1. Who this policy covers
This policy describes how Faro collects, uses and protects information. Faro is made and run by Phil Milburn-McNulty. Faro helps you choose what film to watch from the films you rate. It runs on iPhone and Apple TV.
Faro is available on the App Store. Website domain: tryfaro.app. Contact: support@tryfaro.app.
2. Information Faro may collect
Account information
Faro may collect information needed to create and operate an account, such as name, email address, sign-in provider identifiers, account settings and support messages.
Film taste information
Faro stores the films you rate and log, the films you've marked as seen, your watchlist and shortlist, the films you've marked Not interested, tonight's picks, the preferences you set in the app and the region and streaming services you choose.
Recommendation information
Faro stores recommendation history: which films were suggested, when and the reasoning the system generated for each. That is what lets Help me choose and Watch Together avoid repeating themselves. The reasoning is held in the record but is not shown anywhere in the app.
Shared lists and people you invite
If you invite people or join a shared list, Faro stores the invitation, the accepted connection, the films on that list and the reactions to them: the information the shared list needs to work.
Technical and device information
Where applicable, Faro may collect technical data such as device type, operating system, app version, authentication events and basic security logs. The model of device you use Faro on, so I can see which devices to test on. Crash reports stay on this phone. If you choose to share one, it comes straight to me. If you've opted in on your iPhone to share analytics with app developers, Apple may also pass on its own crash reports.
Product events
Faro records a small number of first-party product events to its own backend, for example that the app was opened, that a set of suggestions was generated, that an import ran or that a group session happened. It does this whether or not you're signed in. Without an account, events are keyed to an install id, a random identifier created when Faro is installed. If you create an account or sign in, the install id links those events to your account. The same events come from Faro on every device. Each one records whether it came from a phone or a TV, and which store the app came from.
Most events carry counts and settings (such as how many films were in a slate or which filters you chose), not the titles you were shown. Events that record a choice (locking in a film, opening it in a streaming service, playing a trailer, adding it to a shortlist) carry that film's catalogue identifier, so Faro can count which suggestions people go on to choose. One more carries it when you rate a film Faro can't yet use for suggestions, so that film can be added to the catalogue. Events exist so one person can tell whether Faro is actually working for people. There is no third-party analytics SDK, no advertising network and no cross-app tracking.
Notifications
If you turn on notifications, Faro stores your device's notification token, your time zone, your region and whether you include free channels, so it can send one message a week when films on your lists become available on your services. Turning notifications off in Faro removes the token. Apple's push service delivers the message.
Letterboxd import
If you import a Letterboxd ratings file, Faro reads it on your phone. The file itself is never uploaded. The ratings it creates are then stored with your Faro account like any other rating.
3. How Faro may use information
- To create, authenticate and maintain your account.
- To learn what you like from the films you rate, so recommendations improve.
- To provide Help me choose, Watch Together, shared lists and saved films.
- To sync your data across devices where account sync is enabled.
- To respond to support requests and data deletion requests.
- To detect bugs, protect the service and improve app reliability.
- To comply with legal obligations and App Store requirements.
4. Third-party services
Faro relies on a small number of third-party services to operate:
- TMDB provides film information: posters, images, trailers, credits, genres and related catalogue data. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
- OMDb provides the IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores shown on a film's page. Most of these are stored inside the app itself; where one is missing, Faro asks OMDb for that single film by its identifier and sends nothing about you.
- YouTube (Google) and, for a few films, Vimeo host the trailers and clips on a film's page. When you play one, it loads from them inside the app, so they receive your device's IP address and ordinary browser information and may set cookies in their player. Faro sends them nothing about you or your account. Their own privacy policies apply to their players.
- DiceBear draws profile avatars. Faro sends it a random avatar seed and style settings, never your name, email or username. Like any web request, it also sees your device's IP address.
- Apple, Google and Amazon distribute Faro through the App Store, Google Play and the Amazon Appstore and provide ordinary device services.
- Supabase hosts Faro's own accounts, database sync and storage.
- Support email is handled directly by the person who makes Faro.
5. Website privacy
This static launch website does not add analytics, cookies, advertising trackers or a backend. Hosting providers may still process ordinary server logs such as IP address, request path, browser type and timestamp to deliver and secure the site.
6. What Faro does not do
- Faro does not sell personal data.
- Faro is not designed around public follower counts, public likes or leaderboards.
- Faro does not use this website to track visitors with cookies or analytics scripts, and the app contains no third-party advertising, tracking or analytics SDKs.
7. Sharing with people you invite
Sharing is limited to people you invite. They can see your @username, the films you add to a shared list and the reactions you leave there. They cannot see your ratings or your recommendations. When you choose films with them, Faro uses your ratings to find films you might all like.
Removing a connection stops further sharing; films already added to a shared list remain on that list for its other members.
8. Deletion and retention
You can request deletion of your account and data in the app, from the You tab (Request account deletion), or by emailing support@tryfaro.app. Requests are handled by hand, by the person who makes Faro.
Your data stays while your account exists. Once a deletion request is processed, your personal data is deleted within 30 days. The ratings you gave are kept under a new random identifier with nothing that links them to you, so they can still help Faro's recommendations.
To get a copy of your ratings, email support@tryfaro.app and they'll be sent to you. You can export them from the app at any time.
9. Children
Faro is not intended for children under 13.
10. Security
Faro uses reasonable technical and organisational safeguards appropriate for a consumer app. No method of storage or transmission is perfectly secure.
11. International use
Faro is run by Phil Milburn-McNulty in the United Kingdom. Depending on where Faro's service providers operate, your information may be processed in countries other than your own. You can ask to see, correct or delete your information at any time by emailing support@tryfaro.app.
12. Changes and contact
Faro may update this policy as the app, providers or legal requirements change. Material changes are posted on this page with an updated date.
Questions or requests: support@tryfaro.app.