Privacy Policy

We explicitly do not collect:

• Location data (GPS, IP-based geolocation)
• Contacts or address book
• Photos, camera, or media library access
• Call logs or SMS
• Browsing history
• Advertising identifiers
• Biometric data (Face ID / Touch ID authentication is processed entirely on your device by Apple or Google; we receive only a success/failure signal, never biometric data)
• Microphone recordings (voice input uses on-device speech-to-text; only the resulting text transcript is sent to our servers, never the audio)

• Processing your argument submissions through AI to generate follow-up questions and resolutions
• Delivering resolutions and partner reactions
• Managing your argument history and pattern insights
• Generating shareable resolution cards

• Creating and authenticating your account
• Linking your account with your partner
• Managing your subscription tier and billing status
• Sending transactional communications (password resets, subscription confirmations)

• Screening argument submissions for indicators of domestic violence, threats, self-harm, or crisis situations
• Surfacing crisis resources when safety concerns are detected
• Reviewing flagged content to improve safety screening accuracy

• Analyzing aggregated, de-identified usage patterns to improve product features
• Evaluating AI resolution quality using anonymized argument pairs (see Section 5 for details)
• Fixing bugs and resolving technical issues

• Sending push notifications you have opted into (partner submissions, follow-up questions ready, resolution delivered)
• Responding to support inquiries
• Sending critical service announcements (security incidents, terms changes)

Your partner can see: the resolution (which synthesizes both sides), your reaction to the resolution, and your display name. Your partner cannot see: your raw argument submission text, your follow-up responses, your mood tags, or your mood intensity until the AI has processed both sides into a resolution. After the resolution is delivered, individual submission text remains private — only you can see your own submissions.

We share limited data with the following service providers, all of whom are contractually bound to use data only for providing their service to us:

We will disclose your information to law enforcement only when required by valid legal process (subpoena, court order, or warrant) or when we have a good faith belief that disclosure is necessary to prevent imminent harm to a person. We will notify you of such requests unless legally prohibited from doing so.

If Heard is acquired, merged, or sells substantially all of its assets, your information may be transferred to the successor entity. We will notify you via email and in-app notice before your information is subject to a different privacy policy.

• Advertisers or ad networks
• Data brokers
• Social media platforms (unless you explicitly share a resolution card yourself)
• Any entity for purposes of targeted advertising

When you submit an argument and complete follow-up questions, the following is sent to Anthropic's Claude AI for processing:

• Your argument text
• Your mood tags and intensity
• Your follow-up question responses
• Your partner's argument text, mood tags, and follow-up responses
• The argument topic and category

The following is never sent to the AI:

• Your name or display name
• Your email address
• Your user ID or account identifier
• Your partner's name, email, or identifier
• Your subscription tier
• Your device information
• Any metadata that could identify you as an individual

A randomly generated request ID (UUID) is used to correlate AI requests. This ID is not linked to your user account in the AI provider's systems.

Per our agreement with Anthropic, data sent for processing via the API is not used to train Anthropic's models and is not retained by Anthropic beyond the processing window (typically seconds). Refer to Anthropic's API data usage policy at https://www.anthropic.com/privacy for their current terms.

To maintain and improve resolution quality, we periodically evaluate AI outputs using anonymized argument pairs. This means: all personal identifiers are removed, argument text may be reviewed by Heard employees or contractors who have signed confidentiality agreements, and no argument is ever linked back to a specific user during evaluation. You may opt out of quality evaluation by emailing privacy@heardapp.co.

Your data is stored in Supabase-managed PostgreSQL databases hosted in the United States (AWS infrastructure). Backups are encrypted and stored in the same region.

• Encryption in transit: All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using TLS 1.3.
• Encryption at rest: All database storage uses AES-256 encryption.
• Row Level Security: Database access controls ensure you can only access your own data, even in the event of an application-level vulnerability.
• Authentication: JWT tokens with 1-hour expiry and 7-day refresh tokens. Tokens stored in httpOnly cookies (web) and device secure storage (mobile).
• Rate limiting: API requests are rate-limited to prevent abuse.
• Access controls: Employee access to production data is logged, restricted to essential personnel, and requires multi-factor authentication.

In the event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you via email within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach, notify applicable regulatory authorities as required by law, and provide a description of the breach, the data affected, and steps we are taking to address it.

You can:

• Delete a specific argument: In the app, navigate to the argument and select "Delete." This permanently removes the argument, both submissions, all follow-up questions and responses, the resolution, and any reactions. This action is irreversible.
• Delete your account: In Settings > Data & Privacy > Delete Account. This initiates a 30-day soft deletion period during which your account is deactivated. After 30 days, all your data is permanently and irreversibly deleted from our systems, including all arguments, resolutions, insights, and account information. During the 30-day window, you can reactivate your account by logging in.
• Request data deletion by email: Send a request to privacy@heardapp.co from the email address associated with your account. We will process the request within 30 days.

When you delete your account, your contributions to shared arguments (your submissions and follow-up responses) are deleted. Your partner will retain access to the resolution (which synthesizes both sides) but will see “[deleted user]” where your display name appeared.

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate personal data.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data (see Section 7.2).
• Data Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format (JSON export available in Settings).
• Opt-Out of Analytics: Disable usage analytics in Settings > Privacy.
• Opt-Out of Quality Evaluation: Email privacy@heardapp.co to opt out of anonymized resolution quality evaluation.

You have the right to: know what personal information is collected, request deletion, opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information), and not be discriminated against for exercising your rights. To exercise these rights, email privacy@heardapp.co or use the in-app settings. We will respond within 45 days.

Our legal basis for processing is: contract performance (to provide the Service), legitimate interest (to improve the Service and ensure safety), and consent (for optional analytics and notifications). You have the right to: access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, object to processing, and withdraw consent. To exercise these rights, email privacy@heardapp.co. Our data protection contact is privacy@heardapp.co. You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

Heard is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you are under 18, do not use the Service. If we learn we have collected personal information from a user under 18, we will delete it promptly. If you believe a user under 18 has provided us with personal information, please contact privacy@heardapp.co.