Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy outlines how Bee Theory ("App" or "Service"), a product of InnovaLink LLC ("we," "us," or "our"), collects, uses, discloses, and protects your personal information. This policy applies to personal information collected through:

Our mobile applications, including Bee Theory

Our website at beetheory.app (the "Site")

Any other websites, applications, or services we own or control that link to this Privacy Policy (collectively, the "Service").

Bee Theory is designed to help users maintain meaningful connections through both AI-powered and non-AI features. AI features are optional and enhance the user experience by offering personalized suggestions such as conversation starters and activity planning.

We are committed to safeguarding your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how your data is processed to ensure secure, tailored interactions—especially when using our AI features. References to “you” or the “user” / “User” in this Privacy Policy, refers to the user of our Service or Site.

2. Information We Collect

We request various types of Personal Data from you, and can only receive such data if you provide it willingly and consent to its provision to us, when opening an account on this Site or procuring any product, service or content through the Service. Any use or transmittal of your data will only be completed once you are made completely aware of its use and transmittal, and then only with your consent. If you wish to know of any specific use of your data that may be undertaken by us, please email us at contact@beetheory.app. Personal Data collected is defined by any applicable law which governs your use and access of this Service and Site, and any such data which can be used to personally identify you or a third party, or which contains personally identifiable data about you or a third party. This can include your name, browsing habits, credit card details, address, passport or other identity information, and any other information specified by applicable law.

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account Creation:
  Name and Date of Birth: Collected to confirm eligibility for our services and AI features.
  Authentication: You may create an account using your email or by signing in with Google or Apple via Firebase.
• Profile Information:
  Interests: If you use AI features, your interests help generate personalized suggestions.
• Friends’ Profiles (Third Parties):
  You may choose to add non-sensitive information about your friends, including:
  – Name (Note: If AI features are enabled, names will not be shared with AI)
  – Interests
  – General proximity (We don’t ask for your precise location)
  – Birthday (excluding birth year)
  – Holidays they celebrate
  – Notes or updates about your friends
  
  User Responsibility: You are responsible for the information you share about your friends. Please avoid including sensitive details such as addresses, occupations, names within notes/updates, or any unique identifiers. Furthermore, by uploading any details or information about third parties, you agree that the third party has consented and must consent to the use and transmittal of the data on the Service or Site, and that you are solely responsible for protecting the confidentiality and privacy of the same.
• Contact Sync (Optional):
  You may sync your phone’s contact list to simplify adding friends.
  We do not store phone numbers; instead, we use Apple’s device-defined identifier to enable calls or texts directly from the App.
  Contact sync can be turned off at any time in your device settings.
• Surveys and Marketing Preferences:
  You may be invited to participate in surveys or provide feedback.
  You can also set preferences regarding promotional email communications.
• Social Media Information:
  When interacting with our social media pages (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X/Twitter, LinkedIn), we may collect information from your posts, likes, and messages.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

We and our service providers may automatically collect technical and usage information, including:

• Device Data:
  – Operating system type and version
  – Manufacturer and model
  – Browser type and screen resolution
  – Device type (phone, tablet, computer)
  – IP address
  – Unique identifiers (including advertising identifiers)
  – Language settings
  – General location (e.g., city, state, or region)
• Activity Data:
  – Pages or screens viewed and time spent on each
  – Navigation paths between screens
  – Clicks, scrolls, and other interactions
  – Access times and durations
  – Email interactions (e.g., opens, clicks)
• Analytics Tools:
  We may use services such as Google Analytics and Firebase to analyze usage trends and improve user experience.

The above data may be referred to by us as “Automatic Data”. We attempt to anonymize such information, however, to the extent that IP addresses or similar identifiers are considered Personal Data by applicable law, we also treat these identifiers as Personal Data.

We collect Automatic Data based on your consent which was granted to us by you when you accessed this Service and Site, or when you registered as a User, and thereby accepted this Privacy Policy. If you do not want us to collect this information, do not use the Website or delete your account on the Service and Site.

Please note: If you restrict, disable or block any or all cookies from your web browser or mobile or other device, our services may not operate properly, and you may not have access to certain services or parts of the Website. We shall not be liable for any interruption in, or inability to use, our services or degraded functioning thereof, where such are caused by your settings and choices regarding cookies.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use collected data to:

• Operate, maintain, and enhance Bee Theory's features
• Personalize content and user experience
• Provide customer support and process transactions
• Communicate updates, promotions, or changes to services (with your consent)
• Ensure security, detect fraud, and comply with legal obligations

4. How We Share Your Information

We may share your personal information with:

• Affiliates and Subsidiaries within our corporate group
• Service Providers for hosting, analytics, AI processing, and customer support
• Professional Advisors, including lawyers, auditors, and insurers
• Authorities and Legal Entities as required by law
• Business Transferees in the event of mergers, acquisitions, or asset sales
• With Your Consent, when you instruct us to share data with third parties

Data transfer outside the European Union (EU) or Your Home Jurisdiction: Data transfer abroad is based on consent, in that we shall only transfer your data outside the EU or your home jurisdiction for the purpose of providing access to this Site or Service. Such data transfer will be to third parties who maintain confidentiality requirements and data protection capabilities sufficient to protect and secure your data, if this is at all required.

By registering an account with us, you hereby agree to allow your data to be transferred outside the EU or your home jurisdiction for the reasons described in this paragraph, and subject to the terms described herein.

If you want to specifically know how and to whom your data may be transferred to, please get in touch with us at contact@beetheory.app.

5. AI and Data Usage

AI Features

Bee Theory offers AI-powered features that enhance your experience by generating personalized suggestions based on information you provide. These features may process inputs such as interests, friend-related details (excluding names), and notes to create relevant recommendations.

AI features include:

• Gift Idea Generator – Offers thoughtful gift suggestions
• Conversation Starter Generator – Helps spark meaningful discussions
• Activity Planner – Recommends shared activities based on your relationships
• Bee Theory Assistant ("Bree") – Your personal AI guide for nurturing connections

Each time you add a note about a friend, only the note’s content is processed to generate a relevant topic. No additional personal information about the third party is shared with or used by the AI. The processing is solely intended to provide you with useful, in-context suggestions within the app.However, Users are reminded that we may not have the ability to sort or identify any personal or confidential information they input on the Service, and Users are always solely responsible for the information they provide using the Service and how it is used, including the acquisition of consent from any third parties with respect to information added on the Service by the User.

When you click on the check-in messages, an AI-generated message will be created for you based solely on the content of that message—no additional information about your friend is used in this process. Users are encouraged to review the relevant provider's own privacy policies for the most up-to-date information at openai.com/policies.

Data Handling

AI-generated content may be processed by trusted third-party providers (e.g., OpenAI) to deliver personalized responses. Based on the latest available information, these providers do not store your data or use it for model training when accessed through our integration.

Encryption

All data is encrypted during transmission to ensure your privacy and security.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We may use the following types of cookies and tracking technologies:

• Essential: For authentication and security
• Analytics: Tools like Google Analytics and Firebase
• Marketing: (If applicable)
• Preferences: (If applicable)

Managing Cookies: You can control cookie settings via your browser or device preferences.

7. Data Breach Notification Policy

• Response Plan: We investigate and address breaches swiftly
• Notification: Users and authorities will be notified within the legally required timeframes (usually 72 hours in most cases)
• User Actions: Affected users are encouraged to monitor accounts and update login credentials

15. User’s Rights under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act

It is our policy to respond to any infringement notices and to take the appropriate actions as provided under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”). Should the User believe that material available on the Site or Service infringes on User’s copyright(s) or that of a third party, please notify us by submitting a written notice to our email address listed in this Privacy Policy and include the following information:

1. User’s full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address;
2. A description of the copyrighted work that is claimed to be infringed;
3. A description of where the allegedly infringing material is located on the Site or Service;
4. A statement by User that User has a good-faith belief that the alleged infringing use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law;
5. A signed (either physical or electronic) statement by User, made under penalty of perjury, that the above information in User’s notice is accurate and that User is the copyright owner or authorized to act on the copyright owner’s behalf.

Upon receipt of such notice, we shall investigate and/or remove the infringing material. A User will be held liable for damages, including costs and attorneys’ fees, should User materially misrepresent that material or activity on the Site or Service infringes on User’s or a third party’s copyright.

16. User’s Rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act

To the extent that the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) is applicable to either the User or us: both parties agree to comply with all of their obligations under the CCPA; and in relation to any communication of ‘Personal Data’ as defined by the CCPA, the parties agree that no monetary or other valuable consideration is being provided for such Personal Data and therefore neither party is ‘selling’ (as defined by the CCPA) Personal Data to the other party, unless specifically agreed for and consented to by the parties.

The principal rights the User has under the CCPA include but are not limited to:

1. The right to know the Personal Data we collect from the User;
2. The right to request the deletion of User’s Personal Data;
3. The right not to be discriminated against for having exercised User’s rights under the CCPA;
4. The right to opt out from the collection/sale of User’s Personal Data; and
5. The right to access User’s Personal Data.

Both parties agree to notify the other immediately if they receive any complaint, notice, or communication that directly or indirectly relates to either party’s compliance with the CCPA. Specifically, we shall notify User within ten (10) working days if we receive a verifiable consumer request under the CCPA.

17. Rights of EU Users

17.1 Residents of the European Economic Area (“EEA”) and the EU may be entitled to rights under the GDPR. If you qualify, these rights are summarized below.

17.2 If you request to exercise your rights under the GDPR, we may require verification of your identity before we respond to any such request. If you are entitled to these rights, you may exercise the following rights with respect to your Personal Data that we collect and store:

• The right to withdraw consent to data processing at any time;
• The right of access to your Personal Data;
• The right to request a copy of your Personal Data;
• The right to correct any inaccuracies in your Personal Data;
• The right to erase your Personal Data;
• The right to data portability, meaning to request a transfer of your Personal Data from us to any other person or entity as chosen by you;
• The right to request restriction of the processing of your Personal Data;
• The right to object to processing of your Personal Data.

You may exercise these rights free of charge. These rights will be exercisable subject to limitations as provided for by the GDPR. Any requests to exercise the above-listed rights may be made to: contact@beetheory.com.