Privacy Policy

This is a place of prayer, not surveillance. Here is plainly what we hold and why.

1. Scope

This Privacy Policy explains what personal data Black Pearls collects when you use the site, why we collect it, who processes it, and the rights you hold over it. It applies to the website and its related services.

This is a place of prayer, not surveillance. We collect only what the vigil needs to run, we do not run advertising, we do not sell your data, and we do not build profiles on you.

2. What we collect

Depending on how you use the site, we may hold:

Account data — email address, pilgrim name, avatar, and profile details, provided by Clerk, our sign-in provider.
Public content — remembrances (the beloved's name, dates, photo, and intention), Wall posts, comments, candles, and pledged rosaries. These are public once a moderator approves them.
Private content — journal entries, examen responses, prayer circles, novenas, and account settings. These are visible only to you.
Companion conversations — private to your account and kept for 30 days, then deleted. Guest conversations never leave your browser.
Contact messages — whatever you write through the contact form, including your name and reply address, stored in our admin inbox and forwarded by email.
Billing data — donations and subscriptions are processed by Stripe. We see amounts, statuses, and receipts; we never see or store your card number.
Technical data — standard server logs (IP address, browser, pages visited, timestamps) used to operate, secure, and debug the site.

3. Why we hold it

We use this data to run the vigil: your account keeps your remembrances, journal, circles, and novenas together; public content exists so strangers can pray for your beloved; contact messages let us reply to you; billing data lets Stripe process gifts and subscriptions.

Where the law requires a legal basis (for example under the GDPR), we process your data to perform the service you asked for, with your consent where needed, and for our legitimate interest in keeping the site safe and available.

4. Who processes it

A small number of processors touch your data, each only as needed to do its job:

Clerk — sign-in and account identity.
Stripe — payments and subscriptions.
Vercel — hosting and photo storage.
Neon — the database.
Resend — delivery of contact-form messages and, where enabled, lifecycle emails such as novena reminders.
AI providers (OpenRouter, OpenAI, or a free public endpoint when no key is configured) — generate companion reflections. Your words transit them to produce a reply, never to build a profile.

Human moderators see pending public content before it appears — nothing private.

We may also disclose data where the law requires it, or to protect the safety of pilgrims and the integrity of the vigil.

5. International transfers

Our processors may store or handle data in countries other than yours. Where required, transfers rely on appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses or the processors' own compliance frameworks.

6. How long we keep it

Account data — until you delete your account.
Public content — until you delete it or your account; moderation records may be kept briefly afterward.
Companion conversations — 30 days, then deleted.
Contact messages — as long as needed to answer you and keep a record of the conversation.
Server logs — rotated and retained briefly for security and debugging.
Billing records — as required by tax and accounting law.

7. Security

We use encryption in transit, authenticated access, and least-privilege practices to protect what we hold. No system is perfectly secure, but we treat your trust as part of the vigil and respond quickly to anything that threatens it.

8. Your rights and control

You can exercise these at any time:

Export — download everything we hold about you from Settings → Export.
Rectify — correct your profile and content in the app, or ask us.
Delete — delete your account from Settings. Deletion removes your profile, private content, and public posts; cancels any subscription; and removes your Clerk sign-in identity.
Object or restrict — write to us to limit how we process your data, or to unsubscribe from any email.
Complain — if you live somewhere with a data-protection authority, you may lodge a complaint with them.

Residents of California and similar jurisdictions: we do not sell or share your personal information for cross-context advertising.

9. Cookies

We use only the cookies needed for sign-in and site preferences. There are no third-party trackers or advertising cookies on this site.

10. Children

The site is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their data. If you believe a child has given us personal data, write to us and we will remove it.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the site grows. When we do, we will change the "last updated" date below and, for material changes, note them on the site. The version in effect when you use the site applies to that use.

12. Contact

Questions, requests, or concerns about your data: write through the contact page or directly at navophoto@protonmail.com. A human reads every message.

Last updated: October 6, 2026.