Last updated: 2026-06-17Effective date: set on first public release

This Privacy Policy explains how Skalden ("the App," "we," "us," "our") collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you use the Skalden iOS application and the website at skalden.app ("the Site").

Skalden is operated by Gilb International (Norway), reachable at support@skalden.app.

1. Who we are

• Data controller: Gilb International, Norway
• Contact: support@skalden.app
• Owner: Kai Gilb

Skalden is an AI-powered heritage-and-mythology companion to the Norse world. It lets you converse with AI personas of Norse figures (such as Óðinn, Þórr and Freyja) and a saga-teller host, grounded in public-domain Norse texts. The personas are generative software — they are not the actual gods or historical persons and claim no divine, religious, or factual authority. All AI-generated responses are software output for personal, educational, and entertainment use.

2. What information we collect

We collect only what is necessary to operate the App. Specifically:

2.1 Account information

• Apple Sign-In identifier (a privacy-respecting Apple-issued ID) — if you choose to sign in with Apple, OR
• An anonymous device-bound identifier generated locally if you do not sign in.

We do not require an email, name, address, phone number, age, gender, or any demographic data to use the App.

2.2 Conversation content

• Your questions and the AI's responses are stored to enable conversation continuity ("memory") across sessions on your device, and across devices if you use Apple Sign-In.
• This content includes whatever you choose to type or speak. We treat it as confidential to you.

2.3 Voice audio (only if you use Voice mode)

• Audio of your spoken input is temporarily transmitted to our speech-to-text provider for transcription. We do not retain raw audio after transcription.
• AI-generated voice audio (a persona speaking) is generated by our text-to-speech provider and streamed to your device; it is not retained on our servers after delivery.

2.4 Reading and browsing activity

• Topics, figures and passages you view may be stored locally on your device for navigation history and continuity. A summary may sync to our servers if you use Apple Sign-In, to enable cross-device continuity.

2.5 Purchase transactions

• Your purchase and entitlement history (in-app purchases made through Apple, and any usage they unlock) are stored linked to your account identifier.

2.6 Payment information

• We do not collect, store, or process your credit card or bank information. All in-app payments are processed by Apple through the App Store under Apple's own Privacy Policy. We receive only a confirmation that a purchase succeeded.

2.7 Diagnostic and analytics data

• Crash reports (technical stack traces), configured to avoid personal content (your messages are not sent in crash reports).
• Anonymous usage analytics (aggregate feature-usage counts, app-open events, session length), with no personal identifiers attached.

3. How we use your information

We use the information described above only to:

• Operate the App's chat, voice, and content features
• Generate AI responses to your questions (by sending your message text to our AI provider — see Section 4)
• Maintain your purchases and entitlements
• Provide cross-device continuity if you use Apple Sign-In
• Diagnose and fix crashes and bugs
• Understand which features are used (in aggregate, anonymously) to improve the App

We do not:

• Sell your data to anyone
• Use your data for advertising
• Share your conversation content with third parties beyond the providers necessary to generate responses (see Section 4)
• Use your data to train AI models

4. Third-party service providers

To operate the App we rely on the following third-party services. Each receives only the data necessary for its specific function:

Each of these providers has its own Privacy Policy, which you are encouraged to review.

5. International data transfers

We are based in Norway. Several of our service providers are based in the United States. Where personal data is transferred from the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland to the United States, we rely on:

• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission, where applicable
• The EU–US Data Privacy Framework, where the provider is certified
• Your explicit consent to such transfers, which you provide by using the App

6. Data retention

If you delete your account, your personal data is removed within 30 days, except where retention is required by law (e.g. purchase records for tax compliance).

7. Your rights

Under GDPR (if you are in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland) and similar laws elsewhere, you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Rectify — correct any inaccurate personal data
• Erase ("right to be forgotten") — request deletion of your account and personal data
• Restrict — limit how we process your data
• Object — object to certain processing activities
• Data portability — receive your data in a machine-readable format
• Withdraw consent — at any time, by deleting your account
• Lodge a complaint — with your local data protection authority (in Norway: Datatilsynet, datatilsynet.no)

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know, the right to delete, and the right to opt out of sale (note: we do not sell personal data).

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@skalden.app. We respond within 30 days. You can also delete your account directly in the App.

8. Children's privacy

Skalden is intended for adults. Because the Norse sources are raw and unsanitised, the App is not designed for or directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13 (or the minimum age in your jurisdiction). If you are a parent or guardian and believe a child has provided personal data to us, contact us at support@skalden.app and we will delete it promptly.

9. Security

We protect your personal data using:

• HTTPS/TLS encryption for all data in transit
• Encryption at rest for data stored on our infrastructure
• No storage of payment card data (Apple handles payments)
• Apple Sign-In (you do not give us an email or password directly)

No system is perfectly secure. If we become aware of a breach affecting your personal data, we will notify you and the relevant data protection authority within 72 hours of becoming aware, as required by law.

10. AI-generated content disclaimer

The Norse figures in Skalden (Óðinn, Þórr, Freyja, the saga-teller host, and others) are generated by AI software. AI responses are:

• Generated by software, not produced by any god, spirit, or historical person
• Not a statement of religious or factual authority of any kind
• Not a substitute for professional medical, legal, financial, or mental-health advice
• Subject to errors and inaccuracies inherent in AI systems
• Grounded in public-domain sources (the responses can cite them), but interpretations are software-generated

If you are in crisis or distress, please contact a qualified human professional or a crisis line in your country.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date above reflects the most recent change. If we make material changes, we will notify you via the App and/or by other means as appropriate.

12. Contact

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data:

• Email: support@skalden.app
• Address: Gilb International, Norway