AskMe Privacy Policy
This page summarises how AskMe handles your data. The full policy, which is the one that applies, is at askme.cards/privacy.
The short version: you can play AskMe without an account. We don't run analytics, tracking or crash-reporting SDKs. The iOS and Android apps show ads served by Google, which you can remove with a one-off purchase. We never see your password or your card details, we never sell your data, and you can export or delete everything from inside the app.
1. Who we are
AskMe is operated by Pharanos Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales, company number 17376780 ("we", "us"). "AskMe" and "AskMe: Endless Question Cards" are trading names of Pharanos Ltd. We are the data controller for the personal data described here.
Privacy questions: privacy@askme.cards
2. What we collect
2.1 Playing without an account
Your device gets an anonymous identifier so your progress and the cards you write stay on it. It isn't linked to your name, email or phone number.
2.2 Account information
If you sign in (with email and password, Google, or Apple), we store your email address, a display name, your date of birth (to check the minimum age and to unlock 16+ decks), which sign-in method you used, and your preferences such as your card theme and saved card designs. Apple's "Hide My Email" relay address works fine, and we never ask for your real one.
Sign-in is handled by Google Firebase Authentication. We never see or store your password.
2.3 How you use the app
We record which cards you answered or skipped, from which deck, and when. This powers your progress, your stats and which decks show as popular.
2.4 What you create
The questions and decks you write and their styling, the cards you save, questions you post to the community feed and which ones you liked. Community posts are published straight away and moderated afterwards: anyone can report a post, and moderators remove what breaks the rules. If you report or block someone, we store that report or block. Neither is shown to the other person.
2.5 Sharing and invites
When you share a card or deck we store a copy of it so the link works. Links expire after 5 hours. When someone answers a question you shared we store their answer, the name they gave and their IP address, which is used only to limit abuse of the answer form. If you use an invite link we record which account invited which, so a reward can be credited. We never read your contacts.
2.6 Purchases
We store what you bought, when, where, and its transaction record. We never see your card details: web payments are handled by Stripe, and purchases in the apps by Apple or Google.
2.7 Contacting us
If you message us we store your message, the topic you chose, your name and email address, our replies, and your phone number only if you give it.
2.8 Sign-ins, devices and security activity
When you sign in we record your IP address and an approximate location (city and country only, worked out on our own servers). We also keep a list of your signed-in devices, described in general terms such as "Safari on macOS", and a log of security events on your account (new sign-ins, password and email changes, devices signed out, data exports), so you can see them and sign devices out in Settings. All of this is kept for 90 days.
3. What we don't do
- No analytics, tracking or crash-reporting SDKs. The only third-party SDK in the apps is the one that serves ads.
- Ads, and who serves them. The iOS and Android apps show ads from Google AdMob. Google receives your IP address, an approximate location, how you interacted with the ad and, on Android, the advertising ID. On iOS we don't ask to track you, so Google doesn't get Apple's advertising identifier. We never send Google your name, email address or anything you've written. Personalised ads are shown only with your consent, never to under-18s, and you can change your choice in Settings or remove ads with a purchase.
- We never sell your personal data or share it with data brokers.
- No special-category data. We don't ask for health, beliefs, sexuality or similar data, and we don't infer it from the questions you play.
4. Why we're allowed to use it
Under UK GDPR we rely on performance of a contract (running your account and purchases), legitimate interests (security, abuse prevention, moderation, improving the catalogue), legal obligation (purchase records, the age limit) and consent (personalised ads).
5. Who else is involved
- Google Firebase Authentication: sign-in and credentials.
- Apple and Google: sign-in if you choose them, and purchases in the apps.
- Stripe: card payments and subscriptions on the web.
- Resend: account emails such as verification codes, receipts and security alerts.
- Google AdMob: ads in the iOS and Android apps.
- Our hosting and database provider, and Cloudflare for website delivery, DNS and email routing.
Some of these process data outside the UK, including in the United States, under safeguards such as the UK International Data Transfer Addendum or Standard Contractual Clauses.
6. How long we keep it
Your account and content are kept while your account exists. Sign-in, device and security records are kept for 90 days. If you delete your account, your email address, date of birth, custom decks, swipe history and notifications are removed straight away. A few records tied to other people, such as a question already published to the community feed, stay under an anonymised name. Purchase records are kept as long as tax and accounting rules require.
7. Your rights
You can access, correct, export and delete your data, object to or restrict how we use it, and withdraw consent. Two of these are built into the app:
- Export: Settings → "Export my data" gives you a machine-readable copy of everything linked to your account.
- Delete: Settings → "Delete account" deletes your account straight away.
For anything else, email privacy@askme.cards. You can also complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk).
8. Age
AskMe accounts need a minimum age of 13. Decks with mature themes are for people aged 16 and over. Anyone without a confirmed 18th birthday is never shown personalised ads. If you believe a child under 13 has an account, contact us and we will delete it.
9. Changes to this policy
If we change how we use your data we will update this page, the full policy and their "last updated" dates, and tell you in the app where the change affects you.
Questions? Email support@askme.cards. A person reads every message.