Terms of Service & Privacy Policy — Sutoko

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Terms of Service

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) and Privacy Policy apply to your access to and use of the mobile application Sutoko (the “Application” or “App”), available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, and related online services provided by Hocine Belbouab, operating under the trade name PurpleTear (“Developer,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), a sole trader registered in France.

By downloading, installing, accessing, or using the Application, you agree to be bound by these Terms, which constitute a legally binding End User License Agreement (“EULA”) between you and Hocine Belbouab (PurpleTear). If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Application.

PURSUANT TO APPLE APP STORE REVIEW GUIDELINES, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS AGREEMENT IS CONCLUDED BETWEEN YOU AND HOCINE BELBOUAB (PURPLETEAR) ONLY, AND NOT WITH APPLE INC. HOCINE BELBOUAB (PURPLETEAR), NOT APPLE, IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR SUTOKO AND ITS CONTENT.

  1. Eligibility and Minor Consent

    1. In order to access or use the Application, you must be at least 13 years of age (or the minimum legal age required in your country of residence to use digital services).
    2. If you are between 13 years of age and the legal age of majority in your jurisdiction, you represent and warrant that your parent or legal guardian has reviewed and agreed to these Terms on your behalf prior to your use of the Application.
    3. If you are a parent or legal guardian and believe that your child under the age of 13 is using the Application without your consent, please contact us immediately at contact@purpletear.net to have the account and associated information removed.

  2. Account Registration, Security and Account Deletion

    1. You may be required to create an account with us to access interactive features, save story choices, and author stories. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to keep such information updated.
    2. You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.
    3. In-App Account Deletion: In the iOS app, open Options > Delete my account and its data and confirm the request. If you cannot access your account, email contact@purpletear.net with the subject Account deletion. This requests deletion, not merely deactivation. Retention exceptions, response times and third-party records are explained in our Privacy Policy. Deleting the app or your Sutoko account does not cancel an Apple subscription; manage it in iOS Settings > your name > Subscriptions.

  3. In-App Purchases and Auto-Renewable Subscriptions

    The Sutoko Premium Pass (“Subscription”) is an auto-renewable subscription providing access to the included Premium story catalog and an ad-free reading experience while the subscription is active.

    The Sutoko Premium Pass is available on iOS as monthly and annual plans:

    • Monthly plan: a one-month subscription, billed monthly and automatically renewed every month.
    • Annual plan: a one-year subscription, billed in full annually and automatically renewed every year.

    The localized price and billing period of the plan you select are displayed in the Application and in Apple’s purchase confirmation before you confirm your purchase.

    Free stories and chapter-one previews of eligible Premium stories do not require a subscription. Reading is not limited by energy, messages, choices, or hourly play quotas. The Pass does not include story-authoring privileges or AI Friend services. Historical purchases remain restorable subject to Apple’s purchase records and the applicable content rights. Legacy subscribers may retain their existing billing period and price; new offers do not automatically change existing subscriptions.

    1. Apple In-App Purchase Terms (App Store Guideline 3.1.2):
      1. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID / iTunes Account at the confirmation of purchase.
      2. Subscriptions automatically renew for the same billing period as the plan you selected (one month for monthly plans or one year for annual plans) and at the then-current price unless auto-renewal is turned off at least twenty-four (24) hours before the end of the current billing cycle.
      3. Your Apple ID Account will be charged for renewal within twenty-four (24) hours prior to the end of the current period, indicating the renewal cost.
      4. You may manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal at any time by accessing your Apple Account Settings after purchase.
      5. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription to that publication, where applicable.
    2. Managing and Canceling Subscriptions on iOS: You can cancel your subscription directly through your iOS device settings at any time by following these steps: Open Settings > tap your Name / Apple ID > tap Subscriptions > select Sutoko > tap Cancel Subscription. Cancellation takes effect at the expiration of the current paid billing cycle.
    3. Refund Policy: All billing, invoicing, and refunds for in-app purchases initiated on iOS are processed exclusively by Apple Inc. Pursuant to Apple's policies, Hocine Belbouab (PurpleTear) is not authorized to issue direct refunds. To request a refund, please visit Apple's official refund page at reportaproblem.apple.com. Subscriptions purchased via Google Play are managed in accordance with Google Play refund and subscription policies.

  4. User-Generated Content and Community Safety Standards

    Sutoko enables users to write interactive stories, publish dialog, post comments, and interact with other community members (collectively, “User Content”). In accordance with Apple App Store Review Guideline 1.2, we enforce strict community safety standards.

    1. Zero-Tolerance Policy for Objectionable Content and Abusive Users: Hocine Belbouab (PurpleTear) maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy against objectionable, abusive, or unlawful content and behavior. You expressly agree not to post, publish, upload, or transmit any User Content that:
      1. Contains hate speech, discrimination, slurs, harassment, stalking, bullying, intimidation, or defamation against any individual or group;
      2. Depicts sexually explicit material, pornography, obscenity, or nudity;
      3. Involves child sexual exploitation or abuse material (CSAM), which will be removed immediately and referred without exception to law enforcement authorities;
      4. Promotes or depicts gratuitous violence, gore, self-harm, suicide, weapon assembly, or terrorism;
      5. Promotes unlawful conduct, fraud, illegal drug sales, or infringes upon third-party intellectual property or privacy rights.
    2. Safety Features and Moderation Enforcement:
      1. Automated Filtering: We employ automated content filtering mechanisms designed to intercept prohibited terminology and offensive text before or upon submission.
      2. In-App Reporting: Every story, chapter, comment, and user profile contains an accessible in-app reporting button. Users may report any objectionable or abusive content at any time.
      3. One-Tap User Blocking: Users can block any other user with a single tap. Blocking immediately hides all content generated by that user and prevents them from interacting with your profile or stories.
      4. Twenty-Four (24) Hour Moderation Commitment: Our moderation team investigates all user reports within twenty-four (24) hours. Any content determined to violate these Terms will be promptly removed, and the offending user will be ejected from the service, facing account suspension or permanent termination. Reports may also be sent directly to contact@purpletear.net.
    3. License to User Content: You retain ownership and copyright in the original literary works you create. By uploading or sharing User Content on Sutoko, you grant Hocine Belbouab (PurpleTear) a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, transferable license to host, store, display, format, and reproduce such content solely for the purpose of operating, maintaining, and improving the Application.

  5. Privacy Policy and GDPR Data Protection

    The Privacy Policy below describes the email address and purchase history retained for the service, technical processing by service providers, retention and deletion, consent withdrawal, and your rights. It is the reference for personal-data processing and replaces previous privacy statements in these Terms. Acceptance of the Terms is not consent to optional advertising or tracking.

  6. Intellectual Property and Proprietary Rights

    1. All software code, graphics, interactive mechanics, audio, visual assets, trademarks, and logos associated with Sutoko are the exclusive property of Hocine Belbouab (PurpleTear) or his licensors.
    2. Subject to these Terms, Developer grants you a personal, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable, limited license to download and use the Application on compatible mobile devices solely for your personal, non-commercial entertainment.

  7. Apple Third-Party Beneficiary Clause

    You acknowledge and agree that Apple Inc., and Apple’s subsidiaries, are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms, and that, upon your acceptance of these Terms, Apple will have the right (and will be deemed to have accepted the right) to enforce these Terms of Service against you as a third-party beneficiary thereof. Apple has no warranty, maintenance, or support obligations with respect to the Application.

  8. Disclaimer of Warranties and Limitation of Liability

    1. THE APPLICATION IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. HOCINE BELBOUAB (PURPLETEAR) DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
    2. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, HOCINE BELBOUAB (PURPLETEAR) SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF THE APPLICATION. NOTHING IN THESE TERMS EXCLUDES OR LIMITS LIABILITY FOR FRAUD, WILLFUL MISCONDUCT, OR NON-WAIVABLE CONSUMER RIGHTS UNDER FRENCH OR EUROPEAN LAW.

  9. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

    1. These Terms and any dispute arising out of or related to them shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of France, without regard to conflict of law principles.
    2. European consumers may submit claims to the European Commission's Online Dispute Resolution platform at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr. All unresolved legal proceedings shall be submitted to the competent courts of Paris, France.

  10. Contact Information

    If you have any questions, concerns, reports of infringement, or requests regarding these Terms, please contact us:

    Hocine Belbouab (PurpleTear)
    Sole trader registered in France
    78, avenue des Champs-Élysées, Bureau 562
    75008 Paris, France
    Email: contact@purpletear.net

Privacy Policy

This policy covers the Sutoko mobile app and the services needed to operate it. The controller is Hocine Belbouab, a sole trader operating as PurpleTear, 78, avenue des Champs-Élysées, Bureau 562, 75008 Paris, France. Contact: hbdeveloppeur@gmail.com.

The business records we retain for your account and purchase entitlements are your email address and purchase history. We do not receive your payment card numbers. This does not mean that no technical data is processed: authentication, purchase validation, network connections and, in ad-supported versions, advertising services involve the processing explained below.

1. Data and purposes

  • Email address: account creation, access, verification, recovery and account-related support. This is necessary to provide the requested service, not based on advertising consent.
  • Purchase history: products, transaction references, dates and purchase or subscription status, to validate, provide and restore entitlements. Apple or Google Play handles payments; we do not receive complete payment method details.
  • Technical processing: authentication and purchases use account or installation identifiers and session or transaction tokens. The registration form also transmits the username and password entered. These are not used to build an advertising profile. Providers may process IP addresses, operating-system and app versions, and information needed for security and service operation. A pseudonymous identifier remains personal data if it can be linked to a person.
  • On-device data: downloads, preferences and reading saves are used locally. “Delete downloads” does not delete your account or necessarily your progress. Device backups are also subject to Apple or Google settings.
  • Voluntary requests: support emails and reports, and necessary references, are processed to respond to you. Please do not include unnecessary sensitive information.

Account operation and purchases are based on performance of a contract; security and request handling on legitimate interests; legally required records on legal obligations. Optional processing that requires consent must be capable of being refused. We do not use your email or purchase history to sell a marketing list. Your email, account identifiers and purchase history are not shared to track you across other companies’ apps or websites for advertising purposes.

2. Retention

  • Email and account association: for the life of the account, then deleted following a deletion request, except for limited, justified retention required by law or a dispute.
  • Purchase history: as long as needed to provide and restore acquired entitlements. After account deletion we remove personal associations that are no longer necessary; only records justified by law or a dispute may be retained for that purpose. If a record is an accounting document we must retain under French law, the legal period is 10 years from the end of the relevant financial year. This does not justify keeping the entire account for 10 years.
  • Support and rights requests: while handling the request and, if necessary, for the applicable limitation period to establish its handling or defend a right. Information unnecessary for that purpose must be removed.
  • Technical copies and providers: deleting an account does not instantly erase backups or legally retained records held by Apple, Google or other providers. If residual retention applies to your request, we explain which data, why, and the retention period or erasure criterion. Providers describe their own retention in the documents below; we do not promise immediate erasure from their systems.

When retention is no longer necessary, data must be deleted or irreversibly anonymised. Pseudonymisation alone is not deletion. Contact us for the retention period applicable to your data.

3. Account and data deletion

In the iOS app open Options → Delete my account and its data and confirm. This sends a request to delete the account and associated data, not just deactivate it. If you cannot sign in, email hbdeveloppeur@gmail.com with the subject “Account deletion”, preferably from the account email address. Never send your password; we ask only for information necessary to verify your authority.

We respond to rights requests within one month. For complex or numerous requests this may be extended by up to two further months; we will explain the extension within the first month. This response period does not promise instant erasure. We explain the action taken and any legally retained data and the reason. We forward erasure requests within our responsibility to the relevant providers.

Uninstalling the app does not delete your account. Deleting your account does not cancel your subscription. On iOS, stop renewal in Settings → your name → Subscriptions → Sutoko → Cancel Subscription. Apple’s or Google’s purchase records and legal obligations remain separate from your Sutoko account.

5. Providers, recipients and safeguards

The following services process necessary data depending on the features used. Their obligations, safeguards and retention are distinct from PurpleTear’s direct retention.

  • Apple / Google Play: payment, purchase validation and restoration; these platforms keep their own transaction records and payment information. See Apple’s privacy policy and Google’s privacy policy.
  • RevenueCat (iOS in-app purchases): receipts, transaction history, entitlement status, a pseudonymous SDK-generated identifier and technical service data. Purchase data also supports its purchase reporting and analytics dashboards. The current configuration does not send your email as a customer attribute. Its protection, processing and transfer commitments are described in its privacy policy and data processing agreement.
  • Google Firebase: authentication for applicable accounts and content delivery, processing identifiers and technical information necessary for those operations. See Firebase privacy and security information and data processing terms. Including a Firebase SDK does not mean every Firebase feature, such as Analytics or Crashlytics, is enabled.
  • Google AdMob and consent management in ad-supported versions: may process IP addresses (and inferred approximate location), technical identifiers, advertising interactions and diagnostics. In versions and configurations that allow advertising tracking, some of this data may be combined with data from other apps or websites to target or measure ads, subject to the required permissions. Disabling personalisation alone does not establish that no data is collected. See SDK data categories, Google’s partner-service information and the in-app choices.

Security: account and purchase services use HTTPS to protect data in transit. Restricting access to those who need it, minimising the data shared and handling rights requests are expected safeguards for our providers. Providers acting on our behalf must provide protection at least equivalent to that described here, use data for the agreed services and assist us with rights requests, including erasure. Platforms acting for their own legal purposes, such as stores retaining payment records, remain responsible for that separate processing. We do not claim that third parties retain no data or that any system is risk-free.

Transfers outside the European Economic Area: some providers operate in countries including the United States. Depending on the service and recipient, their agreements provide for applicable mechanisms such as an adequacy decision or European Commission standard contractual clauses. Contact us for information about the recipients and safeguards applicable to you. Using a provider does not remove PurpleTear’s data-protection and rights-handling obligations.

6. Rights, children and updates

You may request access, correction, erasure, restriction and portability, object to processing based on legitimate interests, and withdraw consent. Contact hbdeveloppeur@gmail.com.

The service is not intended for children under 13. Local rules on minors’ capacity and consent still apply; a store age rating is not evidence of consent. Parents or legal representatives may contact us to review and delete a child’s data where necessary.