Privacy Policy

Kinlet ("we," "us," or "our") operates the Kinlet application and website at kinletstudio.com. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our service.

1. Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account through our authentication provider (Clerk), we receive your name, email address, and profile photo. We store a linked user record in our database to manage your subscription status and preferences.

Phone Number & SMS Consent (Kinlet SMS Journaling)

If you opt in to the Kinlet SMS Journaling program, we collect your phone number and your consent to receive text messages. Your phone number is verified via a one-time code and stored securely in your account record. We use your phone number solely to deliver the SMS journaling service you requested.

Journal Content

You provide journal entries, photos, and audio recordings voluntarily. This content is stored securely and is only accessible to you and anyone you explicitly invite as a collaborator.

Photos & Media

Photos you upload are stored via our cloud storage providers (Convex file storage and ImageKit for image delivery and transformations). Photos are organized by journal and are never shared publicly unless you choose to do so.

Payment Information

Payments are processed by Stripe. We never store your full credit card number. We retain your Stripe customer ID and subscription status to manage billing.

Usage Data

We collect anonymized analytics through PostHog to understand how the application is used and to improve the experience. This may include page views, feature usage, and device information.

2. How We Use Your Information

• To provide, maintain, and improve the Kinlet service
• To process your journal entries, including AI-powered features such as question generation, photo captioning, and text polishing
• To send you SMS journal questions at the frequency you choose and to process your text-message replies into journal entries
• To send transactional emails (welcome, reminders, order confirmations) and optional marketing communications
• To process payments and manage your subscription
• To fulfill print-on-demand book orders
• To respond to support requests

3. SMS Messaging & Data Sharing (Kinlet SMS Journaling)

Kinlet offers an optional SMS journaling program ("Kinlet SMS Journaling") that sends you daily journal questions via text message. Message frequency is up to two messages per day based on your chosen schedule. Message and data rates may apply. You can opt out at any time by replying STOP. Reply HELP for help.

We will not share your opt-in to an SMS campaign with any third party for purposes unrelated to providing you with the services of that campaign. We may share your Personal Data, including your SMS opt-in or consent status, with third parties that help us provide our messaging services, including but not limited to platform providers, phone companies, and any other vendors who assist us in the delivery of text messages.

All of the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties. We will not sell, rent, or share your SMS opt-in data or consent status with any third parties for marketing or promotional purposes.

4. AI Processing

Kinlet uses Google Gemini to power AI features including daily question generation, photo analysis, and content suggestions. When you use these features, relevant content (such as journal text or photos) is sent to Google's API for processing. We do not use your content to train AI models. Google's data handling is governed by their own privacy policy.

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

• Clerk — authentication and user management
• Convex — backend database and serverless functions
• ImageKit — image storage, delivery, and transformations
• Google Gemini — AI-powered content features
• Stripe — payment processing
• Print fulfillment — print-on-demand book production and shipping
• Resend — transactional email delivery
• Telnyx — SMS message delivery
• PostHog — product analytics

Each service processes data according to its own privacy policy. We only share the minimum data necessary for each service to function.

6. Data Storage & Security

Your data is stored on Convex's infrastructure with encryption at rest and in transit. We implement reasonable security measures to protect your personal information, but no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure.

7. Data Retention & Deletion

We retain your data for as long as your account is active. You can delete individual journal entries, photos, and books at any time. If you opt out of SMS messaging, we stop sending messages immediately and remove your phone number from our active messaging lists. If you wish to delete your entire account and all associated data, please contact us at support@kinletstudio.com.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your data
• Export your data in a portable format
• Withdraw consent for optional data processing
• Opt out of SMS messaging at any time by replying STOP to any message

9. Children's Privacy

Kinlet is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can delete it.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by email or through a notice in the application. Your continued use of Kinlet after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at support@kinletstudio.com.