Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Meet at the Stacks ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and what choices you have. We believe in collecting only what is necessary to provide the Service.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly to us when using the Service:

• Email Address: Used to create and authenticate your account, and to send notifications you opt into (such as meeting reminders and club invitations).
• Reading History: Books you add to your personal stacks, your reading progress, ratings, and books nominated or voted on within your book clubs.
• Custom Stack Names: Names you assign to your personal reading lists are stored privately and visible only to you.
• Book Club Location (optional): If you or a club organizer provides a meeting location for a book club, that address is stored and associated with your book club and account. It is used solely to display meeting details to club members and is not used for advertising, tracking, or any other purpose.

We also automatically collect certain technical information when you use the Service:

• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, and device identifiers used to ensure compatibility and security of the Service.
• IP Address & Log Data: Your IP address, access times, and pages viewed, collected automatically by our hosting infrastructure (Vercel) for security monitoring and abuse prevention.
• Usage Analytics: Aggregate, non-personally-identifiable data about how features are used, to help us improve the Service. This data is not linked to your identity and is not shared with advertisers.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect solely to provide the Service:

• Create and manage your account
• Enable book club features including nominations, voting, and meeting scheduling
• Display your reading history and progress to you
• Send transactional notifications you have enabled (meeting reminders, club invites)
• Respond to your support requests

We do not use your data for advertising, profiling, or any purpose beyond operating the Service.

4. Information Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share limited information only in these circumstances:

• With Club Members: Your display name, book club activity (nominations, votes, ratings), and any meeting location provided for a club are visible to other verified members of clubs you join.
• Infrastructure Providers: We use Supabase for database hosting and Vercel for application hosting. These providers process your data solely to operate the Service and are bound by their own privacy policies.
• Legal Requirements: If required by law or to protect the rights and safety of our users or the public.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical measures to protect your data, including encrypted connections (HTTPS), row-level database security, and secure authentication. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active. You may request deletion of your account and all associated data at any time by contacting us at support@meetatthestacks.com. We will process deletion requests within 30 days.

7. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access and receive a copy of the data we hold about you
• Correct inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your account and all associated data
• Withdraw consent for notifications at any time through the app settings

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@meetatthestacks.com.

8. Cookies

We use cookies solely to maintain your authenticated session. We do not use cookies for advertising or third-party tracking. Disabling cookies will prevent you from staying logged in.

9. Third-Party Services & Authentication

We support several third-party services for authentication and book information:

• Sign in with Apple: When you use Apple's authentication, we receive your name and email address. You may choose to hide your email address using Apple's Private Email Relay service, in which case Apple provides us with a private email address on your behalf.
• Sign in with Google: When you use Google authentication, we receive your name and email address from Google.
• Google Books API: The Service uses the Google Books API to search for and display book information. Book searches are performed through Google's API; we do not share your personal information with Google as part of these searches.
• Bookshop.org: The Service may link to Bookshop.org for book purchases. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party services.

10. User-Generated Content & Safety

meet at the Stacks does not allow users to post public content, upload images, send direct messages, or engage in any form of chat. The Service is a private reading and book club management tool. There is no public-facing user-generated content, no social feed, and no ability for users to communicate with strangers. Club activity (nominations, votes, ratings, and meeting location if provided), as well as custom stack names, are visible only to members of that club and are private to your personal stacks respectively.

11. Children's Privacy (COPPA)

The Service is intended for users 13 years of age and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. By creating an account, you represent that you are at least 13 years of age.

In compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), if we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verified parental consent, we will delete that information promptly. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately at support@meetatthestacks.com.

Users between 13 and 17 years of age should review this policy with a parent or guardian. We do not market to minors and do not knowingly permit minors under 13 to register for the Service.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email or by posting a notice in the app. The updated date at the top of this page reflects when the policy was last revised.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact us at support@meetatthestacks.com.