Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you create an account or interact with the platform, we may collect:

• Account information: username, email address, and password (stored as a secure hash — never in plain text).
• Profile information: display name and any optional biographical details you choose to add.
• User-generated content: comments, reviews, or other content you submit.
• Communications: messages you send to us via email or support channels.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit StoriesVerse, certain technical data is collected automatically, including:

• IP address and approximate geographic location (country/region level).
• Browser type, operating system, and device type.
• Pages visited, time spent, and navigation paths (via Google Analytics).
• Referring URLs and search terms.
• Cookie identifiers and similar tracking technologies (see Section 4).

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and manage your account and authenticate your sessions.
• Deliver the stories, categories, and features of the platform.
• Personalise your reading experience and remember your preferences.
• Send transactional emails (e.g., password resets, account notifications).
• Analyse usage patterns to improve site performance, content, and user experience.
• Detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent or abusive activity.
• Display relevant advertisements through Google AdSense and Adskeeper (see Section 5).
• Comply with legal obligations.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

3. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, we process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Contract performance: processing necessary to provide the service you have signed up for (account management, story access).
• Legitimate interests: analytics, security, fraud prevention, and platform improvement, balanced against your rights.
• Consent: for non-essential cookies and personalised advertising. You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Legal obligation: where we are required to process data to comply with applicable law.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

StoriesVerse uses cookies and similar technologies to operate the site and improve your experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your browser.

4.1 Types of Cookies We Use

4.2 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect site functionality. You may also opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

5. Third-Party Advertising

We partner with third-party advertising networks to serve ads on StoriesVerse. These networks may use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to collect data about your visits to this and other websites in order to display relevant advertisements.

5.1 Google AdSense

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements. Google may use the DoubleClick cookie and other technologies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this site and other sites on the internet. You can opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or www.aboutads.info/choices. Google's use of data is governed by the Google Privacy Policy.

5.2 Adskeeper

We also use Adskeeper, an advertising network that may collect and process data about your browsing behaviour to serve contextual and personalised ads. Adskeeper's data practices are governed by their own privacy policy, available on the Adskeeper website. You may opt out of their personalised advertising through industry opt-out tools such as Your Online Choices (EU).

5.3 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors interact with our site. Google Analytics collects anonymised data including page views, session duration, and traffic sources. Data is processed by Google in accordance with their Privacy Policy. We have enabled IP anonymisation to minimise data collection.

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share your data only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: trusted vendors who process data on our behalf (e.g., hosting, email delivery) under strict data processing agreements.
• Legal requirements: when required by law, court order, or governmental authority.
• Safety: to protect the rights, property, or safety of StoriesVerse, our users, or the public.
• Business transfers: in the event of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your data may be transferred. We will provide notice before your personal information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. If you delete your account, we will delete or anonymise your personal data within 30 days, except where we are legally required to retain it for a longer period (e.g., tax or fraud records).

Anonymised or aggregated analytics data may be retained indefinitely as it cannot be used to identify you.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• HTTPS encryption for all data in transit.
• Bcrypt hashing for passwords — your plain-text password is never stored.
• Restricted access controls for internal systems.
• Regular security reviews of our platform.

No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your Rights

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

• Access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification: request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Erasure:request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten"), subject to legal obligations.
• Restriction: request that we limit the processing of your data in certain circumstances.
• Portability: receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Objection: object to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing.
• Withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time without affecting prior lawful processing.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at storiesverseadmin@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days. If you are in the EEA, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

10. Children's Privacy

StoriesVerse is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately and we will take prompt steps to delete such data.

11. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own, including the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction. Where required, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place (such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission) before transferring personal data internationally.

12. Links to Third-Party Sites

Our platform may contain links to external websites, including author profiles or referenced content. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify registered users by email or via a notice on the site. Continued use of StoriesVerse after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal data, please contact us: