Privacy Policy

Effective Date: June 9, 2026 · Last Updated: June 12, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Vela ("we", "us", "our", or "the App") collects, uses, and protects information when you use the Vela mobile application. By using Vela, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Data Controller

The data controller responsible for processing personal information under this policy is:

Sonay Aydin
Independent App Developer
Winterthur, Switzerland
Contact: viyan.sonay@gmail.com

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP). See Section 11 for details.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information Stored Locally on Your Device

The following information is stored only on your device and never transmitted to us:

• Decision entries: Your decisions, context, categories, stakes, and AI-generated analyses.
• Display name: An optional name you choose to personalize the app.
• Language preference: Your selected interface language (English, German, French, Spanish, or Turkish).
• App settings: Notification preferences and other in-app settings.

This data is stored using your device's standard secure storage (AsyncStorage on iOS). It never leaves your device unless you explicitly request an AI analysis or export.

2.2 Information Transmitted for AI Analysis

When you tap "Start Analysis", the following data is transmitted via encrypted HTTPS to our backend infrastructure:

• The decision title and context you entered
• The category you selected (e.g., Career, Relationship, Finance)
• The stakes level (Low, Medium, High)
• The language of your request

This data is processed by our backend (Supabase Edge Functions) and forwarded to Anthropic's Claude AI API solely to generate your analysis. See Section 4 for details on our AI processing partner.

2.3 Information We Do NOT Collect

• We do not collect your email address, phone number, or any persistent personal identifier.
• We do not require account creation.
• We do not use advertising identifiers (IDFA), tracking SDKs, or analytics tools.
• We do not serve advertisements.
• We do not sell, rent, or share your data with third parties for marketing.
• We do not use your data for profiling or automated decision-making with legal effects.
• We do not use your decisions to train AI models.

3. How We Use Information

We process information solely to:

• Provide AI-generated decision analysis when you request it
• Maintain your subscription status if you purchase Vela Premium
• Improve app stability through anonymized error diagnostics (no personal content included)
• Comply with legal obligations

Legal basis (GDPR Art. 6): We process your data based on (a) your explicit consent when you submit a decision for analysis, and (b) contractual necessity for providing the service you requested.

4. AI Processing — Anthropic Claude

Vela uses Anthropic's Claude AI to generate decision analyses. When you submit a decision:

• Your decision text is sent to Anthropic via API for the purpose of generating a response.
• Anthropic's API does not use API inputs or outputs to train their models by default, as stated in their commercial terms.
• Anthropic may retain API data for a limited period for safety and abuse-detection purposes, in accordance with their privacy policy.
• For more information, see Anthropic's Privacy Policy and Commercial Terms.

4.1 In-App Consent (Apple Guideline 5.1.2(i))

In compliance with Apple App Store Review Guideline 5.1.2(i), Vela presents an explicit in-app consent screen before any decision data is sent to Anthropic. You must tap "Allow & Continue" to authorize the transfer. You can revoke this consent at any time from Profile → Settings → AI Analysis Consent. After revocation, the consent prompt will appear again on your next analysis attempt.

5. Data Storage and Retention

5.1 On Your Device

All your decisions, analyses, and settings are stored locally. They persist until you delete them in-app or uninstall Vela. Once deleted or uninstalled, this data cannot be recovered by us.

5.2 On Our Backend

Our backend (Supabase) does not store your decision content in databases. However, standard backend infrastructure may temporarily retain operational logs (such as request metadata, IP-derived region, and error traces) for up to 14 days for security, abuse prevention, and debugging purposes. These logs are then automatically deleted.

5.3 Subscription Data

RevenueCat retains anonymized subscription transaction data for the duration of your subscription and as required by tax and accounting laws. See RevenueCat's Privacy Policy.

6. In-App Purchases — Vela Premium

Vela offers an optional Premium subscription that unlocks unlimited AI analyses, Pattern Insight, Future You, advanced exports, and other features.

• All payment processing is handled by Apple App Store. We never see or store your payment information.
• Subscription status is managed through RevenueCat, which receives an anonymized identifier and your subscription state.
• You can cancel your subscription at any time through your Apple ID settings, or directly within the app from Profile → Legal → Manage Subscription.

7. Third-Party Services

Vela relies on the following third-party services. Each has its own privacy practices, which we encourage you to review:

• Anthropic (Claude AI) — AI analysis processing. Privacy Policy
• Supabase — Backend infrastructure (Edge Functions). Privacy Policy
• RevenueCat — Subscription management. Privacy Policy
• Apple Inc. — App distribution, payment processing, push notifications. Privacy Policy

8. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers (Anthropic, Supabase, RevenueCat, Apple) are based in the United States or operate global infrastructure. When you use Vela, your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the EEA, UK, or Switzerland.

These transfers are protected by appropriate safeguards, including Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) where applicable, and the providers' own data protection commitments.

9. Security

We implement industry-standard technical and organizational measures to protect your information:

• All network communication uses HTTPS/TLS encryption.
• Local data is protected by your device's built-in security (iOS Keychain and sandboxing).
• Backend access is restricted via authentication and role-based controls.
• We apply three layers of safety filtering on AI requests (harmful content, prompt injection protection, input limits) to maintain service integrity.

However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Children's Privacy

Vela is intended for users aged 13 and older (16 in the European Union, where stricter age limits apply). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children below these ages. If you believe a child has used Vela without parental consent, please contact us at viyan.sonay@gmail.com and we will take appropriate action.

11. Your Rights (GDPR / Swiss FADP / CCPA)

Depending on your location, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

11.1 For Users in the EEA, UK, and Switzerland (GDPR / FADP)

• Right of access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification — Request correction of inaccurate data.
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten") — Request deletion of your data.
• Right to restriction — Request that we limit how we use your data.
• Right to data portability — Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format. (Note: you can also use the in-app Export feature.)
• Right to object — Object to certain types of processing.
• Right to withdraw consent — Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.
• Right to lodge a complaint — With your local data protection authority (e.g., the Swiss FDPIC for users in Switzerland).

11.2 For Users in California (CCPA/CPRA)

• Right to know what personal information is collected.
• Right to delete personal information.
• Right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. (Note: we do not sell or share personal information.)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising these rights.

11.3 How to Exercise Your Rights

Most data can be managed directly within the app:

• Delete all your data: Profile → Data Management → "Delete all my data" — permanently removes all decisions, profile info, AI consent, and settings from your device.
• Delete individual decisions: From the History tab, swipe or open a decision to delete it.
• Export your data: Profile → Export — receive your decisions as PDF, Markdown, or plain text.
• Revoke AI consent: Profile → Settings → AI Analysis Consent.
• Cancel subscription: Profile → Legal → Manage Subscription.
• Remove all traces: Uninstall the app from your device.

For any other privacy-related requests (right of access, rectification, data portability, lodging a complaint, etc.), contact us at viyan.sonay@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.

12. Data Breach Notification

In the unlikely event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify affected users and relevant supervisory authorities in accordance with applicable law (within 72 hours where required by GDPR).

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top and, where appropriate, notify you within the app. Continued use of Vela after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data:

Email: viyan.sonay@gmail.com
Subject line: "Privacy Request"
Response time: Within 30 days

Vela — AI Decision Journal · © 2026 Sonay Aydin · All rights reserved.