Privacy Policy

The Back Row (“we”, “us”) is a personal media diary run by Vanshaj Kulshreshtha in India. This policy explains what we collect, why, and the choices you have. We follow India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

What we collect

• Account details: first and last name, username, email address and password. Your password is stored only as a secure hash by our database provider; nobody, including the admin, can see it.
• Date of birth: used only to apply age ratings to films and shows and to protect under-18s. Other members never see it.
• Your diary and activity: what you log, ratings, reviews, genres, watchlist, follows, groups, suggestions and group chat messages.
• Optional: a profile photo if you upload one, and your taste preferences.
• Sign in with Google: we receive only your name and email address from Google (the “openid”, “email” and “profile” permissions). We don’t read your contacts, Drive, Gmail or anything else.
• For under-18s: a parent or guardian’s name, email and relationship, to record their consent.

Why we use it

To run your account and diary, show your activity to the people you choose, power features like groups, leaderboards and suggestions, keep the service safe (for example, handling reports) and apply age-appropriate filtering. We do not sell your data, show ads, or use it to profile or track you, and we never track or target children.

Who can see what

Profiles are public to other members by default; you can switch to a private account in Settings, so only approved followers see your diary. Accounts for under-18s are always private and hidden from adults. Group chat and group activity are visible to members of that group. Your email and date of birth are never shown to other members.

Services we rely on

• Supabase stores the database and sign-in (servers in Mumbai, India).
• Vercel hosts the website.
• Google handles “Sign in with Google” if you choose it.
• TMDB and Open Library provide film, TV and book information. Only your search words are sent to them, never your identity.

Cookies

We use only the cookies needed to keep you signed in, and your browser remembers your light/dark theme. No advertising or analytics cookies.

How long we keep it

For as long as your account exists. If you ask us to delete your account, we delete your profile and diary within 30 days, except where we must keep something by law.

Your rights

You can ask to see, correct or delete your data, withdraw consent, or raise a complaint. Most details can be changed in Settings; for anything else email thebackrow000@gmail.com. We aim to reply within 7 days. If you’re not satisfied, you can complain to the Data Protection Board of India.

Children

People under 18 need a parent or guardian’s consent before their account opens, and the account is then reviewed by the admin. Under-18 accounts are private, hidden from adults, and see only age-appropriate titles.

Changes

If we change this policy we’ll update the date above and, for important changes, tell you in the app. See also our Terms of Use.

Contact

Grievance officer and data questions: Vanshaj Kulshreshtha, thebackrow000@gmail.com.