Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Chodoku ("we", "us") collects, uses, and protects your information when you use our platform for creating, publishing, and reading interactive stories.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

• Account information: email address, display name, and authentication details, including information from third-party sign-in providers (Google, Microsoft, Facebook) if you choose to use them.
• Content you create: stories, scripts, uploaded images and audio, and related metadata.
• Usage data: reading progress, ratings, reports, and interactions with stories and the editor.
• Payment information: purchase records and transaction references from our payment processors. We do not store your full card details; these are handled directly by our payment providers.
• Technical data: IP address, browser type, and device information collected automatically for security and diagnostics.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, operate, and maintain the Service.
• Process purchases and grant publish credits.
• Enforce our Terms of Service and community guidelines, including moderation and ban/appeal workflows.
• Communicate with you about your account, including email confirmations and security notices.
• Improve and secure the Service.

4. Sharing of Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with:

• Payment processors (such as Stripe) to complete purchases.
• Cloud infrastructure providers (such as Microsoft Azure) that host our application, database, and file storage.
• Authentication providers (such as Google, Microsoft, or Facebook) if you choose to sign in using those services.
• Law enforcement or regulators, where required by law.

5. Data Retention

We retain account and content data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. Purchase records are retained as required for accounting and legal purposes. You may request deletion of your personal data as described below, subject to legal and operational retention requirements.

6. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to access, correct, export, or delete your personal data. You can manage much of this directly from your account settings, including downloading your personal data and requesting account deletion.

7. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to maintain your session, remember your preferences (such as dark mode), and keep the Service secure.

8. Children's Privacy

The Service includes age-rated content and age-gating features. The Service is not directed at children under the minimum age required by applicable law, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children below that age.

9. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will indicate the date of the most recent revision at the top of this page.

11. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please contact us through the support channels listed on the Service.