Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Chapter & Joy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information when you use our website, mobile application, and related services (collectively, the “Service”). Chapter & Joy provides an AI-powered platform for creating personalized illustrated books.

By accessing or using the Service, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please discontinue use of the Service.

2. What We Collect

We collect information in several categories depending on how you interact with the Service:

2.1 Account Information

When you create an account, we collect your name, email address, and any profile details you choose to provide. If you sign in through a third-party provider (such as Google), we receive basic profile information from that provider, including your name, email, and profile picture, in accordance with the permissions you grant.

2.2 User Content

To create personalized books, you may upload photographs, provide character descriptions, and enter text prompts or story preferences. This content is used to generate your custom illustrations and stories.

2.3 Payment Information

When you make a purchase, payment processing is handled by our third-party payment provider. We do not store your full credit card number or payment credentials on our servers. We may receive limited transaction details such as the last four digits of your card, billing address, and transaction amount for record-keeping purposes.

2.4 Usage & Device Data

We automatically collect technical information when you use the Service, including your IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers, pages visited, features used, session duration, and referring URLs. This data helps us understand how the Service is used and improve the experience.

2.5 Device Permissions

With your consent, we may access device features such as your camera or photo library to allow you to upload images for character creation. You can manage these permissions through your device settings at any time.

3. Face Data & Uploaded Photos

A core feature of Chapter & Joy is creating illustrated characters that resemble real people. To provide this, we process uploaded photographs — including facial features — through our AI illustration pipeline. Here is how we handle this data:

• Purpose: Uploaded photos are used solely to generate illustrated characters for your personalized books.
• Storage: Photos and any derived facial data are stored securely and retained for up to 12 months after your last interaction with the Service to facilitate future book creation, unless you request earlier deletion.
• No sale or advertising use: We do not sell, license, or use your photos or face data for advertising, marketing, or any purpose unrelated to delivering the Service.
• Third-party processing: Photos may be processed by third-party AI service providers strictly to generate illustrations. These providers are bound by confidentiality and data-protection obligations.
• Deletion: You may request deletion of your uploaded photos and associated face data at any time by contacting us at help@chapterjoy.com.

4. How We Use Your Data

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Providing, operating, and maintaining the Service, including generating personalized books and illustrations.
• Processing transactions and sending related confirmations.
• Improving and developing new features, content, and functionality.
• Communicating with you about your account, orders, and Service updates.
• Analyzing usage patterns to enhance performance and user experience.
• Detecting, preventing, and addressing fraud, abuse, or technical issues.
• Training and improving our AI models using anonymized or aggregated data, in accordance with applicable law.
• Complying with legal obligations and enforcing our terms.

4.1 Marketing & Advertising

We may use your email address and usage data to send you promotional communications about new features, offers, or content we think you'll find relevant. We may also share limited information — such as hashed email addresses or device identifiers — with third-party advertising platforms, including Facebook (Meta), Google Ads, and similar services, to deliver targeted advertisements.

You can opt out of marketing communications at any time:

• Click the unsubscribe link included in every marketing email.
• Email help@chapterjoy.com to be removed from all marketing lists.

Opting out of marketing does not affect transactional communications such as order confirmations, shipping updates, and account security notices.

5. Sharing & Third Parties

We do not sell your personal information. We may share data in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: We work with trusted third-party vendors (such as payment processors, cloud hosting providers, AI service providers, and analytics platforms) who process data on our behalf under strict contractual obligations.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of Chapter & Joy, our users, or the public.
• Business transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change.
• With your consent: We may share information for purposes not described here only with your explicit consent.

6. Data Retention & Deletion

We retain your account information and content for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. If you delete your account, we will remove your personal information within a reasonable timeframe, except where retention is required by law or for legitimate business purposes (such as resolving disputes or enforcing agreements).

Uploaded photos and derived face data are retained for up to 12 months following your last use of the Service, unless you request earlier deletion. Anonymized or aggregated data that cannot identify you may be retained indefinitely.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Deletion: Request that we delete your personal data, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Portability: Request a machine-readable copy of your data where technically feasible.
• Objection & restriction: Object to certain processing activities or request that we limit how we use your data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at help@chapterjoy.com. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable law.

8. Children's Privacy

The Service is intended for users aged 13 and older. 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 immediately at help@chapterjoy.com and we will take steps to delete that information.

Parents and guardians may submit photos or information about their children for the purpose of creating personalized books. By doing so, the parent or guardian represents that they have the authority to provide such information and consent to its use as described in this policy.

9. Security

We implement commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you become aware of any unauthorized access to your account, please notify us promptly.

10. International Transfers

Chapter & Joy is based in the United States. If you access the Service from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate. By using the Service, you consent to such transfers. We take steps to ensure that your data receives an adequate level of protection in accordance with applicable law.

11. Third-Party Links

The Service may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external sites you visit.

12. Policy Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will notify you by updating the “Last updated” date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, through in-app notifications or email. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please reach out to us at help@chapterjoy.com.