Privacy Policy

Last updated 4 October 2026

Who runs Ferm

Ferm is a small, non-commercial project run by a volunteer for church youth groups. It isn't a company and doesn't make money. If you have a question or request about your data, talk to the admin of your group, who will pass it on to the person who runs Ferm.

What we collect

When you sign up

• Your email address and a user ID. If you sign in with Google, Google shares your name, email and profile picture with Ferm.
• Passwords are handled by Google Firebase Authentication. Ferm never sees or stores your password.

Your profile and settings

• Your name, and optionally a photo and a short bio.
• Your time zone, notification choices, theme, screen layout and similar settings.

Your reading

• The chapters you log, when you logged them, chapters you mark as already read, your streaks, Lazarus tokens and badges.
• A running summary of these (for example, chapters per day), so the app stays fast.

Things you write or share

• Reflections and photos you add to readings, posts, comments, reactions, polls and votes, events and RSVPs, prayer requests, verses you suggest, reflection prompts, reading plans, challenges, and private messages to friends.
• Your private journal (including private reflections and anything you share with Just me).

Groups and friends

• The groups you're in, teams you join, friend requests and friends, your friend code, and reading-buddy plans you're in.
• If you leave "Let people find me by name" switched on, your name and photo are listed so other Ferm users can find you by name.

On your device

• Ferm keeps a copy of your data in your browser so it opens quickly and works on a weak connection, plus small settings (like your theme, the last account used on this device, and recently read Bible chapters). Signing out removes this copy.

What we don't collect

• No location, no contacts, no advertising IDs, and no analytics or tracking tools.

How we use it

Only to run Ferm: showing your progress, streaks and badges, sharing what you choose to share, sending in-app notifications, and keeping the app working and safe. We don't sell, rent or trade your information, show ads, or use it to profile you.

Who can see what

Who	What they can see
People in your groups	Your name, photo and bio; your reading activity, streaks and badges; reflections and photos you share; and the posts, comments, reactions and prayer requests you share with that group.
Your friends	Your profile and reading activity (like group-mates), plus private messages between you.
People in a reading-buddy plan with you	When you join a buddies plan with friends, the other people in that plan can see your profile and reading activity, even if they aren't your friends.
Only you	Your journal, private reflections, and anything you share with Just me.
Group admins	The same as other members. They can also remove members and delete posts in their group.

The person who runs Ferm can technically access the database to look after it. They won't look at your content unless it's needed to fix a problem, keep someone safe, or because the law requires it.

Services Ferm uses

Ferm relies on a few outside services. They process data on Ferm's behalf and have their own privacy policies.

• Google Firebase (Authentication and Cloud Firestore): signs you in and stores Ferm's data. Data may be stored on Google's servers outside Singapore.
• Cloudflare Pages: hosts the website. Like any website host, it receives your IP address and basic request details.
• bible-api.com: when you open the Bible reader, your device asks it for the chapter's text. It receives your IP address and the chapter you asked for.
• Google Fonts: provides the fonts Ferm uses. Your browser downloads them from Google, which receives your IP address.

Notifications

Ferm's alerts are shown by your own device while Ferm is open in the background. Ferm doesn't use a push-notification service.

How long we keep it, and deleting it

• We keep your data while your account exists.
• You can edit or delete your readings, reflections, posts, comments, prayer requests and journal entries at any time.
• To delete everything, go to Account → Delete my account. This deletes your profile, readings, journal, photos, plans, friendships, your listing in name search, and your sign-in. You can choose to also delete your posts, comments, reactions and prayer requests in your groups; otherwise those stay, without your name.
• Deleted data may remain in the service providers' backups for a short time before it's gone for good.
• Leaving a group removes you from it. What you shared there stays until you delete it.

Children

Ferm is made for church youth groups. If you're under 13, please ask a parent or guardian before using Ferm, and only use it with their permission. A parent or guardian can ask the group's admin to have a child's account deleted at any time.

Keeping your data safe

Ferm uses secure connections (HTTPS), and the database only lets people see what this policy describes. No system is perfectly secure, so please don't share things in Ferm that you wouldn't want others to know, like passwords, addresses or phone numbers.

Your choices and rights

• See and correct your information in the app (Account tab).
• Control who sees what with Share with, private reflections, and the name-search switch.
• Delete content or your whole account in the app.
• For anything else, such as a copy of your data, ask your group admin. Ferm aims to follow Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, we'll update the date at the top. For big changes, we'll let you know in the app.