Privacy Policy

1. Introduction & Scope

The Backgammon Society ("we," "our," or "us") operates the The Backgammon Society platform, including our website, mobile application, and all related services (collectively, the "Service"). We are committed to protecting the privacy of our users ("you" or "your").

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use and share it, and the choices you have regarding your data. It applies to all users of the Service, including tournament participants, venue operators, administrators, and visitors.

By accessing or using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information

We collect information you provide directly when you create an account, register for tournaments, or interact with the Service:

• Full name and display name
• Phone number (used for authentication and SMS notifications)
• Email address
• Profile photo
• City and location preferences
• Skill level and gaming preferences
• Payment information (processed securely through Stripe; we do not store full card numbers)

2.2 Usage Data

We automatically collect information about your use of the Service:

• Tournament participation history and match results
• Win/loss records, statistics, and leaderboard rankings
• Feature usage patterns and preferences
• Pages visited, actions taken, and time spent on the Service

2.3 Cookies & Local Storage

We use cookies, local storage, and similar technologies to maintain your session, remember your preferences (such as theme settings), and improve your experience.

2.4 Device Information

We collect information about the devices you use to access the Service:

• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Device type (mobile, tablet, desktop)
• IP address
• Screen resolution and viewport dimensions
• Approximate geographic location (derived from IP address)

3. How We Collect Information

3.1 Directly From You: We collect information you voluntarily provide when you register an account, complete your profile, register for tournaments, submit scores, upload a profile photo, or contact customer support.

3.2 Automatically: When you use the Service, we automatically collect usage data, device information, and log data through server logs, cookies, and similar technologies.

3.3 From Third Parties: We may receive information from third-party services that you connect to your account, such as payment confirmation data from Stripe or delivery information from our merchandise partners.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

4.1 Service Delivery

• Create and manage your account
• Process tournament registrations, check-ins, and bracket placements
• Display player profiles, statistics, and leaderboards
• Facilitate match scheduling, scoring, and result tracking
• Manage friendly matchups between players
• Process purchases from our merchandise shop

4.2 Communications

• Send tournament reminders and match notifications via SMS
• Send transactional emails (registration confirmations, receipts)
• Deliver newsletters and promotional communications (with your consent)
• Respond to your support requests

4.3 Analytics & Improvement

• Analyze usage patterns to improve the Service
• Monitor Service performance and stability
• Develop new features and functionality
• Conduct research and generate aggregated, de-identified reports

4.4 Fraud Prevention & Security

• Detect and prevent duplicate accounts
• Prevent cheating, match fixing, and other forms of abuse
• Enforce our Terms of Service and tournament rules
• Protect the safety and integrity of our community

5. SMS Communications

Our SMS messaging service is powered by Twilio. When you provide your phone number and consent to receive SMS messages:

• Opt-In Consent: You must affirmatively consent to receive SMS messages. We will not send you SMS messages unless you have opted in.
• Types of Messages: We may send tournament alerts, match notifications, verification codes, check-in reminders, and service announcements.
• Frequency: Message frequency varies based on your tournament activity. During active tournaments, you may receive multiple messages per day.
• Opt-Out: You can opt out at any time by replying STOP to any SMS message. You will receive a confirmation and no further messages will be sent unless you re-subscribe.
• Help: Reply HELP to any message for assistance or contact support@thebackgammonsociety.com.
• Costs: Standard message and data rates from your wireless carrier may apply. We do not charge for SMS messages.
• No Sharing for Marketing: We do not sell, rent, or share your phone number with third parties for their marketing purposes.
• Carrier Disclaimer: Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
• Consent Records: We maintain records of your SMS consent for compliance and auditing purposes.

6. Email Communications

We use SendGrid for transactional email delivery and may use Klaviyo or similar services for newsletter and marketing communications.

6.1 Transactional Emails: We send transactional emails that are necessary for the operation of the Service, including account verification, tournament registration confirmations, payment receipts, and support responses. These emails are not marketing communications and cannot be opted out of while you maintain an active account.

6.2 Marketing & Newsletter Emails: With your consent, we may send you newsletters, promotional offers, tournament announcements, and other marketing communications. You may opt out of marketing emails at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email or by updating your communication preferences in your account settings.

7. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

7.1 Session Cookies: We use session cookies to maintain your authenticated session and ensure the security of your account. These cookies are essential for the Service to function properly.

7.2 Analytics: We may use analytics tools (such as PostHog or similar services) to understand how users interact with the Service. These tools may use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your usage patterns.

7.3 Local Storage: We use browser local storage to save your preferences, including theme settings (light/dark mode), session tokens, and other configuration data to enhance your experience.

8. Information Sharing & Disclosure

8.1 With Other Players: Certain information is visible to other users of the Service, including your display name, profile photo, skill level, tournament participation history, win/loss records, and leaderboard rankings. This information is necessary for the competitive and social nature of the Service.

8.2 Service Providers: We share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating the Service:

• Stripe: Payment processing and financial transactions
• Twilio: SMS messaging and phone verification
• SendGrid: Transactional email delivery
• Shopify: Merchandise store operations and order fulfillment

These providers are contractually obligated to use your information only to perform services on our behalf and to maintain the confidentiality and security of your data.

8.3 Legal Obligations: We may disclose your information when required by law, subpoena, court order, or other legal process, or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request.

8.4 Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or a prominent notice on the Service of any change in ownership or uses of your personal information.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

9. Payment Data

All payment processing is handled by Stripe, a PCI DSS Level 1 certified payment processor. When you make a payment:

• What Stripe Stores: Full credit/debit card numbers, CVV codes, and complete billing details are collected and stored exclusively by Stripe in accordance with PCI DSS standards.
• What We Store: We store only limited payment metadata, including Stripe customer IDs, payment intent IDs, transaction amounts, currency, and payment status. We never have access to your full card number or CVV.
• Multi-Currency Support: We process payments in multiple currencies (USD, ILS, EUR, CHF, CAD, and others) based on your location. Exchange rate information is used solely for transaction processing.

10. Data Security Measures

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction:

• All data is transmitted over HTTPS/TLS encrypted connections
• Passwords are hashed using industry-standard algorithms
• Session tokens are securely generated and managed
• Database access is restricted and monitored
• Rate limiting is implemented to prevent abuse
• Regular security reviews and updates are conducted

While we strive to protect your personal data, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

11. Data Retention Periods

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected:

• Account Data: Retained for as long as your account remains active. Upon account deletion, personal data is removed within 30 days, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Tournament Records: Match results, scores, and bracket data are retained indefinitely as part of the historical record of the platform.
• Payment Records: Transaction records are retained for a minimum of 7 years to comply with tax and financial reporting obligations.
• SMS Consent Records: Consent and opt-out records are retained for a minimum of 5 years for regulatory compliance.
• Support Communications: Support tickets and correspondence are retained for 3 years from the date of the last interaction.
• Server Logs: Server and access logs are retained for up to 90 days for security and debugging purposes.

12. International Data Transfers

The Backgammon Society operates across multiple cities and countries, including the United States, Israel, France, Switzerland, Canada, and Portugal. Your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries other than the country in which you reside.

When we transfer personal data internationally, we take steps to ensure that your information receives an adequate level of protection, including:

• Using service providers that maintain appropriate data protection certifications
• Implementing Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) where required by applicable law
• Relying on adequacy decisions where available for the destination country

By using the Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other countries where we and our service providers operate.

13. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., legal retention requirements).
• Portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
• Opt-Out of Marketing: Unsubscribe from marketing emails or reply STOP to opt out of SMS messages at any time.
• Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on your consent to process data, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at support@thebackgammonsociety.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

14. California Residents

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

• Right to Know: You have the right to request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources, our purposes for collecting the information, and the categories of third parties with whom we share the information.
• Right to Delete: You have the right to request that we delete personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale: We do not sell your personal information. If this changes, we will provide you with a "Do Not Sell My Personal Information" link.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.
• Shine the Light: California Civil Code Section 1798.83 permits California residents to request information about the disclosure of personal information to third parties for direct marketing purposes. We do not disclose personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes.

To submit a CCPA request, contact us at support@thebackgammonsociety.com. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

15. European Residents

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

15.1 Legal Basis for Processing: We process your personal data on the following legal bases:

• Contract Performance: Processing necessary to provide the Service (e.g., account management, tournament operations).
• Consent: Processing based on your explicit consent (e.g., marketing communications, SMS messages).
• Legitimate Interests: Processing necessary for our legitimate interests (e.g., fraud prevention, service improvement), balanced against your rights.
• Legal Obligation: Processing necessary to comply with applicable laws and regulations.

15.2 Your GDPR Rights: In addition to the rights listed in Section 13, you have the right to:

• Restrict Processing: Request that we limit the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Object to Processing: Object to the processing of your personal data based on legitimate interests.
• Lodge a Complaint: File a complaint with your local data protection authority if you believe your rights have been violated.

15.3 Data Protection Officer: For GDPR-related inquiries, please contact our Data Protection Officer at support@thebackgammonsociety.com.

16. Children's Privacy

The Service is intended for users who are at least 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18. If you are under 18, you may not create an account or use the Service.

If we learn that we have collected personal information from a person under 18, we will take immediate steps to delete that information. If you believe that a person under 18 has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at support@thebackgammonsociety.com.

17. Third-Party Links & Services

The Service may contain links to third-party websites, services, or applications that are not operated by us. These include but are not limited to:

• Stripe payment pages
• Shopify merchandise store
• Social media platforms
• Venue websites

We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you access through the Service.

18. Changes to Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes:

• We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy.
• We will notify you of significant changes through the Service, by email, or through other communication channels.
• Your continued use of the Service after the updated policy becomes effective constitutes your acceptance of the changes.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

19. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

• Email: support@thebackgammonsociety.com
• SMS Support: Reply HELP to any message
• In-App Support: Use the Help & Support feature available in the application menu

We will respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days of receipt.