MATE App - Privacy Policy

Table of Contents

1. Introduction & Privacy Philosophy
2. What Data We Collect — And What We Don't
3. How We Use Your Data
4. Our Infrastructure & Privacy Guarantees
5. Payment Processing
6. Data Security & Protection
7. Data Retention Periods
8. Your Data Rights (GDPR/FADP)
9. Children's Privacy
10. Changes to This Policy
11. Contact Information

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1. Introduction & Privacy Philosophy

At MATE, privacy is not just a feature; it is our architecture. We operate on the principle of data minimization: we do not store your data or build profiles, we do not track your behavior, and we do not sell your information.

Our core mission is to provide powerful AI capabilities while ensuring that your most sensitive data remains under your direct control. To achieve this, we use a strict data separation model:

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2. What Data We Collect — And What We Don't

2.1 Personal Information You Provide Directly

When you create an account through Sign in with Apple, Google, or email/password via web browser:

2.2 Data Collected Through Apple In-App Purchase (iOS app Only)

When you subscribe through Apple's In-App Purchase system within the MATE iOS app, we receive:

2.3 Data Collected Through Google Play In-App Purchase (Android app Only)

When you subscribe through Google Play's In-App Purchase system within the MATE Android app, we receive:

2.4 Technical & Usage Data (Minimal Collection)

We collect minimal technical data necessary for app functionality — and we do NOT track individual users:

2.5 What We Do NOT Collect or Share

We DO NOT collect, store, or share the following:

• Your AI prompts, conversation history, or search queries linked to your account (stored separately from authentication)
• Payment card details (Apple/Stripe process this independently; we never see them)
• Data used for advertising, tracking across apps, or selling to data brokers
• Individual user behavior analytics — only platform-level metrics without any personal linkage
• Third-party SDKs that track individual users (we use no such tools)

2.6 Our Anonymity-by-Design Architecture

The Core Privacy Guarantee: MATE is architecturally designed so that user authentication and user content systems are completely separate. This means:

1. When you authenticate to access the app, we have NO technical ability to link your identity to your prompts or outputs
2. We cannot identify which user generated which content — this is intentional by design for maximum privacy protection

This architecture ensures: Even if compelled by legal process, we simply do not possess the technical ability to link your account identity to your conversation history or search queries.

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3. How We Use Your Data

We process your data for the following purposes:

We Do NOT Use Your Data For:

• Marketing communications (unless you explicitly opt-in separately)
• Selling or sharing with advertising partners
• Training external AI models on user content
• Profiling, automated decision-making beyond service delivery
• Cross-device tracking across apps or websites
• Individual user behavior analytics — we do not track which user did what

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4. Our Infrastructure & Privacy Guarantees

4.1 Self-Hosted AI Models (Not Third-Party APIs)

Unlike many competitors that rely on third-party AI providers, MATE runs AI processing on fully self-managed infrastructure:

4.2 Private Search Engine

MATE routes web search through its own search system, operated by our team:

4.3 Data Sovereignty Commitment

All stored user data remains under Swiss jurisdiction:

4.4 Client-Side & Local Data Storage

To ensure maximum privacy, the following data is stored locally on your device only (iOS, macOS, or Android). Swisswise GmbH does not access, collect, or transmit this information to our servers:

• Conversation History: Your chats and AI memory files.
• Generated Media: Images or resources you have downloaded.
• App or Website Preferences: UI settings, such as language, theme, and layout.
• Local Models: Any LLM models downloaded for offline use.

Note: You can clear this data at any time by clearing your app data or cache.

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5. Payment Processing

5.1 Apple In-App Purchase (iOS and macOS app)

For iOS users, ALL paid subscriptions must go through Apple's billing system per App Store Review Guidelines Section 3.1.1. We do not offer Stripe as an in-app payment option for digital goods within the iOS application.

5.2 Google Play Billing (Android app)

For Android users, ALL paid subscriptions must go through Google Play's billing system to comply with Google Play Developer Program policies regarding digital goods and services.

5.3 Web-Based Stripe Payments (Browser Only)

Important Distinction: Stripe is ONLY available when accessing MATE through a web browser (not within the iOS, macOS or Android app). This complies with Apple's and Google's policy that external payments are only permitted for content/services delivered outside the App Store ecosystem.

5.4 Which Method Applies to You?

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6. Data Security & Protection

MATE employs a multi-layered security strategy combining industry-standard technical safeguards with rigorous operational controls.

6.1 Technical Safeguards

• Data in Transit: All network communications are protected via high-grade encryption (HTTPS/TLS).
• Data at Rest: Stored personal information is secured using advanced AES-level encryption standards.
• Credential Security: Passwords are never stored in plain text; we utilize industry-leading hashing and salting protocols.
• API Integrity: All programmatic access is managed through secure, token-based authentication frameworks.

6.2 Infrastructure & Network Security

Swiss infrastructure with the following protections:

• Physical Security: Strict data center controls, including biometric entry and 24/7 surveillance.
• Network Segmentation: Isolation of authentication systems from content storage to minimize attack surfaces.
• Proactive Defense: Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify and remediate risks.
• System Integrity: Continuous monitoring of backend models and upstream service health.

6.3 Access Controls & Governance

• Least-Privilege Access: User data access is strictly limited to authorized personnel required for specific operational tasks.
• Administrative MFA: Multi-factor authentication is mandatory for all production infrastructure access.
• Security Auditing: Comprehensive logging of system access events; logs are used for security monitoring and do not include individual behavioral tracking.
• Compliance Oversight: Periodic internal and external security reviews to ensure alignment with industry best practices.

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7. Data Retention Periods

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy:

Account Deletion Process

Upon account deletion request:

1. All authentication data is removed within 30 days
2. Anonymized platform-level statistics may be retained indefinitely for aggregate metrics only
3. Subscription records anonymized after 3 years (tax compliance)
4. You will receive confirmation email upon completion of deletion process

Important: Because authentication and content systems are architecturally separate, deleting your account does NOT erase content stored on your device. Deleting the app will delete your content on device.

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8. Your Data Rights (GDPR/FADP)

If you are located in Switzerland or the European Economic Area, you have the following rights under Swiss FADP and EU GDPR:

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9. Children's Privacy

MATE is designed for users aged 16 years and older in accordance with Swiss FADP and EU GDPR requirements:

• We do not knowingly collect data from children under 16
• Users who indicate they are under 16 during sign-up will be denied access to the App
• If we discover a user account belongs to someone under 16, we will delete their authentication data promptly upon discovery (within 30 days)

If you believe your child has created an account without parental consent, please contact us immediately by using the contact form swissmate.ai/contact. We will investigate and take appropriate action.

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10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in law, technology, or business practices (e.g., new SDK integrations, infrastructure upgrades). When we make material changes:

• We will post the updated policy on our website with a new "Last Updated" date
• We will notify users via email (if contact information is available) and/or in-app notification for significant changes
• Continued use of MATE after the effective date constitutes acceptance of revised terms

We encourage you to review this policy regularly to stay informed about how we protect your data.

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11. Contact Information

For questions, concerns, or to exercise your data rights:

App Store Privacy Nutrition Labels (Apple App Only)

When submitting MATE to the App Store, we complete Apple's privacy labels disclosing data categories collected. These appear on your App Store listing under App Privacy. You can view these labels in App Store Connect under your app listing.

Data Categories Declared:

Privacy Manifest File: We include PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy in our app bundle declaring required API usage reasons per Apple's Spring 2024 requirements. Third-party SDKs used have their own privacy manifests bundled with the app. We do not use any third-party SDKs that track individual user behavior.

 

By using MATE, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Privacy Policy.