Privacy Policy

Introduction

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

Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account using Sign in with Apple, Google Sign-In, or email registration, we collect your name (if provided) and email address for authentication purposes.

Audio Recordings

Audio recordings you create within the App are stored locally on your device by default. If you enable cloud sync, recordings may be stored on our secure servers.

Transcription Data

When you use our transcription features, audio data is sent to our third-party transcription service (Deepgram) for processing. Transcribed text is returned to the App and stored locally on your device.

AI-Generated Content

When you request summaries, prayers, quizzes, cross-references, or other AI-generated content, your transcript text is sent to OpenAI for processing. The generated content is stored locally on your device.

Faith Profile Data

If you choose to create a Faith Profile, information about your denomination, beliefs, and life stage is stored locally on your device and used to personalize AI-generated content.

Usage Data

We may collect anonymous usage analytics to improve the App experience. This data does not identify you personally.

How We Use Your Information

• To provide transcription, summarization, and AI-powered study features
• To personalize content based on your Faith Profile preferences
• To enable cloud sync and backup of your data (if enabled)
• To improve the App's functionality and user experience
• To send notifications you've opted into (review reminders, prayer schedules)

Subscription and Billing

Berea offers optional premium features through auto-renewable subscriptions managed entirely by Apple through the App Store. We do not collect or store your payment information — all billing is handled by Apple.

We may receive subscription status information (such as whether your subscription is active, expired, or in a trial period) from Apple to provide you with the appropriate level of service. We do not receive your payment method details.

Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to provide App functionality:

• Deepgram — Real-time audio transcription. Deepgram Privacy Policy
• OpenAI — AI-powered summaries, quizzes, prayers, and study content. OpenAI Privacy Policy
• Apple — Authentication (Sign in with Apple) and analytics. Apple Privacy Policy
• Google — Authentication (Google Sign-In) and identity verification. Google Privacy Policy

Data Storage and Security

Your data is primarily stored locally on your device. All communication with external services is encrypted using HTTPS. We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

If you enable cloud sync, your data is stored on secure servers with encryption at rest and in transit.

Data Retention

Data stored locally on your device remains there until you delete it or uninstall the App. We do not have access to locally stored data.

If you use cloud sync, your data is retained on our servers for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, all associated cloud data is permanently deleted within 30 days.

Transcription audio sent to Deepgram is processed in real-time and is not retained by Deepgram after processing. Text sent to OpenAI for AI features is not used to train their models and is retained according to OpenAI's data retention policy.

Anonymous usage analytics data is retained for up to 24 months to help us improve the App.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the data we store about you
• Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Export your sermon notes, transcripts, and prayers
• Opt out of analytics data collection
• Use the App in local-only mode without creating an account

Community Features and Shared Content

When you participate in Berea communities, certain information is visible to other community members, including your display name and any sermons, prayers, or content you choose to share.

Community administrators may have access to content shared within their community. Content you share in a community may be visible to all members of that community.

You can remove content you have shared in a community at any time. If you leave a community, your shared content will be removed from that community's view.

Children's Privacy

The App is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can delete it.

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to: (1) know what personal information we collect about you, (2) request deletion of your personal information, (3) opt out of the sale of your personal information — we do not sell personal information, and (4) not be discriminated against for exercising your privacy rights. To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@berea.cc.

European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area, you have additional rights including: the right to access, rectify, or erase your personal data; the right to restrict or object to processing; the right to data portability; and the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. Our legal basis for processing is your consent (which you may withdraw at any time) and legitimate interest in providing and improving the App.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy within the App and updating the effective date above.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact us at privacy@berea.cc.