PRIVACY POLICY

1. Introduction

Galactic Astrology LLC ("we," "our," or "us") operates the Galactic Astro Chart website and services. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our services.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data with transparency and care. By using our services, you consent to the data practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

• Email Address: Used for account authentication, password recovery, and important service communications.
• Name: Your display name for personalization and practitioner profiles.
• Password: Securely hashed and encrypted (we never store plain-text passwords).

2.2 Astrological Data

• Birth Information: Date, time, and location of birth for chart calculations. This sensitive data is stored securely and never shared with anyone.
• Geographic Coordinates: Calculated from birth location for accurate timezone and astronomical calculations.
• Chart Notes: Optional personal notes you add to saved charts.

2.3 Technical Information

• Session Cookies: Essential cookies to maintain your login session (30-day expiration).
• IP Address: Collected for security purposes and abuse prevention (not stored long-term).
• Theme Preference: Your light/dark mode preference stored in cookies.

3. How We Use Your Information

• Generate accurate astrological charts using precise astronomical calculations
• Provide personalized astrology reports and interpretations
• Maintain your account and saved charts
• Send account-related emails (verification, password reset, important updates)
• Connect you with certified Galactic Astrology practitioners (if you choose)
• Improve our services and user experience

4. Third-Party Services

4.1 Captcha System

We use a captcha system powered by Cloudflare for protection against bots. Cloudflare may collect information and IP addresses to help protect our website. See Cloudflare's Privacy Policy for details.

4.2 Email Validation

We use a third-party email validation service to verify email addresses and prevent abuse. Email addresses are sent to this service temporarily for validation only.

4.3 Newsletter Subscription

If you subscribe to Julia Balaz's newsletter, your name and email are sent to an external subscription service. You can unsubscribe at any time.

4.4 External Links

Our website may contain links to external courses, practitioner services, and social media. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party sites that are not affiliated with Galactic Astrology LLC.

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

• HTTPS/TLS Encryption: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted.
• Password Hashing: Passwords are hashed using state-of-the-art cryptographic algorithms.
• Secure Cookies: Session cookies are protected against unauthorized access.
• Database Security: Your data is securely stored in our servers with restricted access controls.

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

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

6.1 Public Charts

If you explicitly mark a chart as "public" (a premium feature), it may be visible to other users. You control this setting for each chart.

6.2 Practitioner Contact

If you contact a practitioner through our platform, we share your name and message with that practitioner to facilitate the connection.

6.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or government regulation, or to protect our rights, property, or safety.

We will never share your birth data or personal charts with third parties without your explicit consent.

7. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies for essential functionality only:

• Session Cookie: Maintains your login state (30-day expiration)
• Theme Cookie: Remembers your light/dark mode preference

We do not use analytics cookies, advertising cookies, or third-party tracking. You can control cookies through your browser settings, though disabling essential cookies will prevent you from using certain features.

8. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your data:

• Access: View your account information and saved charts at any time
• Correction: Update your name, email, or chart data through your account settings
• Deletion: Delete individual charts or request complete account deletion
• Export: Download your chart data in PDF format
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from newsletters at any time

To exercise these rights, you can use your account dashboard in the website or contact us at the email provided below.

9. Data Retention

We retain your account and chart data as long as your account is active. Session data expires after 30 days of inactivity. Unused reset tokens expire within 24 hours. If you delete your account, all associated data is permanently removed from our databases.

10. International Users and Legal Compliance

For users in the European Union, we comply with GDPR requirements. Our legal basis for processing data is consent (you agree to these terms when creating an account) and legitimate interests (providing astrology services you requested).

For California residents, we comply with CCPA. We do not sell personal information. You have the right to request disclosure of data we collect and request deletion.

Our servers are located in the United States. If you access our services from outside the US, your data will be transferred to and processed in the United States.

11. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If we discover that a child under 13 has provided personal information, we will delete it immediately.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of significant changes by updating the "Last Updated" date and, for material changes, by email or prominent notice on our website. Your continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance.