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CollegeTown AI Privacy Policy

Effective Date: September 13, 2025

Last Updated: November 11, 2025

This Privacy Policy describes the policies and procedures of Hintas, Inc. ("we," "us," or "our") regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of your information when you utilize our mobile application "CollegeTown AI" (available on iOS and Android), our web application located at app.collegetown.ai, our public informational website located at collegetown.ai, and all related services (collectively, the "Service" or "App"). CollegeTown AI is a product of Hintas, Inc. The Service is a dedicated tool for university students, accessible on Web, iOS and Android platforms. By accessing or using the Service, you signify your agreement to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

1. Introduction

CollegeTown AI is designed to provide comprehensive support to university students by facilitating question-answering, event management, and other academic tasks. This policy is applicable to all users of the App, irrespective of the mobile operating system.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information

In the course of your interaction with the App, we may collect certain personally identifiable information:

  • Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your email address for identification and communication purposes.
  • Username: We collect the username you provide for your profile within the App.
  • Device Identifier: A unique, non-personal code is generated by your device to facilitate secure authentication and account management.
  • Network Information: We collect your IP address.

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

We automatically gather non-personal data to monitor and enhance the performance and functionality of our services:

  • Device Information: We collect data pertaining to your device, including the device model, operating system version, and the specific version of the App you are using.
  • Usage Data: We collect aggregated, de-identified data on your use of the App, such as your interactions with its features and the frequency of your usage. This data is used for analytical purposes.
  • Crash Information: In the event of an App crash, we collect technical information to diagnose and resolve software issues.
  • Connection Type: We collect your connection type to ensure seamless data transmission between the App and our servers.

3. Utilization of Your Information

The information we collect is used to support the following operational objectives:

  • Service Delivery: To enable core App functions, including secure user authentication, processing your queries, and providing relevant responses.
  • Service Enhancement: To analyze usage trends, identify areas for improvement, and inform the development of new features and functionalities.
  • Communication: To deliver important notifications and reminders regarding your account or events, contingent upon your consent.
  • Security and Fraud Prevention: To protect against unauthorized access and to safeguard the integrity of our services.

4. Permissions and Data Access

The App may request permission to access certain device features to provide a complete user experience. You have full control over these permissions through your device's operating system settings.

4.1 Calendar Access

  • Purpose: To enable you to save university events and deadlines directly to your personal device calendar.
  • Data Usage: We access your calendar only when you explicitly initiate the action to add an event. Your calendar data is neither stored on our servers nor shared with any third parties.

4.2 Microphone Access

  • Purpose: To allow for hands-free voice-to-text input when formulating questions.
  • Data Usage: Your voice is processed in real-time on your device to convert it into text. The audio data is not stored or transmitted to our servers.

4.3 Notification Access

  • Purpose: To send you timely reminders and other pertinent messages.
  • Data Usage: This permission is solely for the purpose of delivering notifications. No personal data is collected or shared through this mechanism.

5. Data Storage and Security

5.1 Local Storage

We employ secure storage mechanisms on your device to protect sensitive information, such as authentication credentials. Other data, including user preferences, is stored locally in an encrypted format.

5.2 Cloud Storage

Your user profile, question history, and other App data are stored securely on our cloud servers. We maintain your data for the duration of your account's active status to ensure service continuity. Following a request for account deletion, we will permanently delete all personal information from our production systems within 30 days. Anonymized, aggregated data that cannot be tied back to you may be retained for analytical purposes.

6. AI Processing and Third-Party Providers

To provide some of the core functionality of the Service, we must send user queries to our third-party artificial intelligence partners. We use a variety of providers to process and respond to these queries.

6.1. What We Send

We send the text of your queries (questions) to our providers. This data may also include your username if you type it into the query. We do not send your email address or unique device identifiers as part of the query.

6.2. Our AI Partners and Their Data Policies

We are committed to using AI partners that uphold strict privacy standards. The providers we use include, but are not limited to:

Google LLC ("Google"): We use Google's Gemini models to process some queries. Google is contractually prohibited from using any data we send via their paid API to train their AI models or for any purpose other than providing the service to us. You can review Google's API data policies here: https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/terms

OpenAI OpCo, LLC ("OpenAI"): We use OpenAI's models to process some queries. OpenAI is contractually prohibited from using any data we send via their API to train their AI models or for any purpose other than providing the service to us. You can review OpenAI's API data usage policies here: https://openai.com/policies/api-data-usage-policy

7. Deep Linking

The App supports deep linking, which allows you to navigate to specific sections of the App via external links. These links may contain non-personal data, such as an event or chat ID, to direct you to the correct page. No personal information is collected or stored through this process.

8. Your Rights and Controls

You are granted the following rights concerning your data:

  • Right to Know: You have the right to request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell or share about you.
  • Right to Delete: You have the right to request the deletion of your account and all associated personal information by contacting us. You can also clear your question history from within the App.
  • Right to Correct: You have the right to request correction of inaccurate personal information we maintain about you.
  • Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing: You have the right to opt-out of the sale or sharing of your personal information. We do not sell or share your personal information as defined by applicable privacy laws.
  • Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.
  • Data Access: You may view and manage your profile information and question history directly within the App.
  • Permission Management: You can modify or revoke any permissions granted to the App at any time via your device's settings.

9. Compliance with US Privacy Laws

We operate in compliance with major U.S. privacy regulations:

  • California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): California residents have specific rights regarding their personal information. We do not sell or share personal information as defined by the CCPA.
  • Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA): Our App is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Should we become aware of any such data, we will promptly delete it.

10. Policy Updates

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy periodically. We will inform you of any material changes by posting the revised policy within the App or on our website. Your continued use of the App following such changes constitutes your acceptance of the new terms.

11. Contact Information

For any inquiries or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

Email: info@collegetown.ai

We will endeavor to respond to your inquiry within 30 days.