Privacy Policy for Ask Aluma

1. Introduction

Ask Aluma ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and web service (collectively, the "Service").

2. Information We Collect

3. How We Protect Client Information (PHI)

Ask Aluma is designed for reflective practice, NOT as a clinical tool. To protect client confidentiality:

• Automatic PHI Detection: Our system automatically detects and redacts potential Protected Health Information (names, phone numbers, emails, case numbers, SSNs, addresses) before messages are stored.
• Redaction Markers: Detected information is replaced with privacy-friendly markers (e.g., "[name removed for privacy]").
• No Client Data Storage: We strongly encourage users to discuss patterns and themes, not specific client details.

4. Research Analytics (Optional)

If you opt in to Research Contribution:

• We collect ONLY de-identified, aggregated metadata (emotional themes, professional barriers, values explored)
• NO raw text, names, emails, or identifiable information is collected
• Data is used solely to identify trends in social work challenges for research and training improvements
• You can opt out at any time in Settings

5. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide and maintain the Service
• Process your subscription
• Respond to your inquiries
• Improve our Service
• Send service-related communications

We DO NOT:

• Sell your personal information
• Use your data for advertising
• Share your conversations with third parties (except as required by law)

6. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

• OpenAI: Powers AI responses (conversations are processed but not stored by OpenAI for training)
• Stripe: Secure payment processing
• Neon: Database hosting (encrypted)

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures:

• Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS)
• Secure password hashing (scrypt)
• Session-based authentication with HTTP-only cookies
• Regular security audits

8. Data Retention

• Account data is retained while your account is active
• Conversations are retained until you delete them
• You may delete your account and all associated data at any time

9. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Correct inaccurate data
• Delete your account and data
• Opt out of research analytics
• Export your data

10. Children's Privacy

Ask Aluma is designed for professional social workers and is not intended for use by individuals under 18 years of age.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

• Email: admin@alumahub.net
• Website: https://alumahub.net