Privacy Policy

TheBeacn, operated by Solaos, Inc., cares about how your data is used. This page explains what we collect, who we share it with, and the choices you have. Plain English only.

What We Collect

• Account basics when you sign in with Google: name, email, and profile photo URL.
• Your saved titles (watchlist), Signal ratings (Lit / Locked In / Static / Skip), and the streaming services you've marked as yours.
• Watch history and search queries — used to personalize recommendations.
• Analytics events (page views, clicks, clickouts to streaming services) via PostHog — see Cookies below.
• Standard server logs (IP address, user agent, timestamps, error traces) retained only as long as needed to operate the Service and diagnose abuse.

How We Use Your Data

• To personalize recommendations from your Signal ratings and watch history.
• To authenticate you and sync your watchlist across devices.
• To measure how the Service is used so we can improve it.
• To serve ads in sponsored placements (see Advertising below).

What We Don't Do

• We don't sell your personal information. TheBeacn has never and will not.
• We don't store passwords — sign-in goes through Google OAuth.
• We don't share your watchlist, ratings, or watch history with streaming providers.

Cookies & Tracking

We use a small number of cookies and local-storage values. On first visit, a banner asks whether you want analytics enabled — if you decline, the analytics cookies and events are never set.

• Essential (always on): tb_session (HttpOnly, Secure, SameSite=Lax, 30-day) to keep you signed in, plus a small amount of localStorage for UI preferences and the cookie-consent choice itself.
• Analytics (opt-in): PostHog captures anonymous product usage. Tracks page views, clicks, feature adoption. Session recordings mask all input fields.
• Advertising:when an ad renders, the Google IMA SDK sets its own cookies for frequency capping and brand safety. These are subject to Google's advertising policies.
• Performance: Cloudflare sets short-lived cookies (e.g. __cf_bm) to distinguish bots from humans and protect the Service from abuse.

Third-Party Services

We rely on the following services to operate TheBeacn:

• TMDB, Watchmode, MusicBrainz: metadata and streaming-availability data (no personal data sent).
• Spotify, Apple Music: album/artist lookups to link out to listening platforms.
• Ticketmaster, Gracenote: live-event and EPG data.
• Cloudinary: image delivery and transformations.
• Google IMA SDK: delivers video ads in sponsored placements.
• PostHog: product analytics (opt-in via the cookie banner).
• Cloudflare: CDN, DDoS protection, bot management.
• Sentry: error and performance monitoring.
• Stripe, Resend: ticket checkout and transactional email (only when you purchase).

Each of these providers has its own privacy policy; we only send the minimum data required for the feature involved.

Advertising

TheBeacn displays sponsored placements alongside editorial content. Video ads are served through the Google IMA SDK via VAST. Display partners are listed in our ads.txt. We do not share your watchlist, ratings, or other first-party data with ad partners for targeting.

Data Sharing

We share data only with the infrastructure and analytics providers listed above, and only as needed to operate the Service. We do not sell personal information. If law enforcement compels disclosure, we comply with the minimum legally required.

Data Retention & Deletion

Watchlist, ratings, and watch history are kept as long as your account is active. Server logs rotate after ~30 days. Analytics events are retained per PostHog's default policy.

To delete your account and all associated data, email solaostech@gmail.com or send a DELETE /api/v1/user/data request with your user identifier. We action deletions within 30 days.

Children's Privacy (COPPA)

TheBeacn is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we will delete it.

Your Rights (GDPR / CCPA)

EU and California residents have the right to access, correct, export, or delete their personal information. California residents also have the right to opt out of the sale of personal information — TheBeacn does not sell personal information, so no action is required to exercise that right.

To exercise any of these rights, email solaostech@gmail.com. We respond within 30 days.

Changes to This Policy

If we change this policy, we'll update the "Last updated" date above and, for material changes, notify signed-in users.

Contact

Privacy questions? solaostech@gmail.com

This policy is informational and has not been reviewed by an attorney. For legal advice, consult counsel in your jurisdiction.

← Back to TheBeacn