Privacy Policy

Hey there! 👋

We know privacy policies can be boring, but this one matters. Crash Out Diary is your safe space to process emotions, and we want you to feel confident about how we handle your data. We've written this in plain English so you actually know what's going on.

Who We Are

Company: Soft Landing Co

Address: 14601 Main St, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

Contact: support@crashout.now

The Quick Version

• We only collect what we need to make the app work
• We don't sell your personal data to anyone
• Your crashouts and chats stay private (except for anonymous analytics)
• You control your data and can delete it anytime
• You must be 13+ to use our app

What Information We Collect

When You Browse (No Account Needed)

• Device info: What type of phone/computer you're using
• Cookies: Small files that help the app remember your preferences
• Usage patterns: Which features people use most (but not tied to you personally)

When You Create an Account

• Email address: So you can log in and we can contact you
• Password: To keep your account secure (or you can use Google login)
• Username: We create a random one for you, but you can change it

What You Create in the App

• Your crashouts: The emotional vents you write and save to your vault
• AI conversations: Your chats with personas (like Sassy Girlfriend, Boy Bestie)
• Crash Wall posts: Anonymous posts you choose to share publicly
• Badges earned: Your emotional wellness achievements
• App choices: Which personas you prefer, games vs. peace options (anonymous data only)

How We Use Your Information

To Make the App Work

• Save your crashouts so you can access them later
• Remember your preferences and settings
• Let you earn and display badges
• Enable chat conversations with AI personas

To Improve the Experience

• Analyze anonymous usage patterns (like "most users prefer the peace option")
• Fix bugs and add new features
• Send you app updates and important notifications

For AI Features

Important: When you chat with AI personas, your messages are processed by Google (Gemini) or Anthropic to generate responses. We don't control what these companies do with that data, but we choose services that respect user privacy.

Who We Share Information With

Service Providers We Trust

• Payment processors (like Stripe): For subscriptions (we never store your credit card info)
• Email services: To send you important updates
• Analytics tools: To understand how to improve the app (anonymous data only)
• AI providers (Google/Anthropic): To power persona conversations

Anonymous Demographics for Sponsors

We might share general stats like "30% of our users are 18-24 years old" with sponsors, but never your personal information or individual posts.

When Required by Law

If law enforcement requires it through proper legal channels, we may have to share information. We'll resist overly broad requests and notify you if legally allowed.

We Never Do This

• Sell your personal data to data brokers
• Share your individual crashouts or chats with advertisers
• Give away your email or personal details for marketing

Data Retention

How Long We Keep Your Data:

• Active accounts: Your crashouts, conversations, and account data are retained until you delete them or close your account
• Deleted accounts: When you delete your account, we permanently remove your personal data within 30 days (except as required by law)
• Legal consents: Records of your acceptance of Terms and Privacy Policy are kept for legal compliance even after account deletion
• Anonymous analytics: Aggregated, anonymized usage data may be retained indefinitely

Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate Crash Out Diary:

• OpenAI (GPT-4): Powers AI personas. See OpenAI Privacy Policy
• Supabase: Database and authentication. See Supabase Privacy Policy
• Stripe: Payment processing (we never store your credit card details). See Stripe Privacy Policy
• Vercel: Hosting and deployment. See Vercel Privacy Policy

We choose service providers that prioritize user privacy and comply with data protection laws.

Your Rights & Control

You Can Always:

• Access your data: Download everything we have about you
• Delete individual posts: Remove specific crashouts without losing your whole account
• Delete your entire account: Everything gets removed from our database within 30 days
• Change your settings: Update email, username, or preferences anytime
• Opt out of emails: Except for critical security updates
• Export your data: Request a copy of all your data in machine-readable format

Data Storage

• Location: Your data is stored in the United States through Supabase (AWS infrastructure)
• How long: Until you delete your account (see Data Retention section above)
• Security: We use industry-standard encryption, secure authentication, and regular security audits

For Users in California (CCPA)

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know what personal information we collect, use, and share
• Right to delete your personal information
• Right to opt out of the "sale" of personal information (we do not sell your data)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

For Users in the EU (GDPR)

European users have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Right to access your personal data
• Right to rectification (correct inaccurate data)
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restrict processing
• Right to data portability
• Right to object to processing

How We Use AI

AI-Powered Personas: Crash Out Diary uses artificial intelligence to power conversational personas (like Sassy Girlfriend, Boy Bestie, etc.). When you chat with these personas, your messages are:

• Sent to third-party AI providers (OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic) to generate responses
• Stored in our database to maintain conversation history and improve personalization
• Not used to train AI models that are shared with other users or companies

What AI Sees: The AI sees your conversation history with that persona, your username, and any context you provide. It does not see your email, full name, or personal information unless you explicitly share it in a conversation.

Third-Party AI Processing: We use OpenAI's GPT-4 to power our personas. OpenAI processes your messages according to their Privacy Policy. We choose AI providers that commit to not using customer data to train their models.

Crisis Detection: We use automated keyword detection and AI-powered content moderation to identify crisis language (self-harm, suicide, violence). When detected, we display crisis resources immediately.

Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

Age Requirements: Crash Out Diary is designed for users aged 13 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent.

Users Ages 13-15: If you are between 13 and 15 years old, we require verifiable parental consent before you can use the App. We collect only the minimum information necessary:

• Email address (for login)
• Date of birth (for age verification)
• Crashouts and AI conversations (stored securely)
• Anonymous usage analytics

Parental Rights: Parents or guardians of users under 16 have the right to:

• Review the personal information we have collected about their child
• Request deletion of their child's account and all associated data
• Refuse further collection or use of their child's information
• Revoke consent at any time

To exercise these rights, email us at support@crashout.now with proof of your parental relationship (such as matching last name and address). We will respond within 10 business days.

How We Verify Parental Consent: When a user aged 13-15 signs up, we send an email to the parent or guardian provided by the minor. The parent must click a unique consent link and confirm their identity before the child's account is activated.

What We Don't Do with Minor Data:

• We do not sell or rent minor users' personal information
• We do not use minor data for targeted advertising
• We do not share minor data with third parties except as required to operate the app (AI providers, payment processors, hosting services)

Crisis Data Handling

When Crisis Language Is Detected: If our automated systems detect that you may be in crisis, we:

• Display crisis resources and hotline numbers (988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline)
• Pause the AI conversation to ensure you see the resources
• Log the detection event for safety monitoring (but not the full message content)

We Do Not:

• Share your crisis-related messages with third parties (except AI providers as part of normal operation)
• Contact emergency services on your behalf without your explicit request
• Alert your parents, school, or authorities based on crisis detection alone

Your Responsibility: Crash Out Diary is not a crisis intervention service. If you are in crisis, you must reach out to a crisis hotline, trusted adult, or emergency services yourself.

International Users

Crash Out Diary works worldwide! If you're outside the US, your data will still be stored in the United States. By using our app, you consent to this transfer.

Changes to This Policy

We'll update this policy occasionally to reflect new features or legal requirements. When we do:

• We'll email you about major changes
• Send a push notification
• Show you a summary in the app

The "Last Updated" date at the top will always reflect the most recent version.

Questions or Concerns?

We're here to help! Reach out anytime:

• Email: support@crashout.now
• Response time: We aim to reply within 48 hours

Remember: Crash Out Diary is designed to support you, not exploit you. Your emotional wellness data is sensitive, and we treat it that way.