PRIVACY POLICY

Last Updated: May 30, 2025

This Privacy Policy explains how International Scripture Ministries, Inc. (“ISM,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and safeguards personal information across our digital platforms—including our websites, mobile applications, and any other online service that links to this Policy (collectively, the "Service" or “Services”).

Our Services are designed to serve a diverse global audience, including individuals seeking Scripture in their native languages, users of our Bible distribution platforms, faith-based ministry partners, and visitors who engage with ISM resources.

From app-based Bible access to AI-powered discipleship tools, we are committed to delivering unhindered access to God’s Word in ways that are secure, respectful, and culturally relevant.

Whenever we present additional privacy details at the point of data collection (e.g., in specific apps or services), those notices will govern your data in conjunction with this Policy.

We take seriously the responsibility to protect the privacy and dignity of everyone who interacts with our mission. Whether you're accessing Scripture in a restricted region, supporting global Bible distribution, or engaging with one of our digital tools, we strive to ensure that your information is handled with integrity and care.

Personal Information We Collect

The types of personal information we collect depend on how you engage with International Scripture Ministries (ISM) through our websites, mobile apps, and related digital platforms (the “Services”). We are committed to gathering only what is necessary to serve you better and to further our mission of delivering unhindered access to God’s Word.

Information You Provide to Us

  • Contact Information: We may collect your name, email address, mailing address, and phone number when you communicate with us, register for an account, or sign up for updates and engagement opportunities.
  • Account and Profile Information: When you create an account, we collect your username, password, and any additional information you choose to include—such as your language preferences, profile photo, or linked social accounts. This helps personalize your experience and deliver content most relevant to you.
  • Contacts and Connections: If you choose to sync your device’s contact list with our apps, we may collect limited information (e.g., names, phone numbers, emails) to help you connect with others using ISM tools. For example, you might receive notifications when friends join or get suggestions for faith-based connections. If your information appears in someone else’s contact list, you may also be notified when they engage with our Services.
  • Location Data: Some features may use your device’s location to provide you with geographically relevant content, such as language-specific Scripture or regional discipleship resources. We may also use this information—anonymously—for improving our platform through analytics.
  • Payment & Donation Information: If you make a donation or purchase, we may collect payment details, including your name, billing address, and transaction method. This data is processed securely by trusted payment processors who may manage your information under their own privacy standards.

Information Created During Use

  • Communication and Support Interactions: When you reach out to us—for support, prayer, questions, or feedback—we collect your messages and our responses. If our tools allow for peer-to-peer communication, those interactions may also be collected as part of the user experience.
  • Service Usage and Engagement Data: We collect data about how you interact with our Services—such as the content you read or listen to, the features you use, and your engagement with our apps, messages, and broadcasts. This helps us better serve you and improve future features.
  • Marketing Preferences:  If you opt in to receive updates from us, we track your preferences and interactions with our messages so we can provide relevant, meaningful communications.
  • Other Information: We may collect additional information not specifically listed here, which will be used as described in this Privacy Policy or as disclosed to you at the time of collection.

Automatic Data Collection

  • Device and Technical Data: When you access ISM’s websites, mobile apps, or digital communications, we may automatically collect certain technical information about your device. This includes your operating system type and version, device manufacturer and model, browser type, screen resolution, language settings, IP address, device type (e.g., phone, tablet, or computer), and general location data such as city or geographic region. These details help us ensure compatibility across devices and deliver content that is properly formatted for your screen.
  • Online Activity and Engagement Data: We also collect information about how you interact with the Services. This includes pages or features you view, time spent on specific content, navigation patterns within the platform, and your previous website visits before arriving at our Services. Additionally, we track how you engage with our communications—for example, whether you open an email from ISM, click on embedded links, or download attached materials. This data helps us understand how our audiences are using our tools and allows us to continuously improve your experience.
  • Cookies and Similar Technologies: To gather and analyze this information, we use cookies, web beacons (such as pixel tags), and local storage technologies. These tools allow us to remember your preferences, track usage trends, deliver localized or personalized Scripture content, and evaluate the effectiveness of our outreach. For more information about these technologies and your control over them, please see our Cookie Policy.

Information About Non-Users

  • Contacts from Your Address Book: With your permission, our mobile apps may access your device’s contact list. This allows us to personalize your experience by showing you which of your friends already use ISM’s Services or by suggesting people you may want to invite. The contact data you share—such as names, emails, or phone numbers—is used only as described in this Privacy Policy.
  • Congregant Information Shared by Ministry Partners: Some of our partner ministries (“FBO Users”) may provide limited contact information for their congregants or community members who have not yet signed up for ISM Services. This helps ministries introduce people to Bible engagement tools and simplify onboarding into digital discipleship platforms.
  • Invitations and Communications: Our Services may allow you to send messages or Scripture-based invitations to friends or loved ones who are not yet part of the ISM community. In doing so, you may provide their name, email address, or phone number so we can deliver your message appropriately. We use this information only to facilitate the outreach you initiated, and in alignment with our values of trust and responsible stewardship.

How We Use Your Personal Information

We use personal information to fulfill ISM’s mission and to deliver meaningful, secure, and personalized access to God’s Word. These uses include the following purposes, or as otherwise described at the time of collection:

To Provide Our Services: We use personal information to operate, maintain, and provide access to our digital platforms, apps, and donor tools. This includes features like Bible content delivery, secure login, and payment processing. We also use this data to fulfill our commitments under our Terms of Service and other user agreements

To Communicate With You: It is in our legitimate interest to use personal information to:

  • Respond to your questions or support requests
  • Send updates about new features, app improvements, or ministry opportunities
  • Notify you of service-related announcements, security alerts, or account activity

To Personalize, Improve, and Protect the ISM Experience: We use personal information to understand how people interact with our Services and to keep them secure and effective. This includes:

  • Personalizing your experience based on your location, language, or engagement patterns
  • Monitoring performance and usage to enhance content delivery
  • Detecting, investigating, and protecting against fraudulent or harmful activity

For Research and Development: We may use your data—often in anonymized or aggregated form—to:

  • Analyze trends and user engagement to improve our platform
  • Develop new tools, resources, or discipleship features
  • Create non-identifiable insights that may be shared with trusted partners for faith-aligned innovation

For Outreach and Engagement: We, along with approved service providers and marketing partners, may use personal information to increase awareness of ISM’s mission and services.

  • Direct marketing – We may send you messages about our projects, updates, or giving opportunities (as permitted by law). You can opt out at any time.
  • Interest-based advertising – We may work with advertising networks to share relevant ISM content with you across other platforms.
    Direct marketing, giving campaigns, interest-based content via third-party platforms (with consent).

Except where consent is required, we rely on our legitimate interest to share these communications. If we request your consent, you may withdraw it at any time using the options outlined in the “Privacy Rights and Choices” section

For Legal and Ethical Protection: We may use personal data to meet our legal obligations and defend ISM’s platforms, people, and users from harm or misuse. This includes:

  • Protecting our users’ rights, safety, and well-being
  • Auditing our internal processes for compliance with policies and regulations
  • Enforcing our Terms of Service
  • Detecting and addressing cybersecurity threats, fraud, or illegal activity
  • Complying with applicable laws and legitimate government requests

How We Share Your Personal Information

We may share personal information with specific individuals or entities based on our operating needs, contractual relationships, and user engagement, always guided by our values of transparency, responsibility, and a commitment to serve people with dignity and purpose.

Other users and non-users

  • FBO Users (Faith-Based Organization Users).
     If you follow or engage with content or resources provided by one of our FBO ministry partners through the ISM platform, we may share limited information with that partner. This may include engagement insights to help them understand their audience (e.g., which users are most active or where engagement is occurring). If you make a donation to a partner ministry, we may share your name and donation amount with that FBO User as part of standard acknowledgment practices.
  • Communications and interactions.
     Our platforms may allow users to message others, including people who are not yet users. When this happens, limited contact details (such as your name, username, or message content) may be visible to the recipient to facilitate the interaction.
  • Service providers
    We partner with trusted companies and individuals who help us operate, improve, and support the ISM platform. This may include partners that provide services like hosting, website analytics, customer care, email delivery, and secure technology infrastructure.
  • Professional advisors
    We may share information with legal, financial, audit, and compliance professionals—such as attorneys, accountants, and insurance providers—when needed for lawful or operational reasons, or to ensure the responsible stewardship of ISM resources.
  • Authorities and legal entities
    We may disclose personal information to law enforcement, government agencies, or other authorized parties if required by law or when we believe such disclosure is necessary to comply with legal obligations, protect rights or safety, or respond to lawful requests.
  • Business transitions
    If ISM is involved in a reorganization, merger, acquisition, or transfer of assets, personal information may be shared as part of that process. This includes situations involving divestiture or bankruptcy, in which case data may be transferred as part of the operational continuity of our mission.
  • Marketing and outreach partners
    • Interest-based advertising.
       We may share certain data with third-party advertising providers to deliver interest-based or mission-aligned content across external platforms. These partners may use cookies and similar technologies to show you relevant ISM messages or Bible access campaigns on other websites or services.
    • Direct marketing partners.
       With your consent or preference settings, we may share limited contact information (e.g., name, email address, or phone number) with our partners for the purpose of delivering resources like eBooks, event invitations, or discipleship materials. These partners will use your information in accordance with their own privacy practices.

Privacy Rights and Choices

We believe that transparency and user trust are foundational to our mission. As part of that commitment, we offer users clear options to manage their personal information and how it is used across ISM’s platforms, including our websites, mobile apps, and digital Bible access tools.

Opt-out of marketing communications

You may choose to stop receiving marketing-related messages—such as newsletters, donor appeals, or product announcements—at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us using the information in the “How to Contact Us” section. Please note: you may still receive service-related communications, such as security updates or platform notifications.

Account deactivation and deletion

You may request to deactivate or permanently delete your account by contacting us directly. Deactivating your account may not remove all associated personal data. If you would like us to fully erase your information, please submit a formal deletion request as outlined in the “Personal information requests” section below.

Adjust contact and location settings

You can revoke permission for ISM apps to access your contact book or precise location by changing the settings on your device. This may limit certain features, such as discovering other users or receiving geographically relevant Bible resources.

Personal Information Requests

Depending on your country of residence and how you interact with our Services, you may request any of the following:

  • Transparency about our data practices – You may request more information about how we collect, use, and share your data. This Privacy Policy outlines much of that detail already.
  • Access to your personal data – You may ask for a copy of the personal information we have about you. If applicable, we’ll provide it in a portable, machine-readable format.
  • Correction of your information – If your personal data is inaccurate or outdated, you can request that we correct it.
  • Deletion of data – If we no longer need your information to provide our Services, or if you withdraw your consent, you may request that we delete your data.
  • Withdrawal of consent – If we process your personal information based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect prior lawful uses.
  • Opt-out of data sharing for advertising – You can opt out of our use of your information for interest-based advertising. To do so, click the "Your Privacy Choices" link on our site or use the Global Privacy Control feature in supported browsers.
  • Additional rights – In some regions, you may also have the right to object to or request limits on how we use your data.

To submit any of the above requests, please email or write to us using the information in the “How to Contact Us” section. We may ask for verification details to confirm your identity. In some locations, you may also designate an authorized representative to make a request on your behalf. We will honor your rights under applicable privacy laws and will never discriminate against you for making a request.

Limits on Your Privacy Rights In certain situations, your rights may be limited—for example, where fulfilling your request would violate another person’s rights, impact ISM’s legal obligations, or compromise platform integrity. If you are not satisfied with how we respond, you may have the right to escalate the matter to a data protection authority, depending on your location.


Do Not Track: Some web browsers allow users to send “Do Not Track” signals to websites. ISM does not currently respond to those signals. To learn more, you can visit www.allaboutdnt.com.

Other Sites and Services

Our Services may include links to websites, applications, or online tools that are not operated by International Scripture Ministries (ISM). These may include third-party ministries, content platforms, or integration tools. While we may reference or link to these services for your convenience, we do not control them and are not responsible for their privacy practices or content. This Privacy Policy applies only to ISM-operated Services and does not govern third-party websites or tools. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external sites you visit.

Security

ISM is committed to protecting your personal information. We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration of your data. However, no data transmission or storage system is completely secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. We encourage users to take steps on their own devices—such as using secure passwords and updating software—to help safeguard their data.

Children’s Privacy

ISM’s Services are not designed for or directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without verified parental or guardian consent. If we discover that we have unintentionally gathered information from a child under 16, we will promptly delete that data in accordance with applicable law.

International Data Transfers

Your personal information may be collected and processed in the United States or in other countries where our ministry partners, infrastructure providers, or data processors operate. These jurisdictions may not offer the same level of data protection as your home country. By using our Services, you acknowledge and consent (where applicable) to this transfer of your information across borders, subject to safeguards appropriate under relevant legal frameworks.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal obligations, or mission-driven initiatives. When we do, we will revise the “Effective Date” at the top of the policy and post the updated version on our website. If material changes are made, we will provide additional notice as appropriate—such as through a notification on our platform or via email—to ensure you remain informed.

How to Contact Us

Responsible Entity: International Scripture Ministries, Inc. (ISM) is the organization responsible for the collection and processing of personal information under this Privacy Policy.

Contact Us If you have questions or comments about this Privacy Policy, our data practices, or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us by:

  • Email: secure@ism.bible
  • Mail:
     International Scripture Ministries, Inc.
     Attn: Privacy Team
    8350 North Central Expressway, Suite 1900, PMB 3162 Dallas, Texas 75206, United States

We are here to serve you with transparency and respect, and we welcome any inquiries related to your privacy and data rights.