Privacy Policy | The Shadow Map

The Short Version

Your shadows are yours. We don't sell your data, we don't share your conversations, and we don't use your personal information for advertising. We collect only what's necessary to deliver your Shadow Map and improve the experience.

1. Who We Are

The Shadow Map ("we," "us," "our") is operated by Dr. Walid Messaoudi. Our website is located at the-shadow-map.com. For any privacy-related questions, you can reach us at walid@the-shadow-map.com.

2. What We Collect

We collect the following information when you use The Shadow Map:

Conversation data: The messages you exchange with Lola (our AI guide) during your interview session. This is necessary to generate your personalized Shadow Map report.
Email address: If you choose to provide it during the conversation or at checkout, so we can deliver your report and send follow-up emails.
Payment information: Processed securely through Stripe. We do not store your credit card details on our servers.
Session data: A unique session identifier stored in your browser's local storage to maintain your conversation across page visits.
Analytics data: Anonymous usage data collected via Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with our site (pages viewed, time on site, general location).
Advertising data: Conversion tracking through Google Ads to measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns. This does not include your conversation content.

3. How We Use Your Data

Your data is used exclusively for the following purposes:

To conduct your interview with Lola and generate your personalized Shadow Map report
To deliver your report via email after purchase
To send follow-up emails related to your session (you can unsubscribe at any time)
To process your payment securely
To improve the quality of our AI interview and report generation
To measure and optimize our advertising performance

4. What We Don't Do

We never sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties. We never use your conversation content for advertising. We never share your interview data with other users. We never publish your information without explicit consent.

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate The Shadow Map:

Stripe — Payment processing. Stripe handles all payment data under their own privacy policy.
Anthropic (Claude) — AI processing for report generation. Conversation data is sent to Anthropic's API to generate your Shadow Map. Anthropic does not use API inputs for model training.
Google (Gemini / other models) — AI processing for the interview conversation.
Resend — Email delivery service for sending your report and follow-up emails.
Google Analytics — Anonymous website analytics.
Google Ads — Conversion tracking (does not include conversation data).
Vercel — Website hosting.
Supabase — Secure database storage for session and conversation data.

6. Data Storage & Security

Your conversation and session data are stored securely in our database with Row Level Security enabled, meaning each user's data is isolated and inaccessible to other users. We use industry-standard encryption for data in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and at rest.

Conversation data is retained for the purpose of generating your report and enabling follow-up features. You can request deletion of your data at any time by emailing us.

7. Cookies & Local Storage

We use:

Local storage: To save your session ID and conversation history in your browser, so you can return to your conversation if you leave the page.
Google Analytics cookies: To collect anonymous usage statistics.
Google Ads cookies: To track advertising conversions.

You can clear local storage and cookies through your browser settings at any time.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access your personal data — request a copy of what we have
Delete your data — request full deletion of your conversation and personal information
Rectify inaccurate data
Unsubscribe from follow-up emails at any time
Object to processing of your data for specific purposes
Port your data — receive your data in a standard format

To exercise any of these rights, email walid@the-shadow-map.com. We respond to all requests within 30 days.

9. Important Disclaimer

The Shadow Map is not therapy and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. It is a self-reflection and diagnostic tool. We do not store medical records, and the information generated by our AI should not be considered a clinical diagnosis. If you are in crisis, please contact a mental health professional or emergency services.

10. Children's Privacy

The Shadow Map is not intended for use by anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we become aware that we have collected data from a minor, we will delete it immediately.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. If we make significant changes, we will notify users via email or a prominent notice on our website. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will always reflect the most recent revision.

12. Contact

For any questions about this privacy policy or your data, contact:

Dr. Walid Messaoudi
Email: walid@the-shadow-map.com
Website: the-shadow-map.com