Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Quotery, Inc. (“Quotery,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website located at quotery.com and its associated mobile applications, APIs, and services (collectively, the “Platform”). This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you access or use the Platform.

By accessing or using the Platform, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the practices described herein, please do not access or use the Platform.

This Privacy Policy applies to all visitors, registered users, and any other individuals who access or use the Platform, regardless of how they interact with it (e.g., web browser, mobile app, API, or email).

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you create an account, contact us, or otherwise interact with the Platform, we may collect:

• Name, email address, username, and password when you register for an account
• Profile information, such as a profile picture, biography, or preferences you choose to provide
• Content you create or submit, including quote collections, memes, comments, reviews, and votes
• Communications you send to us, including support requests, feedback, and correspondence
• Payment and billing information if you purchase a subscription or merchandise (processed by our third-party payment processors; we do not store full payment card numbers)
• Survey responses, contest entries, and promotional participation data

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you access the Platform, we automatically collect certain technical and usage information, including:

• Device information: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, device identifiers, and screen resolution
• Usage data: pages visited, quotes viewed, search queries, features used, click patterns, time spent on pages, referring/exit URLs, and navigation paths
• Location data: approximate geographic location inferred from your IP address (we do not collect precise GPS location)
• Log data: access times, server logs, error logs, and diagnostic data

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third-party sources, including:

• Social media platforms if you choose to log in using a social account (e.g., Google, Apple, Facebook) — we receive only the information you authorize the social platform to share
• Analytics providers, advertising partners, and data enrichment services
• Publicly available sources for author biographical information and quote attributions

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Platform Operation: To provide, maintain, and improve the Platform, including delivering personalized content, recommendations, and search results
• Account Management: To create and manage your account, authenticate your identity, and process transactions
• Communications: To send you service-related notices, daily quote emails (if opted in), newsletters, and marketing communications (with your consent where required)
• Personalization: To personalize your experience, including Mood Explorer recommendations, author suggestions, and curated collections based on your interests and activity
• Analytics: To analyze usage patterns, measure performance, conduct A/B testing, and improve features and user experience
• Advertising: To display relevant advertisements, measure ad effectiveness, and work with advertising partners
• Safety & Security: To detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, security incidents, and violations of our terms
• Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations, respond to lawful requests, and protect our rights
• AI Features: To power our AI-driven features, including quote recommendations, style-based quote generation, and similarity search (we use aggregated and anonymized data to improve our AI models)

4.Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, pixel tags, local storage, and similar tracking technologies to collect information, personalize your experience, and serve relevant advertising. The types of cookies we use include:

• Strictly Necessary Cookies: Essential for the Platform to function, including authentication, security, and load balancing. These cannot be disabled.
• Functional Cookies: Enable personalized features such as remembering your preferences, language, and display settings.
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with the Platform, which pages are most popular, and where errors occur. We use services such as Google Analytics.
• Advertising Cookies: Used by us and our advertising partners to deliver ads relevant to your interests, limit the number of times you see an ad, and measure ad campaign effectiveness.

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings or through the cookie consent banner displayed when you first visit the Platform. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the Platform.

We honor Do Not Track (DNT) signals from your browser. When we detect a DNT signal, we will not set non-essential tracking cookies.

5.Third-Party Services & Advertising

The Platform integrates with and uses various third-party services, including:

• Advertising Networks: We work with third-party advertising networks (e.g., Google AdSense, Mediavine, or similar) to display advertisements on the Platform. These networks may use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your browsing activity across different websites to serve you targeted ads.
• Analytics Providers: We use services like Google Analytics to understand user behavior and improve the Platform.
• Payment Processors: If you make purchases, your payment information is processed by third-party payment providers (e.g., Stripe). We do not store your full credit card information on our servers.
• Social Media Platforms: If you share content to social media, those platforms may collect data according to their own privacy policies.
• Content Delivery Networks: We use CDNs to deliver content efficiently, which may involve processing your IP address.
• AI Service Providers: We use third-party AI APIs for certain features. Data sent to these providers is subject to their privacy policies and our data processing agreements with them.

These third parties have their own privacy policies, and we encourage you to review them. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party services.

6.Affiliate Links & Partnerships

The Platform contains affiliate links to books, films, merchandise, and other products related to the authors and topics featured on Quotery. These affiliate partnerships include, but are not limited to:

• Book Recommendations: Links to book retailers (e.g., Amazon Associates, Bookshop.org) where we may earn a commission on purchases made through our links
• Merchandise: Links to print-on-demand services and merchandise retailers for quote-related products
• Film & Media: Links to streaming services and media retailers related to quoted works or featured authors
• Educational Services: Links to online course platforms and educational resources

Affiliate links are used across the Platform, including on quote pages, author profiles, curated collections, email newsletters, and editorial content. The presence of affiliate links does not influence our editorial decisions, quote curation, or content recommendations. Our recommendations are based on relevance and quality, not affiliate commission rates.

When you click an affiliate link, the third-party retailer may place cookies on your device to track the referral. This tracking is governed by the retailer's privacy policy, not ours.

7.Data Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: With third-party vendors who perform services on our behalf (e.g., hosting, analytics, payment processing, email delivery, customer support), subject to contractual confidentiality obligations
• Advertising Partners: With advertising networks for the purpose of delivering targeted advertisements, as described in Section 5. This may include sharing device identifiers, IP addresses, and browsing behavior
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, subpoena, court order, or other legal process, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others
• With Your Consent: When you explicitly consent to sharing, such as when you choose to make your profile, collections, or created content public
• Aggregated/Anonymized Data: We may share aggregated, de-identified, or anonymized data that cannot reasonably be used to identify you for research, analysis, or other purposes

8. Data Security

We implement commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest
• Regular security assessments and vulnerability testing
• Access controls and authentication requirements for employees and contractors
• Secure development practices and code review processes
• Incident response procedures for potential data breaches

However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. In the event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you and applicable regulatory authorities as required by law.

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Specifically:

• Account Data: Retained for the duration of your account and for a reasonable period thereafter (typically 30 days) to allow for account reactivation
• Usage & Analytics Data: Retained in identifiable form for up to 26 months, after which it is aggregated or anonymized
• Transaction Records: Retained for a minimum of 7 years as required for tax and accounting compliance
• Communication Records: Support tickets and correspondence retained for up to 3 years after resolution
• User-Generated Content: Retained until you delete it or your account, subject to our backup and archiving processes

When we no longer need your personal information, we will securely delete or anonymize it in accordance with our data retention policies.

10.Your Rights & Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements
• Portability: Request a machine-readable copy of your personal information
• Objection: Object to processing of your personal information for certain purposes, including direct marketing
• Restriction: Request restriction of processing of your personal information
• Withdrawal of Consent: Where processing is based on consent, withdraw that consent at any time
• Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing: Opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information for targeted advertising

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@quotery.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days (or sooner if required by applicable law). We may ask you to verify your identity before processing your request.

Communication Preferences

You can manage your email preferences through your account settings or by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any marketing email. Even if you opt out of marketing communications, we may still send you service-related transactional emails (e.g., account confirmations, security alerts, billing notices).

11. International Data Transfers

Quotery is based in the United States. If you access the Platform from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers maintain facilities.

For transfers of personal data from the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland to the United States, we rely on appropriate transfer mechanisms, including Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission, and we ensure that our service providers maintain adequate safeguards for the protection of your personal data.

12.Children's Privacy

The Platform is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or under 16 in the EEA). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under these ages. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under the applicable age, we will take steps to delete that information as quickly as possible.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@quotery.com and we will promptly address the matter.

13. California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) provide you with additional rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to Know: You have the right to request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected, the sources of that information, the purposes for collection, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it
• Right to Delete: You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions
• Right to Correct: You have the right to request correction of inaccurate personal information
• Right to Opt-Out: You have the right to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of your personal information. While we do not sell personal information in the traditional sense, certain data sharing with advertising partners may constitute a “sale” or “sharing” under the CCPA/CPRA. You can opt out by clicking “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” on our website
• Right to Limit Sensitive Data Use: You have the right to limit the use and disclosure of your sensitive personal information
• Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights

To submit a request, contact us at privacy@quotery.com or call us at [toll-free number]. We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within 45 days.

California “Shine the Light” Law

California Civil Code Section 1798.83 permits California residents to request information regarding the disclosure of personal information to third parties for direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please contact us at the email address above.

14. European Economic Area Rights (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 legal bases for our processing of your personal data include:

• Contractual Necessity: Processing necessary to provide the Platform and fulfill our contractual obligations to you
• Legitimate Interests: Processing necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving the Platform, marketing, and fraud prevention, provided these interests do not override your rights
• Consent: Processing based on your explicit consent, which you may withdraw at any time
• Legal Obligation: Processing necessary to comply with applicable laws

You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority if you believe your rights have been violated. You can find your local authority at edpb.europa.eu.

For GDPR-specific inquiries, contact our Data Protection Officer at dpo@quotery.com.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the “Effective Date” and “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy
• Post a prominent notice on the Platform for at least 30 days
• Send an email notification to registered users if the changes materially affect how we use personal information

Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date of a revised Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the changes. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

16. Contact Us

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

Quotery, Inc.
Email: privacy@quotery.com
Data Protection Officer: dpo@quotery.com

For DMCA and copyright-related inquiries, please contact legal@quotery.com. See our Terms of Service for our full DMCA policy.