Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly:

• Account information (username, email address, display name);
• Profile data (avatar, bio, preferences);
• Content you post (comments, votes, forum posts, lists);
• Gamification activity (XP earned, badges, streaks, mission progress, and daily participation summaries), including a reward-event log with a hashed IP address and hashed device identifiers used to prevent abuse;
• Communications with us (support requests, feedback); and
• Payment information (processed securely by our payment providers — we do not store full card details).

We also collect certain information automatically, including device information, IP address, browser type, and usage data such as pages viewed and votes cast.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve the Platform;
• Personalize your experience and recommendations;
• Provide gamification features — XP, levels, badges, streaks, missions, the community leaderboard, and your personal analytics;
• Process votes, rankings, and subscriptions;
• Send notifications about activity in your subscribed categories;
• Prevent fraud, abuse, and vote manipulation;
• Respond to support requests; and
• Comply with legal obligations.

3. Information Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information:

• With your consent;
• With service providers who assist in operating the Platform (hosting, analytics, payments);
• To comply with legal obligations or valid legal process; and
• To protect the rights, property, and safety of Bluetick, our users, and the public.

Regarding gamification specifically: your public profile and community leaderboard entry display only your display name, avatar, level, XP, streak, and badge count. Your personal analytics page (XP by source, daily XP history, community totals, mission and activity breakdowns) is visible only to you. IP addresses and device identifiers in reward logs are stored in hashed form and are never displayed publicly.

4. Payment Providers: PayPal & Paystack

Premium subscriptions are billed through our payment providers, PayPal and Paystack. When you subscribe you enter your payment details directly on their secure checkout; Bluetick never receives, stores, or has access to your full card number, CVV, bank credentials, or PayPal password.

PayPal and Paystack act as independent controllers of your payment information and process it under their own privacy policies. We receive only what is needed to run your subscription: payment status, amount, currency, a transaction reference, and the billing country shown on your receipt.

• Recurring renewals, cancellations and refunds are handled through the provider you paid with;
• Chargebacks and payment disputes are resolved by PayPal or Paystack in line with their rules; and
• Payment pages are served over HTTPS and, where supported, processed without your card data ever touching our servers.

5. Advertising & Google AdSense

The Platform displays advertising served by Google AdSense. Google and its partners may use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to serve ads based on your visits to this and other websites, to limit how many times you see an ad, and to measure the performance of advertising.

• Google may use the advertising identifier associated with your device, along with information about your visits, to personalize the ads you see;
• You can opt out of personalized advertising at any time via Google Ads Settings, and opt out of third-party vendor cookies via the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page;
• You can learn how Google uses data at Google's Technologies & Ads policy; and
• Advertisers never receive your username, email address, votes, or forum activity from us.

6. Sign-In with Google

You may create or access your account using Google Sign-In. If you choose this option, Google shares only the details shown on its consent screen — typically your name, email address, and profile picture — so we can create and secure your Bluetick account.

• We never receive or store your Google password;
• We do not access your Google Drive, contacts, files, or any other Google data;
• Google processes this data under the Google Privacy Policy; and
• You can disconnect Google Sign-In at any time from your account settings, or revoke access from your Google account.

7. Cookies & Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to maintain your session, remember your preferences, and understand how the Platform is used. Cookies are also used by Google AdSense to select and measure advertising, and by our sign-in flow when you use Google Sign-In. You can control cookies through your browser settings; however, disabling essential cookies may prevent you from signing in.

8. Data Security

We implement industry-standard administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your data. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data;
• Correct inaccurate data;
• Delete your account and associated data;
• Export a copy of your data; and
• Opt out of non-essential communications.

10. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, we purge your personal data within 30 days, except where we are required to retain certain records for legal, security, or fraud-prevention purposes. Payment records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting rules, and are held by PayPal or Paystack as applicable.

11. Children's Privacy

The Platform is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

12. International Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own — including where Google (AdSense and Sign-In), PayPal, and Paystack operate their services. We take appropriate measures to ensure your data receives an adequate level of protection wherever it is processed.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy periodically. We will notify you of significant changes by email or through the Platform. Continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact Us

For privacy-related inquiries, contact our team at [email protected].