Reading Buddy Privacy Policy
Last updated: September 10, 2026
FuturePicnic (“Reading Buddy,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) provides a reading companion application. This Privacy Policy describes our practices concerning the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information and the choices and rights available to you.
A. Scope
This Privacy Policy covers personal information processed in connection with our website, mobile application, and related offerings (collectively, the “Services”). Questions about this policy may be directed to us using the contact information below.
B. Information we collect
The types of personal information we collect vary according to your interaction with the Services. We collect information directly from you, automatically through your use of the Services, and from third parties.
Information provided directly by you
- Account details. We collect information associated with your account, including your name and email address.
- Reading activity and preferences. We collect books and shelves, reading progress and sessions, goals, preferences, searches, and quiz activity.
- Content and communications. We process notes, messages, saved conversations, voice recordings submitted for transcription, and information provided when you contact us.
Information collected through use of the Services
- Technical and usage information. We and our providers may collect IP addresses, device and browser information, operating system, app version, language, identifiers, interactions with the Services, and diagnostic information. This may include notification delivery information and, where enabled, installation and campaign attribution information.
- Cookies and similar technologies. We and our providers may use cookies, local storage, and software development kits to operate the Services, remember preferences, provide support, and evaluate usage and performance.
- Analytics. We use third-party analytics services to understand and improve the Services. Usage may be associated with your account, including activity before sign-in. Analytics providers may receive account and app identifiers, name, and email address.
Information obtained from third parties
When you use a third-party sign-in service such as Google, we receive account information made available through that service. Payment and subscription providers supply transaction identifiers, subscription status, and related purchase information. We do not receive your sign-in provider's password or full payment card details from app-store purchases.
C. How we use information
We process personal information to deliver the Services, administer our business, and fulfill legal responsibilities, including to:
- Establish and administer accounts and provide requested features.
- Maintain reading content and preferences and personalize the Services.
- Manage payments, subscriptions, and access to purchased features.
- Respond to inquiries and communicate about the Services.
- Evaluate engagement, acquisition, and performance and develop improvements.
- Investigate errors, prevent fraud or misuse, and protect the Services.
- Comply with legal requirements, enforce agreements, and resolve disputes.
We may also process information for purposes you authorize or as otherwise permitted by law. We request consent when required.
D. How we share information
Service providers. We may disclose personal information to vendors assisting us with the operation of the Services, including hosting, account administration, analytics, payments, customer support, notifications, search, and related processing services. Providers acting on our behalf must protect the information in accordance with this policy and applicable requirements and use it to perform their services for us.
AI services. Our provider, Groq, processes messages and relevant book information for AI responses and quizzes, and recordings for transcription. We do not include account name, email, or user ID as additional fields in these requests. Messages and recordings may themselves contain personal information that you choose to include.
Legal and safety purposes. We may disclose information when reasonably necessary to comply with law or legal process, investigate misuse, enforce agreements, or protect rights and safety.
Business transfers. Information may be transferred during a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, or sale of business assets, subject to applicable protections and notice requirements.
At your direction. We may also share information when you request or authorize it.
E. Your choices and rights
You can update or remove reading information using available app features and manage microphone and notification permissions through device settings. Browser settings let you manage cookies and local storage; clearing storage may sign you out or remove locally saved information.
Privacy rights. Subject to applicable law, you may request access to, a copy of, correction of, or deletion of your personal information. You may also have rights to withdraw consent, limit certain uses of sensitive information, or opt out of sale, sharing for targeted advertising, or certain profiling.
Requests, including account-deletion requests and applicable appeals, may be submitted using the contact information below. We may verify your identity or a representative's authority and will respond in accordance with applicable law. We do not discriminate against individuals for exercising privacy rights. Withdrawing consent does not affect prior lawful processing. You may also submit a complaint to the appropriate regulator.
F. Security
We use technical and organizational measures designed to protect information, including authenticated access and controls limiting access to account data. No system or transmission method is completely secure.
G. International processing
Personal information may be processed and stored outside your place of residence, where legal protections may differ. We maintain the protections described in this policy and apply additional transfer safeguards where required by law.
H. Retention and deletion
We keep personal information for periods reasonably necessary to support your use of the Services, administer your account, address inquiries and disputes, maintain security, and satisfy legal obligations. Retention depends on the nature of the information, its purpose, your relationship with us, and applicable requirements.
Account and saved reading information are generally retained while your account is active. After a verified deletion request, we delete personal information and direct our providers to do so where applicable, subject to lawful retention exceptions and backup expiration schedules. Uninstalling the app does not delete your account, and account deletion does not cancel an app-store subscription.
I. California residents
This section supplements the policy for California residents where our processing falls within the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended (the “CCPA”).
Categories of information. The information described in Section B includes identifiers and contact information, such as name, email address, account and device identifiers, and IP address; commercial information, such as subscription and purchase records; internet or other electronic activity, such as searches and use of the Services; audio information, such as voice recordings; and preferences reflected in reading activity and goals. Sources and purposes are described in Sections B and C, and retention practices in Section H.
Business-purpose disclosures. Identifiers and contact information may be disclosed to hosting, account, analytics, subscription, support, and notification providers. Purchase information may be disclosed to payment, subscription, and hosting providers. Usage and reading information may be disclosed to hosting, analytics, search, and AI providers as needed for their services. Audio recordings are processed through our hosting and transcription providers. Section D describes these disclosures in more detail.
Sale and sharing. We do not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising, and we have not done so during the preceding 12 months. We disclose information to service providers for the purposes described in Section D. For questions about these practices or to exercise applicable privacy rights, contact dev@futurepicnic.com.
Your rights. Subject to the CCPA, you may request information about our collection and disclosure practices, access to specific personal information, correction, and deletion. You may also have the right to limit certain uses of sensitive personal information. You may exercise applicable rights, directly or through an authorized agent, using the contact details below. We may verify requests where permitted and will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.
Direct marketing disclosures. California residents may contact us to request information about disclosures for third parties' direct marketing purposes to the extent provided by California's Shine the Light law.
J. Nevada residents
Nevada residents may submit a request directing us not to sell covered information about them where Nevada law provides that right. Email dev@futurepicnic.com with the subject “Nevada privacy request” and your name and account email address. We will verify and respond to the request as required by Nevada law.
K. Children
The Services are not directed to children under 13 or a higher minimum age where required by law. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children below that age. Contact us if you believe a child has provided information contrary to this policy so we can investigate and take appropriate action, including deletion where required.
L. Other provisions
External services. Websites, sign-in providers, and app stores have their own policies for information they process independently. This does not limit our responsibilities for providers acting on our behalf.
Policy changes. We may update this policy as our practices change. We will revise the date above, provide notice of material changes as required by law, and request consent where necessary.
M. Contact us
For privacy questions or requests, contact:
FuturePicnic