Privacy Policy

How we collect, use, share, and protect your information.

1. Scope and Acceptance

This Privacy Policy ("Policy") describes how NightOC LLC ("NightOC," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects information when you use the NightOC mobile application (the "App"), the NightOC website at nightoc.com (the "Website"), and any related services we provide (collectively, the "Service").

By downloading, installing, accessing, or using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Policy. If you do not agree with any part of this Policy, please do not use the Service.

This Policy operates together with our Terms of Service. Capitalized terms used but not defined here have the meanings given in the Terms of Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

Category	What We Collect	When We Collect It
Account Identifier	A randomly generated anonymous User ID (UUID format). No name, no phone, no real identity required.	The first time you open the App.
Email Address	Optional. Used solely to send a one-time verification code at sign-in.	Only when you choose to register an email-verified account.
Display Profile	Nickname (text, validated for length and prohibited content) and avatar (chosen from a preset list within the App; we do not access your photo library).	When you set or change your profile.
Comments	The text of comments you post on articles, plus a timestamp and the article ID.	When you post a comment.
Bookmarks	The article IDs you bookmark.	When you bookmark an article.
Reports	The comment ID you report, the reason category, and your optional written description.	When you submit a report.
Contact Inquiries	Any message you send us via the in-app "Contact Us" feature, plus an optional reply email.	When you submit an inquiry.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device and App Information. When the App communicates with our servers, our servers automatically receive technical information such as your IP address, device model, operating system version, App version, and the language preference of your device. This is standard practice for any networked application.
• Crash and Performance Data. We use Sentry (operated by Functional Software, Inc.) to receive crash reports and performance diagnostics. These reports include stack traces, the App version, device model, OS version, a list of recent actions you took in the App ("breadcrumbs"), and your anonymous User ID. We disable personally identifiable fields in Sentry (email and IP are not sent). See Section 4.1.
• Server Logs. Our servers retain temporary access logs (IP address, request time, response status) for operational and security purposes for a limited period.

2.3 Information We Do Not Collect

To be explicit, we do not collect:

• Precise GPS or geolocation data
• Contacts, calendar, or photo library content
• Microphone, camera, or screen recordings
• Health, financial, or biometric information
• Browsing history outside of the Service
• Information from advertising networks or data brokers

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes, and only for these purposes:

• To provide the Service: display articles, show your comments, sync your bookmarks across sessions, and identify you across requests via your User ID.
• To authenticate you: deliver one-time verification codes to your email when you sign in to a registered account.
• To moderate content: review user-submitted comments and reports to keep the community safe and on-topic.
• To respond to your inquiries: answer messages you send us via Contact Us.
• To diagnose and fix problems: analyze crash reports and performance data to improve App stability.
• To enforce our Terms of Service: investigate suspected violations and take action against accounts that abuse the Service.
• To comply with law: respond to lawful requests from government authorities and to enforce our legal rights.

We do not use your information for advertising, marketing emails, behavioral profiling, retargeting, or sale to third parties.

4. How We Share Your Information

4.1 Service Providers (Processors)

We share limited information with the following third-party service providers, each acting on our behalf under contract:

Provider	Purpose	What They Receive	Their Privacy Policy
Microsoft Azure	Cloud hosting of our application servers, database, and static website (US region).	All data stored or transmitted by the Service passes through Azure infrastructure.	privacy.microsoft.com
Sentry	Crash reporting and performance diagnostics.	Stack traces, App and device information, anonymous User ID, recent in-App action history. PII (IP, email) is disabled.	sentry.io/privacy
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)	Email delivery for one-time verification codes.	Your email address and the verification code content.	brevo.com/legal/privacypolicy
Upstash	Server-side caching for performance.	Non-identifiable application cache entries (no email, no comment text).	upstash.com/trust
Apple App Store / Google Play	App distribution.	Whatever the respective store platform collects under its own policy when you download the App.	apple.com/legal/privacy / policies.google.com/privacy

4.2 Public Display

Comments you post, along with your nickname and avatar, are visible to other users of the Service. Do not include private information in comments you would not want public.

4.3 Legal Requirements and Safety

We may disclose information to law enforcement, courts, or government agencies if (a) required by a valid subpoena, court order, or applicable law; (b) we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of NightOC, our users, or the public; or (c) to investigate fraud, security incidents, or violations of our Terms of Service.

4.4 Business Transfers

If NightOC is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, sale of company assets, or transition of service to another provider, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you (for example, by App notice or email) before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

4.5 With Your Consent

We will share your information with other third parties only with your explicit consent for a stated purpose.

4.6 No Sale or "Sharing" for Advertising

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not "share" your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising as those terms are defined by the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA") as amended.

5. Data Retention

We retain information only as long as needed for the purposes described in this Policy:

• Account data (User ID, email, nickname, avatar): retained while your account is active. Upon account deletion request, deleted within 30 days, except where retention is required for legal compliance.
• Comments, bookmarks, reports: retained while your account is active. Anonymized or deleted upon account deletion. Note that comments deleted by you may remain in our server backups for up to 90 days before being purged.
• Contact inquiries: retained for up to 24 months for customer service history.
• Crash and performance data (Sentry): retained per Sentry's default retention (currently 90 days for events).
• Server access logs: retained for up to 30 days, then automatically rotated.
• Verification code emails (Brevo logs): retained per Brevo's policies, typically less than 90 days.

We may retain certain information longer when required by law, to enforce our agreements, to resolve disputes, or to prevent fraud and abuse.

6. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction:

• All network communication between the App and our servers uses TLS encryption (HTTPS).
• Data at rest in our databases is encrypted using industry-standard encryption provided by our hosting provider.
• API access requires both an API key and a cryptographic signature, validated server-side, to reduce the risk of unauthorized requests.
• Access to production systems is restricted to authorized personnel and uses multi-factor authentication.

No system is perfectly secure. Despite our efforts, we cannot guarantee absolute security of information transmitted over the internet or stored electronically. If we become aware of a security incident affecting your information, we will notify you in accordance with applicable law.

7. International Data Transfers

NightOC operates primarily from the United States, and our servers are located in the United States. If you access the Service from outside the United States, please understand that your information will be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States.

Some of our service providers may operate from, or process data in, jurisdictions outside the United States. Such transfers, where they occur, are governed by the respective provider's standard data processing terms and applicable cross-border transfer mechanisms.

By using the Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and, where applicable, to other jurisdictions where our service providers operate, which may have data protection laws that differ from those of your country of residence.

8. Your Privacy Rights

8.1 California Residents (CCPA / CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended:

• Right to Know: Request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources, purposes, and categories of third parties with whom we have shared it.
• Right to Delete: Request that we delete personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain legal exceptions.
• Right to Correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing: We do not sell or share personal information; nothing to opt out of.
• Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Information: We do not process sensitive personal information for inferring characteristics.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights.

To exercise these rights, email hello@nightoc.com with the subject "Privacy Rights Request" and include enough information for us to verify your identity (typically your User ID or the email associated with your account). We respond within 45 days, extendable once by 45 days where reasonably necessary.

You may authorize an agent to make a request on your behalf with written authorization that we may verify.

8.2 Other US State Residents

Residents of Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Virginia, and other states with comprehensive privacy laws have similar rights to access, delete, and correct their personal information. We honor these rights consistent with the requirements of applicable state law. Use the same contact procedure above.

8.3 Right to Appeal

If we deny your privacy rights request, you may appeal by replying to our response email within 60 days. If we deny your appeal, you may file a complaint with your state attorney general.

8.4 "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information"

We do not sell or share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. No opt-out is required, but if you wish to confirm this preference is recorded on your account, email us at the address above.

9. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are under 13, please do not use the Service or provide any information about yourself to us.

If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will delete that information promptly. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at hello@nightoc.com.

For users between 13 and 17, we recommend reviewing this Policy with a parent or legal guardian before using the Service.

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

The App. The App itself does not use HTTP cookies. The App stores a User ID, email (if registered), and basic preferences on your device using the operating system's secure storage facilities (iOS Keychain / Android Preferences). This data is deleted when you uninstall the App.

In-App Browser (Privacy & Terms pages). When you view this Privacy Policy or our Terms of Service inside the App via the in-app browser, the page uses your browser's localStorage to remember your preferred display language. No tracking cookies are set.

The Website (nightoc.com). The Website uses localStorage for the same language-preference purpose. The Website loads fonts from Google Fonts (fonts.googleapis.com), which may expose your IP address to Google under Google's privacy policy. We do not place advertising or analytics cookies.

11. Third-Party Links and In-App Browser

The Service may contain links to third-party websites or open external apps (for example, when an article links to a government website, when you tap a mailto: or tel: link, or when an in-App link opens the App Store / Play Store). When you follow such a link, you leave the protection of this Policy. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties. Please review their policies separately.

12. Account Deletion

To delete your account and associated personal information:

1. Email hello@nightoc.com with the subject "Delete My Account" from the email address associated with your account (or include your in-App User ID for anonymous accounts).
2. We will verify your identity and process the request within 30 days.
3. Upon deletion, your User ID, email, nickname, avatar, comments, bookmarks, and reports will be deleted or irreversibly anonymized.
4. Backups containing your data may persist for up to 90 days before being purged on the standard rotation cycle.
5. Certain information may be retained where required by law (for example, records related to fraud investigation or pending legal proceedings).

You can also clear all local data immediately by uninstalling the App. However, uninstalling does not delete data stored on our servers — you must request server-side deletion separately as described above.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top;
• Post a notice within the App;
• For significant changes affecting your rights, send a notice to the email address associated with your account (for registered users).

Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy. If you do not agree with the changes, please stop using the Service and request account deletion.

14. How to Contact Us

For any question or request related to this Policy or your information:

NightOC LLC
Email: hello@nightoc.com
Mailing inquiries: please email first; physical mailing address provided upon written request.