Privacy Policy

TrendWarz is a global platform. This Privacy Policy applies to all users worldwide. We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with applicable data protection laws globally, including GDPR, CCPA, PIPEDA, Privacy Act 1988, LGPD, POPIA, Kenya Data Protection Act 2019, PDPA, APPI, COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act), and other applicable laws.

1. Data We Collect

2. How We Use Your Data

• Account creation and authentication (contractual necessity)
• Verifying parental consent for users aged 13-17 (legal obligation)
• Displaying, ranking, and delivering content and battle results (contractual necessity)
• Enabling battles, challenges, voting, and competitive features (contractual necessity)
• Detecting and preventing fraud, abuse, and policy violations (legitimate interests or legal obligation)
• Improving recommendations, fairness, and platform features (legitimate interests)
• Enforcing age-appropriate restrictions and content filtering for minors (legal obligation)
• Providing customer support and responding to inquiries (contractual necessity)
• Complying with legal obligations and law enforcement requests (legal obligation)
• Sending service-related communications, including security alerts (legitimate interests)
• Sending optional marketing communications, where you have opted in (consent)

3. Sharing and Processors

We do not sell your personal data to anyone, ever. We share your data only in the following limited circumstances:

3.1 Service Providers

We work with trusted service providers who process data on our behalf under strict contractual obligations:

• Supabase - database hosting and authentication
• Cloudflare - video streaming, content delivery, and security
• Apple and Google - app distribution and in-app purchases
• Analytics providers - aggregated, anonymized usage analytics

3.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your data when required by law, court order, or government authority, or to protect the safety of our users.

3.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred as part of that transaction. You will be notified of any such transfer.

3.4 What We Never Do

• We do not sell your data to advertisers or data brokers
• We do not share teen account data (ages 13-17) with third-party advertisers
• We do not use your data for purposes unrelated to operating TrendWarz

4. Children's Privacy (COPPA & International Compliance)

4.1 Age Restrictions

TrendWarz is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or 16 in the European Union, or the applicable minimum age in your country). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children below the minimum age.

If we discover that a user is below the minimum age, we will immediately delete their account and all associated data within 24 hours of discovery.

4.2 Parental Consent for Teens (Ages 13-17)

Users aged 13-17 require verified parental or guardian consent before their account becomes active. We collect a parent/guardian email address during signup and send a verification request. The teen's account remains in a pending state until parental consent is granted.

4.3 Enhanced Protections for Teen Accounts

Teen accounts (ages 13-17) receive additional privacy protections by default:

• Minimal data collection - we collect only what is legally required to operate teen accounts
• No precise location tracking - we do not collect GPS coordinates from teen accounts
• No advertising ID collection - we do not collect device advertising identifiers from users under 18
• No contact harvesting - we do not access address books or contact lists from teen accounts
• No biometric data - we do not collect fingerprints, face scans, or other biometric identifiers from minors
• Enhanced deletion rights - parents can request immediate account deletion at any time
• Restricted data sharing - teen account data is never shared with third-party advertisers or data brokers
• Activity transparency - parents can request an activity report showing their teen's account usage

4.4 Parental Rights

Parents or guardians of teen users have the right to:

• Review the personal information we have collected from their teen
• Request deletion of their teen's account and all associated data
• Refuse to allow further collection or use of their teen's information
• Request an activity report showing their teen's account usage
• Update or correct information in their teen's account

To exercise these rights, parents can email support@trendwarz.com with the subject line "Parental Request" and include the teen's username. We will respond within 72 hours.

5. Your Rights and Controls

Depending on your location, you have rights including access, correction, deletion, portability, restriction of processing, objection, and opt-out options. Specific rights vary by jurisdiction:

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@trendwarz.com. We will respond within 30 days or sooner as required by applicable law.

6. Data Retention

• Account data: retained until you request deletion, then deleted within 30 days
• Teen account data: deleted within 30 days of account deletion or parental request
• Battle videos: deleted within 30 days of account deletion (paired battle videos may be retained longer per our Terms of Service)
• Usage logs: retained for up to 12 months for security and fraud detection
• Legal hold data: retained as required by law or ongoing legal proceedings
• Backup data: may persist for up to 90 days after deletion request for technical backup reasons

7. Cookies and Tracking

TrendWarz uses essential cookies and similar technologies for authentication, security, and app performance. We do not use third-party advertising trackers or sell data to advertisers.

We do not track users under 18 for behavioral advertising purposes. Teen accounts receive no targeted advertising.

8. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including encrypted transmission (TLS), access controls, secure credential storage, and regular security audits. Teen account data receives additional security protections including restricted employee access and enhanced audit logging.

In the event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you and relevant authorities within the timeframes required by applicable law (e.g., 72 hours under GDPR).

9. International Data Transfers

Your data may be stored and processed in multiple countries. We implement safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses for EU data transfers and data processing agreements with all service providers. Teen account data is subject to additional transfer restrictions.

10. Not Designed for Prolonged Use

TrendWarz is designed for discrete competitive sessions. Battles have defined voting periods with clear start and end times. We encourage users to vote on battles they have context to judge, then return when new relevant battles are available.

We provide optional screen time reminders for all users. Teen accounts (ages 13-17) receive automatic mandatory reminders every 20 minutes to encourage healthy usage patterns.

11. Third-Party Links and Services

TrendWarz may contain links to third-party websites or services. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when our features, practices, or applicable laws change. We will notify users of material changes via in-app notification or email. For changes affecting teen accounts or children's privacy, we will obtain renewed parental consent where required by law. Continued use after changes are posted constitutes acceptance.

13. Contact and Data Requests

• Email: support@trendwarz.com
• Response time: Within 72 hours for general inquiries; within 30 days for formal data requests
• Parental requests: Use subject line "Parental Request" for priority handling
• Company: TrendWarz