🌿 Herbal Oracle - Privacy Policy

Last Updated: March 6, 2026

1. Introduction

Herbal Oracle ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Health Journal Entries: Symptoms, notes, and health tracking data you voluntarily enter
• Saved Formulas: Herbal formulas and remedies you create and save
• Inventory Data: Herbs and quantities you track in your apothecary
• Community Contributions: Formulas you choose to share with the community
• AI Queries (with your consent): Text questions you type to the AI Herbal Consultant. These are only sent to OpenAI after you grant explicit permission.
• Photos (with your consent): Images you submit for AI Herb Identification. These are only sent to OpenAI after you grant explicit permission. Photos are processed for identification only and are not stored on our servers.

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

• Usage Data: Features accessed, search queries, and app interactions
• Device Information: Device type, operating system, and app version
• Camera Access: Only when you choose to use the Photo ID feature. You will see a camera permission prompt from iOS before any camera access occurs. Images are sent to OpenAI only after you have granted AI data sharing consent.
• Location (GPS): Only when you tap "📍 My Location" in the Seasonal Calendar. Your GPS coordinates are used solely to detect your hemisphere and climate zone to personalize herb recommendations. Location data is not transmitted to any server — it is processed on your device and stored only in local app storage. You may deny location access at any time in device Settings.
• Voice/Speech Data: When you use the Voice feature, speech is processed locally on your device using your device's built-in speech recognition (Web Speech API). We do not transmit or store voice recordings.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to:

• Provide personalized herb recommendations based on your symptoms
• Save and retrieve your formulas, journal entries, and inventory
• Enable AI-powered features including herb identification and consultations (only with your explicit consent)
• Personalize the Seasonal Calendar based on your GPS location (only when you choose to use that feature)
• Improve app functionality and user experience
• Provide customer support and respond to inquiries

4. Third-Party Services

4.1 OpenAI, Inc. (AI Features)

What is sent: When you use the AI Herbal Consultant or Photo ID features, the following data is transmitted to OpenAI, Inc. (openai.com): (1) your typed questions and messages, (2) photos you submit for herb identification, and (3) basic herb context from your current session.

Who receives it: OpenAI, Inc., 3180 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA.

Your consent is required: The app will ask your explicit permission before any data is sent to OpenAI. You can revoke consent at any time by clearing app data or through the app's AI settings.

Data protection: OpenAI processes data under their API terms, which do not permit using API inputs/outputs to train AI models. OpenAI's privacy practices are described at openai.com/privacy. We do not store your AI conversations or uploaded images on our servers.

4.2 Affiliate Partnerships

Affiliate Disclosure: Herbal Oracle participates in affiliate programs with some herb vendors featured in our Shopping Integration. When you click on vendor links from our app, we may track these interactions (vendor name and herb searched) to understand which resources are most useful to our users. We may earn a commission on purchases made through our affiliate links at no additional cost to you. This data is not linked to your personal identity and helps support our free educational service. You can view aggregated, anonymized click statistics in our vendor analytics.

4.3 App Stores

Downloads and updates are handled by Apple App Store and Google Play Store, which have their own privacy policies and data collection practices.

5. Community Content & Moderation

The Community Formula Library allows users to voluntarily share herbal formulas publicly. By sharing a formula, you grant Herbal Oracle a non-exclusive license to display it within the app.

• User-Generated Content: Community formulas are not reviewed or endorsed by Herbal Oracle or any medical professional. They are provided for educational reference only.
• Moderation: We reserve the right to remove content that is harmful, inaccurate, inappropriate, or violates these guidelines. Users can report content using the in-app reporting tools.
• No Medical Validation: Shared formulas have not been evaluated by the FDA or any health authority. Do not use community formulas as medical treatment.

6. Data Storage and Security

Server-Based Storage: When using the web version, your formulas, journal entries, inventory, and reminders are stored on our secure server database. This data is associated with your session but is not linked to personally identifiable information.

Mobile App Storage: The mobile app stores data both locally on your device and syncs with our server to enable cross-device access and data persistence.

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

7. Data Retention

Your health data (formulas, journal entries, inventory) is retained on our servers to provide continuous service. You can delete specific entries at any time through the app interface. Uninstalling the mobile app does not automatically delete server-side data. To request complete data deletion, contact us at support@herbaloracle.app.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access and export your data at any time
• Delete specific entries or all data through the app
• Opt-out of AI features by not using those specific functions
• Control camera, microphone, and notification permissions through device settings

9. Children's Privacy

Herbal Oracle is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

10. Medical Disclaimer

Herbal Oracle is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before starting any herbal treatment. AI-generated responses are for educational reference only and do not constitute professional medical advice.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy.

12. International Users

Herbal Oracle is designed for users worldwide. By using our app, you consent to the transfer and processing of your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

© 2025 Herbal Oracle. All rights reserved.