Privacy Policy
Last Updated: September 3, 2026 (optional journal-app export disclosure)
This Privacy Policy describes how Breland Computer Services / Land Tech Web Designs, Corp, doing business as The Hidden Word / TheHiddenWord.org (“we,” “us,” or “our”), collects, uses, and shares information when you use:
- Our website at https://thehiddenword.org (the “Site”), including related hub pages such as church directory, join, and app connect flows; and
- The Hidden Word mobile applications for iOS and Android (the “App”), including builds distributed through the App Store, Google Play, and TestFlight.
Together, the Site and App are the “Services.”
By using the Services, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Services.
Contact: sales@landtechwebdesigns.com
1. Important note about church websites
The Hidden Word ecosystem includes a hub (thehiddenword.org) and, optionally, individual church WordPress sites that run the Hidden Word Bible Lessons plugin.
- When you browse the hub, join a church, or use hub directory features, we process information as described in this policy.
- When you select a church in the App (or sign in on a church site), most account data, memorization progress, Ask questions, Small Group activity, and lesson preferences are processed by that church’s WordPress site, under that church’s own practices and any privacy policy they publish.
- We do not control every networked church site. Please review the privacy information provided by your church for data held on their servers.
This policy covers what we (The Hidden Word / the hub operator) do with personal information in connection with the Site and App.
2. Information we collect
“Personal information” means information that identifies or can reasonably be linked to you.
2.1 Information you provide
Depending on how you use the Services, we may collect:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| **Name** | Display name or first/last name associated with your account; name Apple shares if you use Sign in with Apple (usually only the first time you authorize the App) |
| **Email address** | Account email used for WordPress registration, login, or support; email Apple shares if you use Sign in with Apple, which may be your real address or an Apple **Hide My Email** private relay address (for example ending in `@privaterelay.appleid.com`) |
| **User ID** | Username, WordPress user ID, or similar account identifiers; Apple’s opaque user identifier (“sub”) when you use Sign in with Apple |
| **Other user content** | Bible study questions and AI-assisted answers (“Ask”), memorization deck and progress, practice streaks/badges, safety/abuse reports, translation or tradition preferences, gospel presentation responses (choice + optional email/location), testimonies, prayer requests, and similar content you create or save |
| **Account & security** | Passwords on the website (handled by WordPress); **Application Passwords** issued for the App (see below); Sign in with Apple identity tokens used only to verify your Apple sign-in and create or link your account |
| **Support communications** | Messages you send us by email or through support channels |
We do not collect Social Security numbers, payment card numbers, or bank account numbers through the Services. The Services are not a marketplace for buying or selling between users.
2.2 Information collected automatically
When you use the Site or App, we and our hosting providers may automatically collect:
- IP address, approximate location derived from IP (not precise GPS)
- Browser or app type and version, device type, operating system
- Pages or screens viewed, dates/times of access, and diagnostic or security logs
- Referring URLs (for the Site)
If you enable optional practice reminders in the App, we may process a push notification token (a device identifier used only to deliver those reminders).
2.3 Information we do not collect for advertising or tracking
We do not:
- Sell your personal information
- Use your personal information for third-party advertising
- Track you across other companies’ apps and websites for advertising (no App Tracking Transparency / advertising identifier use for that purpose)
- Operate Google AdSense or similar ad networks on the Site as part of these Services
3. The Hidden Word mobile app
3.1 Sign-in and Application Passwords
You can connect the App to a church site (including the hub) in these ways:
A. Sign in on website (`/app/connect` on the church site):
1. You sign in with your normal WordPress username and password in the browser. 2. The church site creates a WordPress Application Password for the App and returns a one-time code to the App. 3. The App stores the Application Password using the device’s secure storage (iOS Keychain / Android Keystore via SecureStore).
B. Sign in with Apple (iOS):
1. On a supported iOS build of the App, you may authenticate with Apple instead of typing a website password. 2. Apple may provide us (or the church site you are signing into) with an Apple user identifier, and—when you choose to share them—your name and email address. If you use Apple’s Hide My Email option, we receive a private relay address and may use it to create or link your WordPress account and to communicate about your account. 3. The church site verifies Apple’s identity token, creates or links a WordPress user, stores the Apple user identifier with that account, and issues the same kind of one-time Application Password claim the App uses for website connect. 4. After that, the App stores the Application Password in secure device storage, the same as website connect.
Your normal website password is not stored in the App. You may also paste an Application Password manually as an advanced option.
Apple processes Sign in with Apple under Apple’s Privacy Policy. We do not receive your Apple ID password.
3.2 Data the App sends and receives
Depending on features your church enables, the App may send or receive personal information and user content to provide:
- Church selection and hub directory lookup
- Bible reading, Verse of the Day, lessons, and Study Finder
- Memorize practice, streaks, and badges
- Ask (AI-assisted Bible questions; answers may be imperfect and are labeled as AI-generated)
- Small Group weekly challenge and leaderboard (display names may be visible to other members of that group)
- Optional daily practice reminders
- Safety reporting (and, on device, local blocking of certain content)
Guest browsing may use public church APIs without a signed-in account; signed-in features require authentication.
3.3 Data stored on your device
The App may cache content locally (for example lessons, Bible chapters, Verse of the Day, Ask history, or offline memorize packs) to improve performance and offline use. You can clear local data from Preferences in the App. Clearing local data is not the same as deleting your account on the church site.
3.4 Account deletion and access revocation
Consistent with App Store requirements, signed-in users can request deletion of their church WordPress account access from the App (Preferences → Delete my account). That process is designed to revoke Application Passwords associated with the App and mark the account for deletion handling on the church site. Residual copies may remain in backups for a limited period as described in Section 9.
There is no separate “Hidden Word cloud account” apart from your WordPress account on the hub and/or your church site.
3.5 Sign in with Apple (cross-reference)
If you use Sign in with Apple in the App, see Sections 2.1 and 3.1 for what Apple may share (name, email including Hide My Email relay addresses, and Apple’s opaque user identifier). We do not receive your Apple ID password.
4. Gospel responses, testimonies, and prayer requests
4.1 Gospel presentation responses (may be anonymous visitors)
Shared gospel presentation pages (for example `/gospel/{id}`) let visitors respond without creating an account.
What may be collected
- Your response choice (for example “I want to follow Jesus,” “I have questions,” or “I already follow Jesus”)
- Optional email (if you choose to provide it for follow-up)
- Optional city or ZIP / postal code (if you choose to provide it so we can suggest nearby churches)
- Technical abuse-prevention data such as IP address (rate limiting)
Who receives it
- Site administrators on the WordPress site that hosts the presentation (via a private Gospel Responses record in wp-admin, and email to the site `admin_email`)
- If your location matches a church in the network directory, the matched church contact (typically the church post author’s email) may also receive a copy so they can offer local follow-up
Purpose
Follow-up / pastoral connection and suggesting nearby churches. Submitting a response is voluntary. Email and location are optional; the form requires explicit consent before submit.
Retention
Responses are stored as private WordPress posts until an administrator deletes them. Residual copies may remain in backups for a limited period (see Section 9).
Deletion
Email sales@landtechwebdesigns.com (or the hosting church administrator for church-hosted sites) to request deletion of a gospel response that includes your contact details.
4.2 Testimonies
Testimony content is account-required. You control whether a testimony is private or shared publicly via a share link. Public share pages are viewable by anyone with the link. Site administrators can see testimonies in wp-admin for moderation. Safety / abuse reports may be filed by users and reviewed by administrators (see Section 4.4).
4.3 Prayer requests
Prayer requests are account-required. Visibility depends on the feature surface (for example cohort / wall views with the attribution mode you choose). Site administrators can see prayer requests in wp-admin. Do not post crisis disclosures expecting automated emergency response; use local emergency services when needed. Safety reports follow the same path as other community content.
4.4 Human review of safety reports and sensitive outreach
Automated reporting and flagging exist for community safety. On the hub, administrators review Gospel Responses, safety reports, testimonies, and prayer requests in WordPress admin, and receive email notifications for new gospel responses. Expected practice: review new gospel responses and safety reports promptly (same business day when possible). This product transparency describes shipped behavior; it is not a substitute for legal counsel review (noted in our post-launch strategy checklist).
5. How we use personal information
We use personal information to:
- Provide, operate, and secure the Site and App (app functionality)
- Authenticate users and prevent abuse or fraud
- Provide church directory, join, and app-connect features
- Respond to support requests
- Comply with law and enforce our terms
- Improve reliability and security of the Services (for example reviewing logs after an outage or attack)
We do not use personal information collected from the App for third-party advertising, developer marketing profiles built from App data for ads, or cross-app tracking.
AI-assisted features (“Ask”) process the questions you submit in order to generate a response. Do not submit sensitive personal information you do not want processed for that purpose.
6. How we share information
We may share personal information only as follows:
- Service providers (processors) who host the Site, send email, or provide infrastructure, under obligations to use the data only to provide services to us
- Your church when you join or sign in to that church’s site through the App or hub flows
- Other users of a feature you use, where the feature is inherently shared (for example a Small Group leaderboard showing a display name or streak rank)—not for commercial “transactions” between users
- Journaling apps you choose (optional): if you use Add to journal on the Site or App, you may export study text or your own saved reflections to a third-party journaling app (for example Day One, QuillDay, or another app via the system share sheet). That export is initiated by you and performed client-side on your device; we do not receive or relay that content through Hidden Word servers for the export. The destination app’s privacy practices then apply.
- Legal requirements when we believe disclosure is required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of users or the public
- Business transfers if we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, subject to continued protection of personal information
We do not sell personal information and do not share personal information with other users to evaluate commercial deals between them.
7. Cookies and similar technologies (Site)
A cookie is a small piece of data stored on your device. We use cookies and similar technologies on the Site for:
- Logging in and staying signed in
- Security (for example protecting forms and sessions)
- Remembering basic preferences
- Understanding aggregate traffic to administer the Site
You can configure your browser to refuse cookies; some Site features may not work correctly if cookies are disabled.
We do not use advertising cookies such as Google AdSense / DoubleClick for the Services described in this policy.
8. Children’s privacy
The Services are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information to us, contact us at sales@landtechwebdesigns.com and we will take steps to delete it.
Parents and guardians are responsible for supervising minors’ use of church accounts and the App where permitted by their church.
9. Retention, security, and deletion
We retain personal information only as long as needed to provide the Services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Backups may retain residual copies for a limited time after deletion.
We use commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the nature of the data (including HTTPS in transit and restricted access to production systems). No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Correcting or deleting information
- Website / WordPress profile: update your profile where the site allows, or contact us (or your church administrator for church-hosted accounts).
- App: use Preferences to clear local data; use Delete my account to request account access deletion as described above.
- Email us: sales@landtechwebdesigns.com
10. Your privacy rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights under applicable law, including:
- The right to access personal information we hold about you
- The right to rectification (correction)
- The right to erasure (deletion)
- The right to restrict processing
- The right to object to processing
- The right to data portability
- The right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
- The right to complain to a supervisory authority
To exercise these rights, contact sales@landtechwebdesigns.com. We may need to verify your request. For data held only on a church’s WordPress site, we may direct you to that church or assist as reasonably possible.
We do not sell personal information. If you are a California resident and believe a specific disclosure applies, contact us using the email above.
11. International users
The Services may be hosted in the United States. If you access them from another country, you understand that your information may be processed in the United States, which may have different data protection rules than your country.
12. Links to other sites
The Site and App may link to third-party websites or church sites we do not operate. Their privacy practices are their own. We encourage you to read their policies.
13. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated policy on the Site and change the “Last Updated” date. If changes materially affect how we use personal information you previously provided, we will take reasonable steps to notify you (for example by posting a notice on the Site).
14. Contact us
Questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices:
Breland Computer Services / Land Tech Web Designs, Corp Doing business as The Hidden Word / TheHiddenWord.org Email: sales@landtechwebdesigns.com Website: https://thehiddenword.org Privacy Policy URL: https://thehiddenword.org/privacy-policy
*This document is provided for transparency and product compliance alignment (including Apple App Store privacy disclosures). It is not legal advice. Consider having counsel review before relying on it for regulated jurisdictions.*
Related: Life’s Hard Places
Related: Faith Formation
Related: Reading Comfort
Related: Church Seasons
Related: Life Season Plans
Related: Kids Bible Stories
Related: Network Impact
Related: My Testimony
Related: Apologetics
https://thehiddenword.org/apologetics/
Related: My Journal
Related: Prayer
Related: Share the Gospel
Related: Reading Plans
Related: Translation Compare
Related: Read the Bible
Related: Memorize Any Verse
Related: Memorization Reviews
Related: Cohort Leaderboard
Related: AI Assistant
Related: Ask a Question
Related: Verse Study Card
Related: Faith Tradition Packs
Related: Support
Related: End User License Agreement
Related: Terms of Use
Related: Register
Related: Log in
Related: Memorization Reviews
Related: Memorize a Verse
Related: Verse of the Day
Related: Read the Bible
Related: Ask a Question
Related: Study Finder
Related: AI Lesson Explain
Related: Find a Verse
Related: Verse Catalog
Related: Verse of the Week
Related: This Week's Verse to Memorize
Related: Bundled Translations
Related: Print & Copy Toolbar
Related: Memorization Tab
Related: Single Lesson (CPT)
Related: Lesson Archive
Related: Catalog by Testament
Related: Catalog by Book
Related: Lesson Catalog (Flat)
Related: Verse Widget
Related: Verse of the Week
Related: Lesson List Block
Related: Lesson Block (Gutenberg)
Related: Pinned Lesson
Related: Today’s Lesson
Related: BuddyPress Share
Related: Leader Guide PDF
Related: Custom Reading Track
Related: Schedule Modes
Related: Cohort Roster
Related: Email Subscribe
Related: Streak Claim
Related: My Progress
Related: Mark as Memorized
Related: Video Lesson
Related: Audio Lesson
Related: Translation Switcher
Related: Sample Page