Privacy Policy
ParLock is made by 2823683 Alberta Ltd., operating as Brightelm Studios ("we", "us"), in Alberta, Canada. Privacy is the reason ParLock exists, so this policy is short and plain. We handle personal information in line with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).
The short version
- ParLock is designed so your messages are end-to-end encrypted and we can't read them.
- We do not sell your information, show ads, or use analytics or tracking.
- You don't need a phone number or email address to use ParLock.
- We keep as little as possible, for as short a time as possible.
Messages and calls
Messages, photos, voice notes and calls are encrypted on your device and can only be decrypted by the people in the conversation. Our servers relay encrypted data between devices. Some messages may be held by our servers, still encrypted, only until they are delivered, and for no longer than 30 days. Other message types are never stored on our servers at all. ParLock is designed so that we cannot read, scan or recover the content of your messages.
Information we handle
- Delivery information. To deliver messages, our servers use random identifiers that are not linked to your name, phone number or email. Routing information is kept in memory only while it's needed.
- Notification tokens. To let you know a message has arrived, we store a push-notification token issued by Apple (or Google on Android). Notifications we send contain no message content, names or previews.
- Network information. Like any internet service, our servers and our network security provider see your IP address while connected. We do not keep logs of IP addresses or of who talks to whom.
- Contacts. If you allow it, ParLock reads your phone's contacts on your device only to help you find and invite people. Your contacts are never uploaded to our servers.
- Things you send us. If you email us for support, we keep that correspondence to help you, and delete it when no longer needed.
Information stored on your device
Your conversations, contacts in ParLock and settings are stored on your device, encrypted. Deleting the app deletes this data from your device.
Backups: what to expect
If you use a security key, ParLock is designed so everything in your backup — regular chats included — opens only with that key, and can't be restored with your Apple ID, your iPhone passcode, or both. Without the key there is no restore, so keep a backup key and move phones with both phones in hand.
Without a security key, regular chats are included, encrypted, in your normal iPhone backup (iCloud or your computer), so they come back when you set up a new iPhone. The key that opens them is kept in your iCloud Keychain, which Apple encrypts end to end: Apple can't read it, and your Apple ID password alone can't open it. Someone who had both your Apple ID and your iPhone passcode could restore your regular chats, the same as with other messaging apps that use iCloud backups. To reduce that risk, turn on Apple's Stolen Device Protection and Advanced Data Protection, or use a security key.
Secure conversations are designed to open only with your personal security key, so a backup, an iCloud account or a stolen phone alone shouldn't be enough to read them. We can't recover them for you.
Testing with TestFlight
While ParLock is in testing, it is distributed through Apple's TestFlight. Apple may collect crash reports, usage information and feedback you choose to send, under Apple's privacy policy. Apple shares this with us so we can fix problems; it does not include your messages.
Sharing
We don't sell or rent personal information, and we don't share it for advertising. We use a small number of service providers to run ParLock, such as hosting, network security, and Apple and Google push notifications, only to operate the service. We may disclose information if legally required, but ParLock is designed so that we don't hold message content to disclose.
Where information is processed
ParLock's relay — live when messaging launches — runs on Cloudflare's network in North America and is designed to store only encrypted data that we can't read, and only for as long as it takes to deliver. Some service providers, such as Apple and Google, may process limited technical information in other countries.
This website
parlock.ca uses no cookies, no analytics and no third-party trackers. Our hosting provider may keep standard server logs, such as IP address and pages requested, for security.
Children
ParLock is not directed to children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect their information.
Your choices and rights
You can access, correct or delete information we hold about you by contacting us. Because we hold so little, most of your information lives on your own device, where you control it. You also have the right to complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta.
Security: no guarantees
We work hard to keep ParLock secure. We use current, widely reviewed security practices, our own reviews, and AI-assisted testing to find and fix vulnerabilities, and we keep improving as we learn. We do our best with what we know at the time.
No software or online service can be guaranteed to be completely secure or free of errors, and we don't promise that ParLock is. The descriptions on this page explain how ParLock is designed to work; they are not a warranty. To the extent permitted by law, ParLock is provided "as is". If you find a problem, please tell us at security@parlock.ca (how to report).
Changes
If we change this policy, we'll update the date above and, for significant changes, tell you in the app.
Contact
Privacy questions: privacy@parlock.ca
2823683 Alberta Ltd. o/a Brightelm Studios, Alberta, Canada