Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how SimilarBookFinder.com ("we," "our," or "us") collects, uses, and protects your personal data. Our practices comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

2. Data We Collect

We collect minimal information necessary to provide our service:

For users who choose to sign in:

• Information received via Google Sign-In (such as your email address and name). We do not store passwords. This data is only collected if you choose to sign in to save your books.
• Book preferences and saved books (linked to your user ID)

For all visitors:

• Anti-Abuse & Security Data: Technical information for security and fraud prevention

All stored data is fully encrypted to ensure maximum security.

Note: You can use our service without signing in. If you do not sign in, we do not collect or store any personal data about you.

3. Cookies

We use cookies strictly for necessary purposes, such as maintaining your active session (via Supabase and Google Authentication) and ensuring security. We do not use cookies for tracking, advertising, or marketing purposes.

First-party cookies:

• Supabase authentication tokens: Session cookies that keep you signed in. Only set when you choose to sign in via Google.

Third-party cookies:

Some of the third-party services we rely on may set their own cookies when your browser interacts with them. We do not control these cookies. They include:

• Google: When you sign in via Google OAuth, Google may set session and preference cookies (e.g., SID, NID) on the .google.com domain. These are governed by Google's Privacy Policy.
• OpenLibrary: Book cover images are loaded from covers.openlibrary.org, which may set cookies on the .openlibrary.org domain. These are governed by OpenLibrary's Privacy Policy.
• Cloudflare: May set security-related cookies for bot detection and abuse prevention.

You can manage or block third-party cookies through your browser settings.

4. How We Use Your Data

Your data is used to:

• Authenticate and manage your account
• Store and retrieve your saved books
• Generate book recommendations via AI

We do not sell, trade, or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes.

5. Data Protection & Security

We implement advanced security measures to protect your personal information:

• Data is stored using industry-standard encryption methods.
• Secure HTTPS encryption is enforced during all data transmissions.
• We do not store user passwords, as authentication is handled securely via Google.

6. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

• Supabase: Used for database hosting, authentication, and secure data storage.
• OpenLibrary API: Used to retrieve book cover artwork.
• Google Books API: Used to retrieve book details.
• Google Gemini API: Used to generate book recommendations.
• Google Authentication (optional): Used for user sign-in.
• Simple Analytics: Used to analyze website traffic and performance (privacy-focused).
• Vercel Analytics: Used to analyze website traffic and performance.
• Cloudflare: Used to prevent automated abuse and spam.

These services do not have access to your stored data, except as required for functionality.

7. Website Analytics

We use Simple Analytics and Vercel Analytics for our website analytics.

Simple Analytics is a privacy-first tool that does not collect any personal data, does not use cookies, and does not track you across other websites.

We use these tools to understand how our visitors use the site (e.g., which pages are popular) so we can improve the experience. All data is aggregate and anonymous.

For more information, you can view the Simple Analytics Privacy Policy.

8. Data Deletion & User Rights

If you have created an account, you have the right to request:

• Access to your stored data (GDPR & CCPA right to know).
• Deletion of your account and associated data ("Right to be forgotten").
• Correction of inaccurate information.

To request data deletion, please email us at: sp@similarbookfinder.com. Requests will be processed within 30 days.

Note: If you use our site without signing in, we do not collect or store any personal data about you.

9. Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

Our service is not intended for children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we learn that a child under 13 has provided personal information, we will take immediate steps to delete it. Parents who believe their child has used our service may contact us for removal.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make significant changes, we will notify users via email or website notice. Your continued use of our service constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Information

For privacy-related inquiries or data requests, contact us at: sp@similarbookfinder.com or use our contact form.