How we collect, use, and protect your data in ForgeJournal. This policy is designed to align with the principles of the GDPR, CCPA, and PDPA.
Effective: 27 June 2026 · Last updated: 27 June 2026
ForgeJournal (the "App") and the website at journal.forgestudiofx.com are operated by an independent individual developer trading under the name "ForgeStudio FX" ("we", "us"). ForgeJournal is a local-first trading journal that lets you record and review your own trades. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, with whom we share it, and the rights you have over your data.
1. Data Controller
ForgeStudio FX — an independent individual developer (not a company or registered organization).
ForgeJournal is local-first: by default everything you log stays on your device. Creating an account is optional and used to back up and sync your trades across devices.
Account data — email address and preferred language. Sign-in is by email and a one-time code; if you set a password we store only a secure hash, never the plaintext.
Trade entries — the trades you record (such as instrument, direction, entry/exit, size, risk, result, timeframe, setup, and your notes). These stay on your device and are synced to your account only when you are signed in.
Coach questions — the questions you type to the in-app AI Coach.
Support correspondence — emails you send us, including any attachments.
2.2 Information collected automatically
Device and diagnostics — device model, operating system version, app version, and crash reports (sent to a third-party crash-reporting service, scrubbed of personal identifiers, to help us fix crashes).
Advertising identifier — an anonymous, resettable device advertising ID, used to show ads (a banner and the optional rewarded ad you choose to watch) that keep the app free.
2.3 Photos you attach to a trade
When you attach a chart screenshot to a journal entry, ForgeJournal accesses your photo library only to let you pick that image, and the image is stored locally on your device. We do NOT upload your attached screenshots to our servers — they are not synced and never leave your device through us.
2.4 Biometric app lock (optional)
If you enable the biometric lock (such as Face ID or fingerprint), authentication happens entirely on your device through your operating system. We never receive, see, or store any biometric data; your device simply tells the app whether the unlock succeeded.
2.5 What we do NOT collect
We do not collect your location
We do not access your contacts, camera, or microphone, and we do not browse your photo library beyond an image you pick to attach
We do not connect to or read any broker or trading account — you record your trades yourself; ForgeJournal is not a broker or trading platform
We do not store your credit card or bank details
3. How We Use Your Information
Provide the service — store and display your trades, compute performance statistics, and (when you are signed in) sync your trades so they are available on another device
Market prices — fetch price data from a market-data provider to help calculate the profit/loss and statistics of your trades (no personal data is shared with that provider)
AI Coach replies — when you use the Coach Q&A, we send your question and an aggregate numeric summary of your trading stats (such as your win rate, your best-performing setup, and expectancy) to a third-party AI processing service that generates the reply. We never send your individual trades, prices, screenshots, or notes. The conversation is kept on your device; we do not store it on our servers. Coach replies are AI-generated, may be imperfect, and are educational — not financial advice.
Improve the product — analyze anonymized crash and diagnostic reports to fix bugs and improve stability
Communicate — send transactional emails (sign-in codes) and, only if you opt in, occasional product updates
Show ads — display advertising that keeps the app free
Security and abuse prevention — detect fraud, account takeover, and policy violations
Legal compliance — respond to lawful requests from authorities
The AI Coach only ever receives the aggregate numbers described above — your raw trade log, notes, and screenshots never leave your device for AI processing.
4. Legal Basis for Processing (EU/UK users — GDPR)
Contract — to provide the service you signed up for
Legitimate interest — to secure the platform, prevent fraud, and improve features
Consent — for optional marketing emails, personalized ads, and the AI Coach feature
Legal obligation — to retain financial records for the duration required by applicable tax or accounting law
5. Who We Share Data With
We do not sell your personal data. We share it only with trusted service providers — described here by category — under data-processing agreements that limit their use to providing the service to us. These providers operate in the United States and the EU.
Cloud database & authentication — stores your account and synced trades, and verifies sign-in
Market data — supplies prices used to calculate your trade results (no user data is shared)
AI processing — generates AI Coach replies; we send only your question and an aggregate numeric summary of your stats, never your individual trades or notes
Advertising network — shows ads and uses the advertising identifier; for users in the EEA/UK we ask for your consent before showing personalized ads
Error & crash diagnostics — receives anonymized crash and performance data, scrubbed of personal identifiers
6. International Data Transfers
Your data is processed in the United States and Singapore (depending on the service provider). For EU/UK users, transfers rely on the EU Commission Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and the UK International Data Transfer Addendum. You may request a copy of our SCCs by writing to privacy@forgestudiofx.com.
7. Data Retention
Account and synced trades — kept as long as your account is active. Deleted within 30 days of account deletion.
Trades and photos kept only on your device — remain under your control; uninstalling the app or clearing its data removes them. We never hold a copy.
Diagnostic logs — kept 30 days, then anonymized or deleted.
Transaction/billing records — if you ever make a purchase, we may retain limited transaction or billing records for a period required by applicable tax or accounting law.
8. Your Rights
You have the following rights regardless of where you live. EU/UK users have these rights under the GDPR; California users under the CCPA; Singapore users under the PDPA.
Access — request a copy of all data we hold about you
Rectification — fix inaccurate data
Deletion — delete your account and personal data (in the app under Settings → Account, or email us)
Portability — receive your data in a machine-readable format
Restriction — restrict processing while we resolve a dispute
Objection — object to legitimate-interest processing
Opt-out — opt out of ad personalization and marketing emails
Withdraw consent — withdraw any consent you previously gave
Lodge complaint — file a complaint with your local data protection authority (EU/UK)
We respond to verified requests within 30 days. There is no fee for a reasonable request.
Account & Data Deletion
How to delete your ForgeJournal account and data
In the app, open Settings → Sync → Delete account and confirm.
What is deleted: your account and all cloud-synced data — your synced trade-journal entries and your sign-in identity — are scheduled for deletion. After a 30-day grace period (so an accidental deletion can be undone by signing back in within those 30 days) they are permanently erased from our systems.
What is kept: ForgeJournal is local-first — trades and chart photos stored on your device stay on your phone, and your attached photos are never uploaded to us. We never keep a copy of on-device data; uninstalling the app or clearing its data removes it.
ForgeJournal is operated by ForgeStudio FX, an independent individual developer. Deletion questions: privacy@forgestudiofx.com.
9. Children
ForgeJournal is intended for users aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 18. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, contact privacy@forgestudiofx.com and we will delete it.
10. Security
All traffic between the app and our servers is encrypted with TLS 1.3. Data at rest in our cloud database is encrypted with AES-256. Authentication is handled by our cloud provider with industry-standard practices (password hashing, session expiry). We never log passwords, payment data, or one-time codes.
The mobile app does not use cookies. The website (journal.forgestudiofx.com) uses only essential cookies for security and does not run analytics or advertising trackers.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be notified to active users by email and via an in-app notice at least 14 days before they take effect.