Privacy Policy

§ Introduction

BracketNova ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website bracketnova.com and use our services (collectively, the "Service").

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using the Service, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access the Service.

1. Information We Collect

Personal Information

When you register for an account, we collect the following personal information:

• Email Address: Used for account verification, communication, and prize distribution notifications.
• PayPal Email: Used for distributing prize winnings to winners of our sweepstakes competitions.
• Display Name: A username that will be displayed on public leaderboards.
• Password: Stored securely using bcrypt hashing; we never store passwords in plain text.

Automatically Collected Information

When you access the Service, we may automatically collect certain information:

• Device information (browser type, operating system)
• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Pages viewed and time spent on the Service
• Referring website addresses
• Interaction data with advertisements

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for various purposes, including:

• Account Management: Creating and managing your account, authenticating your identity, and providing customer support.
• Service Delivery: Operating the bracket competition, tracking your brackets, and displaying leaderboards.
• Prize Distribution: Processing and distributing prize payments to winners via PayPal.
• Communication: Sending you important updates about the Service, tournament information, and prize notifications.
• Security: Detecting and preventing fraud, abuse, and other violations of our Terms of Service.
• Analytics: Understanding how users interact with the Service to improve our features and user experience.
• Advertising: Displaying relevant advertisements and measuring their effectiveness.

3. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encryption: All data transmission between your browser and our servers is encrypted using TLS/SSL.
• Password Hashing: User passwords are hashed using bcrypt before storage; we never store plain-text passwords.
• Secure Infrastructure: Our Service is hosted on Cloudflare, which provides enterprise-grade security and DDoS protection.
• Access Controls: Access to personal data is restricted to authorized personnel only.

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect and store information about your preferences and activity on the Service:

• Session Cookies: Used to maintain your logged-in state and remember your preferences during your visit.
• Authentication Cookies: Used to verify your identity and keep you signed in securely.
• Analytics Cookies: Used to understand how visitors interact with the Service.
• Advertising Cookies: Used by our advertising partners to serve relevant advertisements.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of the Service.

5. Third-Party Services

We use third-party services that may collect and process your information:

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to:

• Provide the Service to you
• Comply with legal obligations
• Resolve disputes
• Enforce our agreements

Bracket data and tournament-related information may be retained indefinitely for historical records and to prevent duplicate bracket claims. You may request deletion of your account and associated data by contacting us.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: You can request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: You can request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
• Opt-Out: You can opt out of receiving marketing communications from us at any time.
• Data Portability: You can request a copy of your data in a portable format.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at support@bracketnova.com.

8. Children's Privacy

The Service is not intended for users under the age of eighteen (18). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately, and we will take steps to delete such information.

9. International Users

The Service is operated in the United States. If you are accessing the Service from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States. By using the Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States.

10. Changes to This 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 this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: