Privacy Policy

Introduction

Apoet ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and website (collectively, the "Service"). Please read this policy carefully.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: When you sign in with Google, we receive your email address and basic profile information (name, profile picture) from Google
• Profile Information: Display name, username, bio, profile picture, cover image, location (optional), and social links (Instagram, Twitter/X, website)
• Content: Poems, stories, tales, comments, and other content you create and publish
• Communications: Messages you send to us for support or feedback

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data: Content views, likes, bookmarks, comments, and engagement metrics
• Device Information: Device type, operating system, browser type, and app version
• Log Data: IP address, access times, and pages viewed
• Activity Data: Streaks, experience points, badges earned, and gamification metrics

1.3 Information from Third Parties

• Google Sign-In: Email, name, and profile picture from your Google account
• Firebase: Authentication tokens and session data
• Payment Processors: When you purchase coins or premium subscriptions, our payment providers (Google Play Billing, Apple App Store, or Stripe for web) send us a transaction confirmation that includes the package purchased, amount, currency, country, and an opaque transaction identifier. We do not receive or store your full payment card number, CVV, or bank credentials

1.4 Transaction & Coin Data

To operate the coin and gifting system, we store:

• Your coin balance and history of coins earned, spent, and purchased
• Gifts you have sent and received, including the recipient/sender, gift type, coin value, optional message, and timestamp
• Subscription status and renewal dates for premium features

1.5 Moderation & Ban Data

To keep Apoet safe and enforce our policies, we may store moderation records such as:

• Reports, review notes, content decisions, and appeal history
• Account restriction status, including warnings, soft bans, suspensions, permanent bans, start dates, expiry dates, and reasons
• Signals needed to detect spam, fraud, abuse, repeated violations, or ban evasion

2. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve the Service
• Create and manage your account
• Enable you to create, publish, and share content
• Display your profile to other users
• Send notifications about activity on your content (likes, comments, followers)
• Personalize your experience with trending and recommended content
• Track and display engagement metrics (views, likes, streaks)
• Process transactions for premium features and virtual goods
• Review reports, apply warnings, soft bans, suspensions, or permanent bans, and process appeals
• Enforce our Terms & Conditions and protect against misuse, fraud, spam, and ban evasion
• Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
• Analyze usage patterns to improve our Service

3. How We Share Your Information

3.1 Public Information

The following is visible to all users:

• Your profile (display name, username, bio, profile picture, cover image)
• Published content (poems, stories, tales)
• Comments you post
• Follower/following counts
• Badges and achievements

3.2 Service Providers

We share information with trusted third parties who assist us:

• Google Firebase: Authentication, cloud storage, and real-time database services
• Hosting Providers: Server infrastructure and content delivery
• Analytics Services: To understand Service usage and improve features
• Payment Processors: Google Play Billing, Apple App Store, and Stripe — for processing coin and subscription purchases. Your payment details are handled by these providers under their own privacy policies

When you receive a gift from another user, that user's profile information (name, username, avatar) is shown to you alongside the gift, and your profile information is shown to the sender.

3.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information if required by law, legal process, or government request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Apoet, our users, or others.

3.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user information may be transferred as part of the transaction.

4. Data Storage & Security

• Your data is stored on secure servers using Google Firebase infrastructure
• We use encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS) to protect your data
• Authentication is handled securely through Google OAuth
• We implement access controls and security measures to prevent unauthorized access
• While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission is 100% secure

5. Your Privacy Controls

You have control over your data through our Privacy Settings:

• Activity Status: Choose whether others can see when you're active
• Reading History: Control visibility of what you've read
• Messages: Allow or disallow messages from others
• Blocking: Block specific users from viewing your content
• Content Visibility: Save content as drafts (private) or publish (public)
• Collections: Mark collections as public or private
• Notifications: Customize which notifications you receive

6. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information via your profile settings
• Deletion: Delete your account and all associated data through Settings > Privacy & Security
• Portability: Request your data in a portable format
• Objection: Object to certain processing of your data
• Withdrawal: Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

To exercise these rights, contact us at support@apoet.co.

7. Data Retention

• Account data is retained while your account is active
• Published content remains on the platform until you delete it or your account
• When you delete your account, all your data is permanently removed
• Draft content stored locally in your browser may persist until cleared
• Transaction records (coin purchases, gift transactions, refunds) are retained for tax, accounting, audit, and fraud-prevention purposes for the period required by applicable law (typically up to 7 years) — even after account deletion. These records are stored in a minimised form (transaction ID, amount, date, anonymised user reference) and are not used for any other purpose
• Moderation and ban records may be retained after content removal, appeal closure, or account deletion when needed to enforce our policies, prevent repeat abuse or ban evasion, protect users, resolve disputes, or comply with law
• We may retain certain data as required by law or for legitimate business purposes

8. Children's Privacy

Apoet is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at support@apoet.co, and we will delete such information.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. These countries may have different data protection laws. By using the Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to these countries. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for such transfers.

10. Third-Party Links

The Service may contain links to third-party websites or services (social media, external websites). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

11. Cookies & Local Storage

We use:

• Authentication Tokens: To keep you signed in securely
• Local Storage: To save draft content and notification preferences locally on your device
• Session Data: To maintain your session while using the app

You can clear local storage through your browser settings, though this may affect your experience.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us: