Privacy Policy

Effective Date: February 15, 2026  |  Last Updated: July 3, 2026

BlessTalk (“we,” “our,” or “us”) is a Bible study and spiritual community application developed for Christians in India. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring your personal data is handled responsibly. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your information when you use the BlessTalk mobile application (“App”) and related services.

By downloading, installing, or using BlessTalk, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the App.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you create an account or use certain features, we collect:

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you use the App, we may automatically collect:

• Usage Data: Bible verses and chapters you read, quiz scores and performance statistics, blessing cards you generate, and features you access.
• Device Information: Device type, operating system version, and app version for compatibility and troubleshooting.
• Location Data: Your device’s geographic coordinates, only when you actively use the Church Finder feature and grant location permission. We do not track your location in the background.

1.3 Information from Third-Party Services

• Payment Information: When you make purchases through Razorpay, Google Play, or Apple App Store, the respective payment processor handles your financial details (card numbers, UPI IDs, etc.). We receive only transaction confirmations — never your full payment credentials.
• AI Conversations: When you use Soul Chat (our AI spiritual companion), your messages are sent to Google’s Gemini AI service to generate responses. We store your conversation history to provide context for follow-up interactions.

1.4 Sensitive Information

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

We do not use your data for targeted advertising, behavioural profiling, or selling to data brokers.

3. Third-Party Services

BlessTalk integrates with the following third-party services to deliver its features. Each service has its own privacy policy governing its use of your data:

We do not integrate any third-party advertising networks or analytics tracking platforms.

4. Data Storage & Security

4.1 Where Your Data Is Stored

• Server-Side: Your account data, quiz scores, event registrations, subscription records, and other persistent data are stored on Amazon Web Services (AWS) servers located in the Asia Pacific — Mumbai (ap-south-1) region, India.
• On-Device: Certain data is cached locally on your device using secure local storage, including your preferences, authentication tokens, quiz statistics, Soul Chat conversation history, and premium status. This data remains on your device and is cleared when you sign out.

4.2 Security Measures

We implement the following security measures to protect your data:

• Passwords are securely hashed and never stored in plain text (via AWS Cognito).
• All data transmitted between the App and our servers is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS.
• Authentication uses industry-standard JSON Web Tokens (JWT) with automatic expiration.
• Payment processing is handled entirely by PCI-DSS compliant providers (Razorpay, Google Play, Apple).
• Server-side access is restricted using AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) roles with the principle of least privilege.
• API endpoints are secured with authentication requirements.

While we take reasonable precautions, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

5. Data Sharing & Disclosure

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

• Service Providers: With the third-party services listed in Section 3, strictly for the purpose of delivering App features.
• Leaderboards: Your name and quiz scores are displayed on public leaderboards visible to other BlessTalk users. No other personal information is shown.
• Event Organisers: When you register for a church event, your name and registration details may be shared with the event organiser to facilitate the event.
• Legal Requirements: If required by law, court order, or governmental authority, we may disclose your information to comply with applicable legal obligations.
• Safety: To protect the rights, safety, or property of BlessTalk, our users, or the public, where we have a good-faith belief that disclosure is necessary.

6. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy:

7. Your Rights & Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: You can view your personal information within the App under your profile settings.
• Correction: You can update your name, church, city, denomination, and language preferences at any time through the App.
• Data Portability: You may request a copy of your personal data in a machine-readable format by contacting us.
• Deletion: You may request deletion of your account and all associated data by contacting us at the email address below. Upon receiving a valid request, we will delete your data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.
• Withdraw Consent: You may withdraw consent for location access at any time through your device settings. You may also revoke other permissions, though this may affect certain App features.
• Opt-Out of Leaderboards: Contact us if you wish to be excluded from public quiz leaderboards.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 14.

8. App Permissions

BlessTalk requests the following device permissions:

All permissions are requested at the time of use (not at installation). You can revoke any permission at any time through your device’s Settings app. Revoking a permission may disable the associated feature but will not affect the rest of the App.

9. Payments & Subscriptions

9.1 Premium Subscriptions

BlessTalk offers optional premium subscriptions:

• Monthly Plan: ₹49/month
• Yearly Plan: ₹499/year

Premium benefits include unlimited Soul Chat sessions, extended chat history, and additional features. Subscriptions are processed through:

• Google Play Store (Android devices) — governed by Google Play Terms
• Apple App Store (iOS devices) — governed by Apple Media Services Terms

Subscription management (cancellation, renewal) is handled through your Google Play or Apple App Store account settings.

9.2 Event Payments

Payments for church event registrations are processed through Razorpay, a PCI-DSS Level 1 certified payment gateway. We do not store your card numbers, bank account details, or UPI IDs. All financial transactions are processed securely by Razorpay.

9.3 Refund Policy

For subscription refunds, please contact the respective app store (Google Play or Apple App Store). For event payment refunds, please contact the event organiser or reach out to us at the email below.

9A. Identity, Church & Pastor Verification

BlessTalk offers several entirely voluntary verification processes that grant administrative control of a listing or a verified badge. You can use all other features of BlessTalk without undergoing any of these.

9A.1 Church ownership claim (OTP + photo)

To claim administrative control of an existing church listing, you provide:

• A live verification photo (selfie): Captured in-app using your device’s camera, showing you in front of the church (signboard, entrance, or pulpit) while holding your personal identification card. Gallery upload is not permitted for this photo — it must be captured live to prevent misuse.
• A supporting document: A photo or scan of one official document linking you to the church (ordination certificate, appointment letter, recent church bulletin listing your name, church tax registration certificate such as 12A/80G/Society Registration, denominational pastor ID, or a letter on church letterhead signed by you).

An OTP is also sent to the church’s own registered email address (not your personal email) as a first-factor check before document review.

9A.2 Church badge verification (registration certificate)

Separately, a church admin may submit documents to earn a verified badge on the church’s public profile:

• Registration certificate: Society Registration, Trust Deed, Section 80G, or equivalent official registration document (image or PDF).
• Supplemental proof: An exterior photo of the church with signboard, or an official letter from your denominational authority (image or PDF).

9A.3 Pastor verification (gold badge)

A pastor may submit documents to earn a gold verified badge on their public profile:

• Selfie holding your ID: A clear photo of you with your government-issued ID visible next to your face.
• Government-issued ID: Aadhaar card, driving licence, voter ID, or passport (the face side).
• Ordination certificate or appointment letter: Any official document showing your pastoral role.

If you separately choose to link a YouTube channel to your creator profile (to display your public sermon/worship videos), you do so via Google Sign-In requesting the youtube.readonly scope. We use your Google access token for a single, one-time API call to confirm the channel you select is actually owned by the Google account you signed in with; the token itself is never stored. Once linked, we store only the channel’s public information (channel ID, name, handle, thumbnail) — the same information anyone can see on YouTube. Your existing videos/Shorts metadata is then synced separately using YouTube’s public API, not your personal OAuth token. You can unlink your channel at any time from your creator profile, which removes this stored channel information.

9A.4 Why we collect it

Verification photos and documents are used solely to confirm you are authorised to manage the specific church or pastor profile you are claiming or to award a verified badge. They are not used for advertising, behavioural profiling, facial recognition training, or any purpose other than this verification.

9A.5 Who sees it

Only authorised BlessTalk verification administrators can view these photos and documents. They are never shown on your public profile, in search results, or to other BlessTalk users. All documents (across 9A.1, 9A.2, and 9A.3) are stored in private, encrypted Amazon S3 prefixes with strict access controls, and administrators view them only via time-limited signed URLs — never a public link.

9A.6 How long we keep it

• While under review: retained until a decision is made (typically 24–48 hours on business days).
• If approved: retained for 90 days after approval as a dispute / appeal window, then automatically deleted by a daily cleanup process.
• If rejected: retained for 30 days, then automatically deleted by the same process.
• If more documents are requested: retained while your submission remains active/under review.
• Early deletion: you may request immediate deletion of your verification photos and documents at any time after approval, from Settings → Verification Photos, or by contacting us.
• Linked YouTube channel information (channel ID, name, handle, thumbnail) is retained until you unlink the channel or delete your creator profile.

9A.7 Consent and your rights

Before we capture any verification photo or request Google account access, you will see an explicit consent screen listing what is captured, why, who sees it, and how long it is retained. You must actively confirm to proceed; cancelling exits the flow and nothing is captured, stored, or authorised. You may withdraw consent or request deletion of already-submitted verification materials at any time (subject to the retention windows above for records under active review).

9A.8 Consequences of declining

You are not required to complete any of these verifications. Declining simply means you will not be able to claim administrative ownership of a church profile, display a verified badge, or link a YouTube channel. All other BlessTalk features (Bible reading, Soul Chat, Quiz, church discovery, event registration, follows, Premium subscription benefits, etc.) remain fully available.

10. Children’s Privacy

BlessTalk is intended for users of all ages as a Bible study and spiritual growth tool. However, we are committed to protecting children’s privacy:

• We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 (or the applicable age in your jurisdiction) without verifiable parental or guardian consent.
• We do not serve advertisements or engage in behavioural profiling of any users, including children.
• The App does not contain any content that is inappropriate for younger audiences.
• If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided personal information without your consent, please contact us immediately and we will promptly delete such information.
• For users under 18, we recommend using the App under parental guidance.

11. International Data Transfers

While our primary data storage is in India (AWS Mumbai region), some data may be processed by third-party services located in other countries:

• Google Gemini AI & Google Places API: Your Soul Chat messages and location queries may be processed on Google servers, which may be located outside India (including the United States and European Union).
• Apple Inc.: iOS subscription data may be processed on Apple servers located in the United States.

Where data is transferred outside India, we ensure that the receiving parties maintain adequate data protection standards consistent with applicable Indian law.

12. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

The BlessTalk mobile app does not use cookies, web beacons, or pixel trackers. We do not use any third-party analytics or advertising SDKs.

The App uses local device storage (AsyncStorage) solely for caching your preferences and session data to improve performance. This data is stored entirely on your device and is cleared when you sign out.

Our website (blesstalk.in) may use standard cookies for basic website functionality. Please refer to your browser settings to manage cookies.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, features, or legal requirements. When we make changes:

• The “Last Updated” date at the top of this page will be revised.
• For significant changes, we will notify you through the App or via email.
• Your continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

14. Contact Us

15. Grievance Redressal

In accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, the Grievance Officer for BlessTalk is:

© 2026 BlessTalk. All rights reserved.
This privacy policy is available at blesstalk.in/privacy-policy