Privacy Policy for SquareCast

Introduction

Raidan Shugaa ("we," "our," or "us") operates the SquareCast mobile application (the "Service"). This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when you use our Service and the choices you have associated with that data.

We use your data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide

• Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your name and email address
• Profile Information: In the future, we may allow you to add a profile photo to your account

Information We Collect Automatically

• Location Data: We collect your approximate location to provide personalized podcast recommendations based on your geographic area
• Device Information: We collect information about your device through Firebase services
• Usage Data: We collect information about how you interact with our app through Firebase Analytics
• Crash Reports: We automatically collect crash reports through Firebase Crashlytics to improve app stability
• Network Requests: We process network data through third-party libraries to retrieve podcast content and images

Information from Third Parties

• Podcast Data: We retrieve podcast information from the iTunes API, Podcast Index API, and Apple Marketing Tools RSS feeds to provide our core service and trending podcast recommendations
• Social Media: When you share content to social media platforms, those platforms may provide us with information according to their own privacy policies

How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for various purposes:

• To provide and maintain our Service
• To notify you about changes to our Service
• To provide customer support
• To gather analysis or valuable information to improve our Service
• To monitor usage of our Service
• To detect, prevent and address technical issues
• To provide personalized podcast recommendations based on your location
• To show trending podcasts and popular content
• To enable you to download podcast episodes (requires account)
• To send push notifications about new episodes or app updates (with your permission)

Data Processing and Technical Implementation

We use various third-party libraries and frameworks to provide our Service efficiently and securely:

• Alamofire: For secure network communications and API requests
• FeedKit: For processing RSS feeds and podcast data
• Firebase: For authentication, database, analytics, and crash reporting
• Kingfisher: For efficient image loading and caching of podcast artwork
• SwiftyJSON: For processing JSON data from APIs
• NavigationUI & Swift Dependencies: For app architecture and user interface

These libraries may process your data locally on your device to provide core functionality. No additional data is transmitted to third parties through these libraries beyond what is described in this policy.

Data Storage and Security

• Firebase Storage: Your account information (name and email) is stored securely in Google Firebase Firestore
• Password Security: We do not store your passwords in our database; authentication is handled securely by Firebase Authentication
• Data Location: Your data may be stored and processed in any country where Firebase operates
• Security Measures: We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties except in the following circumstances:

Service Providers

• Google Firebase: For authentication, database storage, analytics, crash reporting, and remote configuration
• Apple iTunes API: For retrieving podcast content and information
• Podcast Index API: For additional podcast content when iTunes API is unavailable
• Apple Marketing Tools: For trending podcast recommendations via RSS feeds
• Social Media Platforms: When you choose to share content to Instagram or other social media platforms

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your personal information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities.

Your Data Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

• Access: Request access to your personal data
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate personal data
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data
• Portability: Request transfer of your data to another service
• Objection: Object to processing of your personal data

To exercise these rights, please contact us at Support@squarecast.app.

Device Permissions

Our app requests the following permissions:

• Location Services: To provide location-based podcast recommendations (optional)
• Photo Library Access: To save podcast artwork to your device's photo gallery (only when you choose to save)
• Push Notifications: To notify you about new episodes and app updates (optional)
• Social Media Access: To share "Now Playing" stories to Instagram and other platforms (only when you choose to share)

Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for use by children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us so that we can take necessary actions.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to provide you with our Service and for legitimate and essential business purposes, such as maintaining the performance of our Service, making data-driven business decisions, complying with our legal obligations, and resolving disputes.

International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and maintained on computers located outside of your state, province, country, or other governmental jurisdiction where data protection laws may differ from those of your jurisdiction.

Terms of Service for SquareCast

Agreement to Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the SquareCast mobile application (the "Service") operated by Raidan Shugaa ("us," "we," or "our"). By downloading, installing, or using our Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you disagree with any part of these terms, then you may not access the Service.

Description of Service

SquareCast is a podcast application that allows users to discover, stream, and download podcasts. The Service utilizes the iTunes API, Podcast Index API, and Apple Marketing Tools RSS feeds to provide comprehensive podcast content, trending recommendations, and personalized suggestions based on user location and preferences.

User Accounts

Account Creation

• You may use certain features of our Service without registering for an account
• To access premium features such as downloading episodes, you must create an account using a valid email address and password
• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
• You must provide accurate and complete information when creating your account

Account Responsibilities

• You are responsible for all activities that occur under your account
• You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account
• We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms

Acceptable Use

Permitted Uses

You may use our Service to:

• Discover and listen to podcasts
• Browse trending and popular podcast content
• Download episodes for offline listening (registered users only)
• Share podcast content on social media platforms
• Save podcast artwork to your device
• Access location-based features

Prohibited Uses

You may not use our Service to:

• Violate any applicable laws or regulations
• Infringe upon the rights of others
• Transmit any harmful, offensive, or inappropriate content
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems
• Reverse engineer, modify, or create derivative works of our Service
• Use our Service for any commercial purposes without our written consent
• Redistribute or resell podcast content beyond personal use

Technical Implementation

Our Service utilizes various third-party libraries and frameworks to provide optimal functionality:

Open Source Dependencies

• Alamofire: For network communications and API connectivity
• FeedKit: For RSS feed parsing and podcast data processing
• Kingfisher: For image loading, caching, and display optimization
• SwiftyJSON: For JSON data processing and API response handling
• NavigationUI & Swift Dependencies: For app architecture and user interface components

Third-Party Services

• Firebase: For backend services, authentication, and analytics
• Apple APIs: Including iTunes API, Podcast Index API, and Apple Marketing Tools

These technical implementations are designed to provide you with a fast, reliable, and secure podcast experience while protecting your privacy and data.

Privacy and Data Protection

Your privacy is important to us. Our collection and use of personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using our Service, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in our Privacy Policy.

Intellectual Property Rights

Our Rights

• The SquareCast app and its original content are owned by Raidan Shugaa
• Our trademarks, logos, and service marks are protected intellectual property
• You may not use our intellectual property without our written permission

Third-Party Content

• Podcast content is provided through the iTunes API, Podcast Index API, and Apple Marketing Tools RSS feeds and is owned by respective podcast creators
• Trending podcast data is sourced from Apple's marketing tools and subject to their terms
• You must respect the intellectual property rights of podcast creators and data providers
• Your use of podcast content is subject to fair use principles and applicable copyright laws

Service Availability

Service Provision

• We strive to maintain service availability but cannot guarantee uninterrupted access
• We may temporarily suspend the Service for maintenance or updates
• We reserve the right to modify or discontinue features at any time

Third-Party Dependencies

• Our Service relies on third-party services including iTunes API, Podcast Index API, Apple Marketing Tools RSS feeds, and Firebase
• We utilize open-source libraries including Alamofire, FeedKit, Kingfisher, SwiftyJSON, NavigationUI, and Swift Dependencies for core functionality
• Service interruptions may occur due to third-party service issues or library dependencies
• We are not responsible for third-party service availability or performance
• Trending podcast recommendations depend on Apple's RSS feed availability

User-Generated Content

Content You Share

• You retain ownership of content you create or share through our Service
• By sharing content, you grant us a license to display and distribute it within our Service
• You are responsible for ensuring you have rights to any content you share

Content Standards

• Shared content must comply with applicable laws and our community standards
• We reserve the right to remove content that violates our Terms or is otherwise objectionable
• We do not pre-screen user content but may monitor it for compliance

Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

Service Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

Limitation of Liability

IN NO EVENT SHALL RAIDAN SHUGAA BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE.

Maximum Liability

OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE PAID US IN THE TWELVE MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM.

Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Raidan Shugaa from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, or debt, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees) arising from your use of the Service or violation of these Terms.

Termination

Termination by You

• You may stop using our Service at any time
• You may delete your account through the app settings or by contacting us
• Termination does not relieve you of obligations incurred prior to termination

Termination by Us

We may terminate or suspend your account and access to the Service, without prior notice or liability, for any reason, including if you breach these Terms.

Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of [Your Jurisdiction], without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of [Arbitration Organization].

Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material, we will try to provide at least 30 days notice prior to any new terms taking effect. Material changes will be communicated through the app or via email to registered users.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be unenforceable or invalid, such provision will be changed and interpreted to accomplish the objectives of such provision to the greatest extent possible under applicable law, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the sole and entire agreement between you and Raidan Shugaa regarding the Service and supersede all prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations, and warranties.

Acknowledgment

BY USING OUR SERVICE, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ THESE TERMS OF SERVICE AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM.