Privacy Policy
1. Scope and accountability
This Privacy Policy explains how StoryBee Inc. (“StoryBee”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) handles personal information in connection with StoryBee.ca, StoryBee.Space, and their associated reading and support features (together, the “Services”). StoryBee Inc. operates the Services, determines the purposes for which personal information is handled, and receives privacy requests.
West Solution Consulting Corp. and The National Research Institute for Democratized Learning publish or provide certain StoryBee content. They are not described by this Policy as operators of every Service or as having routine access to reader personal information. Information may be shared with a publisher only where reasonably necessary for a specific support, rights, safety, or legal matter and as permitted by law.
2. Current public access and accounts
StoryBee.ca currently offers public reading access without requiring a reader account or sign-up. We do not ask public-trial readers to submit an age, gender, school, or precise location merely to read StoryBee.ca.
StoryBee.Space may provide account features using Squarespace authentication and may collect an email address, account identifiers, and authentication information needed for those features. If StoryBee.ca introduces a membership gateway, we will update this Policy before applying a material new collection or account practice.
3. Information we may receive
When you use the Services, StoryBee and its providers may receive standard technical information such as IP address, browser and device type, operating system, requested pages or features, approximate region derived from an IP address, timestamps, security events, and request or diagnostic logs.
When a public StoryBee.ca book opens successfully, Cloudflare provides approximate network-location metadata to StoryBee at the edge. StoryBee immediately reduces available coordinates to an approximately one-degree map cell and does not store the raw IP address, precise coordinates, city, postal code, book-and-location pairing, or an individual event record. We store only the coarse cell’s aggregated open count and a rounded recent-activity time. A coarse area is included in the public map only after multiple opens have accumulated there.
We may also receive information you choose to provide, including support messages, rights reports, privacy requests, account information where an account feature exists, and related correspondence. Please do not include unnecessary personal information in a support request.
4. How we use information
We use personal information to operate and deliver the Services; provide account features where available; respond to support, privacy, and rights requests; maintain security and prevent abuse; diagnose technical problems; comply with legal obligations; enforce our Terms; and protect users, rights holders, and the Services.
We may use aggregated or de-identified information to understand performance, improve accessibility, content presentation, and features, and display the approximate global reading-activity map and estimated cumulative read count. The map does not identify a reader or disclose which book was opened in an area. We do not sell or rent personal information.
5. Sharing and service providers
We may provide information to service providers that host, secure, authenticate, display, or support the Services; to authorities or other parties when required by law or reasonably necessary to protect rights, safety, or security; to a successor in connection with a lawful corporate transaction; or to another party at your direction or with your authorization.
Current providers include Cloudflare for StoryBee.ca infrastructure and security, Squarespace for StoryBee.Space and its account features, and FlipHTML5 for certain book displays. Providers may process technical or account information in accordance with their services, agreements, and applicable policies. We seek to limit provider access to what is reasonably necessary for the relevant service.
6. Cookies and local storage
The Services and their providers may use cookies, local storage, and similar browser technologies for security, authentication where available, preferences, acknowledgement of policy notices, performance, and temporary caching of public content. Details appear in our Cookies and Local Storage Notice.
7. Retention
Retention periods vary according to the type of information and why it is needed. We consider the duration of an account or support matter, security and fraud-prevention needs, provider settings, backup and logging cycles, legal obligations, dispute requirements, and whether information can be deleted or de-identified.
The reading-activity feature does not retain individual open records. Coarse cell counts may be retained as cumulative, aggregated statistics; each cell holds only its total and rounded latest-activity time.
When personal information is no longer reasonably required, we take reasonable steps to delete, de-identify, or securely dispose of it, subject to lawful retention, security, backup, and operational requirements.
8. Security
We use administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information. No transmission, provider, or storage system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you believe an account or personal information has been compromised, contact [email protected].
9. Access, correction, and deletion requests
Subject to applicable law, you may ask whether we hold personal information about you and request access, correction, or deletion. We may need to verify your identity and authority before responding. Some information may be retained or withheld where permitted or required for security, legal obligations, fraud prevention, dispute resolution, or the rights of another person.
Send privacy requests to StoryBee Inc. at [email protected]. Please describe the Service and interaction involved so that we can locate relevant records.
10. Children
Our books are created or curated for children, but StoryBee accounts and memberships are for adults. Children may read under adult selection and supervision but may not independently create or manage an account. StoryBee.ca’s current public trial does not ask a reader to submit their age merely to access public reading material.
Like other public websites, a child’s visit may generate limited technical information needed to deliver and secure the site. We do not knowingly ask children to submit profiles or direct support requests. If you believe a child has provided personal information directly to us without appropriate adult involvement, contact us so that we can review it.
11. International processing and third-party services
Providers may process information in Canada, the United States, or other countries where they or their infrastructure operate. Information may be subject to the laws of those jurisdictions. Third-party websites and services have their own privacy practices, and we encourage you to review them before providing information.
12. Changes and contact
We may update this Policy to reflect changes to the Services, practices, providers, or legal requirements. Updates take effect when posted unless a different date is stated. Where required, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent before applying a material new practice.
Questions, concerns, or privacy requests may be sent to StoryBee Inc. at [email protected].