Last updated 5 July 2026

Inktale is a listener-first audio-fiction platform. This policy explains what we collect, why, and the choices you have. We keep it short and we don't sell your data.

• Who we are
• What we collect
• How we use it
• Legal bases
• Sharing & processors
• Cookies & local storage
• Retention
• Your rights
• Security
• Contact

1. Who we are

Inktale ("Inktale", "we", "us") operates the website and apps available at inktale.app and related domains. We are the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. For any privacy question, contact us at hello@inktale.app.

2. Information we collect

We collect only what we need to run the service:

• Account information. When you create an account, our authentication provider stores your email address, a securely hashed password, and a display name. We never see your plaintext password.
• Listening activity. To power resume-where-you-left-off, your library, and your following list, we record which chapters you play, your position within a chapter, completion state, follows, and ratings you submit.
• Ink and billing records. Your Ink balance and an append-only history of Ink transactions (chapter unlocks, plan grants, promotions, top-ups). If you subscribe, we store your plan, renewal date, and cancellation state. Card details are handled by our payment processor — we never store full payment card numbers.
• Playback sessions. To enforce one concurrent stream per account, we keep a short-lived record of the device most recently playing audio. It expires automatically.
• Technical data. Like any web service, our servers and infrastructure providers process request metadata such as IP address, browser type, and timestamps for security, debugging, and abuse prevention.

3. How we use your information

• Provide the service — authenticate you, stream audio you've unlocked, and sync progress across devices.
• Operate the Ink economy — grant, spend, and reconcile Ink, and process subscriptions and top-ups.
• Keep accounts secure — detect fraud, enforce concurrent-stream limits, and protect against abuse.
• Improve Inktale — understand which stories and features are used, in aggregate.
• Communicate — send essential service messages (e.g. account or billing notices). We do not send marketing email without your consent.

4. Legal bases (EEA/UK)

Where the GDPR applies, we rely on: performance of a contract (providing the service and processing your Ink and subscriptions), legitimate interests (security, abuse prevention, and improving the product), consent (any optional communications, which you can withdraw at any time), and legal obligations (keeping records we are required to keep).

5. Sharing and service providers

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only with providers that help us run Inktale, under contracts that limit their use of it:

• Authentication & database — to store your account and application data.
• Hosting & content delivery — to serve the website, the API, and audio files.
• Payment processing — to take payment for subscriptions and top-ups.

We may also disclose data if required by law, to enforce our Terms, or to protect the rights and safety of our users and the public.

6. Cookies and local storage

We use the minimum necessary. Your browser stores a session token so you stay signed in, and small preferences such as whether your sidebar is collapsed. We do not use third-party advertising or cross-site tracking cookies.

7. Data retention

We keep account and listening data for as long as your account is active. Your Ink transaction ledger is append-only and forms the record of your balance, so individual entries are not deleted while the account exists. When you delete your account, we remove or anonymise personal data that we are not legally required to retain.

8. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, export, or delete your personal data, to object to or restrict certain processing, and to withdraw consent. To exercise any of these, email hello@inktale.app and we will respond within the time required by law. You also have the right to complain to your local data-protection authority.

9. Security

Connections are encrypted in transit (HTTPS). Passwords are hashed by our authentication provider, access to audio is gated by short-lived signed tokens, and access to production data is restricted. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your data and to respond quickly if something goes wrong.

10. Children

Inktale is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age of digital consent in your country). We do not knowingly collect data from them. If you believe a child has given us personal data, contact us and we will delete it.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the service evolves. We will change the "last updated" date above and, for material changes, give notice in the app. Continuing to use Inktale after an update means you accept the revised policy.

12. Contact

Questions about your privacy? Reach us at hello@inktale.app.