This Privacy Policy explains what information the Arken Invest app ("Arken", "we", "us") uses, where it goes, and the choices you have. Arken is designed to use as little information as possible. Most of what it does, including your portfolio scores, fee analysis, tax analysis and alerts, is worked out on your phone.
Arken is run by Paul Vosloo, who is responsible for your information (the "data controller"). You can contact him at the address in section 12.
| When you… | What is used | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Use the app without an account | The holdings, goals and settings you enter | Stays on your phone |
| Ask Arken a question (typed or spoken) | Your question, earlier messages in that conversation, a summary of your holdings and, for fund questions, that fund's published details | Our server, then Anthropic to write the answer |
| Ask by voice | The audio recording of your question | Our server, then Groq to turn it into text |
| Import a screenshot | The screenshot image | Our server, then Anthropic to read the holdings from it |
| Search for a fund | The text you type in the search | Our server, to search our fund list |
| Sign in with Apple (optional) | Your name and email from Apple | Our database |
| Subscribe | Your purchase and subscription status | Apple and RevenueCat, and our database |
We never sell your information, we do not show adverts, and Arken never connects to your bank or investment platform.
The information you enter is stored only on your phone: your first name, your holdings (for example fund names, values, charges, tax wrappers, purchase prices and dates), your goals, your currency and app settings, and your Ask Arken conversations. We do not keep a copy, whether or not you have an account. It is included in your iPhone's own backup if you use one. It leaves your phone only when you use one of the features in section 3, and then only for that request.
When you ask a question, typed or spoken, we send your question, the earlier messages in that conversation, and a summary of your holdings (fund names, values, charges and asset types) to our server. Our server sends this to Anthropic, which provides the AI model that writes the answer. When you ask about a specific fund, the fund's published details (its charge, document date and largest holdings) are included. Your name and email are not included. We do not store your questions or Arken's answers on our server; your conversations are kept on your phone.
When you ask by voice, the audio recording is sent to our server and then to Groq, which turns it into text. The text is then handled as an Ask Arken question. We do not keep the recording after it has been turned into text.
When you import a screenshot, the image is reduced in size on your phone, then sent to our server and on to Anthropic, which reads the holdings from it. The holdings are sent back to your phone for you to check before adding them. We do not keep the image.
When you search for a fund, the text you type is sent to our server to search our list of funds. If our server cannot be reached, the app searches a copy of the list stored on your phone.
An account is optional. If you sign in with Apple, we receive your name and email address from Apple. If you choose "Hide My Email", we receive a private relay address instead of your real one. We use these to identify your account and to contact you about it, for example about your subscription. We also keep a record of your sign-in sessions, including the IP address and type of device used, how many free questions you have used, and whether you are in a trial. Your holdings and goals are not stored with your account.
Purchases are made through Apple. We use RevenueCat to check whether a subscription is active. RevenueCat receives your purchase details and an app user ID; Apple does not give us your payment details. If you are signed in, we record your subscription status in our database.
If you rate an Ask Arken answer with a thumbs up or down, we receive the rating and the first part of the answer you rated, to help us improve the answers.
Like any online service, our server records basic technical information when the app contacts it, such as the time, the type of request and your IP address. We use this to keep the service running, to prevent abuse and to fix problems. We use Expo, which builds and delivers the app, and it collects anonymous usage statistics such as app launches, app version and device type.
We use the following service providers. They process your information only to provide their service to us.
Some of these providers process information in the United States. Where they do, the transfer is covered by each provider's data processing terms, which use safeguards recognised under UK data protection law, such as the UK International Data Transfer Addendum.
We use your information to provide the features you choose to use, such as answering your questions, reading your screenshots and managing your account and subscription. This is necessary to provide the service you have asked for. We use technical information and feedback ratings because we have a legitimate interest in keeping Arken secure, preventing abuse and improving it.
Under UK data protection law you can ask to see, correct, delete or receive a copy of your information, and you can object to how we use it.
If you are unhappy with how we handle your information, please contact us first. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.
Arken is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children.
We may update this policy as Arken changes. The date at the top of this page shows the latest version. If we make a significant change to how we use your information, we will tell you in the app.
For privacy questions or requests, contact us at: