diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index faa2b70..ac294a7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -11,7 +11,11 @@ This project is currently in **Phase 1: Initial Development**.
 * **Interaction:** Provide "single message focus" and other moderation tools for streamers and their teams.
 * **Self-Hosted:** The service is hosted by the project owner (you) and provided to users.
 
-## 💻 Technology Stack
+## 🔒 Security & Privacy
+
+User privacy and security are paramount. All sensitive user credentials, such as OAuth access and refresh tokens from external platforms, are **always encrypted** before being stored in the database. They are never stored in plain text, ensuring a high standard of security for user data.
+
+## � Technology Stack
 
 * **Backend:** Python 3.9+ (FastAPI)
 * **Database:** SQLite (initially, for simplicity) with SQLAlchemy
diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index 4543a65..fe04dc1 100644
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from fastapi import FastAPI, Request
 from starlette.middleware.sessions import SessionMiddleware
 from starlette.staticfiles import StaticFiles
 from starlette.responses import FileResponse, RedirectResponse
+from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
 
 import models
 from database import engine
@@ -14,12 +15,16 @@ from config import settings # Import settings to get the secret key
 BASE_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
 STATIC_DIR = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, "static")
 
-# This line tells SQLAlchemy to create all the tables based on the models
-# we defined. It will create the `multichat_overlay.db` file with the
-# 'users' and 'settings' tables if they don't exist.
-models.Base.metadata.create_all(bind=engine)
+@asynccontextmanager
+async def lifespan(app: FastAPI):
+    # This code runs on startup
+    print("Application startup: Creating database tables...")
+    models.Base.metadata.create_all(bind=engine)
+    print("Application startup: Database tables created.")
+    yield
+    # Code below yield runs on shutdown, if needed
 
-app = FastAPI()
+app = FastAPI(lifespan=lifespan)
 
 # Mount the 'static' directory using an absolute path for reliability
 app.mount("/static", StaticFiles(directory=STATIC_DIR), name="static")