STRIDE — PRIVACY POLICY

Last Updated: April 18, 2026

Effective Date: April 18, 2026

This Privacy Policy ("Policy") explains how Valkyrja Interactive LLC ("Valkyrja Interactive," "we," "our," or "us") collects, uses, discloses, and safeguards your information when you use the Stride mobile application for iOS, watchOS, and Android, our companion widgets and complications, and any related online services (collectively, the "Service").

Stride is a virtual pet companion app that uses activity data from Apple Health to power gameplay and, for signed-in users, offers an AI-powered companion chat experience. This Policy is designed to be transparent about every category of data we handle, how we handle it, and the rights you have over it.

By installing or using Stride you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Policy. If you do not agree, please uninstall or discontinue use immediately.

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1. AGE REQUIREMENT

Stride's core features (pet care, step tracking, collection, widgets) are available to all users. The AI Companion Chat feature requires users to be 18 years of age or older.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly permit anyone under the age of 18 to use the AI Companion Chat feature. The chat feature is gated to users who attest at sign-in that they are 18 or older; users who misrepresent their age in order to access the feature do so in violation of the Terms of Service (see Section 1.4 of the Terms). If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, or that a user under 18 has accessed the AI Companion Chat, we will take reasonable steps to remove the information and restrict access in accordance with applicable law. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@valkyrjainteractive.com.

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2. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

2.1 Information You Provide

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

2.3 Information Generated by the Service

2.4 Information We Do NOT Collect

• Email address — Sign in with Apple does not share your email with us
• Precise GPS location — We do not access your geographic location
• Contacts, calendar, microphone, or camera data — We do not access these
• Biometric data — We do not collect fingerprints, face scans, or voiceprints
• Browsing history — We do not track your activity outside of Stride

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3. APPLE HEALTH DATA

Stride accesses Apple HealthKit data to power your virtual pet's behavior and provide activity-based rewards. We take the privacy of your health data extremely seriously.

What we access: Step count, active energy burned, exercise minutes, stand hours, and activity ring completion goals.

How we use it:

• To calculate your pet's hunger, happiness, and mood
• To award in-game currency (steps → food → feeding)
• To display activity ring progress on widgets and complications
• To detect activity patterns for companion features (e.g., the pet notices your walking routine)

What we guarantee:

• Your health data is processed on your device. Raw HealthKit values are not transmitted to our servers.
• Aggregated activity context (e.g., "8,000 steps today," "3-day activity streak") may be included in AI Companion Chat context to personalize your pet's responses, but individual HealthKit readings are never sent to third parties.
• Your health data is never used for advertising, marketing, or data mining purposes.
• Your health data is never sold to or shared with third parties.
• Your health data is never stored in iCloud by our application.
• You control which health data categories Stride can access through iOS Settings > Privacy & Security > Health > Stride. You may revoke access at any time without losing core app functionality.

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4. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

We do not use your data for:

• Selling to third parties
• Building advertising profiles
• Serving third-party advertisements within the app
• Training or improving general-purpose AI models (see Section 5.4)

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5. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FEATURES

5.1 AI Disclosure

Stride uses artificial intelligence to power several features, including AI pet image generation, AI personality generation, and the AI Companion Chat. Your AI pet companion is generated by artificial intelligence and is not a human being. It cannot form genuine emotions, relationships, or intentions. All responses are computationally generated. We encourage you to maintain awareness that you are interacting with an AI system at all times.

5.2 How AI Features Work

AI Pet Generation: When you create a custom pet, your chosen name, species, and theme are sent to our backend, which calls our AI service provider to generate an image and personality profile. The generated content is stored with our cloud infrastructure provider and delivered to your device.

AI Companion Chat: When you send a message in the AI Companion Chat, your message is transmitted to our backend, which processes it using our AI service provider to generate an in-character response from your pet. Your pet's personality profile, bond stage, recent companion events, activity context, and relevant memories are included as context to personalize the response. The identity of our service providers is disclosed in Section 6.1.

AI Companion Memory: After each chat session, our system may automatically extract meaningful facts and shared moments from the conversation (e.g., "User mentioned a big hike last weekend"). These extracted memories are stored with our service providers (see Section 6.1) and are used to personalize future conversations. Full chat transcripts are not retained after the session ends and only extracted memories persist, except that messages flagged by our safety systems may be retained for up to 30 days for safety review and filter improvement (see Section 5.5 and Section 8).

5.3 AI Service Providers

Our AI features are powered by enterprise-grade large language model and image generation services provided by our AI service provider (identified in Section 6.1). When you use AI features, your inputs and outputs are processed by that provider on our behalf.

Our service provider's data commitments under our enterprise agreement:

• The provider does not use your inputs or outputs to train, improve, or develop its AI models.
• Your data is processed transiently to generate a response and is not retained at rest beyond temporary caching (up to 24 hours) and abuse-monitoring requirements imposed by the provider.
• The provider's full data-governance terms are available through the link provided in Section 12.

5.4 Your Data and Model Training

We do not use your personal data, chat messages, or conversation content to train or improve any AI models — neither our own nor any third party's. Our AI service provider is contractually prohibited from using your data for model training under our enterprise data-processing terms.

Content that triggers our safety systems (see Section 5.5) may be reviewed by our team to improve the safety and accuracy of our content filters. This review uses anonymized, aggregated patterns — not individual conversations.

5.5 AI Safety

The AI Companion Chat implements a multi-layer safety system:

• Input filtering: Messages are screened before reaching the AI model. Content related to self-harm, violence, explicit material, or attempts to manipulate the AI system is intercepted.
• System-level constraints: The AI model operates under strict instructions that prevent it from providing medical, legal, financial, or mental health advice; discussing inappropriate topics; breaking character; or soliciting personal information.
• Output filtering: AI-generated responses are reviewed before delivery to ensure they meet our content standards.
• Crisis response: If our systems detect expressions of crisis, including references to self-harm or suicidal ideation, we will provide you with professional crisis resources, including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988) and the Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741). Your AI pet companion is not a substitute for professional mental health support.
• Usage limits: The AI Companion Chat is subject to daily message limits and session-length reminders to encourage healthy usage patterns.

5.6 AI Companion Memory

The AI Companion Chat may extract and retain key facts and moments from your conversations ("AI Memories") to personalize future interactions, as described in Section 5.2. AI Memories are stored with our service providers (see Section 6.1) and are subject to the retention schedule described in Section 8.

You may request deletion of your AI Memories at any time by deleting your account (see Section 9.1) or by contacting us at support@valkyrjainteractive.com. We will initiate the deletion process within the time required by applicable law, and in any event within 30 days. Certain data held by our service providers may persist for additional time in accordance with the provider's standard retention, backup, and abuse-monitoring practices, after which it is removed in the ordinary course.

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6. SHARING AND DISCLOSURE

We never sell your personal data. We share information only in the following circumstances:

6.1 Service Providers

We engage the following categories of service providers to operate the Service. Each provider is contractually obligated to use your data only for the purposes we specify and is prohibited from using it for their own purposes, including model training.

6.2 Other Disclosures

• Legal authorities: When required by law, regulation, legal process, or enforceable governmental request.
• Safety: To protect the rights, safety, or property of Valkyrja Interactive, our users, or the public.
• Business transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, with prior notice to you.
• With your consent: When you explicitly authorize a specific disclosure.

6.3 What We Never Share

• We never share your Apple Health data with any third party.
• We never share your chat messages or AI companion memories with other users.
• We never share your data with third-party advertisers for ad targeting.
• We never share data for the purpose of building advertising or marketing profiles.

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7. DATA STORAGE AND TRANSFERS

7.1 Where Your Data Is Stored

7.2 International Transfers

If you are located outside the United States, your data may be transferred to and processed in the United States where our service providers operate. When we transfer data outside the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission and other applicable safeguards to ensure your data receives an equivalent level of protection.

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8. DATA RETENTION

We retain your data only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Specific retention periods:

When you delete your account, we initiate the deletion process for your personal data within 30 days. Certain data may persist in encrypted backups, in service-provider caches, or under provider-imposed retention windows for an additional period (typically up to 90 days, but timing depends on the relevant provider's mechanics) before being removed in the ordinary course. Data required by law (such as purchase records) may be retained for the legally mandated period.

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9. YOUR RIGHTS

You have the following rights regarding your personal data, subject to applicable law:

9.1 Account Deletion

You may delete your account at any time from within the app or by contacting us at support@valkyrjainteractive.com. When we receive a deletion request, we:

• close your account and revoke your authentication credentials;
• clear data stored locally on your device; and
• initiate deletion of your personal data held on our servers and with our service providers (including AI Memories) within 30 days of the request, subject to the limited exceptions below.

iCloud data synced via Apple's cross-device sync service is managed by Apple under its standard deletion process and may also be managed directly in your device's iCloud settings.

Retention exceptions. We may retain (or our service providers may retain in the ordinary course) limited information beyond the 30-day window where (a) required to comply with legal, tax, accounting, or regulatory obligations; (b) needed to resolve disputes or enforce our agreements; (c) needed to detect or prevent fraud or abuse; (d) present in encrypted service-provider backups, caches, or replication systems, which are overwritten in the ordinary course (typically within 90 days, though provider mechanics may vary); or (e) processed by service providers under their own contractual retention windows for abuse monitoring or system integrity.

If you believe your data was not appropriately removed, contact us at support@valkyrjainteractive.com and we will investigate.

9.2 AI Companion Memory Controls

See Section 5.6 for how AI Memories are retained and how to request their deletion.

9.3 California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended:

• Right to Know: You may request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected, the sources, purposes, and categories of third parties with whom we share it.
• Right to Delete: You may request deletion of personal information we have collected from you.
• Right to Correct: You may request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Right to Opt Out of Sale or Sharing: We do not sell your personal information. We do not share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.

To exercise these rights, contact us at support@valkyrjainteractive.com or use the in-app deletion and privacy controls described above. We will verify your identity and respond within 45 days.

9.4 California SB 243 Compliance (AI Companion Chatbot)

In compliance with California Senate Bill 243 (effective January 1, 2026):

• The AI Companion Chat feature is powered by artificial intelligence and is not a human being.
• We provide session-length reminders encouraging breaks during extended use.
• We maintain safety protocols to detect and respond to expressions of crisis, including suicidal ideation and self-harm, and provide referrals to professional crisis services.
• Our AI companion chat may not be suitable for minors. The feature requires a minimum age of 18.

9.5 Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, and Other US State Rights

Residents of states with comprehensive privacy laws (including Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, Oregon, Montana, and Texas) have similar rights to access, correct, delete, and opt out. Contact us at support@valkyrjainteractive.com to exercise these rights. You may appeal any decision regarding your request.

9.6 European Economic Area, United Kingdom, and Switzerland

If you are in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, you have additional rights under the GDPR and UK-GDPR, including the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. Our lead supervisory authority contact is the Irish Data Protection Commission.

Data Protection Contact: support@valkyrjainteractive.com

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10. AUTOMATED DECISION-MAKING

Stride uses automated processing in the following ways:

• AI Companion Chat: Automated generation of pet responses based on your messages, pet personality, and conversation context.
• Pet Behavior: Automated calculation of pet mood, happiness, and hunger based on your activity data and care actions.
• Memory Extraction: Automated extraction of facts and moments from chat conversations for personalization.
• Content Safety: Automated screening of chat messages for safety compliance.

These automated processes do not produce legal effects or similarly significant effects on you. They are used solely to provide entertainment and companion features. You may contact us to request human review of any automated decision that affects your use of the Service.

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11. SECURITY

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

• Encryption in transit: All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using TLS 1.2 or higher.
• Encryption at rest: Data stored on our servers is encrypted using AES-256 encryption.
• Authentication: We use device attestation to verify that requests originate from legitimate app instances. Sign in with Apple uses industry-standard OAuth 2.0.
• Access controls: Employee access to user data is restricted on a need-to-know basis with multi-factor authentication required.
• Rate limiting: AI features are rate-limited to prevent abuse.
• Content safety monitoring: Flagged AI interactions are logged for safety review (see Section 5.5).

Data breach notification: In the event of a data breach that creates a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and the applicable regulatory authorities without undue delay, and in any event within 72 hours of becoming aware, in accordance with applicable law.

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12. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES AND LINKS

Stride integrates with the following platform services, each governed by their own privacy policies:

• Apple HealthKit: apple.com/legal/privacy
• Apple iCloud (CloudKit): apple.com/legal/privacy
• Apple Sign in with Apple: apple.com/legal/privacy
• Google Cloud / Firebase: cloud.google.com/terms/cloud-privacy-notice
• Google Vertex AI: cloud.google.com/gemini/docs/discover/data-governance
• Meta Platforms (Facebook SDK): facebook.com/privacy/policy

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these third-party services.

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13. ANALYTICS AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

The Stride mobile application does not use browser cookies. We use the following in-app analytics, diagnostics, and advertising-measurement technologies (the underlying service providers are identified in Section 6.1):

• Product analytics: Anonymized in-app usage events (screens viewed, features used, session duration) are collected by our analytics provider. You may limit collection through your device's privacy and ad-tracking settings.
• Crash and stability diagnostics: Crash reports and diagnostic data are collected by our crash-reporting provider to improve app stability. Crash reports may include an anonymous user identifier to help us diagnose user-specific issues.
• Advertising-campaign measurement: Advertising measurement data (IDFA, in-app purchase events) is collected and shared with our advertising-measurement partner only if you grant App Tracking Transparency permission on iOS. You may revoke this permission at any time in iOS Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking.
• App Tracking Transparency (ATT): We request your permission before accessing the IDFA. If you decline, no advertising identifiers are collected or shared.

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14. WATCHOS AND WIDGET DATA

14.1 watchOS Companion App

The Stride watchOS app receives game state data directly from your paired iPhone over Apple's standard device-to-device communication channel. This data includes pet attributes, inventory, step balance, and pet images. No personal data is transmitted to our servers from the watchOS app — only game state and pet image assets are exchanged on-device between your iPhone and Apple Watch. The watchOS app does not include the AI Companion Chat feature.

14.2 Widgets and Complications

Stride provides iOS widgets and watchOS complications that display your pet's status, activity progress, and daily context. Widget data is shared between the main app and widget extensions via shared on-device storage. This data includes pet name, mood, step count, and activity ring progress. Widget data is not transmitted to any server.

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15. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

We may update this Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this Policy
• Provide notice through the app (via in-app notification or prominent disclosure)
• Where required by law, obtain your consent before applying material changes

Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Policy. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.

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16. EU AI ACT TRANSPARENCY NOTICE

In compliance with the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689), Article 50:

The AI Companion Chat feature in Stride is an AI system intended to interact directly with natural persons. We inform you that:

• You are interacting with an artificial intelligence system, not a human being.
• AI-generated responses are produced by a large language model provided by our enterprise AI service provider (identified in Section 6.1), based on computational pattern matching, not genuine understanding, emotion, or intention.
• The AI system operates within defined parameters set by Valkyrja Interactive, including personality constraints, safety rules, and content policies.
• AI-generated pet images and personality profiles are synthetically created content.

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17. CONTACT US

If you have questions about this Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or have concerns about our data practices, please contact us:

Valkyrja Interactive LLC

Attn: Privacy Team

Email: support@valkyrjainteractive.com

We will respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days (or sooner where required by applicable law).

For unresolved privacy concerns, you may lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. For EEA residents, the lead supervisory authority is the Irish Data Protection Commission (dataprotection.ie).