The short version: Churches.app is in early access. On the website, the only data we collect is your email address if you sign up for early access. In the mobile app, your location is used only on your device to show nearby churches — it never reaches our servers. We don't use tracking cookies, analytics tools, or third-party trackers, and we never sell or share your data. A small, invite-only group of contributors has accounts with a functional session cookie — that's the only cookie we use anywhere.
What We Collect
Website visitors. When you sign up for our early access list, we collect your email address and the timestamp of your signup. We do not use cookies, tracking pixels, analytics tools, or any third-party tracking scripts on the public website. The only cookie we set is a functional, HttpOnly session cookie — and only if you sign in to a contributor account (see below).
Mobile app. The app requests location permission to show nearby churches and distances on the map. Those coordinates are used entirely on your device and are never sent to our servers. Search queries you type are sent to our API to return results, but are not linked to your identity. Favorites and visit history are stored only on your device and are never transmitted to us.
Contributor accounts. A small number of invited team members can sign in to contribute church photos and corrections. For these accounts we store your name, email address, and a securely hashed password (we never store passwords in plain text). Signing in sets a secure, HttpOnly session cookie. Photo uploads and account actions are recorded in an internal audit log for accountability. Contributor accounts are invite-only — this does not apply to general website or app visitors.
How We Use It
Your email is used for one purpose: to send you launch updates and product news about Churches.app. We will notify you when the app is available and share any major milestones leading up to launch.
We will not send you spam, promotional content from third parties, or anything unrelated to Churches.app.
Who We Share With
Nobody. We do not sell, rent, or share your email address with any third party. Your data stays within CosmoLabs infrastructure.
We may disclose information if required by law or to protect our legal rights, but that's a standard clause — not something we expect to invoke.
Your Rights
Unsubscribe anytime — every email we send includes an unsubscribe link. One click removes you from our list permanently.
Request deletion — email us at privacy@cosmolabs.org and we will delete your data within 30 days.
Request a copy — you can ask us to send you a copy of the data we hold about you. Given we only store your email, this will be a short reply.
Data Storage
Your data is stored on secure, SOC 2 compliant infrastructure hosted in the United States and European Union. All data is encrypted at rest and in transit.
Changes to This Policy
If we ever change this policy in a meaningful way — such as when the full app launches and we collect more data — we will email every subscriber before the changes take effect.
Minor clarifications (like fixing a typo) may be made without notice. The effective date at the top of this page will always reflect the latest revision.
Contact
Questions about this policy? Reach us at privacy@cosmolabs.org.
We're a small team and we'll respond promptly.