1. Who we are
This Privacy Policy applies to the Theeru websites and apps, including reader accounts and "Sign in with Google" (together, "Theeru"). Theeru is operated by Theeru Pvt Ltd, a company registered in the Republic of Maldives ("we", "us", "our"). We are the controller responsible for your personal information.
For any privacy question or request, email info@theeru.com (see section 13).
2. Information we collect
We collect only what we need to run Theeru:
Category | What it includes | When we collect it |
|---|---|---|
Identity details | Your name in English and Dhivehi; optional gender and profile photo | When you create or edit an account |
Contact details | Your email address | When you create an account, or sign in with Google |
Account credentials | Your password, stored only in hashed form | When you create an account with email |
Google account data | Your name, email address and Google account ID | When you choose "Sign in with Google" (see section 3) |
Reading activity | Reactions, favourites, reading history and progress, series and topics you follow | When you use these features while signed in |
Content you post | Comments, comment likes, and reports you make | When you post, like or report |
Preferences | Email settings (such as the weekly digest) and reading settings | When you change them |
Device and technical data | IP address, browser and device type, operating system, pages viewed, referring site, approximate location derived from your IP address | Automatically, whenever you visit |
Cookies and similar technologies | See section 5 | Automatically, whenever you visit |
We do not collect payment or card details, government ID numbers, or sensitive data such as health, religious or political information. Theeru is free to read and does not take payments from readers.
3. Google user data
If you choose "Sign in with Google", we request only basic sign-in permissions ("openid", "email" and "profile"). We receive your name, email address and Google account ID. We do not access your Gmail, Google Drive, Contacts, Calendar or any other Google service.
Use: only to create your Theeru account (or link it to an existing account with the same email), sign you in, and show your name on your account and on comments you choose to post.
Storage: your name, email address and Google account ID are stored in your account record in our secure database. We do not store your Google password, your Google profile picture, or Google access or refresh tokens.
Sharing: we do not sell, rent or trade Google user data. We do not share it with third parties, except the service providers that host Theeru and send our emails, who process it only on our behalf, or where the law requires it.
Restrictions: we do not use Google user data for advertising of any kind. We do not transfer it to data brokers, use it for credit or lending decisions, or use it to train artificial intelligence or machine learning models.
Limited Use: Theeru's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs follows the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
Retention and deletion: we keep this data while you have an account and delete it immediately when you delete your account. You can also remove Theeru's access at any time from your Google Account, under Security → Third-party apps and services.
4. How we use your information, and our legal basis
Purpose | Legal basis (for users in the EU, UK and similar regions) |
|---|---|
Creating and running your account, and signing you in | Performing our agreement with you |
Providing reader features: reactions, favourites, Continue reading, comments, follows, recommendations | Performing our agreement with you |
Sending emails you asked for, such as new-chapter alerts and the weekly digest | Your consent, which you can withdraw at any time |
Sending essential account messages, such as password resets | Performing our agreement with you |
Measuring how Theeru is used, to improve it | Our legitimate interests, or your consent where the law requires it |
Preventing spam, abuse and fraud; moderating comments; enforcing our Terms | Our legitimate interests |
Meeting legal obligations and responding to lawful requests | Legal obligation |
We do not use your information for automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on you.
5. Cookies and similar technologies
Essential cookies keep you signed in, remember your settings and protect forms against forgery. Theeru does not work properly without them.
Analytics cookies from PostHog and Google Analytics help us count visits and understand which pages are read.
Security: Google reCAPTCHA may set cookies to tell people from automated bots.
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Blocking essential cookies will stop sign-in and some features from working. Blocking analytics cookies does not affect how Theeru works.
6. Who we share information with
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not "share" it for cross-context behavioural advertising (as those terms are defined under California law). We share information only with:
Service providers that work on our behalf under contract, and only for the purposes in this policy:
hosting and infrastructure: DigitalOcean;
email delivery: Zoho ZeptoMail;
analytics: PostHog and Google Analytics;
spam protection: Google reCAPTCHA.
Google, when you choose to sign in with your Google account.
Other readers, who can see your name and profile photo next to comments you post publicly.
Authorities or others, when the law requires it, or to protect the rights, safety and property of our readers, staff or the public.
A successor organisation, if Theeru is merged, sold or reorganised. Your information would remain protected by this policy.
7. International transfers
Some of our service providers store or process data outside the Maldives, including in the European Union and the United States. Where the law requires it, we rely on appropriate safeguards for these transfers, such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses.
8. How long we keep information
Information | How long we keep it |
|---|---|
Account details | While you have an account; deleted immediately when you delete it |
Reading history and activity | Until you remove it or delete your account |
Comments | Until you or a moderator remove them. If you delete your account, they stay in their conversations shown as written by "Deleted user", with your name and details removed |
Technical logs and analytics data | For a limited period, then deleted or aggregated so they no longer identify you |
Records we must keep by law | For as long as the law requires |
9. Your rights and how to use them
You can do most of this yourself, straight away, from your account:
Right | How |
|---|---|
Access your data | Settings → Download my data gives you a file with everything we hold about your account |
Update your details | Settings → Profile for your names, gender and photo; Settings → Password for your password |
Opt out of emails | The unsubscribe link in any digest email, or Settings → Reading to turn emails off |
Opt out of analytics | Block analytics cookies in your browser, or use your browser's "Do Not Track" or Global Privacy Control setting, which we honour |
Clear your reading history | My library → History: clear one item or everything |
Delete your account and data | Settings → Delete account. This takes effect immediately. Your personal information, reading history, reactions, favourites and follows are permanently deleted. Comments stay in their conversations, shown as written by "Deleted user". If you wrote or edited published work for Theeru, your name stays on that work as its byline |
You can also send any request by email to info@theeru.com, for example if you can't sign in. We will confirm your identity before acting, and reply within 30 days. We will not treat you differently for exercising your rights.
If you are in the European Union, the United Kingdom or a similar region (GDPR), you also have the right to:
object to processing based on our legitimate interests;
restrict processing;
receive your data in a portable format;
withdraw consent at any time, without affecting earlier processing;
complain to your local data protection authority.
If you are a California resident (CCPA/CPRA), you have the right to:
know what personal information we collect, use and disclose;
delete it, and correct it;
opt out of its sale or sharing (we do neither);
limit the use of sensitive personal information (we do not collect any);
not be discriminated against for using these rights.
You can make a request yourself, or through an authorised agent, by emailing info@theeru.com.
10. Security
We protect your information with encrypted (HTTPS) connections, hashed passwords, access limited to staff who need it, and secured servers. No service is completely secure, so please use a strong password that you don't use anywhere else. If a data breach is likely to affect you, we will tell you and the relevant authorities as the law requires.
11. Children
Theeru is meant for a general audience. You must be at least 13 years old to create an account. In the European Union, you must be at least 16, or the minimum age set by your country, unless a parent or guardian consents. If you believe a child has given us personal information without the required consent, contact us and we will delete it.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top of this page shows when it last changed. If we make significant changes, especially to how we use Google user data or other personal information, we will tell account holders by email or with a notice on the site before the changes take effect.
13. Contact us
Theeru Pvt Ltd
Republic of Maldives
Privacy enquiries: info@theeru.com