Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

The Crowd is a daily opinion game (“we”, “us”, “our”). We are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

This policy applies to the The Crowd app and website (www.the-crowd.app) and explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, and how we use and protect it.

Contact us at any time: hello.crowd.app@gmail.com

2. Information we collect

If you play as a guest (no account):

• Your votes and guesses for each daily question
• Your scores
• Standard web server logs (IP address, device type, browser)

If you create an account:

• Your name and email address (collected via Clerk, our authentication provider)
• Your chosen username
• Your votes, guesses, scores, and streaks
• Friends you connect with in the app
• Comments you post
• Your push notification preferences and device token
• Whether you have opted in to marketing communications

3. How we collect information

• Directly from you when you play the game, create an account, or contact us
• Automatically via web server logs and analytics
• Through Clerk (our authentication provider) when you sign in with Google, Apple, or email

4. How we use your information

• To operate and improve the game
• To calculate and display scores and leaderboards
• To enable the friends and comments features
• To send daily game reminders and other push notifications (if you opt in)
• To send marketing communications about The Crowd (only if you separately opt in)
• To respond to your questions or support requests
• To detect and prevent fraud or misuse

We do not use your information for automated decision-making or profiling that has a legal or similarly significant effect on you.

5. Who we share information with

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with trusted service providers necessary to operate the app:

• Clerk— authentication and account management. Your email and name are stored with Clerk.
  clerk.com/privacy
• Supabase— our database provider, hosted in Australia/US. Stores usernames, votes, scores, and other game data.
  supabase.com/privacy
• Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google)— delivers push notifications to your device.
  firebase.google.com/support/privacy
• Vercel— hosts the web app and processes web traffic.
  vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy
• Google Play— distributes the Android app. Subject to Google's own privacy policy.

All providers are required to handle your data securely and only for the purposes we specify.

6. Data storage and security

Your data is stored on servers provided by Supabase and Vercel, which may be located in the United States or other countries. We take reasonable steps to ensure these providers protect your data to a standard equivalent to Australian law.

We use industry-standard security measures including encrypted connections (HTTPS) and access controls. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Cookies and local storage

We use browser local storage to remember your game state (e.g. today's score, whether you have played) and your consent preferences. This information stays on your device and is not transmitted to our servers unless you create an account.

Clerk and our hosting providers may set cookies for authentication and performance purposes.

8. Direct marketing

We will only send you marketing communications (such as newsletters or promotional emails) if you have explicitly opted in. You can opt out at any time by using the unsubscribe link in any marketing email or by contacting us at hello.crowd.app@gmail.com.

Push notifications for daily game reminders are separate from marketing and can be turned off in your device settings at any time.

9. Children's privacy

The Crowd is intended for users aged 16 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you believe a child under 16 has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. Your rights

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Withdraw consent for marketing communications at any time
• Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello.crowd.app@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.

11. Data retention

We retain your account information and game history for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will delete your personal information within 30 days, except where we are required by law to retain it.

Guest play data (votes and scores not linked to an account) may be retained in aggregate, anonymised form for game statistics purposes.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy in the app or by email if you have an account. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated.

13. Contact

For any privacy questions or requests, please contact us at hello.crowd.app@gmail.com.