may include:

• Device type and operating system version
• App state at the time of a crash
• Stack traces and error messages

Crash data does not include your personal content (reflections, photos, or recordings).

1.6 Purchase Data

If you subscribe to VerseMine, we use RevenueCat (see Section 4) to manage your subscription. We receive:

• Subscription status (active, expired, trial)
• Purchase timestamps
• Subscription plan type

We do not receive or store your payment card details, billing address, or financial account information. All payment processing is handled by Apple (App Store) or Google (Google Play).

1.7 Push Notification Tokens

If you enable push notifications, we store a device token provided by Apple Push Notification service (APNs) or Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM). This token is used solely to deliver notifications to your device. You can disable notifications at any time through your device settings.

1.8 Screen Time / Focus Session Data

If you enable VerseMine's Focus feature — which restricts access to apps you select until you complete your daily Bible study — we collect the following:

• Family Controls authorization status — whether you have granted VerseMine permission to use Apple's Screen Time / Family Controls APIs. Stored locally on your device.
• Selected app tokens — opaque, encrypted identifiers representing the apps and categories you have chosen to restrict. By Apple's design, these tokens cannot be decoded into app names by VerseMine or our servers. The actual app restriction is enforced on-device by iOS, not by us.
• Focus session events — timestamps for when you start and end focus sessions, and whether you completed your daily Bible study task. We do not collect or transmit data about which apps you use outside of VerseMine, how long you use them, or what you do within them.
• Schedule preferences — your chosen focus session schedule (e.g., morning blocking, all-day blocking).

We use Family Controls data solely to provide the Focus feature on your own device. We do not use it for advertising, analytics, or any other purpose. The Focus feature is optional. You can revoke Screen Time authorization at any time through iOS Settings > Screen Time, or disable focus sessions in VerseMine Settings > Focus.

1.9 Accountability Partner Data

If you choose to add an accountability partner, we share limited focus session metadata with that partner through in-app notifications:

• The partner is notified if you disable a focus session before completing your daily Bible study.
• The partner is notified if you do not complete your daily Bible study by the end of the day.

These notifications contain no information about which apps you use, how long you use them, or what you do within those apps. The partner sees only that a focus session was disabled or that today's reading was missed — the same information you would share by saying "I missed today" out loud.

Accountability sharing is off by default. You must explicitly choose a partner in Settings > Accountability to opt in. You can remove your partner at any time, which immediately stops all sharing.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Providing the service — delivering daily Bible passages, processing your submissions, generating AI-powered study feedback, transcribing voice recordings, and displaying your reflections.
• Community safety — scanning user-generated text (reflections, comments, display names) for content that violates our Community Guidelines.
• Account management — authenticating your identity, managing your subscription, and communicating with you about your account.
• Age verification — verifying that you meet the minimum age requirement (13 years) as required by COPPA.
• App improvement — analyzing aggregated, non-identifying usage data to improve features, fix bugs, and understand usage patterns.
• Notifications — sending push notifications you have opted into (e.g., daily reminders, friend activity).
• Focus and productivity — enforcing the focus sessions you have configured (restricting access to apps you have selected on your own device) and, if you have explicitly enabled accountability sharing, notifying your chosen accountability partner of focus session events as described in Section 1.9.

We do not use your information for advertising, ad targeting, or selling to data brokers.

3. Third-Party AI Services

VerseMine uses third-party AI services to provide core features. This section names each provider, describes what data is sent, explains why, and states each provider's data retention policy. Per Apple Guideline 5.1.2(i), we disclose each provider that processes your data.

3.1 Google Gemini (Google LLC)

• What data is sent: Photos of your Bible pages.
• Why: To analyze your highlighting work and generate personalized study feedback and annotated images that identify observations in the passage.
• When: Each time you submit a photo for study feedback. Photos are sent only if you have enabled AI Study Feedback.
• Retention: Google retains submitted data for up to 30 days for abuse monitoring and safety purposes, after which it is deleted. VerseMine uses the paid API tier, which provides enhanced data protections.
• Model training: Google does not use data submitted through the paid API tier to train or improve its models.

3.2 OpenAI (OpenAI, LLC)

• What data is sent: Text content you create within the App, including reflections, comments, and your display name.
• Why: To scan user-generated content for violations of our Community Guidelines and to maintain community safety. This moderation is part of our Terms of Service.
• When: Automatically when you post reflections or comments, or when your display name is set or changed. This scanning is always active for all users who participate in community features and cannot be turned off, as it is necessary to enforce our Community Guidelines.
• Retention: OpenAI retains data submitted through its moderation API for up to 30 days for abuse monitoring and safety purposes, after which it is deleted.
• Model training: OpenAI does not use data submitted through its API to train or improve its models.

3.3 On-Device Voice Transcription

Voice reflections are transcribed entirely on your device using a local Whisper model. Your audio recordings and resulting transcripts are never sent to a third-party transcription service and never leave your device for transcription purposes. The completed text transcript is saved to your account in the same way as any other text reflection (see Section 4 — Supabase) so that it can be displayed and synced across your devices.

3.4 Your Control Over AI Features

You control which optional AI features process your data:

• AI Study Feedback (Google Gemini) — you can enable or disable this at any time in Settings > AI & Privacy. When disabled, your photos are not sent to Google Gemini.
• Voice Transcription (on-device) — transcription runs locally on your device. Audio is not transmitted to any third party. You can disable voice reflections at any time in Settings > AI & Privacy.
• Content moderation (OpenAI) — this is always active when you use community features (reflections and comments). It cannot be disabled because it is necessary to enforce our Community Guidelines and maintain community safety. This is disclosed during the consent process and in our Terms of Service.

Before your data is first sent to Google Gemini, the App will present a consent screen explaining which providers will process your data and asking for your explicit opt-in. You can decline and continue using the App for Bible reading, text reflections, journaling, and on-device voice transcription without sharing data with cloud AI providers.

4. Other Third-Party Services

In addition to the AI providers listed above, we use the following third-party services to operate the App:

Each of these providers processes data on our behalf and is bound by their respective terms of service and privacy policies.

5. AI Model Training Disclosure

We do not use your data to train, fine-tune, or improve any artificial intelligence or machine learning models — neither our own nor those of any third party.

None of the AI providers listed in Section 3 use your data for model training. Specifically:

• Google Gemini (paid API tier): Your data is not used for model training.
• OpenAI (API): Your data is not used for model training.
• On-device Whisper (voice transcription): Runs locally on your device; no audio is transmitted to any external service.

This disclosure is made in compliance with Connecticut Senate Bill 1295 and to provide you with clear information about how your data is handled.

6. Automated Decision-Making

VerseMine uses AI to provide educational study feedback on your Bible highlighting. This feedback is informational and educational in nature. It does not constitute a consequential decision as defined under applicable law (e.g., it is not used for employment, housing, insurance, credit, or similar decisions).

Specifically:

• AI study feedback is a learning tool. It scores and comments on your highlighting to help you engage more deeply with the text. It has no impact on your access to the App, your account standing, or any real-world outcome.
• Content moderation uses automated scanning to flag potential Community Guidelines violations. Flagged content may be reviewed and actioned according to our Community Guidelines. You can appeal moderation decisions by contacting us at support@versemine.app.

7. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We do not share your personal information with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

We share your data only with the service providers named in Sections 3 and 4 of this policy, and only to the extent necessary to provide the App's functionality. Each provider acts as a data processor on our behalf.

If you have explicitly opted into the Accountability Partner feature (Section 1.9), we share limited focus session metadata with the partner you have chosen. This sharing is consent-based, opt-in, and can be revoked at any time by removing your partner in Settings > Accountability.

We may also disclose your information if required to do so by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of VerseMine, our users, or others.

8. Data Retention

When you delete your account, we delete all personal data associated with your account from our systems. Data that has already been transmitted to third-party AI providers is subject to those providers' retention policies as described in Section 3.

9. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data, including:

• All data transmitted between the App and our servers is encrypted in transit using TLS.
• User data is stored in Supabase with row-level security (RLS) policies that ensure users can only access their own data.
• AI provider API keys are stored server-side and are never exposed in the App's client code.
• Photos and files are stored in user-scoped storage paths with access controls.
• Authentication uses industry-standard protocols (email/password with email verification, Apple Sign-In, Google Sign-In).

No method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially reasonable means to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

10.1 All Users

• Access — You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Deletion — You can delete your account and all associated data at any time from within the App (Settings > Account > Delete Account). You may also request deletion by emailing privacy@versemine.app.
• Withdrawal of AI consent — You can disable AI Study Feedback and Voice Transcription at any time in Settings > AI & Privacy. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing that occurred before withdrawal.
• Withdrawal of Screen Time access — You can revoke VerseMine's Screen Time / Family Controls authorization at any time through iOS Settings > Screen Time, or disable focus sessions in VerseMine Settings > Focus.
• Removal of accountability partner — You can remove your accountability partner at any time in Settings > Accountability. Removal immediately ends all sharing of focus session metadata with that partner.

10.2 European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, and Switzerland Residents

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and equivalent laws, you also have the right to:

• Rectification — Request correction of inaccurate personal data.
• Restriction — Request that we restrict processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Data portability — Request a copy of your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
• Object — Object to processing based on legitimate interest (including content moderation). We will cease processing unless we demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds.
• Lodge a complaint — File a complaint with your local data protection authority (e.g., the ICO in the UK, the CNIL in France, or any EU supervisory authority).

10.3 California Residents

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the CPRA, you have the right to:

• Know — Request the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.
• Delete — Request deletion of your personal information.
• Opt out of sale — We do not sell your personal information. No opt-out is necessary.
• Non-discrimination — We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights.

10.4 Connecticut Residents

Under the Connecticut Data Privacy Act and SB 1295, you have the right to:

• Know — Access and obtain a copy of your personal data.
• Delete — Request deletion of your personal data.
• AI disclosure — Be informed about how AI processes your data, including whether your data is used for model training (it is not — see Section 5).

10.5 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at:

• Email: privacy@versemine.app
• In-app: Settings > Account > Delete Account (for account deletion)

We will respond to verified requests within 30 days (or the timeframe required by applicable law). We may ask you to verify your identity before processing your request.

11. Children's Privacy

VerseMine is intended for users aged 13 and older. We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

• Age gate: All new users must provide their date of birth during account creation. Users under 13 are not permitted to create an account.
• No data collection from children: If a user indicates they are under 13, no personal information is collected, stored, or transmitted. The user is shown a friendly message and returned to the login screen.
• Parental contact: If you believe your child under 13 has provided personal information to us, please contact us immediately at privacy@versemine.app. We will promptly delete any such information.

12. International Data Transfers

VerseMine is based in the United States. All data processing occurs in the United States through US-based service providers (Supabase, PostHog, Sentry, RevenueCat) and cloud AI providers (Google, OpenAI). Voice transcription runs entirely on your device and is not transmitted to any external provider.

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, your data is transferred to the United States. We rely on the following safeguards for these transfers:

• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) — as adopted by the European Commission, incorporated into our agreements with data processors.
• Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) — executed with each third-party provider that processes personal data on our behalf, establishing data handling, retention, and deletion obligations.

By using the App, you acknowledge that your data will be processed in the United States, which may have different data protection laws than your country of residence.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy.
• Notify you through the App (e.g., an in-app notice or push notification) if the changes are material.
• Where required by law (e.g., changes to AI processing or new third-party providers), request your renewed consent before processing your data under the new terms.

Your continued use of the App after an updated policy takes effect constitutes your acceptance of the changes, except where renewed consent is required by law.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, contact us at:

• General support: support@versemine.app
• Privacy inquiries and data rights requests: privacy@versemine.app

VerseMine
Website: https://versemine.app
Privacy Policy: https://versemine.app/privacy