Creators. Thinkers. Makers.
Ying Dong
Co-founder
Having lived and worked across continents, I'm drawn by how culture shapes technology and behavior. Building for diverse markets means understanding not just language or UI, but what motivates people differently — what feels intuitive in one place may be surprising in another. I've found the best teams are the ones that mirror their users' diversity, where every perspective sharpens the product and expands its reach.
Privacy Policy for Ficta
(Apple App Store + Google Play Families Compliant)
Effective Date: 11/23/2025
Ficta ("we," "our," "us") is committed to protecting the privacy of all of our users, especially children under the age of 13. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and safeguard data in our app, and describes the rights of parents and guardians under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), as well as additional requirements for the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and applicable international privacy laws such as GDPR Article 8.
If you are under the age of 13, you may only use our services with your parent's or guardian's express consent.
1. Information We Collect
Ficta collects only the minimum information needed for children to create and save stories. We intentionally avoid collecting unnecessary personal data.
1.1 Stories Created
We collect the stories that users create within the app so they can be saved, edited, and accessed later.
1.2 Optional Creative Preferences
If users choose to share their favorite books, subjects, or hobbies, we collect that information to improve their experience.
1.3 No Automatically Collected Personal Information
We do not collect any personally identifiable information (PII) unless explicitly provided by the user. We do not access location, contacts, photos, microphone, device identifiers, or other sensitive data.
1.4 No Third-Party Tracking
Ficta does not use advertising networks, cross-app identifiers, tracking SDKs, cookies, or behavioral profiling tools.
2. How We Use User Data
We use the limited information we collect only for the following purposes:
2.1 Improve User Experience
We analyze non-personal patterns in stories and preferences to enhance app features.
2.2 Analytics (Minimal and Non-Identifying)
Analytics are used only to understand how the app is being used and to improve its functionality. We do not use any third-party analytics SDKs that collect data from children.
2.3 No Sharing with Third Parties
Ficta does not share, sell, or disclose user information to third parties. We do not display ads or run any advertising within the app.
3. Data Retention
Stories created by users are stored securely on our servers.
To meet Apple and Google requirements, our retention policy is:
- Active users: Stories are kept unless deleted by the user or parent.
- Inactive users: Stories are deleted after 18 months of inactivity to minimize stored data.
- Parent or user request: We will delete data within 7 days of receiving a deletion request.
Parents or guardians may request deletion at any time.
4. Data Security
We use reasonable physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect user data. This includes encryption in transit (HTTPS/SSL) and restricted access controls.
No method of electronic storage is 100% secure, but we take appropriate steps to protect user data from unauthorized access or disclosure.
5. Children's Privacy
Ficta is designed for children under 13, and we comply with:
- COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act – U.S.)
- Apple App Store Children's App Requirements
- Google Play Families Policy
- GDPR Article 8 (Children's Data – EU)
- UK Data Protection Act
5.1 Parental Consent
We do not collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. Parental consent may be obtained through a parent-controlled email address or another legally accepted method.
If a child enters personal details (such as their name) in a text field, we treat it as creative content and do not use it for identification.
6. Parent Rights
Parents and guardians have the following rights regarding their child's information:
Review & Access
Parents may request a copy of the data collected from their child.
Revoke Consent
Parents can revoke consent at any time, which will stop any further data collection.
Deletion of Data
Parents can request that all of their child's data be deleted from our servers, and we will complete the deletion within 7 days.
7. How to Revoke Consent or Request Deletion
Parents or guardians may at any time:
- Review the data we have collected
- Revoke consent
- Request deletion of their child's data
To submit a request, please contact us at: ying@ficta.ai
We will respond in accordance with COPPA, Apple, Google, and international requirements.
8. User-Generated Content (UGC)
Ficta allows children to create stories and characters for private use.
To comply with Apple and Google requirements:
- All stories are private by default
- Stories are not visible to other users
- The app does not have chat, messaging, or social sharing features
- Any export or sharing outside the app must be initiated by a parent
Because stories are not shared publicly, content moderation requirements for social features do not apply.
9. No Ads, No Purchases, No Tracking
Ficta does not include:
- Advertising
- Behavioral tracking
- Third-party SDKs that collect data
- In-app purchases
- Cross-app identifiers
- Links to external apps without parental gates
This meets Apple "Kids Category" requirements and Google Play "Families" program standards.
10. International Users
For users in the European Union, United Kingdom, and other regions:
- We only process children's data with parental consent
- Parents may request deletion or revoke consent at any time
- We comply with GDPR Article 8 and similar international laws
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make significant changes, we will:
- Update the effective date
- Post the updated policy in the app and on our website
- Notify parents when required by law
12. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or would like to exercise your rights, please contact:
Email: ying@ficta.ai