Privacy Policy

1. Our Commitment to Privacy

Story Quest is committed to protecting your privacy and the privacy of your children. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your rights in relation to your personal data. We comply with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

2. Information We Collect

Account Information

When you register for an account, we collect your email address and a securely hashed password. We do not store your password in plain text.

Child Profile Information

To personalise stories, we ask you to create child profiles containing: your child's first name, age range, and optional descriptors such as interests or friend names. This information is provided entirely at your discretion — you may use nicknames or fictional names. We do not require or request your child's surname, date of birth, photograph, or any other sensitive personal information.

Usage & Technical Data

We collect technical information including IP addresses, browser type, device type, pages visited, and session data. This information is used solely to operate and improve the Service.

Payment Information

Payment information (card details) is processed directly by our secure payment provider and is not stored on our servers. We retain transaction records (amount, date, plan) for billing and accounting purposes.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and manage your account and child profiles.
• Generate personalised stories using AI based on the information you provide.
• Process payments and manage your subscription.
• Send you transactional emails (account confirmation, receipts).
• Respond to your customer support requests.
• Improve and develop the Service through aggregate, anonymised analytics.
• Comply with legal obligations.

We do not use your child's information for advertising, profiling, or any purpose other than generating personalised stories within the Service.

4. Children's Privacy

Story Quest accounts are created by and for adults (18+). We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children. All child profile information is provided by the parent or guardian who holds the account.

We limit the child information we request to the minimum necessary to personalise stories. We do not share, sell, or use child profile information for any commercial purpose beyond operating the Service. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information about a child without appropriate parental consent, please contact us immediately at hello@thestoryquest.com.

5. Third-Party Services

To provide the Service, we share limited information with trusted third-party providers:

• OpenAI: Story text and illustrations are generated using OpenAI's API. Prompts sent to OpenAI include your child's first name, age range, and selected theme, but do not include your email address or any other identifying information. OpenAI's use of API data is governed by their Privacy Policy.
• Payment Processor: Payment processing is handled by a PCI-DSS compliant provider. We receive only transaction confirmations and billing summaries.
• Hosting & Infrastructure: Our platform is hosted on secure cloud infrastructure. Servers are located in Australia or regions with equivalent data protection standards.

6. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may disclose your information where required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or where necessary to protect our legal rights or the safety of our users.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information, including encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS), secure password hashing, and access controls. While we take all reasonable precautions, no system can be completely secure. We encourage you to use a strong, unique password for your account.

8. Data Retention

We retain your account information and child profiles for as long as your account is active. Generated stories and images are retained to allow you to access them through the Service. If you delete your account, we will delete your personal data and child profiles within 30 days, except where we are required by law to retain certain records.

9. Your Rights

Under applicable privacy law, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Request deletion of your account and associated data.
• Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@thestoryquest.com.

10. Cookies

We use session cookies to keep you logged in and maintain your session state. We do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking cookies. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but this may prevent the Service from functioning correctly.

11. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes via email or through the Service. Your continued use of the Service following any update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Contact Us

For any questions, concerns, or requests relating to your privacy, please contact our Privacy Officer at hello@thestoryquest.com or use our Contact Us form.