Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

CarReviewTube ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our service.

2. YouTube API Services

CarReviewTube uses YouTube API Services. By using our service, you are also agreeing to be bound by the YouTube Terms of Service, which can be found at https://www.youtube.com/t/terms

We use the YouTube Data API v3 to:

• Search for automotive video content based on your search queries
• Retrieve video metadata (titles, descriptions, thumbnails, view counts, publication dates)
• Display channel information (channel names, subscriber counts)
• Show trending automotive news videos

For more information about how Google handles your data, please review the Google Privacy Policy

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide

When you use CarReviewTube, we may collect:

• Account Information: When you sign in using Replit Auth (via Google, GitHub, X, Apple, or Email), we collect your username, email address, and profile information
• Search Queries: Car make, model, year, body type, and review type preferences you enter
• User Preferences: Saved searches, followed cars, followed channels, playlists, and watch history

3.2 YouTube API Data

When you use our search features, we access the following data from YouTube API Services:

• Video Information: Video IDs, titles, descriptions, thumbnails, view counts, like counts, comment counts, and publication dates
• Channel Information: Channel IDs, names, subscriber counts, and profile images
• Search Results: Lists of videos matching your search criteria

Important: We do NOT access, collect, or store your YouTube account data, watch history from YouTube, or any personal information from your YouTube account. We only retrieve publicly available video and channel information based on your search queries.

3.3 Automatically Collected Information

We automatically collect certain information when you visit our service:

• Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, search patterns, and time spent on the service
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device type, and IP address
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: See our Cookie Policy for details

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

• Provide Services: Search YouTube videos, display results, and enable personalized features
• AI-Powered Features: Use OpenAI services to parse natural language search queries and analyze video sentiment
• Caching: Store YouTube search results temporarily (24 hours) to optimize API quota usage and improve performance
• User Accounts: Manage authentication, save preferences, playlists, and watch history
• Improve Service: Analyze usage patterns to enhance features and user experience
• Communication: Send service-related notifications (if you enable them)

5. How We Share Your Information

5.1 Internal Use

Your information is used internally by CarReviewTube to provide and improve our services. We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

5.2 Third-Party Service Providers

We share information with the following third-party services:

• YouTube/Google: When you search for videos, your search queries are sent to YouTube API Services to retrieve results. This is governed by the Google Privacy Policy
• OpenAI: Natural language search queries and video titles/descriptions are sent to OpenAI for AI-powered parsing and sentiment analysis
• Replit: Authentication is handled through Replit Auth; user credentials are managed by Replit
• Database Hosting: User data is stored in a PostgreSQL database hosted by Neon (via Replit)

5.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government request, or to protect our rights, property, or safety.

6. Data Storage and Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information:

• Database Storage: User data is stored in a secure PostgreSQL database with encrypted connections
• Session Security: Authentication sessions are protected with HTTPS-only cookies and httpOnly flags
• API Key Protection: YouTube and OpenAI API keys are stored securely as environment variables
• Search Cache: YouTube API search results are cached for 24 hours and then automatically deleted
• Access Controls: Only authenticated users can access personalized features (playlists, saved videos, etc.)

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

CarReviewTube stores, accesses, and collects information on your device using cookies and similar technologies. We use cookies for:

• Authentication: Keep you logged in during your session
• Preferences: Remember your search filters and viewing preferences
• Analytics: Understand how users interact with our service
• Third-Party Cookies: YouTube may place cookies when displaying video thumbnails and links

For detailed information about our cookie usage, please see our Cookie Policy.

You can control cookies through your browser settings, but disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of CarReviewTube.

8. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Update or correct your account information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Opt-Out: Disable notifications or stop using our service at any time
• Cookie Control: Manage cookies through your browser settings

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided below.

9. Children's Privacy

CarReviewTube is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected such information, we will take steps to delete it promptly.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have different data protection laws. By using CarReviewTube, you consent to such transfers.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of CarReviewTube after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

12. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: