Privacy policy

This is the privacy policy for My Plate Story (the website and service at myplatestory.com). It explains how we access, collect, use, store, share, and delete information — including Google user data if you sign in with Google. Using My Plate Story means you agree to this policy. Our terms of service (including the disclaimer) also apply.

My Plate Story is a private storytelling product. People publish why a custom US or Canadian license plate matters, at a unique story URL, and can order a printed QR sticker or car magnet. We are not a government, DMV, or motor vehicle registry.

Last updated: September 3, 2026.

Who we are

This policy is published by the operator of My Plate Story for the application named My Plate Story at https://www.myplatestory.com. It is not a template, sample, or third-party generic policy.

For privacy questions, Google-account requests, or deletion requests, email support@myplatestory.com or use the contact form.

Google user data

My Plate Story offers optional Google sign-in so you can create and use an account without a separate password. Sign-in is provided by our authentication vendor, Clerk, using Google’s OAuth sign-in. We request only the basic profile and email scopes needed to identify you (name, email address, and profile photo if Google provides one). We do not request access to Gmail, Google Drive, Calendar, Contacts, Photos, or any other Google product data.

The rest of this section is about Google user data only. Other information you give us on My Plate Story (stories, photos, shipping addresses, and so on) is described later on this page.

What Google user data we access

When you choose “Continue with Google” (or otherwise connect a Google account), our application will access the Google user data you (and Google) provide through that sign-in, which may include:

• Your Google account email address
• Your Google account name
• Your Google account profile photo, if Google includes one
• A unique identifier for that Google account, used by Clerk to keep you signed in

We do not access your Google password. We do not read your Gmail, files, or other Google content. If Google does not share a field (for example no profile photo), we do not receive it.

How we use Google user data

We use Google user data only to provide and operate My Plate Story account features that you requested:

• Create your My Plate Story account and sign you in on later visits
• Show that you are signed in (for example your name or email in the dashboard)
• Associate stories, likes, reviews, and orders with your account
• Send transactional email about your account or orders to the email address we received
• Secure the service (for example preventing duplicate accounts, abuse, or unauthorized access)

We will not sell Google user data to third parties. We do not use Google user data for advertising, including targeted, personalized, retargeted, or interest-based ads. We do not use Google user data to determine credit-worthiness or for lending. We do not use Google user data to build databases for resale. We do not use Google user data to develop, improve, or train generalized or non-personalized AI or machine-learning models.

My Plate Story’s use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

How we share, transfer, or disclose Google user data

We do not transfer or disclose Google user data to third parties for purposes other than providing or improving My Plate Story as described here, except as listed below.

• Clerk processes Google sign-in and stores the authentication session so we can keep you logged in.
• Neon hosts our application database. We store the email address (and display name, if we have one) so your My Plate Story account works across stories and orders.
• Vercel hosts the website. Request logs may include ordinary technical data (such as IP address) when you visit while signed in; that is not a transfer of your Google profile for a separate business purpose.
• We may disclose Google user data if required by law, to investigate abuse or security incidents, or as part of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets — and then only as needed for that purpose.

We do not share Google user data with Stripe, Printful, UploadThing, Resend, OpenAI, advertising platforms, data brokers, or information resellers. Stripe and Printful receive shipping and payment information you enter at checkout — that is not Google user data unless you type the same email yourself.

Humans at My Plate Story may see your email and name when helping with support, orders, or abuse. We do not read Google user data for advertising research.

How we store and protect Google user data

Security procedures are in place to protect the confidentiality of your data. In particular:

• The site is served over HTTPS. We use encryption in transit to protect your information between your browser and our hosts.
• Google sign-in is handled by Clerk. We do not store your Google password. OAuth tokens are managed by Clerk, not by custom code in My Plate Story.
• Account records (email, Clerk user id, optional display name) are stored in our Postgres database hosted by Neon.
• Access to production systems and the customer database is limited to operators who need it to run My Plate Story.

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. If we learn of a breach that affects Google user data, we will take steps required by applicable law, including notifying affected users where required.

How long we keep Google user data, and how you can delete it

We store Google user data for a period of time that is consistent with our business purposes: while your My Plate Story account is open, and as needed afterward for security, fraud prevention, and legal records. We will retain this information for the length of time needed to fulfill the purposes outlined in this privacy policy unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

When the data retention period expires for a given type of data, we will delete or destroy it, or de-identify it so it is no longer tied to you, except where we must keep a limited record (for example a paid order number and the email used at checkout).

You may request that your Google user data — and your My Plate Story account — be deleted by emailing support@myplatestory.com from the same address on the account, or by using account deletion in Account settings if that control is shown. You can also disconnect Google from your account in Account settings and still use another sign-in method.

Deleting your Google account itself is controlled by Google, not by us. Disconnecting or deleting My Plate Story does not delete your Google account.

Other information we collect

We may collect, or process, the following categories of personal data when you use or interact with My Plate Story:

• Account (non-Google). If you sign up with email and a password, we store that email and a Clerk user id. You may add a display name.
• Stories and media. Plate text, US state or Canadian province, story text, optional keywords, car notes, links you add, and optional photos. Stories are public in browse by default. Unlisting hides a story from browse; the direct URL / QR destination can still work until the story is removed.
• Orders. Product, quantity, price, and fulfillment status. Checkout collects a shipping address and payment details through Stripe. We store a shipping-address snapshot so we can print and mail stickers or magnets. We do not store full card numbers; Stripe processes the charge.
• Likes and reviews. If you like a story or leave a review after a paid order, we store that with your account.
• Contact. Name, email, optional order number, and message if you write us.
• Device and logs. Our host (Vercel) and vendors may record standard request data such as IP address, browser type, and timestamps to run and secure the service. We store your theme choice in your browser (localStorage).
• Google Analytics. We use Google Analytics 4 to measure visits, pages viewed, and similar usage. Google may collect device and approximate location data and set analytics cookies. This is site-usage measurement, not Google sign-in. It is not Google user data from “Continue with Google.” We do not use Analytics to advertise, and we do not sell Analytics data.

How we use other information

We will use this information to provide the services you requested on My Plate Story: authenticate you, publish and moderate stories, take payment, generate QR artwork, send orders to our printer, email order and account notices, answer support requests, and protect the service (including fraud, abuse, and legal compliance).

Story text you submit (not Google user data) may be checked by automated moderation tools (for example OpenAI Moderation or a toxicity model) and by human review. That is so we can refuse hate, scams, and other content that does not belong on the site.

When stories and photos are public

Public stories, photos, and plate details are visible to anyone on the internet and may be indexed or shared. Do not post information you do not want public. Your account email is not shown on the public story page. A display name may appear if you provide one.

Other vendors (not Google user data)

We share information with vendors that help us run My Plate Story, only as needed for that job:

• Clerk — accounts and Google sign-in
• Stripe — checkout and payments
• UploadThing — photo and print-file hosting
• Printful — print and shipping
• Resend — transactional email
• Neon — database
• Vercel — website hosting
• Google Analytics — site usage measurement
• Moderation providers — when a story is checked

Those companies have their own terms and privacy practices. We do not sell personal information.

Cookies and sign-in

Sign-in uses cookies and similar storage from Clerk to keep you logged in. Google Analytics may set its own cookies to recognize returning browsers. Theme preference lives in localStorage on your device. You can block cookies in your browser; some account features will not work without them, and Analytics may stop recording visits.

Children

My Plate Story is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them, including Google user data. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we will delete it.

Changes

We may update this policy by posting a revised version on this page. If we change how My Plate Story uses Google user data, we will update this policy and notify users before using Google user data in a new way. Continued use of My Plate Story after a change means you accept the updated policy.

Contact

Privacy, Google user data, and account requests: support@myplatestory.com or the contact form. Include your My Plate Story order number (MPS-…) when you have one.