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. Analytics collected through our provider (PostHog, hosted in the EU) only run after you opt in via the cookie banner (see Cookies below).

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 (sub-processors): the providers listed in section 6 (database, hosting, analytics, email, payments, AI, and print fulfilment). They are bound by data-processing agreements and process data only on our behalf and instructions.
• 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

Essential (always on)

These are strictly necessary for the service and do not require consent:

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

Analytics (only with your consent)

We use PostHog (privacy-friendly product analytics, hosted in the EU) to understand how the product is used and improve it. PostHog is only loaded after you opt invia the cookie banner; until then it sets no cookies and sends no events. You can change or withdraw your choice at any time using the “Cookie settings” link in the footer.

We do not use advertising cookies or cross-site tracking, and we do not use your data for advertising targeting.

6. Third-Party Services

We use the sub-processors below. Those marked EU store and process data in the European Union; those marked US involve a transfer outside the EU/EEA, for which we rely on the safeguards described in section 9.

AI providers receive the prompts and content you submit when you use AI features (including audio for voice transcription). A current, detailed list is kept at sproker.com/subprocessors.

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.

You can export your data or delete your account directly in your account settings (Account → Security). For any other request, contact us at privacy@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 and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children as users.

Sproker Bedtime (stories about a child)

Sproker Bedtime lets an adult account holder create personalised stories for a child. Any child details you add (such as a first name, age, or interests) are provided by you, the parent or guardian, used only to generate and organise those stories, and visible only within your account. The child is not a user of Sproker. You are responsible for the information you provide about a child, you can edit or permanently delete a child profile at any time in your account settings (deleting your account also erases it), and we ask that you share only what is necessary.

If you believe a child under 13 has created an account or provided us with personal data, contact us at privacy@sproker.com and we will delete it promptly.

9. International Data Transfers

Sproker is operated from the Netherlands (EU). Your account, content, and analytics are stored and processed in the EU: the database and storage run in Ireland (Supabase, eu-west-1), our application servers run in Dublin (Vercel, dub1), and product analytics and email run in the EU (PostHog, Resend).

Some sub-processors necessarily process data in the United States - payments (Stripe), print fulfilment (Lulu), the AI providers listed in section 6, and weather data (OpenWeather). For these transfers outside the EU/EEA we rely on the EU Standard Contractual Clauses and, where the provider is certified, the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, together with additional safeguards as appropriate.

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).