Budd is committed to protecting your privacy and personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information in compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Who We Are
When we refer to 'The International Psychology Clinic', 'The International Psychology Clinic Ltd', 'we', 'our' or 'us' in this Privacy Policy, we refer to:
Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device information
Payment Information: Processed securely through Stripe (we do not store full payment details)
Communication Data: Emails sent through our service via Brevo
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
To provide and improve our science-backed therapy services
To personalise your experience and provide AI-driven recommendations
To process payments and manage subscriptions
To send transactional emails and important service updates
To ensure the security and proper functioning of our services
To comply with legal obligations
Legal Basis: We process your data based on (a) your consent, (b) contractual necessity, (c) legal obligations, and (d) legitimate interests in providing and improving our services.
Data Minimization & Transparency
We are committed to collecting and processing only the minimum amount of data necessary to provide you with effective mental health support:
We collect only data essential to deliver therapy services and improve your experience
Therapy messages are transmitted to AI providers only to generate responses — no other processing occurs
Account identifiers and personal details are not shared with AI providers
Analytics data is aggregated and anonymized to prevent user identification
We do not retain conversation data longer than necessary for your active treatment
We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal data:
End-to-end encryption for sensitive therapy data
Secure data storage with regular backups
Access controls and authentication measures
Regular security audits and updates
Compliance with UK data protection standards
4. Data Sharing and Third Parties
We do not sell your personal data. We may share your data with:
Stripe: For secure payment processing (UK & EEA data centres)
Brevo: For transactional email delivery (GDPR-compliant)
Cloud Service Providers: For data storage and hosting (UK/EEA servers)
Firebase Analytics: We use Firebase Analytics to track app usage, performance metrics, and user engagement. Firebase may process your IP address and device information in accordance with their privacy policy.
Legal Authorities: When required by law or to protect rights and safety
All third-party processors are carefully selected and bound by data processing agreements ensuring GDPR compliance.
Third-Party AI Providers – Data Handling & Privacy
When you use Budd's AI therapy features, your messages are securely transmitted to the following providers for response generation:
OpenAI (GPT Models) – Powers personalized therapy interventions and adaptive support Privacy Policy
Google DeepMind (Gemini) – Offers advanced reasoning for clinical formulations and insights Privacy Policy
How Your Data Is Handled by AI Providers:
Only message content necessary for response generation is transmitted
Data is encrypted in transit using industry-standard TLS 1.3 protocol
Your conversation data is not used to train or improve public AI models
Each provider maintains their own security certifications (SOC 2, ISO 27001)
No identifiable user information (name, email, account ID) is shared with these providers
By using Budd's AI features, you consent to this secure transmission of message content to these third-party providers.
By using Budd's AI features, you acknowledge that your conversation content will be processed by these third-party AI providers. If you have concerns, you can contact us at legal@getbudd.ai.
5. Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:
Right of Access: Request a copy of your personal data
Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
Right to Restrict Processing: Limit how we use your data
Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured format
Right to Object: Object to certain processing activities
Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at legal@getbudd.ai or use the account deletion feature in Settings.
6. Data Retention
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations:
Active account data: Retained whilst your account is active
Archived therapy conversations: Retained for 7 years in line with UK healthcare records standards
Clinical assessments and formulations: Retained for 7 years as required by healthcare regulations
Journal entries: Retained according to your chosen preference (2 years recommended, or up to 7 years), configurable in Settings
Deleted account data: Permanently deleted within 30 days of account deletion request
Payment records: Retained for 7 years for tax and accounting purposes
Legal compliance data: Retained as required by UK law
You may request early deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting us at legal@getbudd.ai or using the account deletion feature in Settings. Certain data may be retained beyond your request where required by law or legitimate business necessity.
7. International Data Transfers
Your data is primarily stored and processed within the United Kingdom and European Economic Area (EEA). Any transfers outside these regions are protected by appropriate safeguards, including:
Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the UK ICO
Adequacy decisions recognising equivalent data protection standards
Additional technical and organisational security measures
8. Children's Privacy
Budd is not intended for children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from persons under 18. If we learn we have collected data from a person under 18, we will delete it promptly.
9. Cookies and Tracking
We use strictly necessary cookies to provide our services. We do not use tracking cookies for advertising purposes. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via email or through the app. Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
11. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact:
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk
Your Privacy Matters
At Budd, we believe your mental health journey is deeply personal. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of privacy and data protection. Your data is encrypted, secure, and never sold to third parties.
We value your privacy
We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, provide personalized content, and analyze our traffic. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to our use of cookies.