Privacy Policy

The short version

Star in Your Car ("we", "us", "our", "the app") is a mobile singing competition. We collect the information needed to run the service — your account, your performance videos, and the scores and votes on them — plus limited technical data used to keep the app working and, where applicable, to support advertising. We don't sell your personal data. You can delete your account from inside the app at any time. This Privacy Policy explains what we collect, why, the legal bases we rely on, and the rights you have over your information. By using Star in Your Car, you acknowledge the practices described here.

1. Personal data we collect and how we use it

When you create an account, we collect:

• Email address — used to log you in and contact you about your account. Legal basis: contract.
• Password — stored only as a one-way bcrypt hash. We never see your plaintext password. Legal basis: contract.
• Display name (optional) — shown to other users alongside your submissions and ratings. Legal basis: contract.
• Account role — contestant, public voter, or industry judge. Legal basis: contract.

When you use the app, we also collect:

• Performance videos — uploaded directly from your device to our cloud storage. Videos are tied to your account and visible to other users on the platform. Legal basis: contract.
• Submission metadata — title, notes, the challenge (if any), and a timestamp. Legal basis: contract.
• Scores, votes, and comments — the rating, vote, and optional text feedback you give on others' submissions, and what others give on yours. Legal basis: contract.
• Challenges you create as an industry judge. Legal basis: contract.
• Support correspondence — your name, email, and anything else you include when you contact us. Legal basis: legitimate interest in providing good customer service.
• Technical and usage data — device type, app version, approximate region derived from your IP address, crash logs, and how you interact with the app. We use this to keep the service running, troubleshoot issues, understand our audience, and — where applicable — to serve advertising. Legal basis: legitimate interest, or your consent for personalized advertising.

We do not collect your contacts, precise GPS location, or device sensor data. We do not process your payment information — any in-app purchases are handled by the app store you downloaded the app from.

2. How we use it

• To authenticate you and keep your session secure.
• To show your performances to other users so they can score and vote on them, and to show you performances from others so you can vote on them.
• To display scores, votes, and comments on submissions.
• To respond to support requests you send us.
• To detect and prevent abuse of the platform.
• To understand and improve the service, and to serve advertising that helps keep the app free (see Advertising below).

3. Where your data lives

• Account data and metadata live in a PostgreSQL database on a dedicated server we operate, reached over an encrypted (SSL) connection.
• Video files live in DigitalOcean Spaces (region sfo3, US). Object names are random UUIDs so they cannot be guessed from the outside.
• Authentication tokens on your device are stored in the iOS Keychain.

4. Who can see your performances

Performances you submit are visible to other authenticated users of Star in Your Car for scoring and voting purposes. Industry judges can also view submissions entered into their challenges. Performances are not made public on the open internet — playback URLs are short-lived signed links generated only for authenticated requests.

5. Rights to submitted content

By submitting a performance, you grant Star in Your Car a non-exclusive, worldwide license to host, display, transmit, and use that video for the purpose of operating the platform — including showing it to voters and industry judges. You retain ownership of your performance. Full terms are in our Terms of Service.

6. Third parties that process your data

We share data only with the service providers we need to run, improve, and support the platform:

• Hosting and storage — DigitalOcean stores video files and hosts our infrastructure; these providers keep our servers, databases, and storage available and reliable.
• DNS and CDN — Cloudflare provides DNS and content delivery for our website and API endpoints.
• Apple — for App Store distribution and push notifications, if you opt in.
• Analytics platforms — to understand how the app is used and improve it. The data these tools receive is aggregated and de-identified where possible.
• Advertising networks — to display advertising in the app. These networks may collect technical and usage data about your interactions to deliver and measure ads, including personalized ads where you have consented.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We may be required to disclose data to comply with the law, enforce our terms, or protect the rights, safety, and security of our users or the platform.

7. Advertising and your choices

Star in Your Car is free to use and may be supported by advertising. Some ads may be personalized based on technical and usage data about you and your device. You can limit personalized advertising at any time:

• Turn off the targeted-advertising toggle in the app's settings.
• Use your device's system privacy controls — on iOS, Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking and Apple Advertising.

Opting out does not remove all ads — it reduces how much they are personalized to you.

8. Cookies and similar technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to remember preferences, keep the site working, and measure traffic (for example, with web analytics). The first time you visit, we ask for your consent where required, and you can manage your preferences through your browser settings or any cookie controls we provide on the site. The mobile app does not use browser cookies, but relies on the device identifiers and technical data described above.

9. Deleting your account

You can permanently delete your account from inside the app: Me → Delete account. This removes your profile, submissions, scores and votes, and any challenges you posted. Deletions are immediate and irreversible. If you'd prefer to delete by email, write to [email protected] from the address on your account.

10. Data retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as it is needed for the purposes described in this policy — generally for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, all associated data is removed from the database and from object storage; routine backups may briefly retain copies for up to 30 days before being aged out. In some cases we may need to retain certain data for longer where required by law or to handle legal claims, investigations, or government requests, and only for as long as that obligation lasts. Please be aware that no security measures are perfect or impenetrable.

11. Security

Passwords are hashed with bcrypt before storage. All traffic between the app and our servers uses HTTPS. Video uploads go directly from your device to cloud storage over signed URLs — our servers never proxy the bytes. Authentication uses short-lived JWT access tokens with refresh tokens stored in your device's Keychain.

12. Age limits

Star in Your Car is intended for a general audience and is for people aged 18 and older. The app is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If you believe someone under 18 has registered, contact us at [email protected] and we will delete the account.

13. Your rights and options

Depending on where you live (including the EU, UK, and other regions), you have rights over your personal data:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification — request that we correct incomplete or inaccurate data.
• Erasure — request that we delete your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Restriction — request that we limit how we process your data under specific conditions.
• Portability — receive your data in a structured, commonly used format.
• Objection — object to processing based on our legitimate interests.
• Withdraw consent — withdraw any consent you've given (such as for personalized ads) at any time.
• Complain — lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

The fastest way to exercise the access, correction, or deletion rights is the in-app delete button or emailing [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

14. California privacy rights

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) gives you additional rights:

• Right to know — request the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.
• Right to delete — request deletion of the personal information we have collected from you.
• Right to opt out — opt out of the "sale" of personal information. We do not sell your personal information.

We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights. To make a request, contact us using the details in Contact us below.

15. Links to other sites

The app or our website may contain links to sites and services operated by third parties that we do not control. If you follow such a link, we encourage you to review that site's own privacy policy. We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or terms of third-party sites or services.

16. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. If we make a material change, we will notify you in the app or by email before it takes effect, and where the law requires it for further processing, we will ask for your consent. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision — please check back periodically.

17. Contact us

Questions about this policy or our privacy practices? Email [email protected].

By using Star in Your Car, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described here.