Privacy Policy

Effective date: March 11, 2026

Arkiary ("the App") is a journaling application developed by Ark Liu ("we," "us," or "our"). Your privacy matters to us, and this policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information.

1. Information We Collect

When you use Arkiary, we may collect the following types of data:

• Journal entries — text content you write in the App
• Mood data — mood selections and emotional check-ins
• Media — photos, videos, and voice memos you attach to entries
• Chat messages — conversations with the AI companion feature
• Account information — email address and authentication credentials (if you sign in)
• Location data — only when you explicitly grant permission, used for weather and location tagging

2. How We Use Your Information

• Core functionality: To store, organize, and display your journal entries.
• AI analysis: Select entries and chat messages are sent to AI service providers to power features such as mood insights, reflections, and the AI companion. Depending on your region, data may be processed by OpenAI (for users outside mainland China) or Doubao (豆包) (for users in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau). Neither provider permanently stores your data. See their respective policies: OpenAI API Data Usage Policy, Doubao (豆包) Privacy Policy.
• Cloud sync: If you sign in, your data is synced via Google Firebase (Authentication and Cloud Firestore) so you can access it across devices. For users in regions where Google services are restricted, requests may be routed through a Cloudflare-hosted proxy to ensure connectivity. The proxy does not store any user data.
• Weather & location tagging: If you grant location permission, we use your location to fetch weather data and tag entries.

3. Data Storage

Your data is stored locally on your device. If you choose to sign in, it is also stored in Google Cloud Firestore for syncing purposes. Firebase infrastructure is hosted in secure, SOC 2–compliant data centers.

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties. We do not serve advertisements. Your data is only transmitted to:

• OpenAI — for AI-powered features outside mainland China (processing only, no permanent storage)
• Doubao (豆包) — for AI-powered features in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau (processing only, no permanent storage)
• Google Firebase — for authentication and cloud sync (if signed in)
• Cloudflare — as a network proxy for users in regions with restricted access to Google services (no data storage)

5. Your Rights & Data Deletion

You can delete your journal entries, media, and account data at any time from within the App. If you delete your account, all associated data stored in Firebase will be permanently removed. Local data can be removed by deleting the App.

6. Security

We use industry-standard encryption and security practices to protect your data in transit and at rest. However, no method of electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Children's Privacy

Arkiary is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected such information, we will promptly delete it.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes through the App or by updating the effective date above.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at yangningliu0@gmail.com.