Privacy Policy

Effective date: April 17, 2026

Tournament Brackets & Squares (“we,” “our,” or “the app”) respects your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. By using the app or our website at jerseybracketsquares.com, you agree to the terms below.

Information We Collect

Information you provide

Account info: username, email address, and a password (hashed — we never store plain text passwords).
Profile info: optional phone number, display name, and payment reference (e.g., a Venmo or CashApp handle you choose to share with your pool members for settling squares payouts).
Pool and board content: bracket picks, squares claims, pool names, board configurations, payout notes, and messages you post in pools you join.
Support requests: if you contact us through the support form, we receive your name, email, and the contents of your message.

Information collected automatically

Device and usage data: basic diagnostic info (device model, OS version, crash reports) to help us fix bugs. We do not use third-party analytics or advertising SDKs.
Push notification tokens: if you opt in to push notifications, we store the Expo push token associated with your account so we can send you alerts about your picks and boards.
Server logs: our API records standard request logs (IP address, timestamp, request path) retained for 30 days for security and debugging purposes.

Information we do NOT collect

We do not collect payment card numbers, bank account information, or government IDs.
We do not use third-party advertising networks or cross-site trackers.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.

How We Use Information

To provide the core service: managing your account, pools, boards, brackets, and picks.
To send you push notifications and emails about your picks, board results, and tournament updates (all opt-in and adjustable at any time).
To respond to support requests you send us.
To detect and prevent abuse, fraud, or security issues.
To improve the app by diagnosing crashes and errors.

How We Share Information

We share information only with the following trusted service providers, and only to the extent needed for them to perform their service:

Google Cloud Platform — hosts our API, database (Firestore), and serves the app backend.
SendGrid (Twilio) — sends transactional emails such as password resets, pool invitations, and support replies.
Expo — delivers push notifications to your device.
ESPN public API — we retrieve tournament game scores from publicly available data. We do not share any personal information with ESPN.

Within pools and boards you join, other members can see your username, bracket picks, and squares claims — that's the nature of group play. You control which pools and boards you join.

We may disclose information if required by law (e.g., a valid subpoena or court order) or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our users or the public.

Payments

The app does not process or facilitate financial transactions. Buy-in amounts and payout amounts you record in boards are tracking references only — actual payments happen between members outside the app (e.g., cash, Venmo, Zelle). We never see, store, or transmit payment card or bank information.

Data Retention

Account data is retained as long as your account is active.
You can delete your account from Settings → Delete Account in the app, or by emailing support@jerseybracketsquares.com. We will delete your personal data within 30 days of a verified request.
Server logs are retained for 30 days, then automatically deleted.
Pools and boards you created remain accessible to the other members unless you also delete them before closing your account.

Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights under laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including:

The right to access the personal data we hold about you.
The right to correct inaccurate information.
The right to request deletion of your data.
The right to opt out of push notifications and marketing emails at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, email support@jerseybracketsquares.com. We'll respond within 30 days.

Children's Privacy

The app is intended for users 13 years of age and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, contact us at support@jerseybracketsquares.com and we will delete the information.

Security

We protect your information using industry-standard measures:

All network traffic is encrypted in transit with HTTPS/TLS.
Passwords are hashed using bcrypt and never stored in plain text.
Databases are hosted on Google Cloud with encryption at rest.
Administrative access to production systems is restricted and logged.

No security system is perfect, however. If you suspect a vulnerability or a compromised account, please contact support@jerseybracketsquares.com immediately.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we'll post the revised version at this URL and update the "Effective date" above. Significant changes will be communicated via email or in-app notice where appropriate.

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this policy, reach out:

Email: support@jerseybracketsquares.com
Web: jerseybracketsquares.com/support