Privacy Policy

Episodes (“we,” “our,” or “us”) operates the Episodes web application and Android app (collectively, the “Service”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use the Service. Please read it carefully.

1. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly

• Account information: When you register, we collect your email address, display name, and optionally a profile photo and bio.
• Content you create: Episode ratings, reviews, watchlists, favorites, and comments you submit.
• Communications: If you contact us for support, we retain that correspondence.

Information collected automatically

• Usage data: Pages visited, features used, and interactions within the Service, collected through Firebase Analytics.
• Device information: Browser type, operating system, and IP address for security and troubleshooting purposes.
• Authentication tokens: Managed by Firebase Authentication; we do not store passwords in plaintext.

Third-party data

• Google Sign-In: If you authenticate via Google, we receive your Google account name, email, and profile photo as permitted by your Google privacy settings.
• TMDB: We use The Movie Database (TMDB) API to display show metadata, posters, and streaming availability. Your interactions with show data are stored in our database but not shared with TMDB.

2. How We Use Your Information

• Provide, maintain, and improve the Service.
• Personalize your experience — show you relevant recommendations, friends’ activity, and upcoming episodes.
• Send you notifications about new episodes and account activity (only if you opt in).
• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and violations of our Terms of Service.
• Comply with legal obligations.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not use your data for advertising targeting.

3. How We Share Your Information

Public profile information

Your display name, username, profile photo, public ratings, and favorites are visible to other logged-in users of the Service. You control what appears on your profile.

Service providers

We use the following third-party infrastructure providers who process data on our behalf under their own privacy policies:

• Google Firebase (Authentication, Firestore database, Cloud Storage, Analytics)
• Vercel (Web hosting and deployment)
• TMDB (Show metadata API)

Legal requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, subpoena, or other legal process, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights or the safety of others.

4. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time by contacting us at support@episodesapp.com. We will delete or anonymize your personal data within 30 days of a valid deletion request, except where retention is required by law.

5. Security

We use industry-standard security measures including encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS), Firebase’s built-in security rules, and regular security reviews. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Children’s Privacy

The Service is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Correct inaccurate data.
• Request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”).
• Object to or restrict certain processing.
• Data portability.

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

8. Cookies and Local Storage

We use browser local storage to save preferences (such as recent searches) and Firebase cookies to maintain your authenticated session. We do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking pixels.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting the new policy with an updated effective date. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

• Email: support@episodesapp.com