Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Schutzduck ("we," "our," or "us"), a product of Schutzworks. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data in an open and transparent manner. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our AI-powered business advisory service.

By using Schutzduck, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when you:

Create an account: Name, email address, password (encrypted)
Use our service: Messages and conversations with our AI advisor
Subscribe: Payment information (processed securely by Stripe)
Contact us: Any information in your support requests or feedback

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you use our service, we automatically collect:

Usage data: Number of messages sent, conversation frequency, feature usage
Technical data: IP address, browser type, device information, operating system
Timestamps: When you access the service and send messages
Conversation metadata: Conversation IDs, message IDs, timestamps

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information from:

Stripe: Payment confirmation and subscription status
Authentication providers: If you sign in through third-party services (future feature)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Provide our service: Generate AI responses, maintain conversation history, and deliver our advisory service
Improve our service: Analyze usage patterns, identify bugs, and enhance AI responses
Process payments: Handle subscriptions and billing through Stripe
Communicate: Send service updates, respond to inquiries, and provide customer support
Enforce policies: Monitor for violations of our Terms of Service
Comply with legal obligations: Respond to legal requests and prevent fraud
Personalize experience: Track usage limits and provide tier-appropriate service
Analyze trends: Identify common themes and topics across all conversations (in aggregate, without identifying individual users) to improve our service and inform our communications

4. Third-Party Services

We use trusted third-party services to operate Schutzduck:

Stripe (Payment Processing)

Handles all payment information securely. We never store your full credit card details.

View Stripe Privacy Policy →

Supabase (Database & Authentication)

Stores your account information, conversation history, consent records, and usage data securely.

View Supabase Privacy Policy →

Anthropic Claude (AI Model for Chat Services & Analysis)

Powers the AI advisory responses for direct conversations AND is used to analyze conversations to improve our service. When performing aggregate analysis (such as identifying trending topics), conversations are processed without user identifiers. Data is stateless and does not remain with Anthropic nor is it used to train or improve their models.

View Anthropic Privacy Policy →

OpenAI (Text Embeddings for Knowledge Retrieval)

Used solely to match your questions against our knowledge base. When you send a message, the text is converted into a mathematical representation (an "embedding") to find the most relevant advisory content. Only message text is sent — no user identifiers, account information, or conversation history. Data is not stored by OpenAI and is not used to train or improve their models.

View OpenAI Privacy Policy →

Vercel (Hosting & Infrastructure)

Hosts and serves the Schutzduck application. As our infrastructure provider, Vercel processes web requests necessary to deliver the service, which includes standard technical data such as IP addresses and request metadata. Vercel does not access conversation content or user account data.

View Vercel Privacy Policy →

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information only in these circumstances:

Service Providers: With third parties that help us operate our service (Stripe, Supabase, Anthropic, Vercel)
Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or government request
Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets (with notice to you)
With Your Consent: When you explicitly authorize us to share information
Protection: To protect our rights, prevent fraud, or ensure safety

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

Encryption: All data transmitted is encrypted using SSL/TLS
Secure Storage: Data is stored in secure, encrypted databases
Access Controls: Limited employee access on a need-to-know basis
Password Protection: Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text
Regular Updates: We regularly update our security practices

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6.1 Data Isolation

Your conversations are completely isolated and never accessible to other users. Each user's data is stored separately and protected by row-level security controls that prevent cross-user access.

7. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide our services and fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy:

Account Information: Retained while your account is active and for a reasonable period after deletion
Conversation History: Retained to improve the service and provide conversation continuity
Payment Records: Retained for 7 years for legal and tax compliance
Usage Analytics: May be retained in aggregated, anonymized form indefinitely
Backups: Deleted data may persist in encrypted database backups for up to 7 days

You can request deletion of your data at any time by contacting us at support@schutzduck.com.

8. Your Privacy Rights

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

Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information
Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
Portability: Request your data in a portable format
Restriction: Request restriction of processing your information
Objection: Object to our processing of your information
Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

To exercise these rights, contact us at support@schutzduck.com. We will respond within 30 days.

Note: Some rights may be limited by legal obligations or legitimate business interests.

9. Children's Privacy

Schutzduck is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 18, please contact us immediately at support@schutzduck.com, and we will take steps to delete such information.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have data protection laws different from your country. By using Schutzduck, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other countries where our service providers operate.

We ensure that such transfers comply with applicable data protection laws and use appropriate safeguards.

11. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

Right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
Right to delete personal information
Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
Right to non-discrimination for exercising your CCPA rights

To exercise these rights, email us at support@schutzduck.com with "CCPA Request" in the subject line.

12. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

Right of access to your personal data
Right to rectification of inaccurate data
Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
Right to restriction of processing
Right to data portability
Right to object to processing
Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

Our legal basis for processing your data is your consent and our legitimate business interests in providing and improving our service.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make changes, we will:

Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
Notify you by email if the changes are material
Post a prominent notice on our service
Request your consent if required by law

Continued use of Schutzduck after changes indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Schutzworks
Email: support@schutzduck.com
Website: schutzduck.com

15. Your Consent

By using Schutzduck, you consent to this Privacy Policy and agree to its terms. If you do not agree, please do not use our service.

Privacy at a Glance