Privacy Policy

At Classics Book Club (operated by BookClave LLC), we take your privacy seriously. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your data.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Account Information: Email address (required), name (optional), and password (stored securely using bcrypt hashing)
• Conversation History: Messages you send in AI discussions
• Payment Information: Processed securely by Stripe—we do not store your credit card numbers

Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data: Message counts, feature usage, and interaction patterns
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, and device identifiers
• Log Data: IP addresses, access times, and pages viewed

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide and maintain the Classics Book Club service
• Process your subscription and payments
• Send transactional emails (verification, password reset, subscription updates)
• Maintain conversation continuity in AI discussions
• Enforce usage limits based on your subscription plan
• Improve our AI systems and user experience
• Detect and prevent abuse or fraud
• Comply with legal obligations

We never sell your personal data to third parties.

3. Third-Party Services

We use trusted third-party services to operate Classics Book Club:

Each of these services has their own privacy policy governing their handling of your data.

4. AI and Your Data

When you interact with AI characters on Classics Book Club:

• Your messages are sent to AI providers (currently Google Gemini) to generate responses
• Conversation history is stored to maintain discussion continuity
• We may use anonymized conversation patterns to improve our AI character prompts
• We do not use your conversations to train third-party AI models. For Gemini related concerns, please refer to Google's AI privacy policy.

5. Data Retention

We retain your data as follows:

• Account data: Retained while your account is active
• Conversation history: Retained while your account is active
• Payment records: Retained for 7 years for tax/legal compliance
• Log data: Retained for up to 90 days

When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal data within 30 days, except where we're required to retain it for legal purposes.

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

• Passwords are hashed using bcrypt (never stored in plain text)
• All data is transmitted over HTTPS/TLS encryption
• Database access is restricted and encrypted
• Rate limiting protects against abuse
• Regular security reviews and updates

While we strive to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Your Rights

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

All Users

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Correction: Update inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and data
• Export: Receive your data in a portable format

European Users (GDPR)

If you're in the European Economic Area, you have additional rights including:

• Right to restrict processing
• Right to object to processing
• Right to data portability
• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

Our legal basis for processing your data includes: contract performance (providing the service), legitimate interests (improving and securing the service), and consent (where applicable).

California Users (CCPA)

If you're a California resident, you have the right to:

• Know what personal information we collect and how it's used
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Opt out of the sale of personal information (we don't sell your data)
• Non-discrimination for exercising your rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@classicsbookclub.com

8. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Essential cookies: Keep you logged in and maintain your session
• Preference cookies: Remember your settings and preferences
• Analytics cookies: Understand how you use our service (via Vercel Analytics)

Most browsers allow you to control cookies through settings. Disabling essential cookies may affect your ability to use Classics Book Club.

9. Children's Privacy

Classics Book Club is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at support@classicsbookclub.com and we will delete it.

10. International Data Transfers

Your data may be transferred to and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international transfers, including standard contractual clauses where required.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We'll notify you of significant changes by email or through the service. The "Effective Date" at the top indicates when the policy was last revised.

12. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions or to exercise your rights, contact us at:

BookClave LLC
Email: support@classicsbookclub.com

We aim to respond to all requests within 30 days.