Privacy Policy

Sonatales is an audio storytelling platform developed and operated by Aksbyte Technology ("we", "us", or "our"). We are committed to transparency and respecting your privacy while providing immersive audio fiction in Hindi and English.

If you have questions regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, you can reach our team at support.aksbyte@gmail.com.

We only collect data that is strictly necessary to deliver, personalize, and secure your audio experience.

A. Data Collected Without an Account (Anonymous Listening)

You can browse and listen to stories on Sonatales without creating an account or signing in. When you use the app anonymously, we collect and store:

• Device Identifier: A randomly generated, pseudonymous installation ID created by the app and stored on our servers together with the listening data listed below.
• Listening History & Playback Progress: The stories and episodes you listen to, playback timestamps, audio positions, and completed episodes (to allow you to resume where you left off).
• Favorites & Library: Stories you mark as favorites or save for quick access.
• Listening Statistics: Aggregate listening time per day and consecutive listening streaks.
• Preferences: Your chosen app UI language (English/Hindi) and story content language preferences.
• Content Feedback & Reports: If you report a story, we collect the reported story ID and the reason selected (e.g., inappropriate content or audio issues).
• Notification Status: Flags indicating which in-app updates or system announcements have been viewed.

B. Data Collected With Google Sign-In (Optional)

Creating an account is optional. If you choose to sign in with Google to sync your library across devices:

• Google Account Profile: Name, verified email address, and profile photo URL supplied by Google's OAuth authentication service.
• Device Platform: Operating system type (Android or iOS) associated with your logged-in session.
• Account-Linked History: The favorites, playback positions, listening streaks, and preferences listed above become linked to your account ID so you can transition between devices seamlessly.

C. Push Notifications

If you grant notification permission, we collect a Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) token to deliver story updates, new episode alerts, or bedtime reminders Coming Soon. You can disable notifications at any time via your device settings.

D. Purchase and Subscription Information

When you purchase a Sonatales Plus subscription or paid ebooks:

• All financial transactions and payment processing are handled entirely by Google Play Billing (and Apple In-App Purchase in future iOS releases).
• We never collect, receive, or store your credit card numbers, debit card details, bank account credentials, or UPI identifiers.
• We receive only a cryptographic purchase token, subscription expiration timestamps, and entitlement status to unlock premium perks.

E. Server & Security Logs

Our servers and delivery network temporarily log standard technical network data, including IP addresses, timestamps, and request endpoints, strictly for rate limiting, DDoS defense, abuse prevention, and infrastructure reliability.

We use collected data solely for the following specified, legitimate purposes:

• Audio Delivery & Resume: To stream requested audio files and restore your exact playback position across tracks and multi-episode series.
• Personalization & Sync: To maintain your personal favorites, streaks, and language filters, and sync them across devices if you have signed in.
• Push Alerts: To inform you of new episodes, scheduled sleep reminders Coming Soon, or app improvements when enabled.
• Billing Fulfillment: To verify purchases through Google Play and grant Sonatales Plus access.
• Safety, Moderation & Anti-Abuse: To investigate user-submitted content reports, protect our backend against automated attacks, and enforce our Terms of Service.
• Service Stability: To diagnose technical bugs, fix network connectivity drops, and maintain smooth audio streaming.

We work with reputable, industry-standard service providers who process data strictly on our behalf under confidentiality and data protection agreements:

• Supabase (PostgreSQL & Auth): Manages secure user authentication, account metadata, and database records.
• Cloudflare (R2 Storage & CDN): Delivers audio files, application assets, and hosts static website content with global edge caching and DDoS mitigation.
• Google (Google Identity, Firebase Cloud Messaging, Google Play): Provides Google Sign-In verification, push notification token routing, and Google Play in-app billing services.
• Backend Hosting Provider ([HOSTING_PROVIDER]): Runs backend APIs and catalog search services.

International Transfers: Our cloud service providers maintain data centers globally. Consequently, your data may be processed on servers located outside of India. Whenever cross-border processing occurs, we ensure adequate protections consistent with applicable laws, including the India DPDP Act 2023.

• No Data Selling: We do not sell, rent, monetize, or trade your personal data to any third party, data broker, or marketing company under any circumstance.
• No Commercial Ads: Sonatales contains zero third-party commercial advertisements.
• No Third-Party Tracking SDKs: We do not embed surveillance trackers, Facebook Pixel, ad attribution brokers, or invasive analytical spyware into the app.

We implement reasonable and robust technical safeguards to protect your personal data from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction:

• All communication between your device, our website, and our APIs is encrypted in transit using industry-standard TLS/HTTPS.
• Database access is restricted with strict role-based access controls and encrypted storage at rest.
• Authentication tokens use secure asymmetric cryptographic algorithms (ES256/JWKS).

• We retain your personal data only as long as you maintain an active account or as required to fulfill the purposes set out in this policy.
• Anonymous data is stored on our servers linked to a random device ID; clearing app data or uninstalling doesn't delete it; to delete it, email support.aksbyte@gmail.com with your device ID (the app's Settings → Email us adds it automatically); it's kept until you ask us to delete it.
• If you have an account, you can request full deletion anytime from inside the app (Settings → Delete account) or by emailing us at support.aksbyte@gmail.com.
• Once initiated, your account is queued for permanent deletion and completely purged after 30 days.
• Detailed steps, timelines, and retention exceptions are documented on our dedicated Account & Data Deletion page.

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) and applicable privacy regulations, you have enforceable rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Access & Summary: You can request a summary of the personal data being processed about you and the identities of third-party processors.
• Right to Correction & Erasure: You have the right to request correction of inaccurate data, completion of incomplete data, or erasure of personal data that is no longer needed.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where data processing is grounded in consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time.
• Right to Grievance Redressal: You have the right to reach our Grievance Officer for prompt resolution of any complaints regarding your personal data.
• Right to Nominate: You have the right to nominate any other individual to exercise your data rights in the event of death or incapacity.

To exercise any of these rights, send an email to our team at support.aksbyte@gmail.com from your registered Google email address. We will verify your identity and respond within the statutory timeframe.

Sonatales is intended for individuals aged 13 and older (13+).

• We do not knowingly collect, solicit, or process personal data from children under the age of 13.
• If you are between the ages of 13 and 17 (a minor under 18), you must only use account sign-in and purchase features with the express permission and supervision of a parent or legal guardian.
• If we discover that personal data of a child under 13 has been collected without verifiable parental consent, we will promptly delete that information from our records. Parents or guardians who believe their child has provided data can contact us at support.aksbyte@gmail.com.

Stories and voice performances published on Sonatales are generated using artificial intelligence technologies (including AI script assistance and AI voice synthesis).

• Every story and audio episode undergoes human editorial review before it is published to ensure quality, safety, and adherence to community standards.
• Stories are works of creative fiction or artistic narration and should not be construed as factual advice or real-world assertions.

In compliance with the India DPDP Act 2023 and Information Technology rules, you may contact our designated Grievance Officer regarding any data protection concerns:

Grievance Officer: [GRIEVANCE_OFFICER_NAME]

Organization: Aksbyte Technology

Email: support.aksbyte@gmail.com

Response Time: Within the legally required timeframe (and initial acknowledgment within 48 hours).

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our app features, legal obligations, or technical architecture. When we make changes, we will update the "Effective date" and "Last updated" date at the top of this page. For significant updates, we will post an in-app notice or alert on our website.