Privacy Policy

About This Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Hordle ("we," "our," or "us") collects, uses, and protects your information when you use our social bookmarking service. By using Hordle, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

We believe in transparency, so we've written this policy in plain English. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.

What Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Account Information: Email address, username, profile name, bio, and avatar preferences
• Authentication Data: If you sign up with Google or Apple, we receive basic profile information
• Bookmarks & Collections: Links you save, titles, descriptions, tags, and organizational collections
• User-Generated Content: Comments, notes, and any text you add to bookmarks
• Privacy Preferences: Your choices about what to keep private vs. public

Information We Automatically Collect

• Usage Analytics: How you interact with the app, feature usage, and performance metrics
• Device Information: Device type, operating system, app version, and unique device identifiers
• Link Metadata: Previews, titles, and descriptions from links you bookmark (fetched from external sites)
• Log Data: Error logs, crash reports, and technical diagnostic information

Information from Third Parties

• OAuth Providers: Basic profile data when you sign in with Google or Apple
• Link Preview Services: Metadata about websites you bookmark for rich previews
• Analytics Services: Aggregated usage patterns to improve our service

How We Use Your Information

Core Service Functionality

• Create and maintain your account and profiles
• Store, organize, and sync your bookmarks across devices
• Generate link previews and metadata for better browsing
• Enable search and discovery within your collections
• Provide backup and data recovery services

Social Features

• Show "Great minds think alike!" notifications when users save similar content
• Display public collections in the explore section
• Enable discovery of interesting bookmarks from other users
• Calculate compatibility scores between users
• Suggest relevant content and connections

Service Improvement

• Analyze usage patterns to improve app performance
• Identify and fix bugs or technical issues
• Develop new features based on user behavior
• Optimize user interface and experience
• Ensure security and prevent abuse

Communication

• Send account-related notifications and updates
• Provide customer support and respond to inquiries
• Share important service announcements
• Send optional product updates and feature highlights (you can opt out)

Information Sharing & Disclosure

Public Information

Only information you explicitly choose to make public is visible to others:

• Public collections and their bookmarks
• Your public profile information (name, bio, avatar)
• Public comments and interactions
• Aggregated, non-identifying usage statistics

Service Providers

We share limited data with trusted partners who help us operate Hordle:

• Cloud Infrastructure: Supabase (database), Vercel (hosting)
• Authentication: Google, Apple (for OAuth sign-in)
• Analytics: Privacy-focused analytics to understand app usage
• Link Processing: Services that help generate link previews

All service providers are bound by strict data protection agreements and can only use your data to provide services to us.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law or to:

• Comply with legal processes or government requests
• Protect the safety and security of our users
• Investigate potential violations of our Terms of Service
• Protect our legal rights and prevent fraud

Your Privacy Rights & Controls

Account Controls

• Profile Privacy: Make your profile and collections public or private
• Collection Visibility: Control who can see each collection individually
• Discovery Settings: Choose whether to appear in explore recommendations
• Notification Preferences: Customize what notifications you receive

Data Rights

• Access: View and download all your data through the app settings
• Portability: Export your bookmarks in standard formats (JSON, CSV, HTML)
• Correction: Edit your profile information and bookmark details anytime
• Deletion: Delete individual bookmarks, collections, or your entire account
• Withdrawal: Revoke consent for optional data processing

How to Exercise Your Rights

Most privacy controls are available directly in the app:

• Settings → Privacy Controls
• Settings → Export Data
• Settings → Delete Account
• For complex requests, email us at developer@hordle.app

Data Security & Protection

Technical Safeguards

• Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256)
• Access Controls: Multi-factor authentication and role-based access
• Infrastructure: Secure cloud hosting with regular security audits
• Monitoring: 24/7 security monitoring and intrusion detection

Organizational Measures

• Regular security training for all team members
• Strict data access policies and audit logs
• Incident response procedures for potential breaches
• Regular third-party security assessments

While we implement industry-leading security measures, no system is 100% secure. We continuously monitor and improve our security practices.

Data Retention & Deletion

How Long We Keep Your Data

• Account Data: Retained while your account is active
• Bookmarks: Kept until you delete them or close your account
• Usage Analytics: Aggregated and anonymized after 24 months
• Log Data: Deleted after 90 days unless needed for security
• Deleted Accounts: Permanently removed within 30 days

What Happens When You Delete Your Account

• All your bookmarks and collections are permanently deleted
• Your profile information is removed from our systems
• Public content you shared becomes anonymized
• Some data may remain in backups for up to 30 days
• Legal or security records may be retained as required by law

International Users & Data Transfers

Hordle is operated from the United States, but we welcome users worldwide. Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own, including the United States and European Union.

When we transfer personal data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place through:

• Standard contractual clauses approved by data protection authorities
• Adequacy decisions for transfers to countries with equivalent protection
• Privacy frameworks like the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (when applicable)

Children's Privacy

Hordle is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately and we will delete it.

For users between 13-18, we recommend reviewing this policy with a parent or guardian.

Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Essential Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Keep you signed in to your account
• Remember your preferences and settings
• Ensure security and prevent fraud
• Provide core app functionality

Analytics & Performance

We use privacy-focused analytics to understand how Hordle is used and improve performance. These are aggregated and don't identify individual users.

Your Choices

You can control cookies through your browser settings, but this may affect app functionality. Essential cookies cannot be disabled without breaking core features.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal reasons. When we make significant changes, we will:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
• Notify you through the app or by email
• Give you time to review changes before they take effect
• Highlight what's changed if the updates are significant

Your continued use of Hordle after changes take effect means you accept the updated policy.

Contact Us

We're here to help with any questions about your privacy or this policy:

We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 72 hours.