Stember — Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Stember is a mobile app by Arcane Dream Lab (indie developer). Stember helps builders discover projects, give feedback, and message each other.

Contact: arcanedreamlab@gmail.com

2. Our approach — minimal data

We collect and store only what the product needs to work and what you choose to publish for other signed-in users. We do not sell your data. We do not run our own servers beyond Google Firebase and standard app-store / ad providers.

3. What you sign in with

Stember uses Google Sign-In (and Apple Sign-In when available on iOS). Google or Apple processes your sign-in. Firebase Authentication gives us a user ID so we can tie your profile to your account.

Your sign-in email stays with the identity provider and Firebase Auth. We do not show your Google or Apple email to other users in the app. We do not copy it into your public profile by default.

4. What is stored and visible to other users

When you use Stember, other signed-in users may see what you publish, including:

• Nickname, avatar colour and letters, bio, and optional links you add
• Active projects (name, description, images, tags, links you add)
• Comments and reactions you post on projects
• Follow relationships and public counters (followers, projects, etc.)

Optional public contact email: only if you add it yourself in Settings. The field is empty by default. If you leave it blank, no email is shown on your profile.

Stember is built for sharing project information. Content you mark as active is meant to be discoverable inside the app. That is not a data breach — it is how the service works. Anyone with access to the app could, in theory, view public profiles and projects in a systematic way, the same way they could browse a public website.

5. What we do not collect or display

• We do not ask for a separate email/password account inside Stember
• We do not display your sign-in email to other users unless you optionally add a public contact email in Settings
• We do not collect precise GPS location, contacts, or phone book
• We do not offer paid in-app purchases in v1

6. Private messages

Direct messages are stored in Firebase so delivery works. They are not end-to-end encrypted. Only chat participants (and our systems for moderation and security) can access them under our rules. Do not send sensitive secrets in chat.

7. Device and technical data

We or our providers may process:

• Push notification tokens (if you enable notifications)
• Crash and diagnostic logs (when Crashlytics is enabled)
• Basic analytics events (when enabled)
• Advertising identifiers for non-personalized ads on the feed (AdMob), where applicable
• Standard technical data (IP address, device type) in provider logs for security and delivery

8. Where data is stored

Cloud data is stored in Google Firebase (Firestore, Storage, Cloud Functions). Our Firebase resources are configured in the EU (europe-west1) region where applicable. Google processes data under its own terms and privacy policy as a processor.

9. How we use data

• Operate the app (profiles, feed, messages, moderation)
• Keep the service secure (App Check, rules, abuse reports)
• Fix bugs and improve stability
• Show ads on the feed (where enabled)
• Comply with law and app-store rules

10. Legal bases (EEA / UK users)

In plain terms:

• Contract: we need certain data to provide the app you signed up for
• Consent / informed choice: you choose what to publish; optional public email is opt-in in Settings
• Legitimate interests: security, abuse prevention, and basic analytics, balanced against your rights

Public-by-design content does not remove your privacy rights, but it explains why other users can see what you post.

11. Retention and deletion

You can request account deletion in the app (Settings). After deletion, recovery may be possible for a limited window described in the app; then data is removed or anonymized per our backend processes. Some logs at providers may be retained for a short period under their policies.

12. Your rights

Depending on where you live (including the EEA, UK, and similar laws), you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or object to certain processing, and to complain to a supervisory authority. Contact us at the email above. We will respond within a reasonable time for a small team.

13. Children

Stember is intended for users 18 and older because it includes user-generated content and direct messaging. We do not knowingly target children.

14. Changes

We may update this policy. The date at the top changes when we do. Continued use after an update means you accept the revised policy, unless law requires otherwise.

15. Related documents

Stember Terms of Service · Arcane Dream Lab (company) Privacy Policy