Hikari

Hikari Privacy Policy

Last updated: 11 November 2026 (page revision 2.0.7; terms version 2026-11-v4)

Who is responsible. Hikari is run by Paolo Farinella, the controller of your personal data. Contact: hello@hikaricritique.com.

What we collect and why

Data Why Legal basis Kept
Email address and password Account sign-in; account and moderation emails. Passwords are stored only as a salted hash by our login provider Contract Until you delete your account
Your settings and choices (level, history, progress and improvement settings, record of accepting the terms and confirming you are 18+) Run the app as you set it up; show we have your agreement Contract; legal obligation Until you delete your account
Your photos (one for each critique, two for each Compare, one to three scene photos for each Scout, one scene photo for each Challenge started from a scene, three for each Challenge, two for each Coach step) To generate your critique, to pick the stronger of two photos, to write a Scout plan, to write a Challenge for your scene, or to judge a Challenge or Coach set Contract Not kept. Processed, then discarded (flagged images are the one exception: see Moderation flags)
Context you enter (genre, intent, camera settings, focus mode, whether a photo is marked as older and the year if you give one, replies; for Compare, the genre, where the photo is going and an optional note; for Scout, an optional note) To tailor the critique, the comparison or the plan Contract With the critique (see below). For Compare and the Scout note: not kept
Critique results, and the level your photo was judged at (Beginner, Advanced or Expert, taken from your settings when the critique is made) To show you and, if "Keep history" is on, your history; to show which level a critique was judged against and keep your Progress trends accurate Contract With "Keep history" on: until you turn history off or delete your account. With it off: the content is removed within about 24 hours (kept briefly only so you can reply to it). A minimal record (date, status and the technical usage data in the next row; no photo and no critique text) remains to enforce daily limits, track running costs and for moderation, until you delete your account
Your history and progress notes With "Keep history" and "Track my progress" on (both on by default), a short summary of your recent critiques (what worked, what to try, your scores and your latest progress note) is sent with each new critique and with each Compare so feedback and picks can be tailored, and a short progress note is written after 5 saved critiques Your choice (settings) With the critique. Erased if you turn history off, or when you delete your account
What stays when you delete a single critique (swipe it in History, or open it and tap Delete critique at the bottom) Delete removes the thumbnail, the critique text, the context you entered, your replies and your feedback. What remains keeps your Progress trends accurate and lets us enforce limits and moderation Legitimate interests The critique's five category scores, the level it was judged at and whether it was marked as older (numbers, a level name and a yes or no only, no photo, no text and no year) and the minimal record described above (date, status, usage data), until you delete your account. Turning off "Keep history" erases the scores too. A deleted critique still counts towards your monthly limit
Practice prompts (the weekly prompt's text, its skill, the focus you chose (Build on, Improve or Explore), the level it was written for, its week, "More details" if you asked for it, and when you marked it seen) Show you this week's prompt, and let later prompts avoid repeats (the memory) Contract Your last 8 prompts, until you delete your account. With "Keep history" off, earlier weeks keep only the skill, focus and week, with no text
Challenges (the brief, its skill, the focus and difficulty you chose (Easier, Right for me or Stretch), the level it was written for, whether it is active, done or abandoned, its dates, "More details" if you asked for it, the verdict on your set, and whether it was your free challenge) Show your active challenge and Past challenges, and let later challenges avoid repeats and step up (the memory) Contract Until you delete it or your account. With "Keep history" off, a judged challenge keeps no brief, verdict or thumbnails (you see the result once), and turning history off removes them from past challenges. Deleting a challenge removes its brief, verdict and thumbnails; its skill, focus, difficulty and whether it was done stay for the memory until you delete your account
Coach plans (the plan's title, skill, the focus and difficulty you chose, the level it was written for, whether it is active, done or abandoned, its dates; for each step its brief, "More details" if you asked for it and the verdict on your photos; and the closing summary) Show your active plan and Past plans, write each step from the one before, and let later plans avoid repeats (the memory) Contract As for Challenges: until you delete the plan or your account. With "Keep history" off, a judged step keeps no verdict or thumbnails and a finished plan keeps no title or summary, and turning history off removes the same from past plans (step briefs stay until you delete the plan). Deleting a plan removes its title, steps, verdicts, summary and thumbnails; its skill, focus, difficulty and whether it was done stay for the memory
Scout plans (the plan Hikari writes for a scene, as text only: what is worth shooting, how to shoot it, the light, starting settings when useful and how you might edit it; the level it was written for, how many photos you sent, its date, and which critique it led to if you tapped "I've shot it") Show you the plan, in History, and carry it into the critique of the photo you then take ("Against your plan") Contract With "Keep history" on: until you delete the Scout, turn history off or delete your account. With it off: the plan text only, for about 24 hours (so "I've shot it" still works), then it is removed; no thumbnails are kept. A Scout and the critique it led to are linked while both exist: deleting either one removes the link and keeps the other. Deleting a Scout removes its plan and thumbnails; the minimal record (date, status, usage data) stays, and it still counts towards your monthly allowance
Scout thumbnails (about 400 px, one for each Scout photo, made by our server) The Scout in History Your choice ("Keep history", on by default) Up to 90 days, your newest 60 photos only. A Scout's photos are removed together. Kept apart from critique and Practice thumbnails
Practice thumbnails (about 400 px, one for each Challenge or Coach photo, and one for the scene photo of a Challenge started from a scene) Past challenges and Past plans, and the scene of a challenge Your choice ("Keep history", on by default) Up to 90 days, your newest 60 only, scene thumbnails included (kept apart from critique thumbnails, so neither pushes the other out). Made only with "Keep history" on: with it off, no thumbnail is made
Thumbnail (about 400 px, made by our server from your photo) History view Your choice ("Keep history", on by default) Your newest 20 are kept until you turn off history or delete your account; others are removed after 90 days, newest 100 only
Your Anthropic profile (the anonymous identifier made from your account and the date you signed up, held by Anthropic) So that any safety action Anthropic takes applies to your account alone, not to the whole service Legitimate interests Until you delete your account: we then delete it at Anthropic (Anthropic may keep its own safety records)
Usage and cost records (for each critique, reply, Compare, Scout and Practice request: which AI model was used, the number of tokens processed, the calculated cost, how long it took, and a short error code if it failed) Enforce limits, control our running costs, find and fix failures Legitimate interests Until you delete your account. Turning off "Keep history" does not remove them, because they hold no photo and no critique text
Usage events (that you opened the app, submitted a critique and its genre, used Compare (its genre and where the photo is going, never the photos or your note), used Scout (how many photos, the level and whether you added a note, never the photos, the note or the plan; that you viewed a plan or tapped "I've shot it"), a critique failed, you reached a daily or monthly limit, you reached 5 critiques, you viewed the progress card or selected or opened a point in Progress over time, you shared a critique as a PDF, you deleted a critique, you got a Practice prompt (its focus, skill and level), you started, finished or abandoned a Challenge or a Coach plan (its focus, skill, difficulty and level), you viewed or used a plan or purchase screen) Understand how the service is used, fix problems, decide what to improve Consent ("Help improve Hikari", asked in the first-run setup and in Privacy; off until you choose) for the events the app sends. Legitimate interests for the few the server records itself (a request failed or was refused, a limit was reached, a request was turned away when busy, and how often the app asked us to check a purchase, so those checks can be limited), which are part of the usage and cost records above, and for the record that a safety notice was shown to you and acknowledged Until you delete your account. Neither the app nor our server records usage events while "Help improve Hikari" is off, and both stop the moment you turn it off. Turning off "Keep history" does not remove them, because they hold no photo and no critique text
Purchase information (which plan you have, its dates and its renewal status; a customer record at RevenueCat tied to your account ID). Apple takes the payment: we never see your card or Apple ID password Provide Plus, apply your plan's limits, restore purchases Contract Until you delete your account, and afterwards for the period the law requires for financial records [PERIOD: accountant to confirm]. RevenueCat and Apple may keep purchase records as long as the law or their terms require
User ID (the identifier we use to link your account, plan and usage). An anonymous value made from it, not the ID itself, is sent to our AI provider with each request Link your account, plan and usage; let our AI provider tell accounts apart if it detects misuse Contract; legitimate interests Until you delete your account
Sign in with Apple token (only if you sign in with Apple: a token Apple gives us, stored server-side) Revoke your Apple sign-in when you delete your account, as Apple requires Legal obligation; contract Until you delete your account, when it is revoked and erased
Feedback (thumbs, reasons, comments) Improve the service Legitimate interests. Comments are not used to improve Hikari without a separate consent from you Until you delete your account
Improvement data (a critique's five scores, its level and genre, and your thumbs and reasons; never photos, critique text, notes, replies or comments) Improve prompts and quality Legitimate interests Anonymised export without name or email
Moderation flags Enforce acceptable use, protect others Legitimate interests; legal obligation 12 months. Flagged images (from a critique, a Compare, a Scout, a Challenge, a scene photo or a Coach step; not illegal content) kept privately up to 30 days, or until an open review is decided. A one-way hash of your email address is kept with each flag for those 12 months, even if you delete your account, so the rules can't be avoided by signing up again
Declined-upload records (the date, the feature (critique, Compare, Scout, reply to a critique, Challenge, a scene photo or Coach) and the coarse reason category our AI provider gives when it declines a photo; plus a record of any automatic pause or review decision, with its date and action. No photo and no text) Enforce acceptable use and protect the service and our AI provider account Legitimate interests With the minimal critique, Compare and Scout record, until you delete your account. An account on hold for review cannot be deleted until the review ends
Account notices Tell you in the app about a warning, strike, pause, closure or restoration, with a coarse reason and no photo or text content Contract; legitimate interests Until you delete your account
Hash of email of removed accounts Stop barred users re-registering Legitimate interests Indefinitely (one-way hash only)
Technical data (IP address, device, logs) via our providers Security, reliability Legitimate interests As set by each provider

We save two choices with each critique: the level you were judged at (Beginner, Advanced or Expert) and your focus mode (Auto or Manual). Whether a photo is marked as older, and the year if you give one, is saved with it too. If you delete a critique, we remove the photo, notes and replies, but keep the five scores, the level and whether it was marked as older (a yes or no, not the year), so your Progress stays accurate.

Photos and Anthropic. To write your critique, Hikari sends your photo and any notes you add to Anthropic, our AI provider. Anthropic processes them only to produce the critique. Under Anthropic's commercial terms, they are not used to train its models. We do not keep your original photo, and we do not use your photos or critiques for advertising or marketing, or sell them. Each request also carries an anonymous identifier made from your account, not your name or email. Anthropic keeps a profile for that identifier with only the date you signed up, so that if it detects misuse, any action it takes applies to your account alone and not to the whole service; if it does, Hikari's AI features (critiques, replies, Compare, Scout and Practice) stop working for that account. We delete the profile when you delete your account (Anthropic may keep its own safety records).

Compare. When you use Compare, we send both photos, your chosen genre and use, and any note you add to Anthropic to choose between them, then delete the photos. If an image is flagged by our automatic check, we keep it privately for up to 30 days (or until an open review is decided). We keep a record of each Compare (date, cost and your allowance), without the photos or the result.

Scout. When you use Scout, we send your scene photos (one to three), any note you add and your level to Anthropic to write a short plan for the shot, then delete the photos. Scout uses only these, not your critique history. Scout photos follow the same automatic check and moderation rules as critique photos: a flagged image is kept privately for up to 30 days (or until an open review is decided), and declined uploads count towards the same rule. With "Keep history" on, we keep the plan and small thumbnails of the photos in your History; with it off, we keep the plan text only, for about 24 hours, and no thumbnails. When you tap "I've shot it", the plan goes with the critique of your new photo so the critique can say how it compares with the plan; it does not change your scores.

Practice. To write your weekly prompt, we send Anthropic your level, the focus you chose, a short list of your recent exercises (so prompts don't repeat) and, with "Keep history" and "Track my progress" on, your average scores and latest progress note. No photo is sent for a prompt. For a Challenge or a Coach plan, the brief and each step are written the same way (a Coach step also uses the verdicts on your earlier steps), and the photos you submit go to Anthropic exactly like critique photos: they are judged together, then discarded (flagged images are the one exception, as for Compare). For a Challenge started from a scene, your scene photo goes to Anthropic like a critique photo to write the challenge, then is discarded; a small thumbnail is kept only with "Keep history" on. We use Practice data only to tailor your own prompts, challenges and plans; any use of it to improve Hikari overall would need a separate consent from you, which we have not asked for. Practice reminders are notifications set on your phone, off until you turn them on, and never used for marketing. Your reminder settings (which reminders are on, the day and the time) stay on your phone and never reach us.

Profile emoji (optional). If you choose an emoji as your profile picture, we store it with your account, so it is there when you reinstall the app or sign in on another device. Only you can see it. You can remove it at any time in Settings, and it is deleted when you delete your account.

Help improve Hikari. In the first-run setup, and any time in Settings > Privacy and data, you choose whether the app sends us usage events: which features you use, how often, and your app version. Neither choice is pre-selected, and nothing in the app depends on your answer. It never includes your photos, critiques or notes. While it is off, neither the app nor our server records usage events (apart from the record that a safety notice was shown to you and acknowledged, and the few the server records itself, listed above). If we ever want to use content (photos, critique text, replies or notes) to improve Hikari, we will ask you separately.

Newsletter. If you sign up for the Hikari newsletter on our website, we collect your email address (and the time you confirmed) to send you occasional emails about Hikari. We use your consent, and we ask you to confirm by email (double opt-in). You can unsubscribe at any time with the link in every email, or by emailing hello@hikaricritique.com; we then stop sending and delete your address from the list. The newsletter is separate from your Hikari account: signing up for one does not create the other, and deleting your account does not unsubscribe you, so use the link in the email.

Website. This website sets no cookies of its own and uses no tracking or analytics. The newsletter signup form loads Google reCAPTCHA and MailerLite, which may set cookies needed to protect the form from spam.

Who we share it with (processors)

Some providers process data outside the UK/EEA; we rely on UK/EU-approved safeguards such as standard contractual clauses or adequacy decisions.

Automated decisions

An AI check flags content that may break our rules. The first flag pauses your account for 3 days. A second flag within 12 months triggers a human review before anything permanent happens. We tell you about any warning, strike, pause or closure in the app (Settings > Account notices) as well as by email. You can contest any flag at hello@hikaricritique.com. Separately, if our AI provider declines three or more of your uploads in 24 hours, your account is paused for 24 hours. A repeat within 30 days leads to a human review. We tell you in the app (Settings > Account notices).

Your rights

You can access, correct, delete or export your data, object to or restrict processing, and withdraw consent at any time. You can withdraw your consent at any time by deleting your account in Settings, or by emailing hello@hikaricritique.com. Turning off Keep history or Track my progress stops us saving that data from then on. Turning off "Help improve Hikari" (Settings > Privacy and data) stops usage events at once, from the app and from our server. Withdrawing does not affect processing that already took place. You can delete any single critique at any time: swipe it in History, or open it and tap Delete critique at the bottom. Turn off "Keep history" in Settings to erase your saved thumbnails, critiques and progress, your Scouts, the text of earlier Practice prompts, the briefs, verdicts and thumbnails of past challenges, and the verdicts, thumbnails, titles and summaries of past plans, at any time (the minimal record, the Practice memory and usage data described above stay until you delete your account). You can delete any past challenge or plan in Practice > Challenge > Past challenges or Practice > Coach > Past plans, and any Scout in History > Scout (swipe it, or open it and tap Delete). Delete your account in Settings to remove your account, critiques, Scouts, Practice data, usage and cost records, usage events and stored images. Or email hello@hikaricritique.com. You can complain to the ICO (ico.org.uk).

Children

Hikari is for adults only (18+). If we learn a user is under 18 we will delete the account.

Security

Traffic is encrypted; access to stored data is restricted; stored thumbnails (critique, Scout and Practice) are private to your account.

Changes

We will tell you in the app about material changes.