Privacy Policy

1.1 User-Provided Data:

• Account registration information (if applicable)
• Manually entered financial transactions and categories
• IOU records and notes you create
• App settings and preferences
• Feedback and support communications

1.2 SMS Data (Optional Feature):

• Banking and payment SMS messages for transaction detection
• SMS metadata (sender, timestamp) for categorization
• Extracted transaction details (amount, merchant, date)
• Only SMS from recognized Indian banks and payment platforms

1.3 Contacts Data (Optional Feature):

• Contact names and associated phone numbers
• Used exclusively for IOU contact matching
• No other contact information (emails, addresses, etc.) is accessed
• Contact data remains on your device at all times

1.4 Device and Usage Data:

• Device model, operating system version
• App version and crash reports (anonymized)
• Feature usage statistics (anonymized)
• Performance metrics for app optimization

2.1 SMS Data Processing:

• AI algorithms analyze SMS patterns to identify financial transactions
• Extract transaction details (amount, merchant, date, type)
• Categorize transactions automatically for better organization
• Support for 15+ major Indian banks and UPI platforms
• All processing occurs in real-time on your device

2.2 Contacts Data Processing:

• Match phone numbers from transactions with contact names
• Enhance IOU records with recognizable contact names
• Improve user experience by showing names instead of numbers
• Enable smart contact-based financial relationship tracking

2.3 Analytics and Insights:

• Generate spending patterns and financial insights
• Provide personalized recommendations for Indian users
• Create visualizations and reports based on your data
• All analysis performed locally using on-device AI

2.4 App Improvement:

• Anonymous usage statistics to improve app features
• Crash reports to fix bugs and improve stability
• Performance metrics to optimize app speed
• Feature usage data to guide development priorities

3.1 SMS and Contacts Data Sharing:

3.2 Anonymous Analytics: We may share anonymized, aggregated usage statistics with third-party analytics providers to improve our services. This data cannot be used to identify individual users.

3.3 Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by Indian law, court order, or government regulation. However, since sensitive data is processed locally, we have limited data to disclose.

3.4 Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user data may be transferred, but the same privacy protections will apply.

3.5 Service Providers: We may use trusted third-party service providers for app analytics and crash reporting, but they only receive anonymized data.

4.1 Permission Management:

• SMS Permission: Can be granted or revoked at any time through device settings. Disabling will turn off automatic transaction detection but won't affect manually entered data.
• Contacts Permission: Can be granted or revoked at any time. Disabling will show phone numbers instead of names in IOUs but won't affect other app functionality.
• Other Permissions: Storage, network, and other permissions can be managed through device settings.

4.2 Data Access and Portability:

• Export your financial data in standard formats (CSV, JSON)
• View all data stored by the app through in-app settings
• Since SMS and contact data remain on your device, you always have access

4.3 Data Deletion:

• Delete individual transactions, IOUs, or categories
• Clear all app data through device settings
• Uninstall the app to remove all locally stored data
• Request deletion of any data stored on our servers

4.4 Communication Preferences:

• Opt out of promotional communications
• Control notification settings within the app
• Manage email preferences for updates and support

5.1 Indian Data Protection Laws:

• Compliance with Information Technology Act, 2000 and IT Rules
• Adherence to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines for financial apps
• Preparation for Personal Data Protection Bill compliance
• Respect for Indian data localization requirements

5.2 Google Play Store Compliance:

• Full compliance with Google Play sensitive permissions policy
• Transparent disclosure of SMS and contacts usage
• Implementation of privacy-by-design principles
• Regular security audits and updates

5.3 International Standards:

• GDPR-inspired privacy principles for European users
• ISO 27001 security management practices
• OWASP mobile security guidelines
• Industry best practices for financial apps

5.4 Children's Privacy:

• NoviFin is not intended for users under 18 years of age
• We do not knowingly collect data from minors
• Parents should supervise children's device usage
• Contact us if you believe a minor has used our app

6.1 Local Processing Security:

• All sensitive data processing occurs on your device
• No SMS or contact data transmitted over networks
• Encrypted local storage for app data
• Secure deletion of temporary processing files

6.2 App Security:

• Code obfuscation to prevent reverse engineering
• Regular security updates and patches
• Secure coding practices and vulnerability testing
• Protection against common mobile security threats

6.3 Data Transmission Security:

• HTTPS encryption for all server communications
• Certificate pinning for additional security
• Minimal data transmission (only anonymous analytics)
• No sensitive data ever transmitted

6.4 Incident Response:

• Immediate notification of any security incidents
• Rapid response and remediation procedures
• Cooperation with authorities when required
• Transparent communication about security issues

8.1 Policy Updates:

• We may update this privacy policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements
• Material changes will be communicated through the app or email
• Users will have 30 days to review changes before they take effect
• Continued use of the app constitutes acceptance of updated policies

8.2 Contact Information:

8.3 Effective Date: This Privacy Policy is effective as of January 17, 2025.

8.4 Language: This policy is available in English. In case of conflicts between translations, the English version shall prevail.