SEEN:app Privacy Policy

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

At SEEN:app, your reflections are sacred. Privacy and safety are not features — they are the foundation. This policy explains, in plain language, how we protect your data and why you can trust this space.

Quick Summary

• Local Only: Journal entries live only on your device, encrypted
• We Can't See Them: Neither SEEN nor OpenAI/Anthropic can access your content
• Ephemeral Processing: Most AI insights are generated in the moment and discarded; weekly reflection summaries are an exception and are stored server-side (see below)
• Developer Access: We have no technical ability to access your profile details or journal entries
• Built-In Safety: Crisis detection is always on, fully anonymous, and ensures resources appear if distress is detected
• Anonymous Metrics Only: We count devices and usage patterns, never your content
• No Ads, No Tracking: We don't sell, profile, or monetize your data

Our Security Architecture

• Frontend Website: seenjournal.app hosted on Fly.io
• Mobile App: Installed from iOS/Android stores, runs locally
• Proxy Server: seen.place on Fly.io, isolates AI processing and handles push notifications
• Push Notifications: APNs (Apple) and FCM (Android) routing through our proxy server
• Data Sanitization: All content is cleaned before reaching AI services
• No Remote Access: We have no technical ability to remotely access user data
• No Logging: Technical safeguards block user content from appearing in logs
• SOC 2 Hosting: Fly.io provides enterprise-grade compliance

The Three Most Important Things

1. Are My Journal Entries Safe?

Yes. Your writing stays private.

• Local Storage Only: Entries remain encrypted on your device
• No Access: We cannot read or retrieve them
• Your Control: Only you unlock entries via Face ID / Touch ID / PIN
• No Tracking: We don't monitor when or how often you write

2. What About My Conversations with Fathom Kairos?

Your exchanges with Fathom Kairos are also secure.

• Temporary Processing: Sent to OpenAI only for generating responses
• Limited Context: Only the last 6 messages are kept during a live chat
• Not Retained: OpenAI's API does not store or train on your data
• No Records: We do not store your conversations on our servers

3. Anonymous Device ID & Basic Metrics

We have sworn an oath to protect your journal entries, conversations, and reflections. Those will never be read, stored on our servers, or tied to your identity. At the same time, we are building something meaningful, and we need simple ways to gauge whether SEEN is serving people well.

To do this, SEEN:app creates a random device ID the first time you open the app. This ID is not linked to you or your writing. We use it only to count things like how many installs and active devices exist—similar to counting the number of phone calls received or how many times someone knocks on a door.

You can reset this ID at any time by reinstalling the app.

Data We Collect

Stored on Your Device

• Journal entries and reflections
• AI insights and weekly stories
• App preferences and session data
• Optional profile info (name, pronouns, birthday)

Anonymous Metrics Only

• Random device ID (not linked to you or your content)
• Basic usage counts (app opens, feature usage)
• Anonymous crash reports and performance data
• Device type and OS version (for compatibility)
• Push notification delivery tokens (for app notifications only)

Stored on Our Servers

• AI-generated weekly reflection summaries (associated with your email address and the week generated — see "AI-Generated Weekly Insights" below)

We Do NOT Collect

• Writing analytics
• Location data
• Contacts or other app data
• Your raw journal entries (these never leave your device)
• Behavioral tracking
• Any personally identifiable information beyond email address (for users who enable weekly insights)

AI-Generated Weekly Insights

SEEN:app generates a weekly reflection summary based on your journal entries. This summary is created by an AI model and includes a short narrative, two themes, and a forward-looking prompt. It does not include your raw journal entries, which remain stored locally on your device and are never transmitted to our servers.

The AI-generated summary is stored server-side so it can be reliably delivered across devices and preserved for your reference. It is associated with your account by email address and the week it was generated.

You can request deletion of your stored summaries at any time by contacting us at ben@seen.place. All associated summaries will be permanently removed upon request. Summaries are stored on encrypted infrastructure and are never sold or shared with third parties.

Crisis Detection & Safety

SEEN:app includes an anonymous crisis detection system:

• Powered by Anthropic Claude: Detects signs of distress
• Anonymous by Design: No identifying info ever leaves your device
• Support Resources: Shown only in-app, directly to you
• Team Notification: SEEN:app team only receives an anonymous flag (no content)
• Always Active: Crisis detection runs anonymously to ensure help is available when needed
• No Retention: Anthropic does not store analyzed text

How We Use Information

On Device:

Journaling, insights, weekly summaries, personalization

With AI Services:

• OpenAI → Generates insights and chat
• Anthropic → Crisis detection
• Fly.io → Secure hosting (no content access)
• Apple/Google → Push notification delivery (APNs/FCM) through our proxy server

Anonymous Analytics:

• Count active devices and usage patterns
• Monitor app performance and stability
• Understand which features are most helpful

No Other Third Parties: No analytics, advertising, or social media integrations

Data Security

Technical Safeguards

• Device Encryption: All data stored using Expo SecureStore with device-level encryption
• Secure Authentication: Face ID/Touch ID/PIN protection
• HTTPS Encryption: All network communications are encrypted
• No Cloud Storage: No vulnerable cloud databases or servers

Access Control

• Device-Only Access: Only you can access your data through your authenticated device
• No Remote Access: We cannot remotely access your journal entries
• No Backdoors: We have no technical ability to read your content

Third-Party Services

OpenAI API

• Purpose: Generate AI insights and reflections
• Data Sent: Only journal content you choose to analyze
• Data Retention: Not retained by OpenAI per their API terms
• Privacy Policy: OpenAI's Privacy Policy

No Other Third Parties

• We don't use analytics services (no Google Analytics, Facebook tracking, etc.)
• We don't use advertising networks
• We don't share data with marketing companies
• We don't integrate with social media platforms

Your Rights and Control

Complete Control

• Export Your Data: Generate PDF reports of your insights anytime
• Delete Your Data: Uninstalling the app removes all your data
• No Account Required: No sign-up means no data tied to your identity
• Offline Capable: Core journaling works without internet connection
• Reset Device ID: Reinstall the app to generate a new anonymous ID

Data Portability

• Export your insights as professionally formatted PDFs
• All data remains accessible to you at all times
• No vendor lock-in or proprietary formats

Children's Privacy

Seen App is not designed for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided information to us, please contact us immediately.

Changes to This Policy

We will notify users of any material changes to this privacy policy through app updates. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the new policy.

International Users

Your data is processed locally on your device regardless of your location. When AI processing occurs, data is transmitted to OpenAI's servers which may be located outside your country.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or your data:

Email: ben@seen.place
Website: www.seen.place

Transparency Commitment

We believe privacy should be simple and transparent. If you have any questions about how your data is handled, we're committed to providing clear, honest answers.