Privacy Policy

Overview

This Privacy Policy describes how DawnScribe ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and handles your personal information when you use our platform. It applies to all users — readers, authors, artists, and visitors who have not yet created an account.

By using DawnScribe, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy. This policy should be read alongside our Terms of Service.

What We Collect

We collect information in two ways: information you give us directly, and information generated by your use of the platform.

Information You Provide Directly

Data	When	Why
Email address	Account registration	Authentication and essential communications
Username & display name	Account registration	Your public identity on the platform
Password (hashed)	Account registration	Account security — never stored in plain text
Profile details	When you edit your profile	Bio, avatar, banner, location, gender, language — all optional
Published content	When you post	Web novels, chapters, artwork you choose to share
Direct messages	When you use DMs	Private communications between users
Reviews & comments	When you engage with content	Public feedback on works
Payment information	When you subscribe or purchase	Processed securely by our payment provider — we do not store raw card numbers

Information Generated Automatically

• Reading progress — which chapters you have read, used to power the Reading History and caught-up status features.
• Following relationships — which authors, artists, and titles you follow.
• Activity data — reviews, comments, and interactions with content.
• Basic device and browser information — used solely to keep the platform functioning correctly. We do not use this for behavioral tracking or advertising.

How We Use Your Data

We use the data we collect for the following purposes only:

• To create and manage your account and verify your identity when you sign in.
• To display your profile, published works, and activity to other users as the platform is designed to do.
• To power features like Reading History, Following, caught-up status, and personalized feeds.
• To process payments and manage your subscription where applicable.
• To send essential communications — such as account verification, security alerts, or policy updates. We do not send marketing emails without your explicit consent.
• To detect and prevent abuse, fraud, and violations of our Terms of Service.
• To comply with legal obligations, including responding to valid legal requests.

Local Storage & Cookies

DawnScribe uses your browser's localStorage — a standard web technology similar to cookies — to store preferences and session data on your own device. This data never leaves your device and is not transmitted to our servers. The following information is stored locally:

Key	What it stores	Purpose
ds_theme	Your selected colour theme (dark/light)	Remembers your visual preference
ds_reader_width / ds_reader_size / ds_reader_lh	Chapter reader display settings	Preserves your preferred reading layout
ds_page_{chapterId}	Page position within a chapter	Resumes where you left off within a session
ds_view_{tab}	Grid or list view preference per tab	Remembers your preferred layout in Following
ds_sidebar_collapsed	Whether the activity sidebar is open or closed	Preserves your layout preference on the homepage
ds_bookmarks	Locally bookmarked items (if applicable)	Session convenience — not synced to account

You can clear all of this data at any time by clearing your browser's site data or localStorage through your browser settings. Doing so will reset your visual preferences and local session state but will not affect your account or any data stored on our servers.

DawnScribe does not use third-party tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or analytics cookies. We do not participate in any cross-site tracking or behavioural advertising network.

Sharing Your Data

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We share data only in the following limited circumstances:

• With other users — your username, display name, avatar, profile bio, and published content are visible to other users as part of normal platform operation. Your email address is never made public.
• With Supabase — our database and authentication infrastructure provider. Supabase processes data on our behalf and is contractually bound by confidentiality and data protection obligations.
• With our payment processor — when you subscribe or make a purchase, payment details are handled by a third-party payment provider. We do not store raw card numbers or payment credentials on our own servers.
• With Vercel — our hosting provider, which serves the platform and may log basic request metadata such as IP addresses for security and performance purposes.
• When required by law — we will disclose information if required to do so by a court order, subpoena, or other lawful legal process. We will notify affected users where we are legally permitted to do so.
• To protect safety — we may share information with law enforcement if we believe it is necessary to prevent imminent harm to a person or to address illegal content, including content involving the exploitation of minors.

Data Storage & Security

Your data is stored securely using Supabase, which provides encrypted database storage and enforces row-level security — meaning each user can only access their own private data through the platform.

• Passwords are never stored in plain text. They are hashed using industry-standard encryption.
• All data is transmitted over HTTPS. Data is never sent over unencrypted connections.
• Profile images and cover art are stored in secure cloud storage buckets with access controls.
• We regularly review and update our security practices.

While we implement strong protections, no internet-based system can guarantee complete security. In the event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you promptly and take all reasonable steps to address it.

Children & Minors

DawnScribe is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If we learn that a user under 13 has created an account, we will terminate it and delete the associated data promptly.

For users between 13 and 17, a parent or legal guardian must have given permission. We encourage parents and guardians to monitor their child's use of the platform and to review this Privacy Policy with them.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us immediately.

Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data on DawnScribe:

• Access — you can view all profile information we hold about you through your account settings at any time.
• Correction — you can update or correct your profile information, email address, and display name at any time.
• Deletion — you may request deletion of your account and associated personal data. Some data may be retained for a limited period for legal or security purposes.
• Data portability — upon request, we can provide you with a copy of your data in a readable format.
• Withdrawal of consent — where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time without affecting prior processing.
• Opt-out of communications — you may opt out of non-essential communications at any time through your account settings.

Users in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, and California have additional rights under GDPR, UK GDPR, and the CCPA respectively. If these apply to you, please contact us directly.

Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as long as is necessary to provide you with the Service.

• If you delete your account, we will remove your personal profile data within 30 days.
• Published content may be retained for a period after account deletion to allow any ongoing collaborations or marketplace transactions to be resolved, or may be removed at your request prior to deletion.
• Records related to reported violations or legal matters may be retained longer for compliance purposes.
• Anonymized, aggregated data — such as platform usage statistics — may be retained indefinitely as it cannot be linked to any individual.
• LocalStorage data is stored on your own device and is not subject to our retention schedule. You may clear it at any time through your browser settings.

Third-Party Services

DawnScribe uses a small number of carefully selected third-party services:

• Supabase — database, authentication, and file storage. Supabase Privacy Policy.
• Vercel — platform hosting and delivery. Vercel Privacy Policy.
• Google Fonts — serves the Cinzel and Lato typefaces. Google may log font request metadata. No personal account data is shared through this service.
• Payment processor (to be confirmed when membership launches) — all payment data is handled by our provider under their own security and privacy standards. We will update this section with the specific provider name before the membership feature goes live.

DawnScribe does not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any other advertising, behavioral tracking, or analytics tool that tracks users across the web.

US State Privacy Rights

If you are a resident of California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, or another US state with applicable data privacy legislation, you may have additional rights including:

• The right to know what personal information we have collected about you in the past 12 months.
• The right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
• The right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information. Note: DawnScribe does not sell personal information.
• The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights.
• California residents additionally have the right to opt out of sharing personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising (which DawnScribe does not engage in).

To exercise any of these rights, contact us through the platform. We do not discriminate against users for exercising their privacy rights and will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we will notify users through the platform.

Your continued use of DawnScribe after any update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data rights, or need to report a privacy concern, please contact the DawnScribe team through the platform's messaging system.

We take privacy matters seriously and will respond to all legitimate inquiries promptly.