Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Budder Buddy ("we," "us," or "our") is operated by DreamOps / DreamWebWorks. We provide the Budder Buddy mobile application and website located at budderbuddy.org (collectively, the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our Service.

By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly:

• Account information — email address, display name, and password when you create an account.
• Profile data — tattoo details you enter (location on body, artist name, studio, ink date, style, aftercare products).
• Check-in data — healing stage notes, observations, ratings, and any text you enter during daily check-ins.
• Photos — images you capture or upload for ghost-camera check-ins and your Ink Vault.
• Communications — emails or messages you send to us for support.
• Sign-up interest — email address submitted on our website for early access.

Information collected automatically:

• Device information — device type, operating system version, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information.
• Usage data — features used, screens visited, tap interactions, crash reports, and in-app errors.
• Log data — IP address, access times, app version, and referring URLs (website only).
• Analytics — aggregated, anonymized data about how users interact with the app to improve performance.

3. How We Use Your Information

• Provide, operate, and maintain the Service.
• Personalize your healing tracker experience and deliver smart reminders.
• Generate your healing timelapse from check-in photos.
• Power AI-based healing guidance and suggestions.
• Send push notifications and alerts relevant to your healing schedule.
• Respond to support requests and troubleshoot issues.
• Improve app features, fix bugs, and analyze usage trends.
• Send product updates, security notices, and (with your consent) marketing communications.
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service.

We will not use your data for any purpose materially different from those listed above without first providing notice and, where required, obtaining your consent.

4. Camera & Photo Access

Budder Buddy requests access to your device camera and photo library solely to enable the ghost-camera check-in feature and Ink Vault. Specifically:

• Photos are used to track the visual healing progress of your tattoo.
• The ghost-camera overlay places a transparent reference image over your live camera view to help you take consistent comparison shots — this overlay never records or transmits your camera feed without your explicit capture action.
• Photos are stored on your device and, if you have cloud sync enabled, in your account storage. They are not shared with third parties without your explicit permission.
• You may revoke camera or photo library permission at any time in your device settings. Revoking access will disable check-in photo features.

5. Location & UV Data

To provide UV index alerts and sun-exposure warnings relevant to tattoo healing, the app may request access to your approximate location (city/region level). Specifically:

• Location is used only to fetch local UV index data from a weather API on your behalf.
• We do not continuously track your precise GPS location.
• Location data is not stored persistently on our servers beyond the current session.
• You may deny location permission; the app will fall back to a manually entered zip code or city.

6. AI Features

Budder Buddy includes an AI Healing Guide that provides personalized aftercare suggestions based on your check-in data (healing stage, observations, duration since ink date). When you use AI features:

• Your check-in data (text observations, healing stage, tattoo metadata) may be sent to a third-party AI API to generate responses.
• Photos are not currently sent to AI APIs unless you explicitly use a photo-analysis feature (if offered).
• AI-generated guidance is informational only and does not constitute medical advice. Always follow the aftercare instructions of your licensed tattoo artist.
• We may use anonymized, aggregated interaction data to improve AI feature quality over time.

7. Notifications

The app may request permission to send push notifications for daily healing reminders, UV alerts, check-in prompts, and app updates. You can manage notification preferences within the app settings or your device's system settings at any time. We do not send marketing push notifications without your consent.

8. Sharing & Disclosure

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

• Service providers — trusted third-party vendors who assist us in operating the Service (e.g., cloud hosting, analytics, AI API providers, push notification services). These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the services they provide to us.
• Legal compliance — if required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or to protect our legal rights.
• Business transfers — in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred as part of the transaction. We will notify you before your data is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
• With your consent — for any other purpose with your explicit consent (e.g., sharing a timelapse to social media at your request).

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. Specifically:

• Account data — retained until you delete your account.
• Check-in data and photos — retained until you delete individual entries or your account.
• Usage and analytics data — retained in anonymized or aggregated form for up to 24 months.
• Support communications — retained for up to 3 years for reference and legal purposes.

Upon account deletion, your personal data will be deleted or anonymized within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

10. Your Rights & Choices

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

• Access — request a copy of the data we hold about you.
• Correction — request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Deletion — request deletion of your account and personal data ("right to be forgotten").
• Portability — request your data in a portable, machine-readable format.
• Opt-out of marketing — unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time via the unsubscribe link or by contacting us.
• Withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting prior lawful processing.

California residents may have additional rights under the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act), including the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell your data), and the right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights.

EU/EEA residents may have rights under GDPR. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@budderbuddy.org.

11. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or 16 where applicable under GDPR). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under these ages. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at privacy@budderbuddy.org and we will delete that information promptly.

Users between the ages of 13 and 17 should use the Service only with parental or guardian consent.

12. Security

We implement industry-standard technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (TLS/HTTPS).
• Encryption of sensitive data at rest.
• Access controls limiting who can access personal data.
• Regular security reviews.

No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach affecting your rights, we will notify affected users as required by applicable law.

13. International Transfers

Budder Buddy is operated from the United States. If you are accessing the Service from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate. By using the Service, you consent to this transfer. Where required, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place (such as Standard Contractual Clauses for EU transfers).

14. Third-Party Services

The Service may integrate with or link to third-party services, including but not limited to:

• AI API providers (for healing guidance features)
• Cloud storage providers (for photo and data sync)
• Analytics platforms (for app performance monitoring)
• Push notification services (Apple APNs, Google FCM)
• Weather/UV index APIs (for sun exposure alerts)
• Payment processors (for future subscription features)
• Social media platforms (for optional timelapse sharing)

These third parties have their own privacy policies, and we encourage you to review them. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party services.

15. Future Features

Budder Buddy is actively growing. Future versions of the app may include additional features that involve data collection, including but not limited to:

• User accounts and cloud sync — storing your check-in history and photos in the cloud.
• Subscriptions and in-app purchases — billing information processed via Apple Pay, Google Pay, or payment processors (we will never store full card numbers).
• Community features — optional public or shared healing journals, artist spotlights, or social feed.
• Artist/studio portal — allowing tattoo artists to send aftercare instructions and track their clients' healing with client consent.
• Advanced AI analysis — AI-powered photo review of healing progress.
• Wearable integrations — syncing with health apps (Apple Health, Google Fit) for recovery-related biometrics.
• Referral and rewards programs — tracking referrals or loyalty rewards.

When these features are introduced, this Privacy Policy will be updated accordingly, and you will be notified of material changes before they take effect.

16. Changes to This Policy

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

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.
• Notify you via in-app notification or email (if you have an account).
• For significant changes, request renewed consent where required by law.

Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

17. Contact Us

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

• Email: privacy@budderbuddy.org
• Website: budderbuddy.org

We will respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.