the Shack

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 28 July 2026

Who we are

The Shack is a household management application operated by Chalke Customs (ABN 28 640 532 561), based in Australia. When we say “we”, “us”, or “our”, we mean the operator of The Shack. When we say “you” or “your”, we mean a user of the application.

What data we collect

We collect the following personal information when you use The Shack:

  • Account information — your name, email address, and password (hashed).
  • Household data — content you create within your household: bills, chores, shopping lists, events, documents, and other feature data.
  • Device & session data — device type, platform, session identifiers, and last-seen timestamps for active session management.
  • Push notification tokens — APNs (iOS) or FCM (Android) device tokens and web push subscription endpoints.
  • Uploaded files — receipts, documents, and images you upload to your household.
  • Payment information — if you subscribe to Pro, payment is processed by Stripe (web/Android) or Apple (iOS). We store your subscription status but never your card details.
  • Usage data — basic analytics such as feature usage counts, error logs, and performance metrics.

How we use your data

  • To provide and maintain the application and its features.
  • To send you notifications you have opted into (push, email digest, reminders).
  • To process payments and manage your subscription.
  • To generate AI-powered features (daily brief, harmony reading, shopping suggestions) — your household data is sent to our AI provider (Anthropic) for processing; it is not retained by the provider beyond the request.
  • To improve the application through aggregated, anonymised usage analytics.
  • To respond to support requests and feedback.

Third-party services

We use the following third-party services to operate The Shack:

  • Amazon Web Services (AWS) — hosting, database (DynamoDB), authentication (Cognito), file storage (S3), and serverless compute (Lambda). Data is stored in the Asia Pacific (Sydney) region.
  • Stripe — payment processing for Pro subscriptions on web and Android.
  • Apple — payment processing via In-App Purchase for Pro subscriptions on iOS.
  • Anthropic — AI processing for intelligent features (brief, harmony, shopping suggestions). Anthropic processes this data on infrastructure located outside Australia, in the United States.
  • AWS SES — transactional and digest emails.

We do not sell your personal data to any third party.

Overseas disclosure

Your household data is stored in Australia (AWS Asia Pacific, Sydney). One exception applies: when you use an AI feature, the household data needed for that feature is sent to Anthropic in the United States for processing, and the result is returned to us. It is not used to train their models and is not retained by them beyond the request.

By using AI features you consent to that overseas disclosure. If you would rather your data never left Australia, a household admin can switch AI features off entirely in Settings. That stops all AI processing for the household — including the overnight brief and harmony analyses that would otherwise run on their own — so no household data is sent overseas at all. Every other part of The Shack works without them.

Data retention

Your account and household data is retained for as long as your account exists. When you delete your account, all personal data associated with it is permanently removed within 30 days. Uploaded files are deleted immediately upon account deletion.

If you leave a household, your membership record is removed but content you created within that household (bills, chores, etc.) may be retained for the remaining members.

Your rights

You have the right to:

  • Access your personal data — your account page shows all stored profile information.
  • Correct inaccurate data — edit your profile in the account settings.
  • Delete your account and all associated data — use the “Delete account” option in your account settings.
  • Export your data — use “Export your data” in your account settings to download a copy immediately. It contains your profile, your household memberships and settings, and the content you created. If you need it in another format, contact us and we will provide it within 30 days.
  • Withdraw consent — disable push notifications or email digests at any time in account settings.

Our obligations under the Privacy Act

Chalke Customs is a small business operator, and businesses with an annual turnover of $3 million or less are currently exempt from the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). We have chosen to handle your personal information in line with the Australian Privacy Principles anyway, and to treat the commitments in this policy as binding on us regardless of whether the Act applies. If the exemption is removed or our turnover exceeds the threshold, the Act will apply to us in full.

Data breaches

If we become aware of unauthorised access to or disclosure of your personal information that is likely to result in serious harm, we will notify affected users and, where the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme applies to us, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. We will tell you what happened, what information was involved, and what you should do.

Complaints

If you think we have mishandled your personal information, contact us first at the address below. We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 business days and respond within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au or on 1300 363 992.

Cookies and local storage

We use browser storage for the things the app needs to work: your signed-in session, your theme choice, and small caches that keep screens fast. We do not use advertising cookies and we do not track you across other websites. Clearing your browser storage signs you out and resets those preferences.

Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your data, including: encryption in transit (TLS), encryption at rest (AWS-managed keys), hashed passwords, and role-based access control within households. No internet-based service can guarantee absolute security, but we commit to promptly notifying affected users of any confirmed data breach.

Children

The Shack is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes via email or an in-app notification. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy or your data, contact us at: hello@chalkecustoms.com.au