Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 2026-07-24 Last Updated: 2026-07-24

Overview
Scope of This Policy
Information We Collect
Local Processing
Your Choices and Instructions
AI Providers and Other Destinations
How We Use Information
How We Disclose Information
Cookies and Similar Technologies
Communications
Data Retention
Deleting Your Information
Security
Information About Other People
Children's Privacy
Privacy Rights
International Use
Do Not Track and Universal Opt-Out Signals
Changes to This Privacy Policy
Contact Us
Backstory's Privacy Commitments

1. Overview

Backstory helps you prepare information from sources you choose for use with ChatGPT and other AI tools.

Your privacy is fundamental to how Backstory is designed. We work to earn and keep your trust by following these principles:

We do not sell or rent your personal information.
We do not use the contents of your connected sources for targeted advertising.
We do not disclose your personal content to another user unless you direct us to do so.
We process information locally on your device whenever the applicable feature is designed to operate locally.
We seek to collect and retain only the information reasonably necessary to provide, secure, support, and improve Backstory.
You decide which supported sources Backstory may access and what information you export or send to another service.

This Privacy Policy explains how My Backstory, LLC, doing business as Backstory (“Backstory,” “we,” “our,” or “us”), collects, uses, discloses, and protects information in connection with the Backstory application, website, accounts, subscriptions, and related services collectively referred to as the “Services.”

2. Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to information that Backstory collects or processes through the Services.

It does not govern the independent practices of companies, applications, AI providers, websites, or other services that Backstory does not own or control.

For example, when you direct Backstory to export information or make it available to ChatGPT or another third-party service, that provider’s privacy policy and terms govern its subsequent processing of the information.

This Policy also does not govern information that remains exclusively on your device and is never transmitted to Backstory or a service provider acting on our behalf, except to explain how Backstory’s local features are designed to interact with that information.

3. Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on which parts of Backstory you use.

3.1 Account Information

When you create or manage a Backstory account, we may collect:

your name;
your email address;
account and authentication identifiers;
account preferences;
subscription status;
records of your communications with us; and
other information you choose to provide.

3.2 Billing Information

Payments may be processed by Stripe or another payment provider.

Backstory does not receive or store your complete payment-card number when payment information is entered directly through the payment provider.

We may receive limited billing information, including:

a payment-provider customer identifier;
subscription plan and status;
payment and renewal status;
billing country or postal code;
transaction records; and
limited payment-method details, such as card brand and last four digits.

The payment provider processes payment information under its own privacy policy and terms.

3.3 Information from sources you authorize

Backstory processes only supported sources that you select and authorize.

Depending on the Services and features available to you, those sources may include:

messages and message attachments;
email;
contacts;
calendars;
notes;
documents and files;
photos or media;
browser or application data; and
other supported sources you choose to connect.

These sources may contain sensitive or highly personal information about you and other people.

The availability of a source does not mean that Backstory automatically accesses it. Access depends on the permissions you grant, the sources you select, and the actions you take within the Services.

3.4 Content and compiled context

Backstory may create indexes, summaries, structured records, source references, compiled context, exports, or other derived materials from the information you authorize it to process.

In this Policy, the original information from your sources and the materials derived from it are collectively called “Personal Content.”

Whether Personal Content remains on your device or is transmitted depends on the feature you use. We describe that distinction further below.

3.5 Website and service-usage information

When you use Backstory’s website or online account services, we or our service providers may automatically collect information such as:

IP address;
browser type;
device and operating-system information;
requested pages or URLs;
referring pages;
access dates and times;
cookie or similar identifiers;
authentication and session events; and
security, error, and performance information.

3.6 Diagnostic information

Backstory may collect limited diagnostic and operational information needed to maintain and improve the Services, such as:

application version;
operating-system version;
crash reports;
error reports;
performance measurements;
feature status or completion events; and
security and reliability events.

We seek to keep diagnostic information separate from the contents of your Personal Content and to avoid collecting source content in diagnostics unless you knowingly provide it to us, such as in a support request.

3.7 Support communications

When you request support or otherwise contact us, we collect the information you provide, which may include:

your name and contact information;
the content of your request;
screenshots, logs, or files you choose to submit; and
information needed to investigate and resolve the issue.

You should avoid sending Personal Content that is not necessary for us to assist you.

4. Local Processing

Backstory is designed to perform personal-context processing locally on your device whenever the applicable feature supports local processing.

Local processing may include:

reading sources you have authorized;
indexing or organizing source information;
generating structured records or compiled context;
maintaining source references;
searching prepared information; and
creating exports.

Information processed locally may remain entirely on your device unless you:

choose to export it;
direct Backstory to send or expose it to another service;
enable a feature that requires transmission;
submit it to us for support; or
use a function whose operation is clearly described as involving an online service.

Local processing does not mean that all information associated with Backstory remains local. Account, billing, website, authentication, update, support, and certain operational features may use online services.

We will not describe a feature as local-only when its operation requires Personal Content to be transmitted from your device.

5. Your Choices and Instructions

You control which supported sources Backstory may access through:

permissions granted through your operating system;
source-selection controls within Backstory;
account and application settings; and
the exports, integrations, and destinations you choose.

You may revoke source permissions through your operating system or disconnect a source through Backstory where that control is available.

Revoking access prevents future access through that permission. It may not automatically delete information that was previously compiled, exported, backed up, or transmitted to another service.

6. AI Providers and Other Destinations

Backstory prepares information for use with AI tools and other destinations selected by you.

Backstory does not send your Personal Content to an AI provider merely because that content has been processed locally. A transmission occurs when you initiate or authorize a feature that sends, exposes, synchronizes, or otherwise makes information available to that provider.

When you direct Backstory to make Personal Content available to ChatGPT or another third-party service:

the selected information is transmitted or made accessible at your direction;
the recipient may receive the Personal Content and related source information included in the request;
the recipient’s terms and privacy policy govern its processing; and
Backstory cannot control the recipient’s retention, use, disclosure, model-training practices, or deletion of the information.

You should review the destination provider’s settings, terms, and privacy practices before transmitting sensitive information.

Deleting information from Backstory does not delete copies already transmitted to another provider.

7. How We Use Information

We may use information collected through the Services to:

provide and operate Backstory;
authenticate users and maintain accounts;
process and administer subscriptions;
perform actions you request;
maintain application and source permissions;
provide updates and service communications;
respond to support requests;
diagnose errors and improve reliability;
protect the security and integrity of the Services;
prevent fraud, abuse, and unauthorized access;
understand how the Services perform;
enforce our agreements and policies;
comply with legal obligations; and
establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

We do not use Personal Content from your connected sources to:

sell targeted advertising;
build advertising profiles;
rent or sell personal information; or
advertise third-party products based on the contents of your Personal Content.

We will not use Personal Content to train a general-purpose artificial intelligence model operated by Backstory unless we first clearly disclose that separate use and obtain any consent required by law.

8. How We Disclose Information

We do not sell or rent your personal information.

We may disclose information in the following limited circumstances.

8.1 At your direction

We disclose information when you direct us to export, transmit, expose, or otherwise make it available to another person, application, AI provider, or service.

8.2 Service providers

We may provide information to companies that perform services on our behalf, such as:

hosting and infrastructure;
authentication;
payment processing;
email delivery;
application distribution and updates;
customer support;
security and fraud prevention;
error reporting; and
operational analytics.

Service providers may process information only as needed to perform services for Backstory and subject to contractual or legal obligations applicable to their work.

We seek to avoid providing Personal Content to a service provider when the applicable function can be performed without it.

8.3 Legal process and protection

We may disclose information when we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to:

comply with applicable law, regulation, legal process, or a valid governmental request;
enforce our agreements or protect our legal rights;
investigate or prevent fraud, abuse, security incidents, or unlawful activity;
protect the rights, property, or safety of Backstory, our users, or others; or
establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

Where legally permitted and reasonably practicable, we may notify you before disclosing your information in response to legal process.

8.4 Business transactions

Information may be disclosed or transferred in connection with a proposed or completed merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, sale of assets, or similar business transaction.

If your personal information becomes subject to a materially different privacy policy as a result of such a transaction, we will provide notice where required by law or reasonably practicable.

We may disclose information for another purpose when you provide consent or intentionally request the disclosure.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Backstory’s website and online account services may use cookies, local storage, session tokens, or similar technologies to:

keep you signed in;
remember preferences;
maintain secure sessions;
prevent fraud and abuse;
understand website performance; and
provide requested functionality.

We do not use Personal Content from your connected sources for cross-context behavioral advertising.

Your browser may allow you to block or delete cookies. Disabling essential cookies or storage may prevent portions of the Services from functioning properly.

10. Communications

We may send communications necessary to operate your account or provide the Services, including:

account-verification messages;
security alerts;
password or authentication notices;
billing and subscription notices;
service announcements;
policy notices; and
responses to support requests.

These communications are part of the Services and may not include an opt-out where the message is necessary to administer your account or subscription.

You may opt out of promotional emails by using the unsubscribe mechanism included in those messages. Opting out of promotional communications does not stop essential account, security, billing, or legal notices.

11. Data Retention

We retain information for no longer than reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, including to:

provide the Services;
maintain your account;
administer subscriptions;
comply with legal obligations;
resolve disputes;
prevent fraud or abuse; and
enforce agreements.

Retention depends on the type of information and where it is stored.

11.1 Locally stored information

Personal Content stored locally remains on your device until you delete it, uninstall the application, remove the relevant application data, or otherwise manage it through available device or Backstory controls.

Uninstalling the application may not delete exports, backups, files stored elsewhere, or information maintained by your operating system.

11.2 Account and billing information

We retain account and billing records while your account is active and afterward for a period reasonably necessary to complete account closure, maintain transaction records, comply with law, resolve disputes, and prevent fraud.

11.3 Support and diagnostic information

We retain support records and diagnostic information for as long as reasonably necessary to resolve issues, improve reliability, maintain security, and document our response.

11.4 Backups

Information scheduled for deletion may remain temporarily in encrypted backups or disaster-recovery systems until those backups are overwritten or expire. Such information is not restored to active use except when necessary for disaster recovery, security, or legal compliance.

12. Deleting Your Information

Depending on the Services available to you, you may be able to:

delete locally compiled Personal Content;
delete individual exports or generated files;
disconnect sources;
revoke operating-system permissions;
cancel your subscription; and
request deletion of your Backstory account.

Account deletion does not automatically delete:

information stored locally on devices you control;
exports or copies you created;
device or cloud backups;
information previously transmitted to another provider;
transaction records that we or a payment provider must retain; or
information that we must retain for legal, security, fraud-prevention, or dispute-resolution purposes.

To request account deletion or assistance with your information, contact us using the information in the “Contact Us” section.

13. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, and disclosure.

These measures may include, as appropriate:

encryption in transit;
access controls;
authentication protections;
limited personnel access;
secure development practices;
monitoring and logging;
dependency and vulnerability management; and
incident-response procedures.

No method of storage, processing, or transmission is completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security.

You are responsible for maintaining the security of your devices, operating-system account, Backstory credentials, exports, and any third-party accounts to which you send information.

14. Information About Other People

The sources you authorize Backstory to process may contain information about other people, including family members, friends, colleagues, and children.

You are responsible for ensuring that you have the rights, permissions, or other lawful authority necessary to process, export, and share that information.

Backstory does not independently verify your authority to process every item contained in a source you authorize.

You should use particular care before exporting or transmitting information concerning another person to an AI provider or other third party.

15. Children’s Privacy

Backstory accounts and subscriptions are not directed to children under 13, and children under 13 may not create or independently operate a Backstory account.

We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from a child under 13 through a child-operated account. If we learn that we have done so without legally sufficient authorization, we will take reasonable steps to delete the information.

An adult user’s authorized sources may contain messages, records, photographs, or other information involving children. That does not mean the child is a Backstory user. The adult user is responsible for determining whether they have authority to process and share that information.

Parents or legal guardians who believe a child has directly provided personal information to Backstory may contact us using the information below.

16. Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live and whether an applicable privacy law covers Backstory’s processing, you may have rights concerning your personal information, including the right to:

request access to personal information we maintain about you;
request correction of inaccurate information;
request deletion of certain information;
obtain a portable copy of certain information;
withdraw consent where processing depends on consent;
opt out of certain sales, targeted advertising, or profiling; and
appeal a decision concerning a privacy request.

Backstory does not sell personal information or use Personal Content from connected sources for targeted advertising.

These rights may be subject to exceptions and verification requirements. They also generally apply to information maintained by Backstory, not information that remains solely on your device and is inaccessible to us.

To submit a privacy request, contact us at the address listed below. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling the request. An authorized agent may submit a request where permitted by law, but we may require proof of authorization and identity verification.

We will not discriminate against you for exercising an applicable privacy right.

17. International Use

Backstory is operated from the United States.

If you use the Services from another country, information transmitted to Backstory or our service providers may be processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate.

Those countries may have privacy laws that differ from the laws where you live.

The local Personal Content on your device is not transferred merely because you use Backstory from another country. A transfer occurs only when information is transmitted through an online feature, support request, account service, integration, or other operation involving an external system.

18. Do Not Track and Universal Opt-Out Signals

Some browsers and devices offer “Do Not Track” settings. Because there is no single generally accepted standard governing those signals, Backstory’s response may depend on the technology and applicable law.

Where required by applicable law, we will recognize supported universal opt-out preference signals for processing subject to those requirements.

Because Backstory does not sell personal information or use Personal Content from connected sources for targeted advertising, such signals may not materially change the operation of the Services.

19. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in the Services, technology, law, or our information practices.

When we make changes, we will revise the “Last updated” date.

If a change materially affects how we collect, use, or disclose personal information, we will provide notice through an appropriate method, which may include:

an email to the address associated with your account;
an in-application notice; or
a prominent notice on our website.

Where required by law, we will obtain consent before applying a material change to information previously collected.

20. Contact Us

Questions, concerns, and privacy requests may be directed to:

My Backstory, LLC privacy@mybackstory.app

21. Backstory’s Privacy Commitments

In practical terms:

Your personal history belongs to you.
Backstory accesses only the supported sources you authorize.
Local features are designed to process Personal Content on your device.
We do not sell or rent your personal information.
We do not use your Personal Content for targeted advertising.
You decide what context to export or share with an AI provider.
Information you send to another provider becomes subject to that provider’s practices.
We will explain material changes to these commitments.