1. Introduction

WriterHabits ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website and services (the "Service"). Please read this policy carefully. By using the Service, you consent to the practices described herein.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

2.3 Information We Do Not Collect

We do not collect or store your full credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, government-issued identification, or biometric data.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Provide the Service — hosting your writings, tracking goals, displaying progress statistics, and enabling group collaboration
• Send notifications — delivering email and SMS notifications that you have configured
• Process payments — managing subscriptions and billing through our payment processor
• Improve the Service — analyzing usage patterns to enhance features, performance, and user experience
• Ensure security — protecting against unauthorized access, fraud, and abuse
• Communicate with you — responding to support requests and sending essential service updates
• Comply with legal obligations — meeting our legal and regulatory requirements

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.

We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers — we share data with trusted third-party providers who assist in operating the Service, including:
  • Stripe — payment processing (subject to Stripe's Privacy Policy)
  • Twilio — SMS message delivery (subject to Twilio's Privacy Policy)
  • Google — OAuth authentication (subject to Google's Privacy Policy)
  • Fastmail — email delivery
• Group sharing — when you choose to share writings with a writing group, other group members can view your shared content and comments
• Legal requirements — if required by law, subpoena, court order, or governmental regulation
• Safety — if necessary to protect the rights, safety, or property of WriterHabits, 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 the transaction

5. Data Storage and Security

5.1 Storage

Your data is stored on secure servers with appropriate access controls and backup procedures.

5.2 Encryption

• In transit — all data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using TLS/SSL
• Passwords — user passwords are encrypted and are never stored in plain text
• Payment data — credit card information is processed and stored exclusively by Stripe; we never have access to your full card number

5.3 Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security measures including two-factor authentication (2FA). However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Data Visibility and Sharing Controls

You control the visibility of your content:

• Private (default) — all writings are private by default and visible only to you
• Group sharing — you may explicitly share specific writings with writing groups you belong to
• Comments — comments you post in groups are visible to other group members

You can change sharing settings or remove shared content at any time.

7. Cookies and Tracking

7.1 Cookies

We use cookies for the following purposes:

• Session management — a session cookie (user_session) keeps you signed in
• Preferences — cookies and sessionStorage may store your theme, project filter, and other display preferences

7.2 What We Do Not Use

We do not use third-party advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or analytics services such as Google Analytics. We do not participate in cross-site tracking or ad networks.

8. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access — you can view your personal information through the Settings page at any time
• Correction — you can update your name, display name, email, and other profile information through the Settings page
• Deletion — you can delete your account and all associated data through the Settings page. Upon deletion, your data will be permanently removed within 30 days, subject to our backup retention schedule
• Data portability — you can download your writings in multiple formats (text, Word, HTML, Markdown, PDF, RTF) through the Writings page
• Opt out of communications — you can disable optional notifications at any time through the Notifications and Settings pages

To exercise any of these rights, use the relevant features in the Service or contact us at support@writerhabits.com.

9. Data Retention

• Active accounts — we retain your data for as long as your account is active
• Account deletion — when you delete your account, your personal data and content are permanently removed within 30 days. Backup copies may persist for up to 90 days before being purged
• Inactive accounts (Free Tier) — accounts with no activity for 180 days may be flagged for deletion. We will attempt to notify you by email before taking action
• Legal obligations — we may retain certain data as required by law, such as billing records

10. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will promptly delete that information. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@writerhabits.com.

11. International Users

The Service is operated from the United States. If you are accessing the Service from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction. By using the Service, you consent to such transfer and processing.

12. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• The right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used
• The right to request deletion of your personal information
• The right to opt out of the sale of personal information — we do not sell your personal information
• The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise these rights, contact us at support@writerhabits.com.

13. European Users (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• The right to access, rectify, or erase your personal data
• The right to restrict or object to processing
• The right to data portability
• The right to withdraw consent at any time
• The right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

Our legal basis for processing your personal data includes: performance of a contract (providing the Service), your consent (optional notifications and SMS), and our legitimate interests (improving the Service and ensuring security).

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on the Service with a revised effective date. Your continued use of the Service after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

• Email: support@writerhabits.com
• Support page: Available after signing in via the main menu