Privacy Policy

MovieCellar ("we," "us," or "our") operates the MovieCellar website (moviecellar.app) and mobile application (collectively, the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you use our Service.

By using MovieCellar, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Account Information. When you create an account, we collect your name, email address, and profile information. Authentication is handled by our service provider Clerk, which may collect additional authentication data depending on your sign-in method (email, Google, or Apple).
• Movie Collection Data. Titles you add to your collection, including the store of purchase, format, and any notes or ratings you provide.
• User-Generated Content. Reviews, ratings, lists, and any other content you create within the Service.
• Profile Settings. Your privacy preferences, notification settings, and display preferences.
• Communications. Information you provide when you contact us for support at support@moviecellar.app.

Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data. We use PostHog, a product analytics platform, to collect information about how you interact with the Service, including pages visited, features used, buttons clicked, and time spent on the Service. PostHog may record anonymized session replays to help us understand and improve the user experience. Text inputs are masked by default in session replays.
• Device Information. Browser type, operating system, device type, screen resolution, and language preferences.
• Log Data. IP address, access times, and referring URLs.

Information Processed Temporarily

• Poster Images. When you use our movie identification feature, images of movie posters are sent to our AI vision service for identification purposes only. These images are processed in real time and are not stored after identification is complete. They are not used for AI model training or any purpose other than identifying the movie in the image.

Information We Do Not Collect

• We do not collect payment or financial information (there are no paid features at this time).
• We do not collect precise geolocation data.
• We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13 years of age.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve the Service
• Create and manage your account
• Process your movie collection imports and maintain your library
• Enable social features such as following other users, sharing collections, and viewing activity feeds
• Identify movies from poster images you upload
• Send you service-related communications (account verification, security alerts, feature updates)
• Analyze usage patterns to improve the Service and fix bugs
• Detect, prevent, and address technical issues and abuse
• Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell your personal information. We do not use your data for targeted advertising.

3. How We Share Your Information

We share your information only in the following circumstances:

Service Providers

We use the following third-party service providers who process data on our behalf:

Each service provider is contractually obligated to use your data only for the purpose of providing their service to us and to protect your data in accordance with this policy.

Social Features

If you choose to make your profile or collection public or visible to friends, other users of the Service will be able to see the information you have chosen to share. You control the visibility of your profile, collection, and activity through your privacy settings. By default, your profile and collection are visible to friends only.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, in response to a valid legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of MovieCellar, our users, or others.

4. Your Rights and Choices

All Users

• Access and Export. You can access your data and export your movie collection at any time through your account settings.
• Correction. You can update your account information at any time through your profile settings.
• Deletion. You can delete your account and associated data at any time through your account settings or by contacting privacy@moviecellar.app. Account deletion is processed within 30 days.
• Privacy Settings. You can control the visibility of your profile, collection, and activity through your privacy settings.
• Analytics Opt-Out. You can opt out of analytics tracking through the cookie consent banner on the website or through the privacy settings in the mobile app.

European Economic Area (EEA) and United Kingdom Residents

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK GDPR, you have additional rights:

• Legal Basis. We process your data based on: (a) contract performance (providing the Service), (b) legitimate interest (analytics, security, service improvement), and (c) your consent (where applicable, such as optional analytics tracking).
• Data Portability. You may request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Restriction. You may request that we restrict processing of your data.
• Objection. You may object to processing based on legitimate interest.
• Supervisory Authority. You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
• Data Controller. MovieCellar is the data controller. Contact us at privacy@moviecellar.app.
• Cross-Border Transfers. Your data may be transferred to and processed in the United States. We rely on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and Standard Contractual Clauses to ensure adequate protection for cross-border transfers. Our analytics provider (PostHog) offers EU Cloud hosting in Frankfurt, Germany.

California Residents

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA):

• You have the right to know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose.
• You have the right to request deletion of your personal information.
• You have the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information. We do not sell or share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
• You have the right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights.
• We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@moviecellar.app.

5. Cookies and Tracking

Website

MovieCellar uses cookies for essential functionality (authentication session) and optional analytics (PostHog). When you first visit our website, you will be shown a consent banner. You may accept or decline analytics cookies. If you decline, we use privacy-preserving cookieless counting that does not identify you individually.

Mobile App

The mobile app does not use cookies. Analytics data collection requires your consent during onboarding. You can change your preference at any time in the app settings.

6. Data Retention

• Account Data. Retained for as long as your account is active. Upon account deletion, your data is deleted within 30 days, except as required by law.
• Analytics Data. PostHog retains event data for the duration of our plan's retention period (currently 1 year). Session replay recordings are retained for 3 months.
• Poster Images. Processed in real time for identification and immediately discarded. Not stored.
• Backups. Database backups are rotated on a 90-day cycle. Deleted data may persist in backups for up to 90 days before being permanently removed.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including encryption in transit (TLS/HTTPS), secure authentication via Clerk, and access controls on our infrastructure. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Children's Privacy

MovieCellar is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected data 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 privacy@moviecellar.app.

9. Third-Party Links

The Service may contain links to third-party websites, including digital movie storefronts (Apple TV, Vudu, Google Play, Amazon). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party services. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on the Service and updating the "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, or wish to exercise your privacy rights, contact us at:

• General inquiries: support@moviecellar.app
• Privacy requests: privacy@moviecellar.app
• DMCA notices: dmca@moviecellar.app