Privacy Policy
Novelty Technologies, LLC ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy of our users. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our applications and services, including StoryForum ("the App"). Please read this policy carefully. By using the App, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Account Information
When you create an account, we may collect the following information:
- Name and display name — used to identify you within the platform
- Email address — used for account verification, login, and communication
- Password — stored in encrypted form; we never store plaintext passwords
- Profile picture — optionally uploaded by you for personalization
- Date of birth or age verification — to ensure compliance with age requirements
1.2 User-Generated Content
StoryForum is designed for collaborative storytelling and interaction. We collect and store:
- Forum posts and stories — text content you create and share publicly on the platform
- AI interaction data — your conversations and interactions with AI characters within the platform
- Comments and replies — responses you post in community threads
- Character profiles — AI characters and story settings you create
1.3 Usage Data
We automatically collect certain information about how you access and use the App:
- Device information — device type, operating system, and version
- Log data — access times, pages viewed, app crashes, and system activity
- IP address — used for security, fraud prevention, and general analytics
- App interaction data — features used, session duration, and navigation patterns
- Advertising identifiers — used for analytics purposes (you may opt out via your device settings)
1.4 Newsletter Signup
If you subscribe to our product updates newsletter via our website, we collect:
- Email address — used solely to send you announcements about new products, features, and company updates
Your email is stored securely via our website hosting provider (Netlify). You may unsubscribe at any time by contacting us at contact@noveltytechnologies.us, and we will promptly delete your email from our mailing list.
1.5 Cookies and Similar Technologies
If you access StoryForum through a web browser, we may use cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing behavior. You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- Providing and maintaining the App — delivering the core storytelling and forum features, including AI character interactions
- Account management — creating and managing your user account, authenticating logins, and processing account-related requests
- Improving the App — analyzing usage patterns to enhance features, fix bugs, and optimize performance
- Communication — sending you service-related announcements, updates, security alerts, support messages, and product newsletter emails (if you subscribed)
- Safety and moderation — monitoring content for violations of our terms of service, preventing abuse, and ensuring community safety
- AI model improvement — using aggregated, anonymized interaction data to improve the quality and safety of AI character responses
- Legal compliance — fulfilling legal obligations and responding to lawful requests from authorities
3. Data Sharing and Disclosure
We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We may share information only in the following limited circumstances:
- Service providers — we work with trusted third-party service providers (cloud hosting, analytics, email delivery) who process data on our behalf under strict contractual obligations to protect your information
- Legal requirements — we may disclose your information if required to do so by law, subpoena, court order, or other legal process
- Safety and rights protection — we may share information when we believe it is necessary to protect the safety of our users, prevent fraud, or enforce our terms of service
- Business transfers — in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user data may be transferred as part of the transaction. We will notify users of any such change in ownership or control of personal data
- With your consent — we may share data for other purposes with your explicit consent
4. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services. Specifically:
- Account data — retained for the lifetime of your account. Upon account deletion, we will remove your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law
- User-generated content — public posts and stories may remain on the platform even after account deletion to preserve community conversations. Your display name will be anonymized
- Usage data — aggregated, anonymized usage data may be retained indefinitely for analytical purposes
- Legal compliance data — certain data may be retained longer if required by applicable law or regulation
5. Data Security
We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information, including:
- Encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest
- Secure authentication mechanisms and password hashing
- Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
- Access controls limiting employee access to user data on a need-to-know basis
While we take reasonable precautions, no method of electronic storage or transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.
6. Your Rights and Choices
Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Access — you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Correction — you may request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data
- Deletion — you may request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal retention requirements)
- Portability — you may request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Objection — you may object to certain processing activities, including direct marketing
- Restriction — you may request that we restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances
- Withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at contact@noveltytechnologies.us. We will respond to your request within 30 days.
7. Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)
StoryForum is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will take steps to promptly delete such information from our systems.
Users between the ages of 13 and 17 may use StoryForum with the consent of a parent or legal guardian. We encourage parents and guardians to monitor their children's online activities and to help enforce this Privacy Policy.
If you believe that a child under 13 has provided personal information to us, please contact us immediately at contact@noveltytechnologies.us.
8. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)
If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):
- The right to know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell
- The right to request deletion of your personal information
- The right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information (we do not sell personal data)
- The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights
To submit a CCPA request, contact us at contact@noveltytechnologies.us.
9. International Data Transfers
If you access StoryForum from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States where our servers are located. By using the App, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States, which may have different data protection laws than your country of residence.
10. Third-Party Links and Services
The App may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you access through our App.
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you by:
- Posting the updated policy on our website and within the App
- Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
- Sending an email notification for significant changes (if you have provided your email)
Your continued use of the App after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.
12. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:
Novelty Technologies, LLC
Alpharetta, Georgia, United States
Email: contact@noveltytechnologies.us
Website: noveltytechnologies.us