Privacy Policy & Terms of Use
Last updated: 17 September 2026
Draft for review — not yet legally checked. Items marked TO COMPLETE need a final answer and, ideally, a solicitor’s review before launch.
The short version
This is the plain-English summary. The full policy below has the details.
- StoryNest is a private space for your family to record and keep audio stories. We only collect what we need to run it: your name, email, birth date, and whatever you choose to record or upload.
- We never sell your data, and we don’t run ads.
- You sign in with a magic link sent to your email—there are no passwords to remember or for us to store.
- Your stories are only visible to the family you’re part of.
- You can access, correct, export or delete your data at any time—see Your rights below.
- We only share data with the small number of providers who help us run the service, never with anyone else.
Privacy Policy
1. Who we are
StoryNest is provided by [TO COMPLETE: legal entity name], of [TO COMPLETE: registered address] (“we”, “us”, “StoryNest”). We are the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. You can contact us at hello@storynest.audio.
2. What we collect, and why
When you sign up
- Name and email address—to create your account, send you your sign-in link, and let family members find and recognise each other.
- Date of birth—to place you correctly on the family tree and calculate dates.
- Profile photo (optional)—shown next to your name so relatives recognise you.
As you use StoryNest
- Audio recordings and their transcripts—the stories you record.
- Photos and other files you choose to upload alongside a story.
- Family-tree information—names, relationships, dates and places you or other family members add, including information about relatives who are not themselves StoryNest users.
- Basic usage data, such as IP address and device type—to keep the service secure and working properly.
We only collect what’s needed to run these features. We do not use your data for advertising, and we do not sell or rent it to anyone.
3. Our legal basis for using your data
Under UK and EU GDPR, we rely on:
- Consent—for creating your account and for optional features you choose to use.
- Contract—for processing needed to provide the service you signed up for.
- Legitimate interests—for basic security and abuse-prevention checks, carried out in a way that does not override your rights.
4. AI-generated content
Some features use AI—for example, transcribing recordings, suggesting family-tree matches, and generating Family Radio narration, images or songs from stories (“Artifacts”). These are generated automatically and may occasionally be inaccurate, so treat AI-generated material as a creative retelling rather than a verified historical record.
We use AI service providers, including OpenAI and Google, under terms governing how they process data sent through their APIs.
5. Who we share data with
We only share personal data with providers who help us operate StoryNest, acting on our behalf:
- Resend—sends account and notification emails, such as sign-in links and story requests.
- [TO COMPLETE: hosting provider]—hosts the application and stores its data.
- OpenAI and Google—process recordings, text, audio or images used by transcription and AI features.
Within your own family, your name, photo, and any stories or tree details you share are visible to other members of that family—that is the purpose of StoryNest. You can keep a story private to yourself until you choose to share it.
6. International transfers
Some providers may process data outside the UK or EEA, including in the United States. Where that happens, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses.
7. How long we keep your data
We keep your data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we delete your personal data within 30 days, except where we need to keep something longer for legal reasons, such as fraud prevention.
Stories you have shared with your family remain visible to them unless you ask us to remove them, since they may also involve other family members’ memories.
8. Stories about people who aren’t StoryNest users
Family history naturally involves people who have passed away or never signed up—a grandparent’s story, for instance. Data-protection law generally only covers living, identifiable individuals, but we ask that you record and share stories about others thoughtfully and with respect for their privacy and that of your wider family.
9. Your rights
You have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct anything inaccurate or incomplete.
- Ask us to delete your data (“the right to be forgotten”).
- Ask us to restrict or object to certain processing.
- Receive a copy of your data in a portable format.
- Withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent.
- Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office if you think we have got something wrong.
To exercise any of these rights, email hello@storynest.audio. We will respond within one month.
10. Cookies
The app does not use tracking or advertising cookies. We use only what is strictly necessary to keep you signed in and the service working.
11. Keeping your data safe
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data. We will tell you promptly if a data breach affects you, as required by law.
12. Changes to this policy
If we make significant changes, we will let you know in the app before you continue using it.
13. Contact us
[TO COMPLETE: legal entity name]
[TO COMPLETE: registered address]
Terms of Use
1. Acceptance
By creating a StoryNest account, you agree to these Terms and to the Privacy Policy above. If you do not agree, please do not use StoryNest.
2. Who can use StoryNest
You must be [TO COMPLETE: minimum age] or older to create an account, and the information you give us when signing up must be accurate.
3. Your account
StoryNest uses passwordless sign-in. We email you a secure link each time you need to sign in on a new device, valid for a limited time. Keep access to your email secure, since anyone with access to it could access your StoryNest account.
4. Families and admins
Anyone can start a family on StoryNest and becomes its admin. Admins can invite and manage members of their family. Each story belongs to the person who recorded it. Admins can manage membership, but cannot edit or delete another member’s story without their agreement, except where needed to enforce these Terms.
5. Your content
You own the stories, photos and recordings you add to StoryNest. By adding content, you give us permission to store it, process it—including using AI as described in the Privacy Policy—and show it to the other members of your family, so that StoryNest can work as intended.
We do not use your family’s content for advertising, share it outside your family circle, or make it public without your permission.
You confirm that you have the right to share anything you upload, and that doing so does not break the law or anyone else’s rights.
6. Acceptable use
Please do not use StoryNest to:
- Post anything hateful, abusive, defamatory or illegal.
- Impersonate someone else or misrepresent your identity.
- Try to access another member’s account.
- Upload malicious code or attempt to disrupt the service.
7. AI-generated content
Some things you see in StoryNest—narration, generated images and suggested tree matches—are created by AI and provided “as is”. They are intended to be enjoyable or helpful rather than authoritative, and may sometimes be inaccurate.
8. Ending your account
You can delete your account at any time from within the app, or by emailing hello@storynest.audio. We may suspend or close an account that breaches these Terms.
9. Our liability
StoryNest is provided “as is”. We do our best to keep it running smoothly and your stories safe, but we cannot guarantee that the service will be uninterrupted or error-free. Nothing in these Terms limits liability where the law does not allow it to be limited, including liability for death, personal injury or fraud.
10. Changes
We may update these Terms occasionally. If we make a material change, we will ask new users to review and accept the updated version before creating an account.
11. Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of [TO COMPLETE: jurisdiction], and disputes will be handled by the courts there.
12. Contact
[TO COMPLETE: legal entity name]
[TO COMPLETE: registered address]