Privacy Policy

1. What We Collect

Account information

When you register, we collect your email address, chosen username, and (if you sign up via Google) your Google account name and profile picture. We store hashed passwords - we never store your password in plain text.

Content you create

We collect and store all content you create on Sproker: story plots, chapter submissions, votes, comments, forum posts, brainstorm contributions, and profile information (bio, avatar). This is necessary to provide the collaborative storytelling service.

Usage and analytics

We collect basic usage data including pages visited, features used, and actions taken (e.g., votes cast, chapters submitted) to improve the product and personalise your experience.

Payment information

Payment details (card numbers, billing addresses) are processed directly by Stripe and are never stored on Sproker servers. We store only a Stripe customer ID and your chosen subscription plan.

Legal consent records

We store the version of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy that you accepted and the timestamp of acceptance, for legal compliance purposes.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your data to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve the Sproker platform
• Create and manage your account
• Process payments and manage subscriptions via Stripe
• Send transactional emails (account confirmation, notifications you opt into, royalty payments)
• Calculate and distribute royalties from marketplace licensing
• Enforce our Terms of Service and community guidelines
• Respond to your support requests
• Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell your personal data to third parties, and we do not use your data for advertising targeting.

3. Sharing and Disclosure

We share your data only in the following circumstances:

• Service providers: Supabase (database and authentication), Stripe (payments), Vercel (hosting), and OpenAI (AI features). These are bound by their own privacy policies and process data only on our behalf.
• Public content: Your username, public profile, submitted chapters, and votes are visible to other users as part of the collaborative platform experience.
• Marketplace buyers: When a story is licensed, the buyer (publisher/studio) will have access to the names of contributing authors for attribution and royalty purposes.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Sproker, our users, or the public.
• Business transfers: If Sproker is acquired or merges with another entity, your data may be transferred as part of that transaction.

4. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service. Published canon chapters that form part of collaborative stories are retained indefinitely to preserve the integrity of those works, even if your account is deleted.

If you delete your account, we will remove your personal profile data within 30 days. Anonymised usage data and legal consent records may be retained longer for compliance purposes.

5. Cookies

We use a minimal set of cookies:

• Session cookies: Set by Supabase for authentication. Required for you to stay logged in.
• Preference cookies: Store your AI content filter preference (sproker_ai_filter) and ToS acceptance version (sproker_tos). These persist for up to 1 year.
• Admin preview cookie: Stores the plan-preview state for admin users only.

We do not use advertising cookies, cross-site tracking cookies, or analytics cookies from third-party vendors. There is no cookie consent banner because we do not use non-essential cookies that require consent under GDPR.

6. Third-Party Services

7. 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: Correct inaccurate data. Most profile data can be updated directly in Settings.
• Erasure: Request deletion of your account and associated personal data.
• Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Objection: Object to processing based on our legitimate interests.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@sproker.com. We will respond within 30 days. Note that published canon chapters may not be fully removable as they form part of collaborative works.

8. Children's Privacy

Sproker is intended for users aged 13 and above. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will delete that data promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us at hello@sproker.com.

9. International Data Transfers

Sproker is operated from the Netherlands (EU). Our service providers (Supabase, Stripe, Vercel) may process data in the United States and other countries. Where data is transferred outside the EU/EEA, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or equivalent safeguards to ensure adequate protection.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify registered users by email and require re-acceptance before continued use of the platform. The version identifier and “Last updated” date at the top of this page reflect the current version.

11. Contact

For privacy-related questions, data requests, or complaints, contact us at:

If you are located in the EU and believe we have not adequately addressed your concern, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local Data Protection Authority (in the Netherlands: the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl).