Privacy Policy

Last Updated: March 22, 2026

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1. Introduction

TownSquare ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our platform. By using TownSquare, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

2.1 Information You Provide

  • Account Information: Username, email address, password
  • Profile Information: Avatar, bio, social links
  • Content: Posts, comments, votes, and other user-generated content
  • Age Verification: Confirmation that you are at least 13 years old

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

  • Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on platform
  • Device Information: Browser type, operating system, IP address
  • Cookies: Session data, preferences, authentication tokens
  • Interaction Data: Voting patterns, following/follower relationships

2.3 Reputation Data

  • Your ELO reputation score calculated based on community interactions
  • Vote history (posts and comments you've agreed or disagreed with)
  • Content performance metrics

3. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to:

  • Provide and maintain the TownSquare service
  • Calculate and display ELO reputation scores
  • Personalize your experience and content recommendations
  • Send notifications about activity on your posts and account
  • Detect and prevent spam, abuse, and fraudulent activity
  • Improve platform features and user experience
  • Comply with legal obligations
  • Communicate with you about service updates or policy changes

4. Data Retention

We retain your information for the following periods:

  • Active Accounts: Data retained while account is active
  • Deleted Accounts: Personal data removed within 30 days of account deletion
  • Content: Posts may be retained with username replaced by "[deleted]" to maintain conversation context
  • Legal Compliance: Some data may be retained longer to comply with legal obligations
  • Backups: Backup copies removed within 90 days of deletion request

5. Third-Party Services

TownSquare uses the following third-party services that may collect data:

  • Firebase Authentication (Google LLC): Manages user login and account security
  • Cloud Firestore (Google LLC): Stores posts, user profiles, and platform data
  • Firebase Realtime Database (Google LLC): Powers live presence and typing indicators
  • Firebase Hosting (Google LLC): Serves the TownSquare web application via Google's CDN
  • Firebase Analytics / Google Analytics (Google LLC): Tracks platform usage patterns and feature performance

Google LLC acts as a data processor on our behalf under Google's Firebase Data Processing Terms , which incorporate Standard Contractual Clauses for international data transfers. We encourage you to review Google's Privacy Policy to understand how they handle your data.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

  • Keep you logged in to your account
  • Remember your preferences (theme, language)
  • Analyze how you use TownSquare
  • Prevent fraud and improve security

You can control cookies through your browser settings, but disabling cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of TownSquare.

7. Your Privacy Rights (GDPR Compliance)

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the following rights:

  • Right to Access: Request a copy of your personal data
  • Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
  • Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data
  • Right to Data Portability: Export your data in a machine-readable format
  • Right to Restriction: Limit how we process your data
  • Right to Object: Object to certain types of data processing
  • Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing at any time

To exercise these rights, visit your Settings page or contact us.

8. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants you additional rights regarding your personal information:

  • Right to Know: You may request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources, our business purpose for collecting it, and the third parties with whom we share it.
  • Right to Delete: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
  • Right to Opt-Out of Sale: TownSquare does not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not and will not sell your data.
  • Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.

To exercise your California privacy rights, please contact us. We will respond to verifiable requests within 45 days as required by law.

9. Data Export

You can export all your data from TownSquare at any time through your Settings page. The export includes your profile information, posts, comments, vote history, and following/follower lists in JSON format.

10. Account Deletion

You can permanently delete your account at any time through your Settings page. When you delete your account, your profile information is removed, but your posts and comments may be retained with your username replaced by "[deleted]" to maintain conversation context.

11. Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

TownSquare requires users to be at least 13 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover that we have collected data from a child under 13, we will delete that information immediately. If you believe a child under 13 has created an account, please contact us.

12. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including:

  • Encryption of data in transit and at rest
  • Secure authentication using Firebase
  • Regular security audits and monitoring
  • Access controls limiting who can view your data

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

13. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States, where Google LLC operates the Firebase infrastructure we use. For transfers from the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, these transfers are governed by Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) incorporated into Google's Data Processing Terms , which provide appropriate safeguards for your personal data.

14. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR Article 6)

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Below is our legal basis for each type of processing activity:

Processing Activity Legal Basis Explanation
Account creation and authentication Performance of contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) Necessary to provide the TownSquare service you requested
Posts, comments, and voting Performance of contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) Core functionality of the platform per our Terms of Service
ELO reputation calculation Performance of contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) Essential feature of the platform you agreed to use
Analytics and performance monitoring Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) We have a legitimate interest in improving platform performance and user experience
Marketing and promotional emails Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) Only sent if you opt-in; you may withdraw consent at any time
Content moderation and safety Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) & Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) Required to comply with laws and protect users from harm
COPPA age verification Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) Required by U.S. federal law (COPPA)
Fraud prevention and security Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) We have a legitimate interest in protecting our platform and users from abuse
Law enforcement requests Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) Required to comply with valid legal process
Essential notifications (password resets, security alerts) Performance of contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) Necessary to maintain your account security
Product improvement and research Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) We have a legitimate interest in improving our service

You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests. If you wish to object, please contact us.

15. Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you and relevant authorities in accordance with applicable laws, including GDPR Article 33 (72-hour notification to supervisory authority) and Article 34 (notification to affected users). For full details on our breach response procedures, please see our Data Breach Notification Policy.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting a notice on the platform or sending you an email. Your continued use of TownSquare after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

17. Contact Information

For questions, concerns, or to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us at:

Contact: Contact Form

By using TownSquare, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Privacy Policy.