Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly to us, information collected automatically when you use our services, and information from third-party sources. The types of information we collect include:

Personal Information

• Name, email address, and account credentials when you create an account
• Billing information including payment card details (processed securely by Stripe)
• Shipping address for book and merchandise delivery
• Communications you send to us, including customer support inquiries

Photos & Child Information

• Photos of children uploaded for the purpose of creating personalized book characters
• Child's first name, age, and gender used to personalize stories
• Story preferences, art style selections, and book customizations

Usage Data

• Device information including browser type, operating system, and device identifiers
• Log data such as IP address, pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs
• Book creation activity including stories selected, edits made, and orders placed

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Book creation and personalization: To generate AI-illustrated characters from uploaded photos, create personalized stories, and produce print-ready books
• Order fulfillment: To process payments, print books, and ship orders to your specified address
• Account management: To create and maintain your account, manage subscriptions, and track order history
• Communication: To send order confirmations, shipping updates, subscription reminders, and respond to support requests
• Service improvement: To analyze usage patterns, improve our AI technology, and enhance the overall user experience
• Marketing: To send promotional emails about new stories, features, and offers (with your consent, and you can opt out at any time)

3. Photo Data & AI Processing

We understand that photos of your children are especially sensitive. Here is exactly how we handle them:

• Purpose: Uploaded photos are used solely to generate an AI cartoon character that resembles your child. The photo is analyzed by our AI model to capture facial features, hair color, skin tone, and other visual characteristics.
• Processing: Photos are processed through secure, encrypted AI pipelines. The original photo is not embedded in the final book — only the AI-generated cartoon character appears in illustrations.
• Storage: Uploaded photos are stored securely using encrypted cloud storage. Photos are retained only as long as necessary to fulfill your book order and enable future book creation with the same character.
• Deletion: You may request deletion of all uploaded photos at any time by contacting us at hello@deartiny.com or through your account settings. Photos associated with deleted accounts are permanently removed within 30 days.
• No third-party AI training: Your child's photos are never used to train general-purpose AI models, sold to third parties, or shared with advertisers.

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We share data only with the following service providers who are essential to delivering our product:

• Gelato (printing & fulfillment): We share the final print-ready book files and shipping address with Gelato, our printing and fulfillment partner, to produce and deliver your physical book. Gelato does not receive the original uploaded photos.
• Stripe (payment processing): Payment information is processed directly by Stripe, a PCI-compliant payment processor. We do not store your full credit card number on our servers.
• AI service providers: Photos are processed through AI services to generate character illustrations. These providers process data per our instructions and are contractually prohibited from using your data for any other purpose.
• Analytics providers: We use analytics services to understand how our website is used. This data is aggregated and does not include photos or children's personal information.

We may also disclose information if required by law, to protect our rights, or in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

5. Data Security

We take the security of your data seriously and implement industry-standard measures to protect it:

• All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using TLS/SSL (HTTPS)
• Uploaded photos and personal data are stored in encrypted cloud storage with access controls
• Payment information is handled by PCI DSS-compliant payment processors and never stored on our servers
• We conduct regular security reviews and vulnerability assessments
• Access to personal data is limited to authorized personnel who need it to provide our services

While we implement robust security measures, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We encourage you to use a strong, unique password for your DearTiny account and to contact us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access.

6. Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

DearTiny is designed for parents and guardians to create personalized books for their children. We take the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) seriously:

• Our service is intended for use by parents and guardians who are at least 18 years old. Children under 13 should not create accounts or use our service directly.
• Parents and guardians control all data related to their children, including photos, names, and story preferences.
• We collect only the minimum child information necessary to create a personalized book (first name, age range, and photo).
• Parents may review, update, or delete their child's information at any time through their account settings or by contacting us.
• We do not condition a child's participation in any activity on the disclosure of more personal information than is reasonably necessary.

If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13 without parental consent, please contact us immediately at hello@deartiny.com and we will promptly delete the information.

7. Cookies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to operate and improve our service:

• Essential cookies: Required for authentication, session management, and core functionality. These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website so we can improve the experience. These collect aggregated, anonymized data.
• Marketing cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements and track campaign effectiveness. You can opt out of these through your browser settings.

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our service.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you and your children.
• Right to correction: Request that we update or correct inaccurate personal information.
• Right to deletion: Request that we delete your personal information, including all uploaded photos and child data. We will comply within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.
• Right to opt out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email, or by contacting us directly.
• Right to data portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@deartiny.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will notify you by email or by posting a prominent notice on our website prior to the changes taking effect. We encourage you to review this page periodically for the latest information on our privacy practices.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, your personal data, or your child's information, please contact us:

• Email: hello@deartiny.com
• Website: deartiny.com

See also our Terms of Service and Refund Policy.