Privacy Policy

Last updated: 09/15/2025

Thank you for choosing to be part of our community. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal information when you use our services, including our website and associated applications. Please read this policy carefully. By accessing our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy.

1. Introduction

We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This policy applies to the personal data we collect, store, and process through RateMyReads. Our primary goal is to provide a secure and reliable service where you can engage with book content, vote on ratings, comment on books, and participate in community leaderboards.

Age Requirement: You must be at least 13 years old to use our Service. If you are under 18, you must have parental or guardian consent to use our Service. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

2. Information We Collect

We utilize a simple authentication system provided by Clerk which collects and stores the following personal data:

Credentials:

  • Email addresses
  • Passwords
  • Usernames

Community Interactions:

  • Votes on book ratings: These votes are aggregated and viewable by everyone.
  • Comments: If you choose to include a comment with your vote, it will be stored and displayed along with your username.
  • Leaderboard Activity: Your username is used for leaderboard rankings which are determined by points awarded for voting and receiving upvotes on your comments.

Analytics and Usage Data:

  • Website Analytics: We use Umami Analytics (self-hosted) to collect anonymous usage statistics such as page views, user interactions, and general website performance metrics. This data is anonymized and does not personally identify you.
  • Advanced Analytics: We use PostHog for enhanced user experience insights, including user behavior analysis and feature usage tracking. EU/EEA users automatically receive cookieless analytics with no persistent data storage. Non-EU users can choose their preferred privacy level through a simple toggle in the site header.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data to provide and improve our Service. Specifically, we may use your data in the following ways:

  • Account Management:

    • To verify your identity and manage your login process.
    • To maintain and update your account settings.

  • Community Features:

    • To record your votes and comments, which are aggregated and displayed as part of our content rating system.
    • To showcase your contributions on the public leaderboard.

  • Communications:

    • We will never sell your data.
    • We may occasionally use your email address to send infrequent promotional updates.
    • We may also send personalized thank-you messages to users who have made significant contributions to our community.

  • Service Improvements:

    • To collect and analyze usage data to enhance the user experience on our platform.

4. Sharing Your Information

Your privacy is important to us. We will not sell or rent your personal data to third parties. However, we may share your data in the following circumstances:

  • With Your Consent:

    • If you have provided explicit consent for specific purposes, we may share information as needed.

  • For Operational Purposes:

    • We may share data with trusted service providers who assist in operating our Service under strict confidentiality agreements.

  • Legal Requirements:

    • If required by law, regulation, or a legal process (such as a subpoena), we may share your personal data with government or legal authorities.

5. Data Security

We use industry-standard security measures to help protect your personal data from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Despite our efforts, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. In the event of a data breach, we will notify you in accordance with applicable law.

6. Your Rights

You have certain rights in relation to your personal data, including:

  • Access & Correction:

    • You may review and update your account information at any time.

  • Opt-Out:

    • You can opt out of receiving promotional emails.

  • Data Portability and Deletion:

    • Request a copy of your personal data or ask for it to be deleted in accordance with our retention policies.
    • To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the "Contact Us" section below.

6.1. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary to provide our services and fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy:

  • Account Information: Retained while your account is active and for a reasonable period after account deletion to comply with legal obligations.
  • Community Contributions: Votes and comments may be retained indefinitely as they form part of our community dataset, but can be anonymized upon request.
  • Analytics Data: Anonymous usage data is retained for up to 2 years for service improvement purposes.

6.2. Privacy-First Analytics

We prioritize your privacy with intelligent analytics configuration:

  • EU/EEA Users: Automatically receive cookieless analytics with no persistent data storage on your device to comply with GDPR requirements.
  • Non-EU Users: Can choose between standard analytics (with optional cross-session insights) or enhanced privacy mode (cookieless) through a simple toggle in the site header.
  • Your Control: Your privacy preference is stored locally on your device and never transmitted to our servers.
  • Privacy by Design: All users default to the most privacy-protective configuration when location cannot be determined.

7. Third-Party Services

Our Service integrates with the following third-party services:

  • Clerk: Provides authentication and user management services. View their privacy policy at https://clerk.com/privacy
  • Google OAuth: Used for optional Google sign-in authentication. View Google's privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy
  • Umami Analytics: Self-hosted analytics service that collects anonymous usage statistics without personal identification. You can read more about Umami's features at https://umami.is/features.
  • PostHog: Provides advanced user analytics and behavior tracking. EU/EEA users automatically receive cookieless mode with no persistent tracking. Non-EU users can choose their preferred privacy level through the site header toggle. View their privacy policy at https://posthog.com/privacy
  • Amazon Associates: We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. When you click on Amazon links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. These affiliate links help support the operation of our site.

These services have their own privacy policies that govern their use of your data. We encourage you to review their policies for more details.

8. International Users and Data Transfers

Our Service is hosted and operated in the United States. If you are accessing our Service from outside the United States, please be aware that your personal data may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States where our servers are located. By using our Service, you consent to such transfer and processing.

For users in the European Union, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for any data transfers in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make significant changes, we will notify you by posting a notice on our website or by other appropriate means. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we protect your data.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please feel free to contact us at:

By using our Service, you agree to the terms outlined in this Privacy Policy.