privacy

privacy policy

we know almost nothing about you. on purpose.

punk rock sober is a website (punkrocksober.com) and an iOS app made for people staying on. this page explains exactly what information the app touches, in plain language, because the plain language happens to be the whole policy.

who we are

punk rock sober is operated by Painful Lessons LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, 11328 Biona Drive, Los Angeles, California 90066. we're the company responsible for the information described here — the data controller, if you want the legal term.

no accounts, no identity

the app has no sign-up. no email, no phone number, no password, no real name required. when you open the app, it creates an anonymous identifier so your circles work across days. we could not connect that identifier to who you are, because we never ask who you are.

what the app stores

the name or nickname you type in (whatever you choose — "ben" or "spider" both work)
the start date you claim, your check-in times, and your comeback count
which circles you're in
photos you choose to offer to a circle's daily picture (visible only to that circle, replaced daily)
a push notification token, only if you turn notifications on
anonymous daily totals — how many check-ins the whole movement made today, and similar counts with no names attached
reports of photos, so we can act on repeat problems

that's the complete list. this data exists so your circle can see your light — that's the product.

what we never do

no surveillance advertising — no ad trackers, no selling your attention. if we ever take a sponsor, they'll be named out loud, podcast-style, and they'll never touch your data — not your nickname, not your days, not your photos, not an "anonymized" list
no selling, renting, or sharing your data with anyone. we have not sold or shared personal information in the past twelve months and have no plans to start
no third-party advertising or analytics trackers in the app
no storing your location — the meetings tab links out; we never see or keep where you are
no verifying your days — days are claimed, not verified. we count what you say counts

who can see what

members of a circle you join can see the name you entered, your day count, your comeback count, and whether you've checked in. that's what a circle is. nobody outside your circles sees any of it. the punk rock sober global circle shows only totals — everybody's counted, nobody's listed.

where it lives

data is stored with google firebase (cloud services in the united states), which processes it on our behalf. our email list — if you signed up on the website — lives with our website host and is used only to send you the things you signed up for. we'd disclose information only if the law required it, like a valid court order — and there's very little to hand over.

if you use punk rock sober from outside the united states, your information is processed in the US, which may have different privacy laws than where you live.

security

circle data and photos are stored with access rules limiting them to the circles they belong to, and traffic between the app and our servers is encrypted in transit. we won't tell you your data is perfectly safe, because nobody can honestly say that. what we can say is that we collect as little as possible, so there's very little to lose — and we treat the fact of your being here as the sensitive thing it is. if we ever have a breach affecting your information, we'll say so publicly and promptly.

deleting your data, and your rights

email feedback@punkrocksober.com from any address and tell us the name and circles you used, and we'll delete your data. because the app is anonymous, deleting the app from your phone also orphans your data permanently — nothing left behind can be tied to you. it also means your days can't be recovered.

depending on where you live — california included — you may have the right to know what we hold, to correct it, to delete it, and not to be treated differently for asking. email us and we'll honor what we're able to, without making you fight for it.

young people

the app is for people 18 and older. we don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 18; if we learn we have, we delete it. if you think a minor is using the app, email us.

not medical care

punk rock sober is a community and a ritual, not a medical or clinical service. nothing in the app is medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. if you're in crisis in the US, call or text 988. if you need medical help with alcohol or substance withdrawal, talk to a doctor — withdrawal can be dangerous.

changes

if this policy changes, we'll update this page and the date below. we will never quietly change it into something that would need hiding — and the sponsor promise only ever gets stronger.