Privacy Policy

Effective date: 30 September 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how The Spirit Echo ("we", "us", "our") handles personal information when you use The Spirit Echo mobile app (Android package org.thespiritecho.app) and our website thespiritecho.org (together, the "Services"). By using the Services you agree to this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Services.

1. Information we collect

Information you give us

• Account details — your name, email address, password (stored only as a secure hash), and optionally your phone number and preferred language (English or Kiswahili).
• Profile photo — only if you choose to upload one. The app opens your device's photo picker; we only receive the single image you select.
• Comments and likes — comments you post on sessions, media and other content are visible to other users, along with your name and profile photo.
• Forms — when you register for an event, contact us, send a prayer request, apply to become a Builder, make a giving inquiry or subscribe to our newsletter, we receive the details you enter (such as name, email, phone, country, organisation and your message).
• Membership purchases — the plan you choose, the amount, and payment status. Payments are processed by our payment provider (see section 3); we never receive or store your full card number or mobile-money PIN.

Information collected automatically

• Device identifier — a random identifier created by the app when it is installed. It is not linked to your advertising ID or phone number and is used to count plays and shares without double counting, and to keep your notification settings before you sign in.
• Push notification token — if you allow notifications, Firebase Cloud Messaging gives the app a token that lets us send notifications to your device, along with your device platform and language.
• Usage activity — videos and live streams you play, items you share, whether you are currently watching a live stream (to show the "watching" count), and membership holiday check-ins at our events.
• Website analytics — on our website we record pages visited, browser and device type. Your IP address is converted to a one-way hash; we do not store raw IP addresses.

We do not collect your precise location, contacts, call logs, SMS messages, or your advertising ID, and the app does not contain advertising.

2. How we use your information

• To create and manage your account and sign you in securely.
• To provide content, including members-only content, live streams and membership holiday cards.
• To process membership payments and keep financial records.
• To send you notifications (push, and SMS for active members) about live streams, events, sessions and ministry updates, according to your preferences.
• To show comments and likes, and to review comments reported by other users.
• To respond to your messages, prayer requests, event registrations and applications.
• To understand how the Services are used (for example, play and share counts) so we can improve them.
• To keep the Services secure, prevent fraud and abuse, and meet our legal obligations.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for third-party advertising.

3. Who we share it with

We share information only with service providers that help us run the Services, and only what they need:

• SafariBank and its card-payment partner (Stripe) — to process membership payments by card or mobile money through a control number. Their use of your data is governed by their own privacy policies.
• Google Firebase Cloud Messaging — to deliver push notifications (Google Privacy Policy).
• Beem Africa — to deliver SMS notifications to active members who have a phone number and have not switched SMS off.
• Amazon Web Services (S3) — to store media and profile photos.
• YouTube — some videos are embedded from YouTube and are subject to Google's Privacy Policy when played.
• Our hosting provider — which runs our servers and database.

We may also disclose information if required by law, to protect the rights and safety of our users or the ministry, or as part of a reorganisation of the ministry.

4. How long we keep it

• Account information is kept while your account is active.
• When you delete your account, your name, email, phone number and profile photo are erased, and your comments and likes are deleted.
• Records of membership payments are kept in anonymised form for as long as required for accounting and legal purposes.
• Form submissions and newsletter subscriptions are kept until they are no longer needed or you ask us to delete them.
• Push notification tokens are removed when you sign out of notifications or uninstall the app and the token expires.

5. Security

All data between the app and our servers is sent over encrypted HTTPS connections. Passwords are stored only as salted hashes, and sign-in tokens are kept in your device's secure storage. No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable measures to protect your information.

6. Your choices and rights

• Access and correct — you can view and edit your name, phone number, language and profile photo on the app's My account screen.
• Notifications — you can turn off categories of notifications and SMS alerts in the app, or disable notifications for the app in your phone's settings.
• Comments — you can delete your own comments at any time.
• Delete — you can delete your account at any time (see below).
• You may also contact us to request a copy of your data or ask us to correct or delete it.

7. Deleting your account

In the app:

1. Open The Spirit Echo app and sign in.
2. Open the Account tab (My account).
3. Tap Delete my account and confirm with your password.

Without the app: email hello@thespiritecho.org from the email address on your account with the subject "Delete my account". We will verify the request and delete your account within 30 days.

Deleting your account permanently erases your name, email, phone number and profile photo, and deletes your comments and likes. Payment records are kept in anonymised form for accounting and legal purposes. Any active membership ends when the account is deleted.

8. Children

The Services are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has given us personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will change the effective date above and, for significant changes, let you know in the app.

10. Contact us

If you have questions about this policy or your information, contact us:

• Email: hello@thespiritecho.org
• Address: Dodoma, Tanzania
• Or use our contact form.