Privacy Policy

1. Our Privacy Philosophy: Data Minimization

At iochinese.com ("ioChinese", "we", "our"), we firmly believe that learning to read Chinese should be stress-free, private, and frictionless. Our guiding principle is Data Minimization: we only collect the absolute minimum technical information needed to deliver a fast, clear, and distraction-free reading experience.

2. No Login Required to Read

You do not need to create an account, register, or provide your email address, phone number, or name to access, read, or practice with any of the graded Chinese reading articles on our platform.

All articles are freely open to read. You can read at your own pace without logging in.

3. Local Storage & Client-Side Preferences

To make your reading comfortable across visits, we save your UI display preferences directly in your browser's localStorage. This data never leaves your device and is not transmitted to our servers:

• Theme Mode: Light mode vs. Dark mode preference (iochinese_theme).
• Reading Settings: Font size adjustments, pinyin visibility toggles, or audio playback speed choices.

You can clear this data at any time by clearing your browser's cache and local storage.

4. Anonymous Analytics & Performance Metrics

To ensure platform stability, optimize page load speeds, and understand which HSK levels learners find most helpful, we use standard, privacy-conscious web analytics tools (such as Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity):

• Aggregated Traffic Data: Anonymized IP addresses, browser types, device categories (mobile/desktop), referring pages, and general geographic regions (country or city level).
• Technical Error Logs: Anonymous crash reports and network latency diagnostics to fix broken links or syntax issues.

We do not sell, rent, or trade any user traffic data to advertising networks or third-party data brokers.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

ioChinese uses minimal first-party cookies and modern web tokens strictly required for fundamental site operation and anonymous security checks. We do not use intrusive cross-site tracking or behavioral advertising cookies.

6. GDPR & CCPA / International Compliance

Whether you are accessing ioChinese from the European Union, the United States, or anywhere else in the world, we respect your rights regarding your data:

• The right to know what information is collected (as detailed in this policy).
• The right to browse anonymously without identity tracking.
• The right to request clarification or deletion of any support email correspondence.

7. Children's Privacy

ioChinese is an educational platform intended for general audiences and Chinese language learners of all ages. Because we do not require account registration or collect personally identifiable information from readers, we do not knowingly solicit or collect personal data from children under the age of 13.

8. Contact Us Regarding Privacy

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please reach out to us at: