Privacy Policy
Last updated: July 16, 2026 · Effective: July 16, 2026
Cairn is developed by INFO WEB s.r.o., Czech Republic. Contact: privacy@cairnjournal.com
The short version
Your data belongs to you and most of it never leaves your device. All AI processing, health data analysis, and journal content is processed on-device using Apple's Foundation Models framework. We do not sell your data. We do not use it for advertising. We do not share it with third parties except where required to provide the service or required by law.
What Cairn collects
Journal entries
Stored locally on your device in a SwiftData store (built on Core Data). Journal entries are not synchronised to iCloud: CloudKit synchronisation is disabled in the app, so no copy of your entries exists in iCloud, in any other cloud service, or on our servers. Entries recorded on Apple Watch are transferred directly to your paired iPhone over Apple's device-to-device WatchConnectivity link; they do not pass through a server.
Health & biometric data (HealthKit)
| Data type | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Heart Rate | Biometric context per entry; pattern correlation |
| HRV (SDNN) | Stress and recovery indicator |
| State of Mind | Read for mood enrichment |
Health data is processed entirely on-device. It is never transmitted to our servers, never used for advertising, and never sold. You may revoke access at any time via iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Health → Cairn.
Calendar data (EventKit)
Event titles, durations, and attendee counts — read in real time on-device, never stored or transmitted externally. Used only for calendar intelligence features.
Voice recordings
Audio is transcribed on-device immediately. Raw audio is never stored or transmitted. Only the text transcript is saved as a journal entry.
AI processing & third-party AI services
On-device AI (default, all tiers): Uses Apple Foundation Models and WhisperKit. No data leaves your device.
Cairn can optionally use the following third-party AI services for analysis, weekly synthesis, or cloud transcription. None of these services is contacted until you have granted explicit consent for that specific provider in the in-app Cloud AI consent screen (Settings → AI → Cloud AI Permissions). Consent is granted per-provider and may be revoked at any time.
| Provider | Where | When used |
|---|---|---|
| Mistral AI (Mistral AI S.A.S., France) — privacy policy | EU | Managed cloud AI on the Pro tier, routed through Cairn's proxy at api.getcairnapp.com. Also available on the Core tier as a BYOK option using your own Mistral API key. |
| OpenAI (OpenAI, L.L.C., United States) — privacy policy | US | BYOK option on the Core tier using your own OpenAI API key (chat completions and Whisper transcription). |
What is sent:
- Journal text excerpts you have written
- Voice recordings, only when you have enabled cloud transcription for the chosen provider
- Cairn's analysis instructions (system prompt)
What is NOT sent:
- Your name, account email, or Apple ID
- HealthKit data (heart rate, HRV)
- Calendar events
- Biometric data or device identifiers
- Location data
- Voice audio (by default; only sent when cloud transcription is explicitly enabled)
BYOK API keys: stored in the iOS Keychain on your device and never transmitted to Cairn's servers.
Legal basis (GDPR): cloud AI processing is performed solely on the basis of your explicit consent under Article 6(1)(a). You may withdraw consent at any time in Settings → AI → Cloud AI Permissions. Withdrawal takes effect immediately for the next request.
Your rights (GDPR)
- Right of access — request a copy of your data
- Right to erasure — request deletion (most data is on-device; delete the app to remove it)
- Right to data portability — export via Settings → Export Data (JSON)
- Right to object — object to processing based on legitimate interest
- Right to lodge a complaint — ÚOOÚ (uoou.cz) or your local EU authority
To exercise your rights: privacy@cairnjournal.com. We respond within 30 days.
Third-party services
| Service | Purpose | Data shared |
|---|---|---|
| Apple App Store | Distribution & payment | Transaction ID, subscription status |
| Mistral AI (managed Pro & BYOK) | Cloud AI synthesis and transcription | Journal text excerpts — only after explicit per-provider consent. See "AI processing" above. |
| OpenAI (BYOK only) | Cloud AI analysis and Whisper transcription | Journal text excerpts — only after explicit per-provider consent. See "AI processing" above. |
Cookies & local storage
cairnjournal.com does not use tracking, analytics, or advertising cookies. We keep client-side storage to the minimum needed to run the site:
- Language preference — a small NEXT_LOCALE cookie that remembers whether you're viewing the site in English, Czech, German, or French. Strictly necessary; exempt from consent under ePrivacy.
- Consent choice — remembers whether you've allowed external media, stored in your browser's local storage under cairn-consent. Strictly necessary.
- External media — if you allow it, YouTube (youtube-nocookie.com) or Vimeo may set their own cookies when you load an embedded video in the Help center. Change this anytime via “Cookie settings” in the footer.
Anonymous traffic measurement
We measure how the site is used with Umami, a self-hosted analytics tool running on our own server. It is cookieless: nothing is stored on your device and no identifier follows you between sites. Visits are counted using a hash of your IP address and browser, generated on our server and rotated regularly — your IP address itself is never stored. We see aggregate numbers such as which pages are read and which link brought you here. Because nothing is written to or read from your device, this needs no consent under ePrivacy — but you should know it happens.
Why you left, if you tell us
If you turn off your subscription, Cairn may offer a short list of reasons and ask which one fits. Answering is optional and the list is the only thing you can send — there is no free-text box. What reaches our server is a single code, such as "too expensive" or "not using it", with no account token, no device identifier and nothing that ties it back to you or to your entries. We cannot tell which codes came from the same person, which is deliberate: it is the difference between learning that price is a problem and building a profile of you. Skip the question and nothing at all is sent.
Contact
INFO WEB s.r.o. · Czech Republic
privacy@cairnjournal.com