Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Smarter Homes (UEN 53321967A) (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you use Tales of China (中华故事) at talesofchina.com (“the Service”). We are committed to handling your data transparently and in accordance with applicable Singapore law.

1. What We Collect

When you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address, and Google account ID via Google OAuth. We store your email address and a profile record in our database to identify your account and manage your purchases.

When you make a purchase, payment is processed by Stripe, Inc. We receive a confirmation of the transaction (amount, title purchased, timestamp) but do not receive or store your payment card details — these remain with Stripe.

When you submit a message via our contact form, we store your name, email address, and message content so we can respond.

We collect usage telemetry (pages viewed, audio played, reading session duration) to understand how the Service is used and improve it. This data is associated with your account but is not sold or shared with third parties.

2. What We Do Not Collect

• We do not collect data from children directly. Accounts must be created by an adult (18+).
• We do not use advertising trackers or third-party analytics pixels.
• We do not collect device fingerprints or precise geolocation.
• We do not store payment card numbers, CVVs, or bank details.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data solely to operate the Service:

• To authenticate your account and maintain your login session.
• To record and fulfil your title purchases.
• To send purchase receipts and, where necessary, service notices (including any shutdown notice).
• To respond to messages submitted via the contact form.
• To improve content and platform quality using aggregated usage data.

We do not use your data for advertising, profiling, or sale to third parties.

4. Data Sharing

We share your data only where necessary to operate the Service:

• Google LLC — authentication provider. Your use of Google Sign-In is subject to Google’s Privacy Policy.
• Stripe, Inc. — payment processor. Payment data is subject to Stripe’s Privacy Policy.
• Google Cloud Platform — our hosting and database provider. Data is stored in Google Cloud SQL and Google Cloud Storage, located in the asia-southeast1 (Singapore) region.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data.

5. Data Retention

We retain your account and purchase records for as long as your account is active. If you request deletion of your account, we will remove your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law (e.g. financial records).

Contact form messages are retained for up to 12 months and then deleted.

6. Your Rights

You have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of your personal data. To exercise these rights, use our contact form. We will respond within 30 days.

7. Cookies and Session Storage

We use a session cookie solely to maintain your login state. We do not use advertising cookies, third-party tracking cookies, or persistent analytics cookies.

8. AI-Generated Content

Stories, illustrations, audio, and avatar responses on the Service are produced or assisted by AI systems (including Anthropic Claude and other providers). Inputs to these systems (your questions to the avatar) may be processed by third-party AI providers subject to their own data policies. We do not use your questions to train AI models.

9. Changes to This Policy

If we make material changes to this Privacy Policy, we will notify you by email and update the effective date above. Continued use of the Service after notice constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of Singapore, including the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA).

11. Contact

For privacy-related requests or questions, use our contact form.