Privacy Policy

Last Modified on: 29th September 2025

1. Introduction

James Godwin ("we," "us," or "our") operates True Essence Tech and the digital applications AIChing, GratefulFor, Taoist Breath, and Harmonic Echo. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our applications and services.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency about our data practices. This policy complies with South African Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

1.1. Definitions

  • Personal Information means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person, including but not limited to email addresses, location data, and usage analytics.

  • Services refers to our mobile applications: AIChing, GratefulFor, Taoist Breath, and Harmonic Echo, as well as our website trueessense.tech.

  • Data Controller means James Godwin, the natural person who determines the purposes and means of processing personal information.

  • Third-Party Services means external services we use to operate our applications, including Google Analytics and Supabase.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly to us and information automatically collected when you use our Services. The type and amount of information collected varies by application.

2.1. Information You Provide Directly

GratefulFor App: When you create an account, we collect your email address and country location. This information is necessary to provide the core functionality of the application and to understand our global user base.

All Apps: We do not collect names, phone numbers, precise location data, device identifiers, or other personal information beyond what is specifically mentioned above.

2.2. Automatically Collected Information

Usage Analytics: For AIChing and GratefulFor, we use Google Analytics to collect anonymized usage statistics, including app interactions, session duration, and general usage patterns. This helps us improve our applications.

Cookies and Tracking: Our website and applications may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance user experience and collect analytics data.

2.3. Application-Specific Data Collection

  • AIChing: Collects only usage analytics through Google Analytics. No personal information or reading history is stored.

  • GratefulFor: Collects email address, country location, and usage analytics. User gratitude entries are stored securely in Supabase.

  • Taoist Breath: Collects minimal usage analytics if any. Designed for offline use with maximum privacy.

  • Harmonic Echo: Collects minimal usage analytics if any. Audio processing is done locally on your device.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • Service Provision: To provide, maintain, and improve our applications and their core functionality.

  • Analytics and Improvement: To understand how our applications are used and to make improvements based on usage patterns.

  • Communication: To respond to your inquiries and provide customer support when needed.

  • Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws and regulations in South Africa and internationally.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

4.1. Third-Party Service Providers

  • Supabase: Used to securely store user credentials and data for GratefulFor. Supabase provides enterprise-grade security and data protection.

  • Google Analytics: Used to collect anonymized usage statistics for AIChing and GratefulFor to help us improve our applications.

4.2. Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or government request, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction:

  • Encryption: All data transmission is protected using HTTPS encryption.

  • Secure Storage: Personal information is stored using Supabase's enterprise-grade security infrastructure.

  • Access Control: Access to personal information is restricted to necessary personnel only.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations. Specifically:

  • Account Data: Retained for 5 years after account deletion or last activity.

  • Analytics Data: Anonymized analytics data may be retained indefinitely for business intelligence purposes.

7. Your Rights and Choices

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

7.1. General Rights (All Users)

  • Access: Right to know what personal information we hold about you.

  • Correction: Right to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.

  • Deletion: Right to request deletion of your personal information.

  • Portability: Right to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.

7.2. Additional Rights for EU Users (GDPR)

  • Restriction: Right to restrict processing of your personal information.

  • Objection: Right to object to processing based on legitimate interests.

  • Withdrawal of Consent: Right to withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

7.3. Additional Rights for California Users (CCPA)

  • Right to Know: Right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold.

  • Right to Delete: Right to delete personal information held by the business.

  • Right to Opt-Out: Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (Note: We do not sell personal information).

8. Children's Privacy

While our applications may be used by minors, we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without parental consent. Our applications are designed to be family-friendly and collect minimal personal information.

For GratefulFor users under 18: We recommend parental guidance for account creation. Parents or guardians may contact us to access, modify, or delete their child's account information.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than South Africa, including the United States where our service providers (Google Analytics, Supabase) operate. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for such transfers in compliance with applicable laws.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on our website and updating the "Last Modified" date. For significant changes affecting your rights, we may provide additional notice.

Your continued use of our Services after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

11. Contact Information

Data Controller: James Godwin

Address: 22 Louw Wepener Street, Knysna, 6573, Western Cape, South Africa

Email: jrsg@hey.com

Phone: +27 79 495 5850

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us using the information above. We will respond to your inquiry within 30 days.