Privacy Policy

Introduction

The Episode App ("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.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide

- Episode Data: Ratings, notes, and viewing preferences you enter

- Account Information: If you create an account, we collect your email address and authentication credentials

- User-Generated Content: Any reports or feedback you submit through the "Report Missing Information" feature

- Suspect Challenge Data: If you participate in Suspect Challenges, we store your guesses and scores

Automatically Collected Information

- Usage Data: How you interact with the app, features used, and time spent

- Device Information: Device type, operating system, and app version

- Performance Data: Crash reports and error logs to improve app stability

Authentication Data

- Apple Sign-In: If you use Apple Sign-In, we receive a unique identifier and optionally your name and email

- Anonymous Authentication: Users who don't create an account are assigned an anonymous identifier

How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

- Provide App Functionality: Store and sync your episode data across devices via our external database

- Improve User Experience: Analyze usage patterns to enhance features

- Generate Recommendations: Create aggregated, anonymous recommendations for other users

- Provide Support: Respond to your questions and technical issues

- Ensure Security: Detect and prevent abuse, spam, and security threats

- Enable Social Features: Facilitate suspect challenges between users

Data Storage

Where Your Data is Stored

- Local Storage: Episode data is stored locally and securely on your device using Core Data

- Cloud Storage: Account and episode data that you input is transmitted and stored securely in a third party database

Data Sync

- Automatic Sync: Your watched episodes and ratings sync automatically when connected to the internet

- Offline Support: The app works offline and syncs changes when you reconnect

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We Do Not Sell Your Data: We never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.

Limited Sharing

We will share information only in these circumstances:

- Aggregated Data: Anonymous, aggregated statistics that cannot identify individual users

- Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect our rights

- Service Providers: For data storage and authentication

Third-Party Services

Our app uses:

- Firebase (Google): For authentication, database storage, and security

- Apple Services: For App Store functionality, StoreKit, and Apple Sign-In

- No Analytics: We do not use Firebase Analytics or any other analytics services

Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures:

- Encryption: Data is encrypted in transit and at rest

- Authentication: All data access requires proper authentication

- Access Controls: Firebase Security Rules ensure users can only access their own data

- Rate Limiting: Prevents abuse and protects against spam

- Input Validation: All user input is validated and sanitized

- Regular Monitoring: We monitor for suspicious activity and security threats

Your Rights and Choices

Data Access and Control

- Update Information: Modify or correct your information at any time

- Delete Account: Delete all the data we have related to you in Settings > Manage My Data

Privacy Options

- Anonymous Usage: You can use the app without creating an account

Data Retention

We retain data in the following circumstances:

- Active Accounts: We retain data while your account is active

- Inactive Accounts: Data may be deleted after 2 years of inactivity

- Deleted Data: When you delete your data all data associated with your account is permanently removed from your phone and our external database.

- Legal Requirements: Some data may be retained longer for legal compliance

- Aggregated Data: Anonymous, aggregated data may be retained indefinitely

International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own, specifically:

- Firebase Servers: Located in various Google Cloud Platform regions

- Data Protection: We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place through Firebase's security measures

GDPR Compliance

For users in the European Union, we comply with GDPR requirements:

- Legal Basis: We process data based on consent and legitimate interests

- Right to Erasure: Delete your data through the app

- Data Minimization: We only collect data necessary for app functionality

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of any material changes by:

- Posting the updated policy in the app

- Displaying a prominent notice in the app

- The "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, contact us at:

• submissions@theepisodeapp.com

Your Consent

By using The Episode App, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our app.