Ashglow — Privacy Policy

                Our commitment: Ashglow is designed to be anonymous by default. We collect the absolute minimum data needed to make the app work. We don't know who you are, and we want to keep it that way.
            

Data Collection

What we collect

Ashglow collects only the data necessary for the app to function:

Anonymous user ID: Generated automatically via Firebase Anonymous Authentication. This is a random identifier — no email, phone number, or personal information is required.
Device locale: Your device language setting (e.g. "en" or "zh") to match you with sparks in languages you can read.
Spark content: The text of thoughts you write (max 140 characters), along with a detected language tag and timestamp.
Reactions: Whether you added wood to or let drift a spark you received.

What we do NOT collect

Your name, email address, or phone number
Your location or IP address
Device identifiers (IDFA, IDFV) for advertising purposes
Usage analytics or behavioral tracking data
Photos, contacts, or any other on-device data

Data Storage

Cloud storage: Spark text, reactions, and your anonymous user profile are stored in Google Firebase (Firestore). Data is encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest.
Server location: Firebase servers are located in the EU/US depending on the region configuration. Data is subject to Google Firebase's privacy practices.
Kept sparks: If you save a spark to your jar, a copy of the text is stored in your user's subcollection in Firestore.
No local database: Ashglow does not store data locally on your device beyond standard app caches.

Third-Party Services

                Ashglow uses Firebase (by Google) for authentication, data storage, and server-side functions. No other third-party services, analytics, or advertising SDKs are used.
            

Firebase Authentication: Anonymous sign-in only. No personal credentials are collected or stored.
Firebase Firestore: Cloud database for sparks, reactions, and user data. Subject to Firebase's privacy policy.
Firebase Cloud Functions: Server-side logic for moderation, warmth counting, and data deletion.

We do not use any analytics services, crash reporting tools, or advertising networks.

Content Moderation

To maintain a safe environment, Ashglow includes reporting and auto-moderation features:

Users can report sparks for spam, harassment, or inappropriate content.
Sparks that receive multiple reports are automatically hidden from all users.
Users can block other users to prevent seeing their sparks.
Report data (reporter ID, reason, timestamp) is stored in Firestore and accessible only to the app administrators.
Blocked/reported users are not notified of the action taken.

Data Sharing

                We do not sell, share, or transfer your data to third parties for advertising, marketing, or any other purpose. Your sparks are shared only with other anonymous Ashglow users as part of the core experience.
            

Data Deletion

You can delete all your data at any time from Settings → Delete my data within the app.
This permanently removes your user profile, all sparks you have written, all reactions, kept sparks, and block lists.
Deletion is irreversible and processed immediately via a secure server-side function.
This complies with GDPR's right to erasure (Article 17).

Children's Privacy

Ashglow is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13 years of age. If you believe a child has used the app, please contact us and we will delete the associated data.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or your data, contact us at:

info@smartkiitos.com