Privacy Policy

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 (Google): Authentication, database, and file storage
• Content Delivery Networks (CDN): For faster content delivery
• Analytics Services: To understand platform usage and improve features

These services have their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review their policies 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 at privacy@townsquare.com.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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 at privacy@townsquare.com.

11. 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.

12. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have different data protection laws. By using TownSquare, you consent to the transfer of your information to these countries.

13. 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.

14. Contact Information

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

Email: privacy@townsquare.com
Data Protection Officer: dpo@townsquare.com
Support: support@townsquare.com