Privacy Policy

Introduction

Welcome to Pips Chatter ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our personalized stock market podcast platform (the "Service").

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

Information We Collect

1. Personal Information You Provide

Account Information:

• Email address (required for account creation and authentication)
• Name (optional)
• Password (stored encrypted for email/password authentication)
• Profile image (if provided or imported from OAuth providers)
• Country and timezone (for localized delivery)
• Preferred delivery time for podcasts

Portfolio Information:

• Stock symbols and ticker information
• Number of shares held
• Average cost per share (optional)
• Purchase dates (optional)
• Portfolio names and currency preferences
• Notes on holdings (optional)

Subscription Information:

• Subscription tier (Free, Starter, Advanced, Pro)
• Payment information (processed and stored by Stripe, not on our servers)
• Billing history

Preferences:

• Email notification preferences
• Text-to-speech provider and voice selection
• Custom themes and keywords (Advanced/Pro tiers)
• Podcast feed preferences and scope

2. Automatically Collected Information

Usage Data:

• Podcast downloads and listen counts
• Episode completion rates
• RSS feed access timestamps
• Page views and interactions with the Service

Technical Information:

• IP address (for admin audit logs only)
• Browser type and version (user agent)
• Device information
• Operating system
• Access times and dates

3. Third-Party OAuth Information

When you authenticate using Google, Twitter/X, or other OAuth providers, we receive:

• Your email address
• Profile name
• Profile picture
• OAuth provider account identifier

We do not access or store your passwords from third-party services.

4. Market Data and Research

Financial Data:

• Stock quotes and market data fetched from Finnhub API
• Company information (names, sectors, industries)
• News articles related to your portfolio holdings
• Market analysis and research artifacts generated by AI

Research Sessions:

• Topics researched
• AI model usage (tokens consumed, costs)
• Citations and data sources used
• Research artifacts and summaries

How We Use Your Information

Core Service Delivery

• Creating and managing your account
• Generating personalized podcast episodes based on your portfolio
• Delivering daily and weekly market updates
• Processing text-to-speech conversion for audio content
• Providing access to your private RSS feed
• Calculating portfolio performance and changes

Service Improvement

• Analyzing usage patterns to improve content quality
• Optimizing podcast generation algorithms
• Enhancing user experience and interface
• Developing new features based on user behavior

Communication

• Sending transactional emails (account verification, password resets)
• Delivering notification emails (if enabled)
• Responding to support inquiries
• Providing service updates and announcements

Billing and Subscription Management

• Processing subscription payments through Stripe
• Managing subscription tiers and access levels
• Handling upgrades, downgrades, and cancellations
• Generating invoices and payment receipts

Security and Compliance

• Detecting and preventing fraud
• Monitoring for unauthorized access
• Maintaining audit logs for administrative actions
• Ensuring data integrity and security

Data Sharing and Disclosure

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

Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our Service:

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to:

• Valid legal processes (subpoenas, court orders)
• Government investigations
• Protection of our rights, property, or safety
• Enforcement of our Terms of Service
• Prevention of fraud or security threats

Data Security

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

Technical Safeguards

• Encryption of data in transit using TLS/SSL
• Encrypted password storage using bcrypt hashing
• Secure tokenized RSS feeds with rotation capability
• Time-limited signed URLs for audio file access
• Environment variable protection for sensitive credentials

Access Controls

• Role-based access control (admin vs. regular users)
• Session management with secure tokens
• OAuth integration with trusted providers
• API authentication and rate limiting

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services:

• Account Data: Retained until you delete your account
• Portfolio Information: Retained until you remove holdings or delete your account
• Podcast Episodes: Retained based on your subscription tier (typically 90 days, varies by tier)
• Research Artifacts: Retained for analytical purposes, anonymized after account deletion
• Billing Records: Retained for 7 years for tax and legal compliance
• Audit Logs: Retained for security and compliance purposes (typically 1 year)

Your Rights and Choices

Account Management

• Access: View all personal information in your account settings
• Correction: Update your profile, preferences, and portfolio information at any time
• Deletion: Request complete account deletion, which will remove all associated data
• Export: Request a copy of your data in a portable format

Privacy Controls

• Email Preferences: Opt-in or opt-out of notification emails
• RSS Token Rotation: Regenerate your private RSS feed URL at any time
• Voice Selection: Choose preferred text-to-speech provider and voice
• Theme Management: Control custom themes and keywords (Advanced/Pro tiers)

Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@pipschatter.com or use the account settings within the Service.

For data deletion requests, please note:

• Account deletion is permanent and cannot be undone
• All associated data, including portfolios, episodes, and research history, will be removed
• Billing records may be retained for legal compliance

Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us, and we will delete such information.

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

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

• Right to Know: Request details about the personal information we collect and how we use it
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal exceptions)
• Right to Opt-Out: Opt-out of the sale of personal information (Note: We do not sell personal information)
• Right to Non-Discrimination: Exercise privacy rights without discriminatory treatment

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@pipschatter.com.

European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are a resident of the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation:

• Right of Access: Obtain confirmation of data processing and access to your data
• Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to Restriction: Limit how we process your data
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing at any time

Legal Basis for Processing:

• Contract performance (providing the Service you subscribed to)
• Consent (for optional features and communications)
• Legitimate interests (service improvement, security, analytics)
• Legal obligations (billing records, compliance)

To exercise these rights or file a complaint with a supervisory authority, contact us at privacy@pipschatter.com.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of significant changes by:

• Posting the new Privacy Policy on this page
• Updating the "Last Updated" date
• Sending an email notification for material changes

Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

Financial Disclaimer

While Pips Chatter provides personalized stock market information and analysis:

• We are not financial advisors
• Our podcasts do not constitute investment advice
• All content is for informational purposes only
• Past performance does not guarantee future results
• You are solely responsible for your investment decisions

We do not share your portfolio holdings with third parties for marketing or financial solicitation purposes.

Contact Us

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

Consent

By using Pips Chatter, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to its terms.