Privacy Policy

1. Overview

Chapterly ("we", "our", "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and safeguard information about you when you use our reading-tracking platform at getchapterly.com and any associated mobile applications (collectively, the "Service").

By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account and Authentication Data

• Email address (required for account creation)
• Display name and profile handle (chosen by you)
• Avatar / profile photo (optional, uploaded by you)
• Google account identifiers if you sign in with Google
• Account creation date and last login time

2.2 Reading and Activity Data

• Books you add to your shelves (reading, read, want-to-read)
• Reading sessions: start/end time, pages read, duration
• Reading streaks, daily stats, and personal bests
• Book ratings, reviews, and notes you write
• Quotes you save from books
• Reading challenges and goals you set
• XP, reader level, and achievement data

2.3 Social Data

• Users you follow and who follow you
• Reading clubs you join or create
• Club posts and comments
• Feed activity shared with followers

2.4 Payment Data

If you subscribe to Chapterly Premium, payment processing is handled entirely by Stripe. We do not store your full card number, CVV, or bank account details. We retain records of your subscription status, billing history, and the last four digits of your payment method as provided by Stripe.

2.5 Technical and Usage Data

• IP address and general location (country/region)
• Browser type, device type, and operating system
• Pages visited, features used, and interaction events
• Error and crash reports

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve the Service
• Authenticate you and keep your account secure
• Personalise your reading dashboard, feed, and recommendations
• Generate AI-powered reading insights (using Anthropic Claude)
• Send streak reminders, weekly digests, and transactional emails
• Process Premium subscription payments
• Analyse product usage to understand and improve features
• Detect abuse, fraud, and security threats
• Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your reading data for advertising targeting.

4. Third-Party Service Providers

We share limited data with trusted third-party processors who help us operate the Service. Each processor is contractually required to handle your data securely and only for the purposes we specify.

5. Your Rights

5.1 GDPR (EU/EEA/UK residents)

If you are located in the EU, EEA, or UK, you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Rectification — correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Erasure — request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
• Restriction — request that we limit processing of your data
• Portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interests

5.2 CCPA (California residents)

California residents have the right to:

• Know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose
• Request deletion of their personal information
• Opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• Non-discrimination for exercising their privacy rights

6. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. Reading session data, stats, and social content are retained for the life of your account to power features like streak history, yearly progress charts, and reading wrapped summaries.

If you delete your account, we delete all personally identifiable data associated with your account within 30 days. Anonymised or aggregated data (e.g., total books read across all users) may be retained indefinitely.

7. Account Deletion

You can permanently delete your account at any time from Settings → Account. Account deletion removes your profile, reading data, social connections, and all associated content. This action is irreversible.

8. Cookies and Tracking

We use essential cookies for authentication and session management. We use PostHog for product analytics — this uses a first-party cookie to track usage events. We do not use third-party advertising cookies.

You can opt out of analytics tracking by contacting us at hello@getchapterly.com.

9. Data Security

We use industry-standard security measures including encrypted connections (TLS), row-level security (RLS) on our database, and access controls to protect your data. Despite these measures, no system is completely secure. We encourage you to use a strong, unique password and to enable two-factor authentication where available.

10. Children's Privacy

Chapterly is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with their data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

11. Contact

For privacy requests, questions, or to exercise your rights, contact us at: hello@getchapterly.com