Privacy Policy

Introduction

Your privacy is important to PoolParty. This Privacy Policy explains what information PoolParty Technologies, Inc. (the operator of PoolParty) collects about you ("Personal Information"), why we collect it, how we use and share it, and what rights you have in relation to it. It applies to all users of the PoolParty Platform, including Fans, Players, and visitors.

By using PoolParty, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform. If you have questions, contact us at privacy@gopoolparty.com or contact@gopoolparty.com.

1. Information We Collect and Why

We collect various types of information from or about you in order to provide and improve our services, to comply with legal obligations, and to make your experience better. Here are the categories of data we collect:

1.1. Account Information:

When you register on PoolParty, we collect basic contact and account details. This includes your name, email address, username, and password (though note that passwords are stored in an encrypted/hashed form). We may also collect your date of birth or age to ensure you meet our age requirements. During sign up, you will be asked to affirm that you are at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction). We need this information to create and maintain your account, to communicate with you, and to distinguish you from other users.

1.2. Profile and User Content:

You might choose to provide additional profile information (such as a profile picture, bio, links to your social media) – this is optional and under your control. Any content you post on the Platform (like comments, project descriptions, updates, images, etc.) is collected by us as it is a part of operating the service.

1.3. Payment Information:

If you are a Fan making a pledge, you will provide payment details, such as your credit or debit card information. Importantly, PoolParty does not store your full card numbers or bank account numbers on our servers. We use Stripe to handle payment transactions. Your card information is transmitted directly to Stripe in a secure way; Stripe then provides us with a token or ID that represents your payment method.

1.4. Identity Verification Data (KYC):

For Players (and in rare cases, possibly for high-value Fans), we may collect additional personal information to verify your identity or to comply with Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations. This can include your legal name, physical address, date of birth, government-issued identification number (like SSN last 4 in the US), and copies of ID documents (driver's license, passport).

1.5. Usage Data and Analytics:

When you use PoolParty, we automatically collect technical information about your usage. This includes:

• Log data: IP address, timestamps of logins and actions, pages viewed, links clicked
• Device and browser info: What type of device, operating system, browser type and version
• Cookies and similar tech: We use cookies to keep you logged in, remember your preferences, and analyze usage
• Inngest events: We use Inngest to handle background jobs (like sending notifications)
• Sentry error logs: If something goes wrong, Sentry captures error details for debugging

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

2.1. To Provide the Service:

First and foremost, we use your information to operate PoolParty's core functionality. This means enabling Fans and Players to connect and transact. For example, we use account information to log you in and show you your profile, we use pledge data to process contributions and to update pool funding progress.

2.2. To Process Payments and Payouts:

We use payment information (via Stripe) to charge Fans' credit cards and to route funds to Players' accounts when conditions are met. We also use transaction records to keep track of balances, issue refunds, and generate receipts.

2.3. To Communicate with You:

We use your email to send you service-related communications. This includes:

• Account notifications: verification emails, password reset links, confirmations of pledges or refunds
• Updates on Pools: if you pledge to a pool or follow one, we may email you updates
• News and marketing (opt-in): We may send newsletters or promotions about new features
• Support responses: If you contact us, we'll use your contact info to reply

2.4. To Ensure Trust and Safety:

We use data to keep PoolParty safe and fair. This includes monitoring for fraudulent or suspicious activity, verifying user identities and performing security checks, and enforcing our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines.

3. How We Share Your Information

PoolParty is not in the business of selling your personal information to data brokers or advertisers. We share information only in the following contexts:

3.1. With Other Users of the Platform:

Some of your information is visible to other users by the nature of the service. For example, your username, any profile image, bio, and any pools you have created or publicly supported might be visible to others on the site. We limit what contact info is public – your email is never displayed to other users.

3.2. With Our Technical Service Providers:

We use several third-party companies to help us run PoolParty, and we share information with them as needed for their services. Key service providers include:

• Stripe: For payment processing and financial compliance
• Clerk: Our authentication/user management service
• Inngest: Processes event data for workflows
• Resend: Our email delivery provider
• Sentry: Our error tracking service
• Hosting and Infrastructure: Cloud providers for databases and application hosting

3.3. With Pool Fulfillment Partners:

When you participate in a pool, particularly by staking funds or engaging actively with pool content, we may share your engagement information with third-party partners necessary to deliver the pool's promised outcomes and supporter benefits. These fulfillment partners vary by pool and may include:

• Venues, Ticketing, and Event Partners: For pools involving concerts, live events, or performances, we may share supporter information with venue operators, ticketing platforms, event coordinators, or promoters to provide priority ticket access, early queue placement, reserved seating, discounts, VIP experiences, or other supporter perks specified in the pool.
• Entertainment Leagues and Organizations: For pools affiliated with sports leagues, esports organizations, competitions, or tournaments, we may share data with the organizing bodies, teams, venues, or broadcast partners to coordinate viewing access, exclusive content distribution, meet-and-greet sessions, or other pool-specific benefits.
• Players, Creators, and Talent Representatives: For creator-led or player-challenge pools, we share supporter information with the Player (content creator or talent), their management team, agents, or authorized production partners to enable them to fulfill their commitments, provide project updates, deliver supporter recognition, or distribute promised content, merchandise, or experiences.
• Fulfillment and Logistics Providers: For pools that involve delivery of physical goods, merchandise, or experiences, we may share data with fulfillment vendors, shipping carriers, experience coordinators, or venue access providers to arrange delivery or coordinate access.

These fulfillment partners receive your data—such as name, email address, stake amount, engagement type, and any delivery or preference details you provide—solely to enable delivery of the specific pool's benefits. They are contractually required to use your information only for the designated fulfillment purpose, maintain appropriate data security measures, and refrain from using your data for unrelated purposes (including their own marketing activities) without obtaining your separate, explicit consent.

PoolParty does not sell your personal data to third parties. Data sharing with fulfillment partners occurs only as reasonably necessary to provide the services and benefits you requested by participating in a pool, as disclosed on the pool page prior to your participation.

3.4. With Legal Authorities or When Legally Required:

We may disclose personal information when we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to comply with the law. This includes responding to subpoenas, court orders, or legal process, cooperating with law enforcement or regulatory agencies in investigations, and filing required reports.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

PoolParty uses cookies and similar technologies to recognize you and/or your device(s) on, off, and across different services and devices. For example:

• Authentication Cookies: Keep you logged in as you navigate the site
• Preference Cookies: Remember your preferences and customize your experience
• Analytics Cookies: Count visits and track user behavior (if we use Google Analytics)
• Third-Party Embeds: If pool pages embed content from third-party sites, those third parties might set their own cookies

5. Data Retention and Security

5.1. Data Retention:

We keep your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes it was collected for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Here are some general guidelines:

• Account information is kept as long as your account is active
• Transaction records are generally kept for at least seven years (as required by financial regulations)
• KYC identity data is typically retained for at least 5 years after the end of the business relationship
• Cookies and analytics data retention depends on the specific cookie or service

5.2. Data Security:

We employ industry-standard security measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Here are some measures we take:

• Encryption: All communications are encrypted using HTTPS (TLS)
• Access Controls: Only authorized staff with a need-to-know can access personal data
• Auditing and Logging: We maintain logs of key activities and administrative access
• Testing and Training: Regular security updates, patches, and team training
• Payments Compliance: We adhere to PCI-DSS standards by outsourcing card handling to Stripe

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on where you live and the applicable laws, you have certain rights regarding your personal data. PoolParty is committed to honoring these rights and giving you control.

6.1. Access Your Information:

You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. Upon verification of your identity, we will provide you with a copy of your data in a commonly used format.

6.2. Correct or Rectify Your Data:

If you believe any personal information we have is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to request a correction. You can update a lot of information yourself by logging in, or reach out to us for data you can't change.

6.3. Delete Your Information:

You can request deletion of your personal data. If you want to delete your account, you typically can do so in your account settings or by contacting us. However, there are exceptions: we will retain any information that we are required to keep for legal reasons or legitimate business purposes.

6.4. Withdraw Consent:

Where we rely on your consent for processing (for instance, for sending marketing emails), you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. You can typically update your account settings or click "unsubscribe" in an email.

7. International Data Transfers

PoolParty is based in the United States, and the majority of our data processing occurs in the U.S. If you are accessing from outside the U.S., be aware that your information will likely be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States or other locations where our servers or those of our service providers are located.

8. Children's Privacy

PoolParty is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13 years old. If you are under 13, please do not use or access PoolParty at any time or in any manner. As per our Terms, users must be 18 or older (or the age of majority in their area) to create an account, and we require an affirmative 18+ confirmation during sign up.

9. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. If we make material changes, we will notify you by means of a notice on our website or by email (to the address associated with your account) prior to the change becoming effective, where required by law.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us: