🔒 Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Kathakar ("we", "our", or "us"). Kathakar is a children's story reading app providing bilingual (English and Hindi) stories for kids. We are committed to protecting the privacy of our users, especially children.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect information when you use our mobile application ("App"). By using Kathakar, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information We Do NOT Collect

Kathakar is designed with privacy in mind. We do not collect:

• Personal names, email addresses, or phone numbers
• Photographs or camera access
• Location data
• Contacts or address book data
• Biometric data
• Account registration information (no login required)

2.2 Information Automatically Collected

The following information may be collected automatically through third-party services integrated in the App:

• Device type, operating system version, and language settings (for app functionality)
• App usage data such as stories viewed and session duration (via Firebase Analytics)
• Crash reports and performance data (via Firebase Crashlytics)
• Advertising identifiers for serving non-personalised ads (via Google AdMob)

3. How We Use Information

We use the information collected solely for the following purposes:

• To provide and improve the story reading experience
• To fix bugs and improve app performance
• To display age-appropriate advertisements
• To analyse app usage patterns in an aggregated, anonymous manner

We do not use any collected information to build personal profiles, conduct targeted advertising based on personal data, or sell data to third parties.

4. Children's Privacy

Kathakar is directed at children and families. We take children's privacy very seriously and comply with:

• The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) — United States
• India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act)
• Google Play Families Policy
• Apple App Store Guidelines for apps directed at children

In compliance with these regulations:

• We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13 (or under 18 as per DPDP Act) without verifiable parental consent
• We do not serve personalised or behavioural advertisements
• We do not include social features, chat, or user-generated content
• All advertisements shown are non-personalised and age-appropriate
• We do not share children's data with third parties for marketing purposes

If you believe we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child, please contact us immediately at kathakarapp@gmail.com and we will delete it promptly.

5. Third-Party Services

5.1 Google Firebase

We use Firebase (by Google) for:

• Firestore Database — to store and serve story content
• Firebase Storage — to store story images and audio
• Firebase Analytics — to understand app usage in aggregate

Firebase Privacy Policy: firebase.google.com/support/privacy

5.2 Google AdMob

We use AdMob to display non-personalised advertisements. AdMob may collect:

• Advertising identifier (IDFA/GAID) for frequency capping and fraud prevention
• Approximate location (country-level only)
• Device information for ad rendering

We have configured AdMob to serve non-personalised ads only, in compliance with children's privacy laws.

AdMob Privacy Policy: policies.google.com/privacy

6. Data Retention

We retain anonymised usage data only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy. Story content stored in Firebase is retained to provide the service. We do not retain personal data beyond what is required by law.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect any data processed through our App, including:

• All data transmitted between the App and Firebase is encrypted using TLS/SSL
• Firebase security rules restrict unauthorised access to our database
• We regularly review our data practices and security measures

However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you (or your child's parent/guardian) may have the following rights:

• Right to access — request information about data we hold
• Right to deletion — request deletion of personal data
• Right to correction — request correction of inaccurate data
• Right to object — object to data processing

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at kathakarapp@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Parental Controls

Parents and guardians can:

• Contact us at any time to request deletion of any data associated with their child's device
• Opt out of analytics by adjusting device privacy settings
• Limit ad tracking through their device's advertising settings:
  iOS: Settings > Privacy > Tracking
  Android: Settings > Google > Ads

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify users of significant changes by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy. We encourage parents to review this policy periodically.

Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us: