Privacy Policy for Binge Study

Last Updated: March 12, 2026

Effective Date: March 12, 2026

1. Introduction and Data Controller

Binge Study ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application (the "App").

Data Controller:
Arseniy Arsentyev PE
Email: info@bingestudy.app
Website: https://bingestudy.app

This policy applies to all users worldwide, including users in the EEA, UK, and California.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

No account is required to use Binge Study. By default, all data is stored locally on your device. You may optionally create an account via Email/Password, Google Sign-In, or Apple Sign-In to enable cloud sync and premium features.

Data Type	Description	Required?
Email Address	For email/password accounts	Optional
Password	Securely hashed by Firebase	Optional
Authentication Provider	Google, Apple, or Email/Password	Varies
OAuth Tokens	Temporary tokens from Google/Apple	If using social sign-in

Social features are opt-in only. When enabled, the following may be collected:

Data Type	Required?
Display Name	Optional
Profile Photo (max 5 MB PNG, stored in Firebase Cloud Storage)	Optional
Friend Code (unique 6-digit code)	Auto-generated when social features enabled
Public Profile (name, level, XP, streak)	Only if social features enabled
Friend Relationships and Requests	Only if you add friends
Weekly XP (for leagues and leaderboards)	Only if social features enabled
League Tier, Bucket Assignment, and Week	Auto-assigned weekly when leagues are active; only if social features enabled

Public profiles are visible to other users for friend discovery and leagues. You can delete your public profile at any time in Settings.

2.3 Study Activity and Learning Data

Data Type	Storage
Study Materials (documents, images, text for AI generation)	Processed by Vertex AI in real-time, not permanently stored
Exam Attachments (PDF, images up to 20 MB each)	Stored locally on device only. Content is sent to Vertex AI for topic extraction; original files are never uploaded to our servers.
Topics, Prompts, and Exam Configurations	Local device (+ Firestore for premium subscribers)
Study Sessions (last 100), Topic Statistics	Local device (+ Firestore for premium subscribers)
Spaced Repetition Cards (up to 2,000)	Local device (+ Firestore for premium subscribers)
Streaks, XP, Level, Achievements	Local device (+ Firestore for premium subscribers)
AI Usage Quota	Local device

2.4 Device and Usage Information

Data Type	Purpose
Hashed Device Identifier (SHA-256)	Referral fraud prevention (cannot be reversed)
Device Type, OS Version	Compatibility and crash diagnostics
App Interactions (features used, screens viewed)	Analytics (Mixpanel)
Crash Reports	Firebase Crashlytics
App Tracking Transparency Status (iOS)	Privacy opt-out detection (GPC/CCPA compliance)

2.5 Information from Third Parties

Source	Data	Purpose
RevenueCat	Subscription status, purchase history	Subscription management
App Store / Google Play	Purchase confirmation	Payment processing
Google / Apple Sign-In	Profile (email, name)	Authentication (optional)

3. How We Use Your Information

Purpose	Legal Basis (GDPR)
Authentication and account access	Contract / Legitimate interest
AI-powered question generation	Contract
Adaptive difficulty personalization	Contract
Study progress and achievement tracking	Contract
Subscription payment processing	Contract
Social features (opt-in)	Consent
Study reminders and notifications	Consent
Analytics and app improvement	Legitimate interests
Referral fraud prevention	Legitimate interests
App security and stability	Legitimate interests

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. All third-party service providers are contractually required to provide the same or equivalent level of data protection as described in this policy.

Firebase (Google)

Services: Authentication, Cloud Firestore, Cloud Storage, Realtime Database, Vertex AI (Gemini), Crashlytics, App Check
Data Shared: User ID, email (if used), auth data, profile data, study data, social data, hashed device ID, crash logs
Privacy: https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy

RevenueCat

Purpose: Subscription and in-app purchase management
Data Shared: Purchase data, subscription status, anonymous user ID. We do not store payment card details.
Privacy: https://www.revenuecat.com/privacy

Mixpanel

Purpose: Analytics and usage tracking
Data Shared: App events, device type, OS version, aggregated usage metrics
Data Residency: EU (api-eu.mixpanel.com)
Opt-Out: Settings > Privacy > Analytics
Privacy: https://mixpanel.com/legal/privacy-policy/

Apple App Store / Google Play Store

Purpose: App distribution, in-app purchases
Privacy: Apple | Google

Social features are disabled by default and require explicit opt-in.

What becomes public when enabled: Display name, profile photo, level, total XP, streak, weekly XP, friend code, and league tier.

Who can see it: Users with your friend code, league participants, and your friends.

Leagues: Premium users are placed into weekly league buckets of up to 16 participants, grouped by tier (Wooden, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond). League standings are visible to all participants in the same bucket. League buckets may include simulated participants to ensure a competitive experience. League data (tier, bucket assignment, week) is stored in your public profile on Firestore and in the leagueBuckets Firestore collection, readable by all authenticated users.

Controls: Delete your public profile in Settings, remove friends, decline requests, or disable social features entirely.

Sharing Features: The app lets you create shareable screenshots (PNG, temporarily stored on-device, auto-cleaned after 24 hours, never uploaded to our servers) and share referral links.

6. AI Processing and Automated Decision-Making

6.1 AI Question Generation

We use Google Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite via Firebase Vertex AI to generate study questions.

Your topics, prompts, and uploaded documents are sent to Google's servers (US-based) for real-time processing
Data is not permanently stored by us or Google after generation
Results cached in-memory on your device (50 entries, 2-hour TTL)
Rate limited: 20/minute, 200/hour, 500/day per subscriber
Does not profile you for marketing or train AI models (per Google's Vertex AI terms)
Google's Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

6.2 Adaptive Difficulty

The app adjusts question difficulty based on your performance (accuracy, response times). This is processed locally on your device and does not make decisions with legal or significant effects. You can manually override difficulty in Settings.

Right to Human Intervention (GDPR Article 22): If you believe the adaptive system is unfair, contact info@bingestudy.app to request human review, obtain an explanation of how the decision was reached, express your point of view, contest the decision, or request manual adjustment. We will respond within 30 days.

6.3 AI Content Labeling (EU AI Act & California SB 942)

Starting August 2, 2026, AI-generated content will be labeled per EU AI Act (Article 50) and California SB 942 (as amended by AB 853). Labels will be mandatory and always visible for users in the EU and California as required by law. For all other users, AI content labeling is available as an optional feature in Settings > Display > Show AI Content Labels.

7. Data Storage and Security

7.1 Cloud Storage

All cloud data is stored via Firebase services on Google Cloud (US multi-region): Authentication, Cloud Firestore (database, including league buckets), Cloud Storage (profile photos), and Realtime Database (referrals).

7.2 Local Device Storage

Most data is stored locally for offline access: profile, settings, referral data (with integrity checksum), profile photo, exam attachments, offline cache (90-day expiry), and offline answer queue. Uninstalling deletes all local data. Cloud data persists until you delete your account.

7.3 Security Measures

Firebase Auth with secure token-based sessions
All data transmission via HTTPS/TLS 1.3
One-way SHA-256 HMAC hashing for device identifiers
Firebase App Check for API security
Firestore security rules restrict access to user's own data
Passwords handled by Firebase Auth (never stored by us)
File integrity checksums and atomic writes

No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication where available.

8. International Data Transfers

Your data may be transferred to the United States where some of our service providers operate (Firebase, RevenueCat). Mixpanel analytics data is routed to EU data residency servers.

For EEA/UK Users: Transfers rely on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), adequacy decisions, and provider certifications. Our providers (Google/Firebase, Mixpanel, RevenueCat) maintain appropriate safeguards as detailed in their respective privacy policies.

9. Data Retention

Data Type	Retention
Firebase Auth account	Active until deletion; removed within 30 days of request
Firestore data, Cloud Storage, public profile	Active until deletion; removed immediately on account deletion
Friend relationships	Active; removed from both sides on account deletion
Referral hashed device IDs	Indefinite (fraud prevention; cannot identify you)
Offline cache	Auto-expires after 90 days
Recent sessions	Last 100 only (auto-pruned)
SRS cards	Up to 2,000 (FIFO when exceeded)
Crash logs (Crashlytics)	90 days
Analytics (Mixpanel), Subscriptions (RevenueCat)	Per each provider's retention policy
Exam attachments (PDF, images)	Local device only; until removed by user or exam deletion
League bucket data	Weekly; reset and reassigned each week
AI processing (Vertex AI)	Not retained; real-time only

10. Your Privacy Rights

10.1 All Users

Access your data (contact info@bingestudy.app)
Correct inaccurate data (edit profile/settings or contact us)
Delete your account: Settings > Account > Delete Account
Export your data by contacting info@bingestudy.app (provided within 30 days), or via Settings > Privacy > Export My Data
Opt out of analytics: Settings > Privacy > Analytics
Withdraw consent for optional features at any time

Account deletion removes: Firebase Auth, all Firestore data, Cloud Storage photos, public profile, all friend relationships, referral data, and RevenueCat session. You return to an unauthenticated, local-only state.

Limitations: Third-party analytics data (Mixpanel) retained per their policies. Hashed device IDs retained for fraud prevention.

Additional rights: data portability, restrict processing, object to processing, withdraw consent, and lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

10.3 California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

Right to Know: See Sections 2-4 for categories, sources, purposes, and third parties. Information is collected directly from you, automatically through app usage, and from third-party providers (payment processors, OAuth providers).
Right to Delete/Correct: Contact us or use in-app deletion.
Right to Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing: We do not sell or share personal information for behavioral advertising.
Right to Limit Sensitive Personal Information: We do not collect sensitive personal information as defined by CPRA (such as Social Security numbers, financial accounts, precise geolocation, or health data).
Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate for exercising rights.

10.4 Global Privacy Control (GPC)

We honor GPC signals as valid opt-out requests for analytics tracking. Learn more: https://globalprivacycontrol.org

10.5 How to Exercise Your Rights

Email: info@bingestudy.app

We will confirm receipt of your request within 10 business days. Response times: 45 days for CCPA (extendable by 45 days); 30 days for GDPR (extendable by 60 days).

11. Device Permissions

Permission	Purpose	Required?
Camera	Scan documents and study materials	Optional
Photo Library	Import documents and images	Optional
Notifications	Study reminders and streak alerts	Optional
App Tracking Transparency (iOS)	Privacy opt-out detection (GPC/CCPA)	Not prompted

Denying permissions does not affect core functionality.

12. Children's Privacy (COPPA)

Binge Study is for users aged 13 and older. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. This policy complies with the FTC's updated COPPA Rule (effective April 22, 2026).

If you are a parent/guardian and believe your child under 13 has used the App, contact info@bingestudy.app with subject "COPPA Parental Request." You may review, request deletion (within 48 hours), or refuse further collection of your child's data. We will verify parental relationship before disclosure.

If we discover an underage user, we will immediately terminate access and delete all associated data within 48 hours.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this policy periodically. Material changes will be communicated via the "Last Updated" date and in-app notifications where feasible. We will obtain consent where required by law.

14. Contact Us

Arseniy Arsentyev PE

Email: info@bingestudy.app
Website: https://bingestudy.app

For GDPR-related inquiries, you may also contact your local data protection authority.

This Privacy Policy was last updated on March 12, 2026, and is effective as of March 12, 2026.

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