Cogent
This Privacy Policy describes how Mithilesh Sawanth ("Cogent," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, stores, and shares your personal information when you use the Cogent mobile application (the "App") and related services (collectively, the "Service").
By using the Service, you agree to the practices described in this Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.
Cogent is an AI-powered decision coach that helps users pause before impulsive choices through Socratic dialogue and behavioral-economics techniques. Cogent is operated by Mithilesh Sawanth, an individual developer based in New Zealand.
If you are a resident of the European Economic Area ("EEA"), the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, the data controller for your information is the person named above, who can be reached at the email above.
| Category | Examples | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Account information | Email address, display name, profile photo URL, authentication provider (Google / Apple / email) | Create and secure your account |
| Decision content | "Brain dumps" you type or speak, your chat messages with the AI coach, your stated goals ("Pillars"), past-decision outcomes ("Regret Ledger"), post-mortem ratings | Provide the core Service |
| Voice recordings | Audio captured when you use voice features | Transcribed in real time to text via our speech-to-text provider; the raw audio is not retained after transcription |
| Subscription information | Subscription tier, status, trial end date, purchase receipts (handled by Apple / Google / RevenueCat) | Manage entitlements and billing |
| Support correspondence | Messages you send us | Respond to your inquiries |
| Category | Examples | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Device information | Device model, operating system, app version, language, time zone | Diagnose issues, improve compatibility |
| Usage & diagnostic data | Features used, screens viewed, session timestamps, crash reports, error logs, performance traces | Understand product usage, fix bugs, monitor stability |
| Identifiers | Anonymous Firebase user ID, RevenueCat customer ID, Expo push token, anonymized device identifier, IP address (in diagnostics) | Link your sessions and entitlements securely; deliver notifications |
We do not use third-party advertising identifiers (IDFA / AAID) and do not show ads or track you across other apps or websites.
If you sign in with Google or Apple, we receive your email, name, and a unique user identifier from that provider, in accordance with the permissions you granted at sign-in.
We use your information to:
Legal bases (GDPR/UK GDPR users): We rely on (a) performance of a contract (to deliver the Service), (b) legitimate interests (security, fraud prevention, product improvement), (c) consent (where required, such as for voice processing), and (d) legal obligations.
Cogent's core functionality relies on third-party large-language-model ("LLM") providers. When you submit a decision or chat message:
You should not enter sensitive personal information (e.g., government IDs, financial account numbers, health diagnoses, information about other identifiable individuals) into your decisions or chats.
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with the following categories of recipients:
| Recipient | Role | Data Shared | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Firebase (Google LLC) | Authentication; Android push delivery | Email, display name, auth tokens | USA |
| Railway Corp. | Database and server hosting (PostgreSQL + Node.js) | All Service data we store | USA |
| RevenueCat, Inc. | Subscription management | Pseudonymous user ID, email, display name, purchase events | USA |
| Anthropic, PBC | LLM inference (Claude) | Decision text, chat messages, pseudonymous session ID | USA |
| Google LLC (Gemini API) | LLM inference (classification, gatekeeping) | Decision text, pseudonymous session ID | USA |
| Deepgram, Inc. | Speech-to-text and text-to-speech | Voice audio (transient), text strings | USA |
| Sentry (Functional Software, Inc.) | Crash and performance monitoring | Device information, crash/error logs, performance traces, IP address, pseudonymous user ID | USA |
| Expo (650 Industries, Inc.) | Push-notification delivery | Expo push token, notification content | USA |
| Apple Inc. / Google LLC | App distribution, in-app purchase processing, push transport (APNs / FCM) | Purchase receipts, anonymized device identifier, push token | USA |
We may also disclose information:
Cogent is operated from New Zealand, and our servers and subprocessors are primarily located in the United States. If you access the Service from the EEA, UK, Switzerland, or any other jurisdiction with data-protection laws different from those of the U.S., your information will be transferred to and processed in the U.S.
For transfers from the EEA/UK/Switzerland, we rely on the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and equivalent UK/Swiss safeguards entered into with our subprocessors.
| Data | Retention period |
|---|---|
| Account data | Until you delete your account, then permanently deleted within 30 days |
| Decision content and chat history | Same as above |
| Voice audio | Not retained — discarded immediately after transcription |
| Subscription / payment records | Retained for 7 years to comply with tax and accounting law |
| Anonymized logs and diagnostics | Up to 90 days |
You can delete your account at any time from the App's Profile → Delete Account option, or by emailing support@iocogent.com.
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights:
California residents (CCPA/CPRA): You have the right to know, delete, correct, and opt out of "sale" or "sharing" of personal information. We do not sell or share personal information as defined by California law.
To exercise any right, email support@iocogent.com. We will respond within 30 days (45 days for California requests, extendable as permitted by law). We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling the request.
Cogent is not directed to children under 13 (or under 16 in the EEA/UK). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with information, please contact us and we will delete it.
We implement industry-standard security measures, including:
No system is 100% secure. If we become aware of a security incident affecting your data, we will notify you in accordance with applicable law.
We may update this Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you via in-app notice or email and update the "Last Updated" date above. Continued use of the Service after such changes constitutes acceptance.
For privacy questions or to exercise your rights:
Email: support@iocogent.com