Privacy Policy

15 Minutes · Last updated: October 20, 2026

This policy explains what information the 15 Minutes website and app collect, why, and what you can do about it. The short version: you can read without an account, there are no ads, and we do not sell your data.

Who we are

15 Minutes is run by Rafael Fernandes Vieira, an individual based in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. He is the "controller" of your data under privacy laws. Contact: contato@15min.com.br.

This website

The website has no sign-up, login or forms, and it does not use advertising or tracking cookies. Like any web server, ours records standard technical logs (such as IP address, page requested and time) for security and to keep the site running. We do not use these logs to identify you. If we ever add ads or analytics, we will update this policy first.

What the app collects

No account is needed to read. Your reading progress, preferences, downloaded summaries and daily-reminder settings are stored on your device and removed when you uninstall the app. The reminder is a local notification on your phone; nothing is sent to us. Beyond that, the app sends data to our servers only in these cases:

• Content updates. The app downloads the book catalog and summaries from our server (worldinstories.tech). Like any download, this exposes your IP address to the server.
• Redeeming a gift code. The app sends a random device identifier (not your name, email or hardware ID) so one code cannot be redeemed twice on the same device.
• Refer a friend.When you create or use an invite code, the same random identifier is sent and stored in hashed form, to grant Premium days once per device and to count friends who started reading. On Android, the app can read the invite code from Google Play's install referrer. The invite code does not reveal who you are to the person who receives it.
• Book ratings. If you rate a book, the rating and the random device identifier are sent to our database (hosted by Supabase) to calculate public average ratings.
• Subscriptions. Purchases are handled by the App Store or Google Play. We never see your card or payment details; the store tells the app whether your subscription is active.

The app also keeps a small local log of usage events on your device (for example, that a paywall or the book of the day was viewed), with no name or email. These events are sent to our server only if you have a League profile and the feature is switched on. The app has no advertising, no ad identifiers and no third-party analytics or tracking SDKs.

League and social profile (optional)

The League only exists if you create a profile. There is no chat, photo sharing or location tracking. If you create a profile, we process:

• your nickname (unique, chosen by you);
• an anonymous device identifier and a recovery code, so you can restore the profile on a new phone;
• your list of books read and being read, League points and badges, and the progress saved in the cloud.

This is visible to the people you allow (for example, friends) and in the public League ranking if you take part. You can report and block other profiles; we review reports and may remove nicknames or profiles that break the community rules. League data is stored on our own server, a VPS hosted by Hostinger in Brazil, with a backup copy.

Why we use data (legal bases)

• To provide the service you asked for (contract): syncing your progress, gift codes, referral rewards, ratings and subscriptions.
• Consent: appearing in the public League. You can withdraw it at any time by deleting your profile.
• Legitimate interest: keeping the service secure and preventing abuse such as repeated code redemption.

These correspond to the legal bases in the EU/UK GDPR and Brazil's LGPD.

We do not sell or share your data

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising (as defined by California law). We do not run ads. We use service providers only to run the service (hosting, database, app stores), and they may process data only on our instructions.

Where your data is processed

Our servers are in Brazil, and some providers (for example, our database and the app stores) may process data in other countries. If you are in the EU, UK or elsewhere outside Brazil, your data is transferred to Brazil and other countries so we can provide the service. We keep the data limited to what is described here. You can ask us for details about these transfers at any time.

How long we keep data

Profile data is kept while your profile exists. When you delete it, we erase it from our systems right away and from backups within 90 days. Redemption and referral identifiers are kept only as long as needed to prevent double use, or until you ask us to delete them. Technical server logs are kept for a short period.

Deleting your data

In the app: Settings → Social → Delete my profile (step by step on our delete-account page). This removes your nickname, friends, bookshelf, points, badges and cloud progress from our server. What you read and downloaded stays on your device until you uninstall.

Without the app (or for other data): email contato@15min.com.br with the subject "Data deletion" and your nickname if you have one. We will complete the deletion within 30 days and confirm by email. To delete the random identifier used for gift codes, referrals and ratings, write to the same address.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete or export your personal data, to object to or restrict some processing, and to withdraw consent.

• EU/UK (GDPR): all of the above, plus the right to complain to your local data protection authority.
• California (CCPA/CPRA): the right to know, delete and correct your information, and not to be treated differently for using these rights. Because we do not sell or share personal information, there is nothing to opt out of.
• Brazil (LGPD):confirmation of processing, access, correction, anonymization, portability, deletion, and information about sharing. You may also complain to the ANPD, Brazil's data protection authority.

To use any right, email contato@15min.com.br. We may need to confirm it is really you (for example, by asking for your nickname or recovery details) and we reply within 30 days.

Children

15 Minutes is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you are a parent or guardian and believe a child has created a profile or sent us data, email us and we will delete it promptly. In the EU, if you are below your country's age of digital consent, a parent must allow you to use the League.

Security

Connections to our servers use HTTPS, and the device secret for your profile is kept in your phone's secure storage (iOS Keychain or Android Keystore). No system is perfectly secure; if a breach affecting you occurs, we will notify you as the law requires.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy. Material changes will be posted on this page or in the app, and the "Last updated" date above shows the latest revision.

Contact

Questions or requests: contato@15min.com.br. Rafael Fernandes Vieira, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.