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Privacy Policy

Last updated: 18 October 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how the PHV Prep UK mobile application ("the app") collects, uses, and protects your personal data. The app is operated by John Akhis Moreno, an individual based in the United Kingdom, who is the data controller responsible for your information. You can contact us at any time at support@yongchivo.com.

PHV Prep UK is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with, authorised by, or endorsed by City of Wolverhampton Council or any licensing authority.

What data we collect

  • Account information. When you create an account we collect your email address through Firebase Authentication so we can identify your account and keep your progress synced.
  • Learning data. We store your exam attempts, scores, answers, the questions you mark as incorrect, and your premium status in Cloud Firestore so the app can track your progress and tailor your practice.
  • AI Tutor messages. When you use the in-app AI Tutor, each message you send goes to Anthropic together with the earlier messages in that conversation, so it can generate a reply. The app keeps the conversation only on your device while the AI Tutor screen is open; it is not stored on our systems. Anthropic may keep these messages for a limited period under its own API data-retention terms. Please avoid including sensitive personal information in these messages.
  • AI Tutor ratings and reports. If you rate or report an AI Tutor answer, we store your rating or report, linked to your account and dated, together with that answer and the message you sent just before it, so we can improve the quality of answers. These are deleted when you delete your account.
  • Usage and device data. We use Firebase Analytics to collect information about how the app is used, such as the features you open, your device type and operating system version. On iOS, Firebase also uses the identifier for vendor (IDFV), an ID Apple gives to apps from the same developer; it is not the advertising ID. This helps us understand how the app is used and improve it. We do not collect crash reports or performance data. You can turn this off at any time (see "Analytics" under Legal bases below).
  • Server logs. When the app talks to our backend, our servers record technical details such as your IP address and user agent (the app and device making the request). These logs are kept for 30 days.
  • Purchase data. If you buy PHV Prep Premium, the payment is processed by Apple or Google. We never see or store your card details. We store a purchase record (the store, the product, the platform, whether it was a test or a real purchase, the relevant dates and a transaction identifier) and your premium status so we can unlock and verify your purchase.

How we use your data

  • To provide, maintain, and secure the app and your account.
  • To track your progress and personalise your practice.
  • To unlock and verify premium access.
  • To generate AI Tutor responses to your questions.
  • To improve the quality of AI Tutor answers, using the answers you rate or report.
  • To understand usage and improve the app.
  • To respond to your support requests.

Legal bases (UK GDPR)

We rely on the following legal bases to process your data:

  • Performance of a contract — to deliver the service you sign up for, including syncing progress and unlocking premium.
  • Legitimate interests — to keep the app secure, understand usage, and improve our service, including the quality of AI Tutor answers; and to keep purchase records, with no personal data, so we can handle refunds, prevent fraud and let you restore Premium.

  • Analytics — we use Firebase Analytics on the basis of our legitimate interests (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(f)) in understanding how the app is used and improving it. It records basic usage events: those Firebase collects automatically (such as first open, session start and engagement time) and four of our own (when the premium screen is viewed, when a purchase is completed, when a free-tier limit is reached, and whether the app's security check (Firebase App Check, which confirms that requests come from the genuine app) worked on your device, recorded only as a result and a general error type, with no personal data), together with the council you selected and where in the app the event happened. This data is identified by a random app-instance ID, is not linked to your account and is not used for advertising: the app does not use your device's advertising ID, and ad personalisation is turned off. Google processes this data on our behalf as our service provider, under the Google Data Processing Terms, and does not use it for its own purposes.

    You can turn off analytics at any time: open the dashboard, go to Preferences and switch off "Usage analytics" (called "Share anonymous usage data" in version 1.7.4 of the app). While it is off, the app sends no analytics data to Google Analytics for Firebase, including the events Firebase would otherwise collect automatically. Your choice is stored on your device, so if you reinstall the app or use a different device you will need to switch it off again.

    Google Analytics keeps event data for 2 months and user-level data for 14 months; the 14-month period starts again whenever the app is used. Because this data isn't linked to your account, we can't find and delete it on request; it expires on that schedule. To ask about this data or to object to its use, email support@yongchivo.com.

Who we share data with

We do not sell your personal data. We share data only with the service providers that help us run the app:

  • Google Firebase (Authentication, Cloud Firestore, Analytics, App Check and Cloud Functions) — provides our backend, database, analytics, and app verification infrastructure.
  • Anthropic — processes your AI Tutor messages, with the earlier messages in that conversation, in order to generate replies.
  • Apple App Store and Google Play — process payments for premium purchases, and verify that requests to our backend come from the genuine app (App Attest and DeviceCheck on iOS, Play Integrity on Android).

Where your data is stored

Your account and learning data are stored in Firebase's europe-west2 (London) region. AI Tutor messages are processed by Anthropic, which may involve transferring your message outside the United Kingdom (for example, to the United States). Where data leaves the UK, it is protected by appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses or the UK International Data Transfer Addendum.

How long we keep it

We keep your account and learning data until you delete your account. You can do this at any time in the app (Preferences → Delete account) or by asking us (see "Deleting your account" below).

  • Server logs (including IP address and user agent) are kept for 30 days.
  • Recovery data: our database keeps a 7-day recovery window, so deleted data can remain in recovery data for up to 7 days before it is gone for good. We don't keep any other backups.
  • Purchase records are kept after your account is deleted, with no personal data and no link to your account, for as long as we need them to handle refunds, prevent fraud and let you restore Premium.
  • Usage analytics expire on Google's schedule (see "Analytics" above).

Deleting your account

You can delete your account at any time in the app: open the dashboard, go to Preferences, tap "Delete account" and enter your password. Your account is deleted straight away.

If you no longer have the app, email support@yongchivo.com from the address you signed up with, or follow the steps at https://yongchivo.com/phv-prep-uk/support/, and ask us to delete your account. We'll confirm once it's done, within one month.

When your account is deleted, we delete your sign-in details, your progress, your exam history, and your ratings and reports of AI Tutor answers, including the answer and the message each one refers to. Your conversations with the AI Tutor are not stored on our systems, so there is nothing else to delete.

If you bought Premium, we keep the purchase record (the store, the product, the platform, whether it was a test or a real purchase, the relevant dates and the transaction identifier), but we remove its link to your account, and it holds no name, email address or account ID. We keep it so we can handle refunds, prevent fraud and let you restore Premium: your purchase stays with your Apple or Google account, so you can restore it on a new account with "Restore purchase".

When you delete your account, the app also resets its analytics identifier on your device. Analytics data already collected isn't linked to your account and expires on Google's schedule (see "Analytics" above). Server logs are deleted after 30 days and recovery data after 7 days; after that, nothing linked to your deleted account remains on our systems, apart from the purchase record described above.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to:

  • access the personal data we hold about you;
  • have inaccurate data corrected;
  • have your data erased (you can delete your account yourself in the app — see "Deleting your account" above);
  • restrict or object to how we process your data;
  • request a copy of your data in a portable format.

To exercise any of these rights, email support@yongchivo.com. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

Children

PHV Prep UK is intended for adults preparing for a private hire licence. It is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under the age of 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.

Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including encryption of data in transit, server-side verification of purchases, and access controls on our backend. We also use Firebase App Check, which uses Google Play Integrity on Android and Apple App Attest and DeviceCheck on iOS to verify that requests to our backend come from the genuine app. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we work to protect your data and keep our systems up to date.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date above. Significant changes will be communicated within the app where appropriate.

Contact

If you have any questions about this policy or your data, contact us at support@yongchivo.com.

The rules for using the app are in our Terms of Use.