Creator Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Qityol. (“Qityol,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of creators who use our platform at creators.qityol.com (“Platform”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you access the Platform.

By creating an account or using the Platform, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform. This Privacy Policy should be read alongside our Creator Terms of Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: Full name, email address, username, password, profile photo, and biographical information when you register or update your profile.
• Payment & Financial Information: Bank account details, Stripe Connected Account information, PayPal email, M-Pesa phone number, tax identification numbers, and payout preferences. Payment processing is handled by Stripe; we do not directly store your full bank account or card numbers.
• Content & Metadata: eBooks, audiobooks, podcast episodes, cover images, descriptions, pricing, categories, and any other content or metadata you upload.
• Communications: Messages, emails, support requests, and other communications you send to us or through the Platform.
• Identity Verification: Government-issued identification or other documents you provide to verify your identity or rights to content, as may be required for compliance, copyright investigations, or payout processing.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device & Browser Data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, screen resolution, and language preferences.
• Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, click patterns, timestamps, referral URLs, session duration, and navigation paths within the Platform.
• Location Data: Approximate geographic location derived from your IP address (country, region, city). We do not collect precise GPS location data.
• Cookies & Tracking Technologies: We use cookies, local storage, and similar technologies to maintain session state, remember your preferences, and analyze usage patterns. See Section 7 for details.

2.3 Information from Third Parties

• Stripe: Account verification status, payout statuses, balance information, and transaction data related to your connected Stripe account.
• Authentication Providers: If you sign in using a third-party service (e.g., Google, Apple), we receive your name, email address, and profile photo as permitted by that provider.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Platform Operations: To create and manage your account, process uploads, display your content to purchasers, and facilitate transactions.
• Payment Processing: To process payouts, calculate revenue splits, verify bank account information, and comply with tax reporting obligations.
• Analytics & Insights: To provide you with sales analytics, audience insights, content performance metrics, and earnings reports on your dashboard.
• Communication: To send you notifications about sales, payouts, account activity, policy updates, and promotional communications (which you may opt out of).
• Security & Fraud Prevention: To detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent transactions, unauthorized access, copyright infringement, piracy, and other illegal activities.
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, and government requests, including tax reporting, DMCA compliance, and law enforcement cooperation.
• Platform Improvement: To analyze usage patterns, debug technical issues, and improve the functionality, performance, and user experience of the Platform.
• Copyright Enforcement: To investigate suspected copyright infringement, verify content ownership, and take action as described in our Terms of Service.

4. How We Share Your Information

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, including Stripe (payment processing), Supabase (data storage and authentication), Vercel (hosting), Resend (email delivery), and Sentry (error tracking). These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data.
• Purchasers: Limited information such as your creator name, profile photo, and content descriptions is displayed publicly to purchasers. We do not share your financial or contact information with purchasers.
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, regulation, legal process, or government request, including in response to subpoenas, court orders, or requests from law enforcement authorities.
• Copyright Holders & Legal Proceedings: In connection with copyright infringement investigations, DMCA proceedings, or legal actions involving your content or account.
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.
• With Your Consent: In other circumstances with your explicit consent.

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest;
• Row-Level Security (RLS) policies on database tables to ensure data isolation;
• Secure authentication with hashed passwords and session management;
• Regular security assessments and monitoring;
• Access controls limiting employee access to personal data on a need-to-know basis;
• PCI DSS compliant payment processing through Stripe.

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security and are not responsible for unauthorized access resulting from factors beyond our reasonable control.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as:

• Your account is active and in good standing;
• Necessary to provide the services and fulfill the purposes described in this policy;
• Required by applicable law, tax obligations, or legal proceedings (typically 7 years for financial records);
• Needed for copyright enforcement investigations or ongoing disputes.

Upon account termination, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within ninety (90) days, except where retention is required by law or necessary to protect our legal interests. Aggregated, anonymized data may be retained indefinitely for analytics purposes.

7. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use the following types of cookies and similar technologies:

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of the Platform.

8. Your Rights & Choices

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

8.1 All Creators

• Access & Portability: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal retention obligations.
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from promotional emails at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link or emailing us.
• Account Closure: Close your account by contacting [email protected].

8.2 California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to deletion, the right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information), and the right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights.

8.3 EEA/UK Residents (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the right of access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, and the right to object. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. Our legal basis for processing is contract performance (providing the Platform services), legitimate interest (security, fraud prevention, analytics), and legal obligations (tax reporting, law enforcement requests).

8.4 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of the above rights, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond to verified requests within thirty (30) days.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States. These countries may have data protection laws that differ from those in your jurisdiction. By using the Platform, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other countries where we and our service providers operate.

Where required, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission, or other legally recognized transfer mechanisms, to ensure adequate protection of your data.

10. Children's Privacy

The Platform is not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete such information promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at [email protected].

11. Third-Party Links & Services

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites or services (e.g., Stripe Dashboard, social media platforms). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated by email or through a prominent notice on the Platform at least thirty (30) days before they take effect. The “Last Updated” date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date of changes constitutes acceptance.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, contact us: