Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 21rd, 2026

NovelBite ("we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you use our website, mobile apps, and related services (collectively, the "Service").

By using NovelBite, you agree with this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Service.

1. Scope of This Policy
2. This policy applies to all data collected via:

• NovelBite mobile apps (iOS and Android)
• The NovelBite website
• Any other platform linking to this policy
• If there is any conflict between this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Service, this policy governs personal data matters. Capitalized terms not defined here have the same meaning as in our Terms of Service.

1. Information We Collect
2. We gather two categories of information from users: (1) information you choose to provide voluntarily, and (2) information collected automatically when you interact with the Service.

2.1 Voluntarily Provided Information

This includes data you actively share with us when using the Service, such as:

• Account & Profile Information: Please note that your profile may be visible to other users of the Service—avoid including sensitive information (such as religious beliefs, health data, or financial details) unless you intend to share it publicly.
• Communication Data: Any information you send to us, including messages submitted through customer support, feedback forms, surveys, or contest entries.
• Payment-Related Information: When you purchase subscriptions or in-app items, payments are processed by trusted third-party payment providers (e.g., Stripe, Apple Pay, Google Pay). NovelBite does not store full payment credentials (such as credit card numbers). We only receive non-sensitive transaction details, including the transaction date, amount, and payment method type (e.g., credit card, digital wallet).

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you use the Service, we automatically collect certain data to enhance your experience and improve our offerings. This includes:

• Usage & Browsing Data: Details about your interaction with the Service, such as the content you view, stories you bookmark, reading duration, login frequency, and features you use (e.g., commenting, offline downloads). We also collect referral data to understand how users find our Service.
• Device & Technical Data: Information about the device you use to access the Service, including the device model, operating system, unique device identifiers (e.g., GAID for Android devices, IDFA for iOS devices), IP address, internet service provider, language settings, time zone, and geolocation data (if you have enabled location permissions on your device).
• Advertising Data: Data related to ads you view or interact with on the Service, including click-through data and viewing duration. This helps us measure the effectiveness of our advertising efforts.

2.3 Data Involving Minors

NovelBite complies with global children’s privacy laws, including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the minimum age requirement (13 years old in most jurisdictions, or 16 years old in the European Economic Area).

If you are under the minimum age, you are not permitted to create an account or use the Service.

1. How We Use Your Data
2. We use your data only for legitimate purposes, including:

• Providing the Service: Account authentication, payment processing, saving reading progress.
• Personalization: Recommending stories based on your reading history.
• Improvement: Analyzing usage to enhance performance and test features.
• Security: Detecting unauthorized access and preventing fraud.
• Communications:Service messages (mandatory, e.g., password resets) – cannot opt out.Marketing messages (promotions, offers) – can opt out anytime.
• Advertising: Showing and measuring personalized or non-personalized ads.

1. Legal Basis for Processing (EEA Users Only)
2. If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), we process your data under these GDPR bases:

• Consent: e.g., for personalized ads.
• Contract Performance: e.g., processing payments under our Terms of Service.
• Legitimate Interests: e.g., improving the Service, fraud prevention – where our interests do not override your privacy rights.
• Legal Obligation: When required by law.

1. Advertising Practices
2. We may display advertisements in the free version of the Service or as part of incentivized features (e.g., earning free reading time by viewing ads).

5.1 Types of Ads

• Personalized Ads: Ads tailored to your interests, based on your usage data, device identifiers, and preferences.
• Non-Personalized Ads: Generic advertisements that are not based on your personal data.

5.2 Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, unique device identifiers (GAID/IDFA), and pixel tags to track ad performance, avoid showing repetitive ads, and understand user engagement with advertisements. Our advertising partners may also use these technologies, which are governed by their own privacy policies.

Opting out does not stop all ads – you will still see non-personalized ads.

1. Your Advertising Choices
2. You control ads and data use through:

• In-App Settings: Account Settings > "Privacy" > "Ad Preferences" – disable personalized ads.
• Marketing Emails: Click "Unsubscribe" in any marketing email.

1. Data Retention
2. We retain your data only as long as necessary:

• Account Data: Deleted within 30 days of account deletion, except for legal obligations (e.g., tax records up to 7 years).
• Automatically Collected Data: Retained for 12 months after last use, unless needed for security.
• Minors’ Data: Deleted immediately upon discovery of unauthorized collection.

1. Who We Share Your Data With
2. We do not sell your personal data. We share data only in these circumstances:

8.1 Service Providers

• Payment Processors: Stripe, Apple Pay, Google Pay
• Hosting & Security: AWS, Cloudflare
• Analytics: Google Analytics
• Customer Support: Zendesk

8.2 Other Users

Your profile information and comments may be visible to others.

8.3 Legal & Safety Reasons

We may disclose data if required by law or to protect rights, property, or safety.

8.4 Corporate Transactions

In a merger, acquisition, or sale, your data may be transferred to the new owner, provided they uphold this policy.

1. International Data Transfers
2. Your personal data may be transferred to and stored in countries outside of your country of residence (e.g., the United States). For users in the EEA, we ensure adequate protection of your data through EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), which govern cross-border data transfers. All data transfers are encrypted using SSL/TLS to ensure security.
3. Third-Party Links
4. The Service may contain links to third-party websites or platforms (e.g., author blogs, online retailers). This Privacy Policy does not apply to these third-party sites. We recommend that you review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit to understand how they collect and use your data.

1. Data Security
2. NovelBite takes the security of your personal data seriously. We implement a range of technical and organizational measures to protect your data from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (using SSL/TLS) and at rest (using AES-256).
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for user accounts to prevent unauthorized access.
• Regular security audits and updates to our systems and practices.
• While we strive to protect your data, no system is 100% secure. You can help protect your account by using a strong, unique password, enabling MFA, and reporting any suspicious activity to us immediately.

1. Changes to This Policy
2. We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. If we make material changes to the policy, we will notify you via an in-app alert, email, or a prominent notice on our website. The updated policy will take effect immediately after the notice is issued. By continuing to use the Service after the effective date of the update, you agree to the revised terms. If you do not agree with the changes, you may delete your account.

1. Your Privacy Rights
2. Depending on applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Access – requests a copy of your data
• Correction – update inaccurate data
• Deletion – request data deletion (subject to legal limits)
• Restriction – limit processing of your data
• Portability – receives your data in a machine-readable format
• Withdraw Consent – revoke consent for specific processing (e.g., personalized ads)
• How to Exercise Your Rights: To submit a privacy rights request, send an email to novelbite@outlook.com with "Privacy Rights Request" in the subject line. Include your full name, registered email address, and a detailed description of your request. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

1. Contact Us
2. If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
3. Email: novelbite@outlook.com