Privacy Policy
Lore Explorer Medieval
This policy explains how this application handles information and how to contact us about privacy.
Information we process
Lore Explorer Medieval stores saved article identifiers, your notes, reading and artifact progress, the last opened article, language, appearance and synchronization preference on your device. The historical catalogue is bundled with the app and may be refreshed into a local cache. When synchronization is enabled, the app automatically obtains a random installation credential stored in this device’s Keychain. The server stores a hash of that credential, an internal installation identifier and creation time, saved article identifiers, notes, update times and reading and artifact progress. It does not request your name, email address, password or location. Requests to the API, public home page and privacy page necessarily expose connection information such as an IP address, request time, requested path and technical HTTP information to the hosting infrastructure. The application does not include advertising or analytics SDKs.
How we use information
Local information supports offline reading, returning to the last article, saving and editing notes, and displaying your actual progress. The installation credential authorizes access only to the diary and progress associated with that installation. The server keeps synchronized copies and serves the public historical catalogue. Technical request information is processed to deliver and operate the service and protect its availability. Synchronization can be turned off in Settings; previously synchronized data remains on the server until deleted.
Service providers and sharing
The backend, its SQLite database on a persistent volume, and the public privacy page are hosted by Railway. Railway and its infrastructure providers process network requests and hosting information as necessary to operate that service. We do not sell diary information or send it to advertising, analytics, email or social sign-in providers. Opening a further-reading link sends a request to the external museum, library or heritage website you choose; that website processes the request under its own policy. A privacy inquiry you send to thad.rookwood@icloud.com is handled through the email providers involved in that correspondence; the app itself has no contact form or email sending system.
Data retention
Local diary and preferences remain in the application’s storage until you remove them or remove the application. Device backup behaviour is governed by your Apple settings. The device-only Keychain credential may survive app removal, but is not a cross-device recovery service and cannot be recreated from an email address. Server diary and progress remain until you use the deletion action or request deletion with sufficient information to establish control of the installation. The application sets no automatic expiry for these records. The application does not create scheduled database backups. Hosting logs and any infrastructure copies are governed by Railway’s operational practices; no fixed retention period or immediate erasure of provider-managed copies is promised.
Deleting your information
Settings offers Delete all personal data. With a working connection, this deletes your diary, notes, reading and artifact progress, and the installation record from the live server database, revokes its credential, removes that credential from Keychain and clears the corresponding local records and last-opened article. Language and appearance preferences and the public content cache remain. The app reports a failure if the deletion cannot complete, so you can retry; it does not claim that an offline request succeeded. A later synchronization can create a new empty installation. Removing the app alone does not send a server deletion request. Deletion from the live service does not imply immediate removal from device backups or any provider-managed backup or infrastructure logs.
Permissions and your choices
The app requests no camera, microphone, photo, contacts, location or notification permissions. Internet access is used for catalogue refresh, optional synchronization and links you open. You can withdraw future diary synchronization in Settings and continue using local reading and notes. To remove previously sent diary information, use the deletion action while connected. Device and browser settings control network access, backups and permissions granted to external websites.
Your privacy rights
You can inspect and edit your notes, remove individual saved entries and notes, and delete your personal diary and progress in the app. Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, erase or restrict processing of personal information, object to processing, or complain to your data protection authority. Contact thad.rookwood@icloud.com for privacy questions or a rights request. We may need information establishing control of the relevant installation to act without exposing someone else’s data. There is no account or email-based recovery mechanism; do not send your installation secret by email.
Security
The deployed API uses HTTPS. Each installation receives a high-entropy random credential, held in the device-only Keychain; the server stores its SHA-256 hash and checks authorization for every private operation. Diary records and progress are scoped to the authorized installation. Requests are bounded and validated, and database access uses parameterized statements. Local diary files use iOS file protection. The server does not intentionally log credentials or note bodies. No storage or transmission method can guarantee absolute security, and anyone with access to an unlocked device may be able to read its diary.
Children’s privacy
Lore Explorer Medieval is intended for history readers aged 14 and older. It is not designed for children under 13 and does not ask for age or create child profiles. If you believe a child has submitted personal information in a note or privacy inquiry, contact thad.rookwood@icloud.com so the situation can be reviewed and appropriate deletion assistance provided.
Changes to this policy
This policy describes the app and backend practices as of the effective date above. We will update this page and its effective date when these practices change. You can find the current policy from Settings in the app and from the public service home page. Material changes requiring additional notice or consent under applicable law will be handled before the new processing is introduced.