Privacy Policy

Skep ("Skep", "we", "us") operates the website at skep.fm(the "Service"). This policy explains what we collect, why we collect it, and the choices you have. Skep is designed to be useful without an account — most personalization works against an anonymous identifier and never requires you to log in.

1. Information we collect

a. Anonymous usage data

When you first visit Skep we generate an anonymous identifier and store it in a cookie and on our servers. We associate the following with that identifier so the product can work:

• Topic, language, and region preferences you select during onboarding.
• Episodes you mark as listened, rate, save, or add to playlists.
• Playlists you create and the episodes inside them.
• Your Smoker (hype-tolerance) level and listening-context preferences.
• Mood / state-based queries you submit to the concierge feature.
• Basic request metadata (IP address, user agent, timestamps) used for rate limiting and abuse prevention.

b. Account information (optional)

If you choose to sign in, we receive identifiers from your chosen provider (Google, Apple, Spotify, or email/password). We store the minimum needed to recognize your account on return visits — for example, an email address or provider-specific user ID. We do not receive or store your provider password.

c. Third-party platform data (optional)

If you grant Skep permission to read data from a connected platform (such as Spotify followed shows or YouTube subscriptions), we use that data as an additional input to personalize your recommendations. You can disconnect any platform at any time from your settings.

2. How we use your data

• To personalize the episodes, playlists, and carousels shown in "Your Hive".
• To compute episode rankings (Buzzmeter), including aggregating your ratings into the Community Score.
• To operate features like Mood, Hidden Honey, and playlist export.
• To protect the Service from abuse, spam, and excessive use.
• To analyze aggregate usage so we can improve the product.

We do not sell your personal data. We do not use your data to train third-party generative AI models.

3. Third-party services

Skep relies on third-party services to operate. The relevant ones are listed below; each handles your data under its own privacy policy.

• Hosting & database: our cloud hosting and managed Postgres provider for storing data.
• Authentication: Google, Apple, Spotify, and email-based sign-in providers, only if you choose to sign in.
• AI providers:Google Gemini is used to interpret your Mood / concierge prompts and to rank episode descriptions for relevance. Prompts you submit are sent to Gemini under Google's API terms.
• Podcast metadata: public APIs from YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Reddit, and podcast index providers are used to build episode rankings. We only read public data from these sources.
• Spotify / YouTube export: when you export a playlist, we make API calls on your behalf using the authorization you granted.

4. Cookies

We use a small number of first-party cookies, primarily to remember your anonymous identifier and your signed-in session if you have one. We do not use third-party advertising cookies.

5. Data retention

We retain anonymous usage data for as long as the cookie or its associated server-side record is active. Account data is retained while your account exists. You can request deletion at any time (see "Your rights" below).

6. Your rights

Depending on where you live (e.g. EU/UK under GDPR, California under CCPA), you have the right to access, correct, export, or delete the personal data we hold about you, and to object to or restrict certain processing.

To exercise these rights, email privacy@skep.fm. If you contact us from an anonymous session, include the identifier from your cookie so we can find your data.

7. Children

Skep is not directed to children under 13 (or under the equivalent minimum age in your country). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact privacy@skep.fm and we will delete it.

8. International transfers

Skep is operated from facilities that may be located outside your country of residence. By using the Service you consent to the transfer and processing of your information in those locations.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the product evolves. Material changes will be announced on the Service. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision.

10. Contact

Questions or requests about this policy: privacy@skep.fm.