Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

MyEstateAlly ("we," "us," or "our") is a web application that helps families organize estates, inventory belongings, and share information during downsizing or estate settlement. We are operated by Alicia Baker-Sample and can be reached at support@myestateally.com.

2. What We Collect

We collect only what we need to run the service:

• Account information — your name, email address, and hashed password when you register.
• Estate and inventory data — items, photos, descriptions, and values you enter.
• Documents — files you choose to upload (wills, deeds, insurance, etc.).
• Family sharing data — the email addresses of family members you invite.
• Usage logs — standard server logs (IP address, browser type, pages visited) kept for security and debugging.
• Authentication tokens — session cookies and, if you enable it, MFA setup data.

We do not collect your payment information (the app is currently free), nor do we use tracking pixels, third-party analytics, or ad-network cookies.

3. How We Use Your Data

• To provide, maintain, and improve the MyEstateAlly service.
• To send you account-related emails (password resets, estate invitations).
• To process photos through AI models (OpenAI / Google Gemini) for item identification. Photos are sent to these providers only for this purpose and are not retained by them for training.
• To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or security incidents.

We will never use your data to train AI models or sell it to third parties.

4. Who We Share Data With

We share data only with the sub-processors required to operate the service:

• Google Cloud (Firestore, Cloud Storage, App Engine) — hosts our database and files.
• OpenAI — receives photos when you request AI item identification.
• Google Gemini — receives photos when you request AI pricing estimates.
• Gmail / Google SMTP — sends account emails on our behalf.

All providers are contractually bound to handle your data securely and only for the stated purposes. We do not share data with marketing companies, data brokers, or anyone else.

5. Family Sharing

When you invite a family member to view an estate, they can see the items and documents you have made visible to them. You control what they can view and whether they can edit. You can revoke access at any time from the Family section of the app.

6. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored in Google Cloud Firestore and Google Cloud Storage, both located in the United States. We use HTTPS for all data in transit. Passwords are hashed with bcrypt and never stored in plain text. API keys and secrets are stored in Google Cloud Secret Manager — never in source code.

7. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your data — export your inventory and documents at any time from the app.
• Correct your data — update any information in your account settings.
• Delete your data — contact us at support@myestateally.com to request full account deletion.
• Withdraw consent — you can stop using the service at any time.

8. Cookies

We use a single session cookie to keep you logged in. We do not use advertising cookies, tracking cookies, or third-party analytics cookies.

9. Children's Privacy

MyEstateAlly is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has provided us data, please contact us and we will delete it.

10. Changes to This Policy

If we make material changes, we will notify registered users by email at least 14 days before the change takes effect. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will always reflect the current version.

11. Contact Us

Questions about privacy? Email us at support@myestateally.com. We aim to respond within 3 business days.