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Privacy Policy

ZenPath · Effective: 3 August 2026

Overview

ZenPath ("the App") is a holistic spiritual tracking application developed by Josh Waters. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your data. We are committed to handling your personal information with care and transparency.

ZenPath is offered as both a web application at zenpath-three.vercel.app and as a native Android application on the Google Play Store. Data handling differs between the two. The native app stores your personal information on your device, with one exception: the optional AI meditation feature, which sends a small profile summary to our server and on to Anthropic in order to write your script. That feature asks for your consent before it runs for the first time, and is described in full below.

Information We Collect

Information you provide

  • Your name (optional — used only to personalise the app interface)
  • Your birth date (used to calculate your Chinese zodiac profile and Life Path number)
  • Habit completion records you mark in the app
  • I Ching readings and optional reflections you write
  • Zazen session records (duration, type, optional notes)

Information collected automatically

  • Standard server logs (IP address, browser type) via Vercel's hosting infrastructure
  • Your IP address is used to rate-limit AI meditation requests. It is held in memory only, for up to one hour, and is not written to a database or profile
  • Purchase and subscription status, device identifiers and IP address, processed by RevenueCat when you buy or restore ZenPath Premium
  • We do not use advertising trackers, analytics scripts, or third-party cookies

AI Meditation (optional)

If you choose AI-generated guided meditation, we send a short summary of your profile to our own server at zenpath-three.vercel.app, which passes it to Anthropic (the provider of the Claude model) to write the script. The app asks for your explicit consent the first time, and will not send anything unless you agree.

Exactly what is sent

  • Your name, if you have set one (you may leave it blank)
  • Your Chinese element, zodiac animal, life path number and yin/yang — values calculated from your birth date
  • Time of day, the breath pattern you selected, and the session length

What is never sent

Your birth date itself, habit records, I Ching readings, reflections, session history and microphone audio are never transmitted.

Retention

We do not store the request or the generated script on our server. Anthropic retains API requests for a limited period under its own policy in order to operate and monitor the service. Because that data sits with Anthropic rather than with us, we cannot delete it on your behalf. If this matters to you, use the offline scripts instead — they provide the same feature with no transmission.

Withdrawing consent

Switch Guided mode back to Offline in the Zazen screen. No further data will be sent. Declining costs you nothing — the offline scripts are built into the app and always available.

How We Use Your Information

  • To display and personalise your ZenPath dashboard, zodiac profile, and routine guidance
  • To track your habit streaks and Zazen session history within the app
  • To provide I Ching oracle readings tailored to your elemental profile
  • To generate an AI meditation script, if you have consented to that feature
  • We do not sell your personal information, and we never disclose it for advertising. The only third parties who receive it are the service providers listed below, acting on our instructions
  • We do not use your data for advertising or marketing purposes

Device Permissions (Android app)

The Android app requests the following permissions. Each is disclosed here to comply with Google Play's user-data transparency requirements.

Microphone (RECORD_AUDIO) — optional

The Zazen screen includes an optional "Exhale Coach" feature that listens for audible exhalation to provide haptic and voice feedback during breathing practice. This permission is off by default. You must explicitly enable it with the "Exhale Coach" toggle in the Zazen screen before the system prompts for microphone access.

How microphone data is handled:

  • Audio is analyzed on-device only. We compute a single loudness value (in dBFS) every 150 milliseconds to detect whether you are audibly exhaling.
  • Audio is never uploaded and never transmitted to any server, third party, or developer. The recorder writes to a temporary buffer in the app's private storage on your device while the feature is running; it is not kept after the session and is never read for its content — only the loudness figure is used.
  • The microphone is only active during a Zazen session while the feature is enabled; it stops automatically when the session ends, the app goes to the background, or you disable the toggle.
  • You can revoke microphone permission at any time in Android Settings → Apps → ZenPath → Permissions without affecting any other feature.

Notifications (POST_NOTIFICATIONS)

Used to deliver optional daily alignment reminders (morning, midday, evening, and night-stillness prompts). Scheduled entirely on your device; no push notification server is involved. You can disable these from Android Settings at any time.

Internet (INTERNET) and Network State (ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE)

Used for app updates delivered via Expo's update service (which receives your IP address and device type), for purchases via Google Play and RevenueCat, and — only if you consent — for the AI meditation feature described above. No other personal information is transmitted.

Data Storage & Security

Android app

All personal information — your name, birth date, zodiac profile, habits, habit completion logs, I Ching readings, and Zazen session history — is stored in an encrypted SQLite database on your device. This database is never uploaded, and no server holds a copy of it. The only data that leaves your device is the profile summary used by the optional AI meditation feature, which you must consent to first. Uninstalling the app deletes the database.

Web app

Data entered on the web version at zenpath-three.vercel.app is stored in a secure cloud database (Turso/libSQL) hosted in the Asia-Pacific region. Data is encrypted in transit using TLS and at rest using industry-standard encryption. The web app uses a single shared account model — your data is associated with the device/browser you use to set up your profile. We do not link your data to any external identity or social account.

Who Is Responsible, and On What Basis

The data controller is Josh Waters (Australia), contactable at the email address at the foot of this page. Where the UK or EU General Data Protection Regulation applies to you, we rely on the following legal bases:

  • Consent — for the AI meditation feature, the optional microphone Exhale Coach, and daily reminder notifications. You may withdraw consent at any time, and doing so is as easy as giving it.
  • Performance of a contract — for processing your ZenPath Premium purchase, subscription status and restores.
  • Legitimate interests — for keeping the service running and secure, including short-lived IP-based rate limiting of AI requests and delivering app updates.

Service Providers and International Transfers

We use the following providers. Each processes data on our instructions under a data processing agreement, and we rely on the transfer safeguards they offer — the EU/UK Standard Contractual Clauses and, where applicable, the EU–US Data Privacy Framework.

  • Vercel (United States) — hosting for the web app and the AI meditation proxy; server logs
  • Anthropic (United States) — generates AI meditation scripts from the profile summary you consent to send
  • RevenueCat (United States) — purchase and subscription management
  • Expo (United States) — over-the-air app updates
  • Google Play — app distribution and billing
  • Turso/libSQL (Asia-Pacific) — database for the web app only; the Android app does not use it

Your Rights

Because the Android app keeps your data on your own device, most of these you can exercise directly, without asking us.

  • Delete your data: Reset your profile at any time via Profile → Reset & Sign Out, or uninstall the app to delete the database entirely. For the web app, contact us at the email below.
  • Access and portability: Contact us to request a copy or export of any data we hold.
  • Correction: Update your name and birth date at any time in the Profile page.
  • Withdraw consent: Turn off the Exhale Coach or reminders in the app, or switch Guided mode to Offline to stop AI generation. Withdrawal does not affect processing carried out before you withdrew.
  • Object or restrict: Contact us if you want us to stop or limit a particular use of your data.
  • Complain: If you are in the EEA or UK you may lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority. In Australia, you may complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

One limit we want to be straight about: data already sent to Anthropic for an AI meditation is held under their retention policy and we cannot delete it for you.

Children's Privacy

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

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by updating the effective date above. Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

For privacy inquiries, data deletion requests, or any questions about this policy:

Josh Waters
joshwaters.brains@gmail.com

ZenPath · 禅の道 · Your path, your data, your practice.

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