Privacy Policy
Last updated: [DATE]
This policy explains what personal data Talestra handles, why, and what you can do about it. It covers the website at talestra.app and the Talestra mobile app. The formal notice required by Turkish law is our KVKK Notice.
Who is responsible
Talestra is run by Mehmet Cihan Erol, a private individual in Istanbul, Türkiye, who is the data controller for the data described here.
- Address: [ADDRESS]
- Email for privacy requests: privacy@talestra.app
The short version
- The app keeps your photos, notes and progress on your phone. We never receive them.
- The website stores your email only if you join the waitlist or apply to write, and only after you agree.
- No ads, no selling of data, no tracking cookies, no accounts.
The mobile app
Location. The app uses your device's location while the app is open, to show kinds of places near you, to recognise when you arrive at a legendary place, and to pause the app when you're moving faster than walking speed. Location is processed on your device. We don't receive it or store it. The app does not use your location in the background.
Maps. To draw the map, the app uses Apple Maps on iOS and Google Maps on Android. Like any map, these services receive the area being shown and your device's IP address when map tiles load. Their own privacy policies apply.
Nearby places. [CONFIRM BEFORE PUBLISHING: either "Place data comes from OpenStreetMap and is bundled in the app, so finding nearby places sends nothing anywhere." or "To find nearby places, the app sends an approximate location to an OpenStreetMap-based service. That request doesn't include who you are."]
Camera and photos. Photos you take for your Atlas are stored only on your device. They are never uploaded. Photos may contain location information in their metadata; that also stays on your device.
Notes, progress and settings (your Atlas, completed stories, language) are stored only on your device. Deleting the app deletes them.
The app has no accounts, no advertising, no analytics and no tracking.
The website
Waitlist. If you join, we store your email address, your language, whether you confirmed, which consent texts you agreed to and when, and a one-way scrambled version of your IP address (used only to stop automated abuse; it can't be turned back into your IP). We use this to tell you when Talestra launches and, only if you ticked the second box, to send occasional updates.
Writer applications. If you apply, we store your name, email, languages, the link you shared, your short pitch, your consent, and the scrambled IP address. We use this to review your application and contact you about the writers' program.
Server logs. Our hosting provider briefly processes technical data such as IP address and browser type to deliver the site and protect it from attacks.
Analytics. [IF ENABLED: We use Vercel Web Analytics, which counts page views in aggregate without cookies and without identifying you.]
Cookies. The site uses one cookie, to remember your language choice. See the Cookie Notice.
Who else processes the data
We use these service providers. They process data on our behalf and only to provide their service:
| Provider | What for | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Vercel Inc. | Website hosting | USA (global network) |
| Supabase Inc. | Database for waitlist and applications | Data stored in the EU (Germany) |
| Resend (Plus Five Five, Inc.) | Sending confirmation emails | USA, sending from the EU |
Because these providers are outside Türkiye, using them means transferring personal data abroad. We do this under the safeguards required by Article 9 of Law No. 6698. [LAWYER TO CONFIRM MECHANISM]
We don't sell or rent personal data, and we don't share it with anyone else unless the law requires it.
How long we keep it
- Unconfirmed waitlist signups: deleted within 7 days.
- Confirmed waitlist signups: until you remove yourself, and in any case deleted within 12 months after the app launches.
- Writer applications: up to 24 months, or until you ask us to delete them.
- Server logs: as long as the hosting provider keeps them for security, typically a short period.
Your rights
Under Article 11 of Law No. 6698, you can ask whether we process your data, what we hold, and why; ask us to correct or delete it; ask who we've shared it with; object to results produced only by automated processing that affect you; and claim compensation for unlawful processing. You can also leave the waitlist at any time with the link in our emails.
Send requests to privacy@talestra.app or by post to the address above. We answer within 30 days, free of charge. If you're not satisfied, you can complain to the Personal Data Protection Authority (KVKK).
Children
Talestra is meant for people aged 13 and over. If you're under 18, please use it with a parent's or guardian's permission. The website forms are not meant for children under 13.
Changes
If we change this policy, we'll update the date at the top. Significant changes will be announced on the website.