Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Hedge ("Hedge," "we," "us," or "our") is a story-building platform that helps students capture their experiences, develop their narrative, and prepare to communicate who they are for college applications, scholarships, job interviews, and beyond.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect personal information when you use our website at hedgestory.ai and any related products or services (collectively, the "Service").

By using Hedge, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy. If you are a parent or guardian creating an account on behalf of a minor, you are agreeing on their behalf.

2. Information we collect

Information you provide directly

• Account information: name, email address, password, and grade level when you create an account
• Profile information: school name, graduation year, and other details you choose to add
• Captured moments: video recordings, voice memos, and text entries you create within the app
• Coaching responses: your replies to AI coach prompts and reflections
• Payment information: when you subscribe, payment is processed by a third-party provider (Stripe). We do not store full credit card numbers.
• Communications: emails or messages you send to us

Information collected automatically

• Usage data: pages visited, features used, time spent, and actions taken within the Service
• Device information: device type, operating system, browser type, and IP address
• Log data: server logs including access times and referring URLs

3. How we use your information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, operate, and improve the Hedge Service
• Power the AI coaching features that help students reflect on and develop their story
• Send account-related communications such as confirmations, updates, and support responses
• Send product updates and early access notifications — you can opt out at any time
• Process payments and manage subscriptions
• Analyze usage patterns to improve our product (in aggregate and anonymized form)
• Comply with legal obligations

We do not use your student's captured content to train AI models without explicit consent. We do not sell personal data to advertisers, data brokers, or any third party.

4. Children and minors — COPPA

Users under 13

Hedge does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without verifiable parental consent, as required by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Our Service is intended for students aged 13 and older. Account creation requires confirmation that the user is at least 13 years of age, or that a parent or guardian is creating the account on behalf of the student.

If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without appropriate parental consent, we will delete that information promptly. If you believe we may have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately at hello@hedgestory.ai.

Users aged 13–17

For students between the ages of 13 and 17, we strongly encourage parents or guardians to create the initial account and invite their student. This parent-initiated flow serves as our primary consent mechanism for minor users.

Parents and guardians may:

• Review the personal information we have collected about their child
• Request deletion of their child's account and all associated data
• Withdraw consent for our use of their child's information at any time
• Contact us at hello@hedgestory.ai with any questions about their child's data

Student data protections

• Student-captured content is private by default and never shared without explicit student action
• We do not serve behavioral advertising to students
• We do not build advertising profiles based on student data
• We do not sell student data under any circumstances

5. How we share information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We share information only in the following limited circumstances:

Service providers

We work with trusted third-party companies that help us operate the Service. These providers are contractually bound to use your information only to provide services to us and are not permitted to use it for their own purposes. Current categories of providers include:

• Cloud hosting and infrastructure (to store and serve the app)
• Payment processing (Stripe, for subscription billing)
• AI infrastructure (to power coaching features)
• Email delivery (to send account communications)
• Analytics (anonymized and aggregated usage data only)

Legal requirements

We may disclose information if required to do so by law, or if we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, protect the rights or safety of Hedge, our users, or others, or investigate potential violations of our Terms of Service.

Business transfers

If Hedge is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify affected users before personal information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

With your consent

We may share information with third parties when you explicitly ask us to — for example, if you choose to share your Hedge story profile with a college or employer through a share link you generate yourself.

6. Data storage and security

Your data is stored on servers located in the United States. We use industry-standard security measures including encryption in transit (TLS) and encryption at rest to protect your information.

We retain your account information and captured content for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will delete your personal information within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal or compliance purposes.

No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we take the protection of your data seriously and implement reasonable safeguards, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you have reason to believe your account has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

7. Your rights and choices

You have meaningful control over your information. You may:

• Access your data: request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correct your data: update or correct inaccurate information through your account settings or by contacting us
• Delete your data: request deletion of your account and all associated personal information
• Export your data: request a portable copy of your captured content in a common format
• Opt out of communications: unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the link in any email we send
• Withdraw consent: if you have consented to any specific use of your data, you may withdraw that consent at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@hedgestory.ai. We will respond to all requests within 30 days.

California residents

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to delete it, and the right to opt out of its sale. We do not sell personal information. To exercise your California privacy rights, contact us at hello@hedgestory.ai.

8. Cookies and tracking

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to operate the Service and understand how it is used. Specifically, we use:

• Essential cookies: required for the Service to function, including authentication and session management
• Analytics cookies: help us understand how users interact with the Service in aggregate so we can improve it

We do not use advertising or tracking cookies. We do not participate in cross-site tracking for advertising purposes.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of the Service.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you by email (if you have an account) and by posting a notice on our website at least 14 days before the changes take effect.

Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. If you disagree with the changes, you may close your account before the effective date.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated.

10. Contact us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

For requests related to a minor's data, please include "Minor Data Request" in your subject line so we can prioritize your inquiry. We respond to all privacy-related requests within 30 days.