Privacy Policy

1. User Types and Acceptance

This Privacy Policy applies to:

• Visitors: Individuals who view only publicly-available content on our platform.
• Users: Individuals who have signed up to access and use our Services to participate in hackathons.
• Organizers: Individuals and organizations who create and manage hackathons on our platform.

By visiting our platform, Visitors acknowledge and agree to this Privacy Policy. By signing up and using our Services, Users and Organizers acknowledge they have read, understood, and agree to be legally bound by this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Service.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

• Account Information:
  • Through Clerk Authentication: name, email address, username, and avatar
  • Through GitHub Integration: repository information, webhook data, and access tokens
  • Through other authentication providers: profile information as authorized
• Profile Information:
  • Optional details you provide: biography, social media links, personal website
  • Professional information: skills, education, work experience
  • Portfolio items: past projects, achievements, certifications
• Hackathon Data:
  • Registration information: team details, participant roles
  • Submission materials: project details, descriptions, repository URLs
  • Participation data: activity updates, comments, voting history
  • Judging feedback and evaluations
• Payment Information:
  • Processed securely through Stripe
  • Transaction records and sponsorship details
  • We do not store actual payment card data
• Usage Information:
  • IP addresses and device information
  • Browser type and language
  • Pages visited and features used
  • Time spent on platform and interaction data

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

• Platform Operations:
  • Managing hackathon registrations and participation
  • Enabling project submissions and GitHub integration
  • Facilitating voting and judging processes
  • Processing sponsorship payments through Stripe
  • Improving platform features and user experience
• Communication:
  • Sending important updates about hackathons
  • Notifying you about activity on your submissions
  • Providing security alerts and account notifications
  • Responding to your inquiries and support requests
• Analytics and Improvement:
  • Analyzing usage patterns to enhance our services
  • Monitoring platform performance and security
  • Developing new features and functionality

4. Information Sharing

We share your information with the following service providers and partners:

• Service Providers:
  • Clerk: User authentication and account management
  • Stripe: Payment processing for sponsorships
  • SendGrid: Email communications
  • AWS S3: Cloud storage for user content
  • GitHub: Repository management and integration
• Hackathon Organizers:
  • Registration information for their hackathons
  • Submission details and team information
  • Participant activity and engagement data
• Other Users:
  • Public profile information
  • Hackathon submissions and presentations
  • Comments and public interactions

5. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your information:

• Access and Control:
  • Access your personal information
  • Update or correct your information
  • Request deletion of your account
  • Export your data in a portable format
• Communication Preferences:
  • Opt-out of marketing communications
  • Manage notification settings
  • Control email frequency and types

6. International Data Transfers

Our services are hosted in the United States. If you access our platform from outside the United States, you understand and agree that your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States. This may involve different data protection standards than your country of residence.

For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international data transfers in compliance with applicable data protection laws.

7. Children's Privacy

Our platform is not directed to children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete such information.

For hackathons open to participants under 13, a parent or legal guardian must register on their behalf and provide appropriate consent before participation.

8. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on our platform. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

Your continued use of our platform after any changes to this policy constitutes acceptance of those changes.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at vibecode.party/contact.