Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains what information Stress Killer Stories Arena (“we”, “us”, the “Platform”) collects, how we use it, and the choices you have. It applies whenever you use our website or app.

1. Information we collect

Account information

Your email address, password (stored as a one-way hash, never in plain text), display name, and any bio, avatar, cover image, country, or phone number you choose to add to your profile.

Payment information

When you subscribe, buy a book, tip an author, or request a payout, we store the Mobile Money phone number you provide, the transaction amount, method, and status. We do not receive or store your Mobile Money PIN or full account credentials — those are handled directly by MTN or Airtel.

Activity information

Which stories and chapters you read, your reading progress, likes, bookmarks, ratings, comments, reading lists, and reading streaks, so we can show your library and make recommendations.

Technical information

Standard web request data (such as IP address and browser type) generated when you use the Platform, and locally-stored data on your own device (see “Cookies and local storage” below).

2. How we use your information

• To create and secure your account, and to authenticate you when you sign in;
• To operate the reading and publishing features of the Platform;
• To process subscriptions, purchases, tips, and author payouts;
• To personalize recommendations, leaderboards, and notifications;
• To respond to support requests and enforce these Terms and this Policy;
• To detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents.

3. Cookies and local storage

We use your browser's local storage to keep you signed in (access and refresh tokens) and to remember preferences like theme and reading settings. If you enable offline reading, downloaded chapters are stored on your own device. We do not use third-party advertising cookies.

4. How we share information

We share information only where necessary to run the Platform:

• With MTN and Airtel, to process a Mobile Money payment you initiate;
• With our hosting and database providers, to store and serve the Platform;
• With Cloudinary, where enabled, to host uploaded cover images and avatars;
• With authorities, where we are required to by law or to protect the rights and safety of our users.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

5. Data retention

We keep your account information for as long as your account is active. Payment and transaction records are kept even after related content is deleted, so that financial and payout records stay accurate. If you delete your account, we remove or anonymize personal information that we are not required to keep for legal, accounting, or fraud- prevention purposes.

6. Your rights

Subject to the Uganda Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019, and other applicable law, you may ask us to access, correct, or delete your personal information, or to explain how it is used. You can update most of your profile directly in Settings, or contact us using the details below for anything else.

7. Children's privacy

The Platform is not directed at children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we will take appropriate action.

8. Security

We use industry-standard measures to protect your information, including encrypted connections (HTTPS) and one-way password hashing. No system is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we work to keep the Platform safe and to respond quickly to any issue we become aware of.

9. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you in the app.

10. Contact us

Questions about this Policy, or requests relating to your personal information, can be sent to privacy@stresskillerarena.africa.