Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Hello Builder ("we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website hellobuilder.ai and use our services.

By using our Services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Services.

2. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your email address, name, and optional profile information including bio, Twitter handle, and GitHub username.
• User Content: Content you submit including project submissions, comments, replies, event listings, resource submissions, and votes.
• Newsletter Subscription: Your email address when you subscribe to our newsletter.
• Communications: Information you provide when you contact us for support or feedback.

Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on pages, and interaction patterns.
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device type, and screen resolution.
• Log Data: IP address, access times, referring URLs, and error logs.
• Cookies: Small data files stored on your device (see Cookies section below).

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve our Services
• Create and manage your account
• Process and display your project submissions, comments, and votes
• Calculate and display leaderboard rankings and points
• Send you our newsletter (if subscribed)
• Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
• Send important notices about changes to our Services or policies
• Monitor and analyze usage patterns and trends
• Detect, prevent, and address technical issues or fraudulent activity
• Enforce our Terms of Service and protect our rights

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

Public Information

Certain information is publicly visible by design, including your username, profile information, project submissions, comments, and leaderboard position. Please be mindful of what you choose to share.

Service Providers

We share information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf:

• Supabase: Authentication and database services
• Beehiiv: Newsletter delivery services
• Vercel: Website hosting and analytics

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government request, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

Business Transfers

If Hello Builder is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect and track information about your browsing activity on our Services.

Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: Required for authentication and core functionality
• Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our Services

Managing Cookies

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. However, limiting cookies may affect your experience with our Services. You can opt out of certain third-party cookies through industry opt-out mechanisms.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our Services. We may also retain information as required by law, to resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, or for legitimate business purposes.

If you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days, except for information we are required to retain for legal or legitimate business purposes.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure.

We use industry-standard encryption for data in transit and at rest. Access to personal data is restricted to authorized personnel only.

8. Your Rights and Choices

Access and Update

You can access and update your account information at any time through your profile settings.

Delete Your Account

You can request deletion of your account by contacting us at hello@hellobuilder.ai. Upon deletion, your personal information will be removed, though some information may persist in aggregated, anonymized form.

Unsubscribe from Newsletter

Every newsletter email includes an unsubscribe link. Click it and you will be immediately removed from our mailing list.

Data Portability

You may request a copy of your personal data in a machine-readable format by contacting us.

9. California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

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

• Right to Know: You can request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.
• Right to Delete: You can request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to Correct: You can request that we correct inaccurate personal information.
• Right to Opt-Out: You have the right to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of your personal information. We do not sell personal information in the traditional sense.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.

To exercise these rights, contact us at hello@hellobuilder.ai. We will respond within 45 days.

10. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

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):

• Legal Basis: We process your data based on consent, contract performance, legitimate interests, or legal obligations.
• Right of Access: You can request a copy of your personal data.
• Right to Rectification: You can request correction of inaccurate data.
• Right to Erasure: You can request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten").
• Right to Restrict Processing: You can request we limit how we use your data.
• Right to Data Portability: You can request your data in a portable format.
• Right to Object: You can object to certain processing of your data.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: You can withdraw consent at any time.

To exercise these rights, contact us at hello@hellobuilder.ai. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

11. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. We take appropriate safeguards to ensure your information remains protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy, including standard contractual clauses where required.

12. Children's Privacy

Our Services are not intended for children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If we learn we have collected personal information from a child under 16, we will delete that information promptly.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at hello@hellobuilder.ai.

13. Third-Party Links

Our Services contain links to third-party websites, including projects in our showcase and resources shared by our community. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. For significant changes, we may also send a notification to registered users.

Your continued use of the Services after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

15. Contact Us

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

Email: hello@hellobuilder.ai

We will respond to your inquiry within 30 days.