Privacy Policy

Introduction & Scope

ADORAS.ai (“we”, “us”, “our”) operates the ADORAS mobile application (“the App”), a family storytelling platform that connects younger and older generations through shared memories, voice recordings, photos, and conversations.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you use the ADORAS app. It applies to all users, including Keepers (younger family members) and Tellers (older storytellers).

By creating an account or using the App, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the App.

Data We Collect

Account Data

• Name, email address, and password (stored as a bcrypt hash — we never store your plaintext password)
• Date of birth (or approximate birth year), profile photo, relationship role (Keeper or Teller), and optional biography

Content Data

• Text memories and chat messages you create or send
• Voice recordings (up to 5 minutes per recording)
• Photos and videos you upload or capture within the App

AI-Generated Data

• Transcriptions of your voice recordings (generated via OpenAI Whisper)
• Translations of transcripts (generated via DeepL or AI fallback)
• Photo captions and descriptions (generated via Google Gemini or OpenAI Vision)
• Story categories, tags, and date estimates (generated via Google Gemini or OpenAI)
• Face embeddings for the optional face recognition feature (processed on-device when possible)

Device Data

• Device type and operating system version (for compatibility and debugging)
• Push notification tokens (Apple Push Notification service on iOS, VAPID web push subscriptions on other platforms) for delivering notifications

Usage Data

• Login timestamps and basic feature usage patterns (anonymised and aggregated)

Location Data

• Photo/video metadata: When you upload photos or videos, we may extract GPS coordinates embedded in the file’s EXIF metadata to associate a location with your memory. If a photo has no EXIF location and your device grants permission, we may use your device’s current location to geotag the photo at the time of upload
• Reverse geocoding: GPS coordinates are converted to human-readable place names (e.g., “Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong”) using the OpenStreetMap Nominatim service. Only the coordinates are sent — no personal data
• Manual entry: You may also manually tag memories with a place name
• We do not perform background location tracking, geofencing, or continuous GPS monitoring

How We Use Your Data

• Core service delivery: Storing and retrieving your memories, facilitating chat between connected family members, and displaying your timeline and media library
• AI processing: Voice transcription (OpenAI Whisper), language translation (DeepL with AI fallback), photo analysis and story categorisation (Google Gemini with OpenAI fallback), and location geotagging from photo/video metadata
• Push notifications: Sending daily story prompts, alerting you to new memories from family members, and connection requests
• Service improvement: Anonymised, aggregated usage patterns to improve app features and performance

Data Storage & Security

• All data is stored on Supabase (hosted on Amazon Web Services), encrypted at rest using AES-256
• Media files (photos, voice recordings, videos) are stored in private Supabase Storage buckets, accessible only via time-limited signed URLs
• All data transmission between the App and our servers uses HTTPS/TLS encryption
• Passwords are hashed using bcrypt via Supabase Auth — we never store or have access to your plaintext password
• Authentication tokens (JWTs) are short-lived and automatically refreshed

Data Sharing

With Your Family

Your memories and messages are shared only with family members you have explicitly connected with in the App. You control who can see your stories.

AI Processing Providers

To provide transcription, translation, and photo analysis features, we send relevant data to the following providers for processing only:

• Google (Gemini) — Primary AI provider for photo analysis, story categorisation, and translation fallback
• OpenAI — Voice transcription (Whisper) and fallback for photo analysis (Vision) and categorisation
• DeepL — Primary text translation service
• OpenStreetMap Nominatim — Reverse geocoding of GPS coordinates to place names (coordinates only — no personal data sent)

These providers process your data solely to deliver results back to ADORAS. They do not retain your data for their own purposes or training (subject to their respective API data handling policies).

Your Rights (Hong Kong PDPO Compliant)

Under the Hong Kong Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO), you have the following rights:

• Access: View all your data within the App at any time (Settings → Storage & Data)
• Export: Download your memories as JSON files with associated media links
• Correction: Edit your profile information and memory metadata at any time
• Deletion: Delete individual memories, remove connections, or delete your entire account

Children’s Privacy

ADORAS is designed for intergenerational family use, connecting younger and older family members. While the App is intended to be used across generations, we take the following precautions:

• We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 13 without parental consent
• Minors (under 18) should use the App under the supervision and with the consent of a parent or legal guardian
• If we become aware that we have collected data from a child under 13 without appropriate consent, we will take steps to delete that data promptly

Data Retention

• Active accounts: Your data is retained for as long as your account remains active
• Deleted accounts: All associated data (profile, memories, media files, AI-generated content) is permanently purged within 30 days of account deletion
• Cached media: Locally cached media on your device can be cleared at any time via Settings → Storage → Clear Cache
• Server logs: Anonymised server logs may be retained for up to 90 days for debugging and security purposes

Cookies & Tracking

• We use a single strictly necessary authentication cookie (an OAuth code verifier) to ensure secure login on Safari and other browsers that restrict local storage during sign-in redirects. This cookie is short-lived (expires within 5 minutes), contains no personal data, and is not used for tracking
• We do not use any tracking cookies, tracking pixels, or fingerprinting techniques
• We do not use any third-party analytics SDKs (no Google Analytics, no Mixpanel, no Amplitude, no Firebase Analytics)
• We do not serve advertisements of any kind
• We do not participate in any ad networks or retargeting platforms

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors.

• The “Last updated” date at the top of this page will be revised accordingly
• Material changes will be communicated to you via an in-app notification before they take effect
• Continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal data, please contact us:

Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong SAR).

In particular, this policy is designed to comply with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO) (Cap. 486, Laws of Hong Kong), including the six Data Protection Principles set out therein.

Any disputes arising from this policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Hong Kong SAR.