Privacy Policy for AstroConnect by Akshai

Last Updated: 16th March 2025

Effective Date: 16th March 2025

1. Introduction

Welcome to AstroConnect! Your privacy is critically important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application AstroConnect ("App"), including any services, features, and content provided.

 By using AstroConnect, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you disagree, please do not use our services.

🔗 View the Source Code on GitHub: GitHub Repository

AstroConnect is an open-source student project aimed at understanding mobile app development, Flutter framework, Firebase authentication, database management, and the process of publishing an app on the Google Play Store. This project was built to explore real-world application development and deployment.

 This app is designed as an educational project for students and developers who want to understand how astrology-based AI models work within an app environment. Contributions, feedback, and issues can be reported on the above GitHub repository.

2. Information We Collect

We collect different types of information to improve your experience and provide accurate astrology insights.

A. Personal Information (Provided by You)

When you register or use our app, you may provide:
✔ Full Name – Used to personalize astrology readings.
✔ Email Address – Required for account creation, authentication, and support.
✔ Date & Time of Birth – Required for astrology predictions.
✔ Place of Birth – Helps in generating astrological insights.
✔ Profile Picture (Optional) – If you upload an image for better personalization.

B. Automatically Collected Information

When you use AstroConnect, we may automatically collect:
✔ Device Information – Device model, operating system version, unique device identifier.
✔ Usage Data – Features used, time spent on the app, interactions.
✔ Log Data – App crashes, error logs, diagnostic information.

 C. Information from Third Parties

If you sign in using Google Authentication, we may collect:
✔ Your Google email address
✔ Profile name & profile picture

D. Permissions We Request

 To provide full functionality, our app may request the following permissions:
✔ Camera & Storage Access – To upload images for profile personalization.
✔ Internet Access – To fetch astrology insights from cloud-based models, you can see and understand the code.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:
✅ Generate personalized astrology insights.
✅ Improve accuracy of predictions using AI models.
✅ Provide customer support and troubleshoot issues.
✅ Secure and authenticate your account.
✅ Comply with legal obligations.

🚫 We do NOT sell or share your personal information with third-party advertisers (See code for better insights).

4. Data Sharing & Disclosure

We only share your data under the following conditions:

🔹 With Service Providers: Trusted partners who help us with cloud storage, AI astrology models, or analytics.
🔹 Legal Compliance: If required by law enforcement or legal obligations.
🔹 Business Transfers: If AstroConnect is acquired or merged, your data may be transferred.

🚫 We do NOT share your astrology insights or birth details with other users.

5. Data Storage & Security

We take strict security measures to protect your data:
🔒 Encryption – Your data is stored securely with AES encryption.
🔒 Access Controls – Only authorized personnel can access sensitive data.
🔒 Cloud Storage Compliance – We use Firebase and cloud platforms that comply with global security standards.

⏳ Data Retention Policy:
✔ We store your astrology history only as long as necessary for providing services.
✔ You can request account deletion at any time.

6. Your Privacy Rights

Under different privacy laws (such as GDPR, CCPA), you have the following rights:
✔ Right to Access – Request a copy of your personal data.
✔ Right to Rectification – Correct or update inaccurate information.
✔ Right to Deletion – Request removal of your data.
✔ Right to Withdraw Consent – Stop data collection at any time.

📩 To exercise these rights, email us at: [akshaykrishna1983@gmail.com]

7. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

AstroConnect does NOT use third-party advertising cookies. However, we may use:
✔ Analytics Cookies – To track usage trends & improve app performance.
✔ Session Cookies – To maintain login sessions.

You can disable cookies via your device settings.

8. Third-Party Services Used

Our app may contain links to external sites (e.g., astrology sources, etc., and all are listed below).

 We are NOT responsible for third-party privacy policies. Please review their policies before sharing data. 

🔹 Hugging Face AI Model (For Astrology Insights)

AstroConnect uses Falcon-7B-Instruct from Hugging Face for astrology insights and text generation.
🔗 Model Used:astroGPT

🔹 Firebase (For Authentication & Database)

AstroConnect uses Firebase for:
✔️ Google Authentication (Secure Login)
✔️ Firestore Database (Storing user data)
✔️ Cloud Storage (For image uploads)

🔗 Firebase Privacy Policy: https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy

9. Children's Privacy

AstroConnect is designed for general audiences, but children under 13 should use it only under parental guidance. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If a child under 13 provides personal data, we recommend that parents review and guide their usage of the app. Parents can also request account deletion or data removal by contacting us.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in legal requirements, technology advancements, or improvements in our services. If we make significant changes, we will notify users through an in-app notification, our website, or an email (if applicable).

Users are encouraged to review this Privacy Policy regularly to stay informed. Continued use of AstroConnect after changes means you accept the revised policy. If you do not agree with any updates, you should discontinue use of the app.

11. Open-Source Development & Student Project

AstroConnect is an open-source student project, developed as a part of learning how to:
✔ Build a Flutter app from scratch.
✔ Integrate Firebase Authentication for secure logins.
✔ Use AI-based astrology models from Hugging Face.
✔ Store & manage data using SQLite databases.
✔ Deploy an app to the Play Store step by step.

This project is a great learning resource for students, developers, and hobbyists looking to understand the mobile app development lifecycle.

🔗 View the Source Code on GitHub: GitHub Repository

📚 Learnings from This Project:
✅ Understanding Flutter widgets, UI & state management.
✅ Implementing Firebase Authentication & Firestore.
✅ Using APIs & AI models for real-time predictions.
✅ App security, permissions, & user data handling.
✅ Testing & preparing an app for Google Play Store deployment.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions or privacy concerns, contact us at:

📧 Email: [akshaykrishna1983@gmail.com]
🐙 GitHub: AstroConnect GitHub Repository