Privacy Policy

Effective Date: March 1, 2026 · Last Updated: February 28, 2026

Aristhomene Enterprises LLC ("we," "us," or "our") operates the Reading Guild mobile application (the "App"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use the App.

1. Information We Collect

Account information you provide:

• Username, display name, and email address (at registration)
• Password (stored securely using bcrypt hashing — we never store or see your plain-text password)
• Profile photo (if you choose to upload one)

Content you create:

• Reading lists and book statuses
• Book clubs you create or join
• Posts, comments, and chat messages within clubs

Automatically collected information:

• Device type and operating system (iOS or Android), used for push notification delivery
• Push notification tokens (Expo Push Tokens), used solely to deliver notifications to your device

Information we do NOT collect:

• Precise location or GPS data
• Contacts, call logs, or SMS
• Browsing history or activity outside the App
• Financial or payment information (the App is free and has no in-app purchases)

2. How We Use Your Information

• To create and maintain your account
• To provide the App's features: reading lists, book clubs, discussions, and chat
• To send you in-app and push notifications about club activity (replies, mentions, membership updates) based on your notification settings
• To display your username, display name, and avatar to other club members

We do not use your information for advertising, profiling, or selling to third parties.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. Your information is shared only in the following limited ways:

• With other club members: Your username, display name, avatar, posts, comments, and chat messages are visible to members of the clubs you join. Your reading list visibility is controlled by your privacy settings.
• Service providers: We use the following third-party services to operate the App:

• Amazon Web Services (S3) — stores profile photos
• Google Books API — provides book search and metadata (no personal data is sent)
• Expo Push Notification Service — delivers push notifications to your device (receives your push token and notification content)
• Firebase Cloud Messaging (Android) — routes push notifications on Android devices
• Apple Push Notification Service (iOS) — routes push notifications on iOS devices

These providers process data solely to deliver their respective services and are subject to their own privacy policies.

4. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored in a PostgreSQL database and Amazon S3 (for images). We protect your information using:

• Encrypted passwords (bcrypt)
• JWT-based authentication with short-lived access tokens and secure refresh tokens
• HTTPS for all data transmission
• Authenticated API endpoints and WebSocket connections

While we take reasonable measures to protect your data, no system is 100% secure. You are responsible for keeping your login credentials confidential.

5. Your Rights and Choices

• Notification controls: You can enable or disable specific notification categories (new posts, replies, membership requests, chat mentions) in the App's settings.
• Privacy settings: You can control whether your reading activity and reading list are visible to others.
• Account deletion: You can permanently delete your account from the App's settings screen. This removes your account data, posts, comments, and club memberships. Some content (e.g., your messages in club chats) may be retained in anonymized form to preserve conversation context for other members.
• Data access: You may request a copy of your personal data by contacting us at privacy@readingguild.com.

6. Children's Privacy (COPPA)

The App is intended for users aged 13 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child under 13, we will promptly delete that information. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@readingguild.com.

7. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, your personal data is removed as described in Section 5. Push notification tokens are removed when you log out or delete your account. We may retain anonymized or aggregated data that cannot be used to identify you.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you through the App or by updating the "Last Updated" date above. Your continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

9. Contact Us

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

Aristhomene Enterprises LLC
Email: privacy@readingguild.com