Contents
1. Who We Are
Read Forward ("we", "our", or "us") is a peer-to-peer book lending platform that connects readers who want to borrow and lend physical books. The Read Forward mobile application is operated as an independent project.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at support@readforward.in.
2. Information We Collect
We collect the following categories of information:
Information you provide directly:
- Phone number — used for account creation and OTP-based authentication
- Full name — displayed on your profile to other users
- Email address — used for transaction receipts and support communications
- Delivery address — used to facilitate physical book exchanges between users
- Book information — title, author, genre, condition, and photographs of books you list
Information collected automatically:
- Push notification token — a device-specific token provided by Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) to deliver push notifications to your device. This is collected only if you grant notification permission.
- App usage data — anonymised events such as screens viewed and features used, collected via PostHog analytics to help us improve the app.
Information we do NOT collect:
- Passwords (we use phone-based OTP authentication only)
- Payment or financial information
- Precise real-time location (GPS)
- Contacts, camera roll, or files from your device
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- Account management — to create and maintain your Read Forward account and authenticate you securely via OTP
- Book lending — to connect borrowers with lenders and facilitate the exchange of physical books
- Notifications — to send you real-time alerts about borrow requests, acceptances, rejections, and delivery updates
- Litcoins — to manage your in-app currency balance and record transactions
- Customer support — to respond to your queries and resolve disputes
- App improvement — to analyse anonymised usage patterns and improve features
- Referrals — to track invite codes and credit Litcoins to users who refer new members
We do not use your information for advertising, profiling, or any purpose beyond operating the Read Forward service.
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We share your data only in the following limited circumstances:
- With other users — your name and delivery address are shared with the other party in a confirmed book exchange (borrower sees lender's address and vice versa) so the physical handover can take place.
- Service providers — we share data with the third-party services listed in Section 5 solely to operate the app.
- Legal requirements — we may disclose data if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of users.
We never share your data with advertisers or data brokers.
5. Third-Party Services
Read Forward uses the following third-party services, each governed by their own privacy policies:
- Supabase (database and authentication) — stores your account data, book listings, and transaction history in a secure PostgreSQL database. Supabase Privacy Policy
- MSG91 (OTP delivery) — sends one-time passwords to your phone number for authentication. MSG91 Privacy Policy
- Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) by Google — delivers push notifications to your device. Your push token is stored in our database and sent to FCM solely to route notifications to your device. Google Privacy Policy
- PostHog (product analytics) — collects anonymised usage events to help us understand how the app is used. No personally identifiable information is sent to PostHog. PostHog Privacy Policy
- Expo (app infrastructure) — the framework used to build the Read Forward app. Expo Privacy Policy
6. Data Storage and Security
Your data is stored in Supabase's cloud infrastructure, protected by industry-standard security practices including encryption at rest and in transit (TLS).
We retain your data for as long as your account is active. If you request account deletion, we will delete your personal information within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.
While we implement reasonable security measures, no internet-based service can guarantee absolute security. Please use the app responsibly and report any security concerns to support@readforward.in.
7. Your Rights
You have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Correction — update or correct inaccurate information via the Profile screen in the app
- Deletion — request that we delete your account and personal data
- Notification opt-out — disable push notifications at any time via the Profile screen or your device's notification settings
- Data portability — request your data in a portable format
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@readforward.in. We will respond within 30 days.
8. Children's Privacy
Read Forward is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you via the app or email.
Your continued use of Read Forward after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
10. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please reach out:
- Email: support@readforward.in
- Website: readforward.in