1. Introduction

PledgeEdge ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our Platform.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

• Account Information: Name, email address, phone number
• Payment Information: Credit/debit card details, bank account information (processed securely through Stripe)
• Event Information: Event details, descriptions, images, and other content you create
• Communication Data: Messages, support inquiries, and feedback

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

• Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on Platform
• Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: See our Cookie Policy for details

3. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to:

• Provide, operate, and maintain our Platform
• Process transactions and send related information
• Send administrative information, updates, and security alerts
• Respond to inquiries and provide customer support
• Monitor and analyze usage patterns to improve our services
• Detect, prevent, and address technical issues or fraudulent activity
• Comply with legal obligations

4. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information with:

4.1 Service Providers

Third-party vendors who perform services on our behalf, including:

• Stripe: Payment processing
• Cloud hosting providers: Data storage and infrastructure
• Analytics providers: Usage analysis and platform improvements

4.2 Event Organizers

When you contribute to an event, your name, email, and contribution amount may be shared with the event organizer.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., court orders, subpoenas, law enforcement).

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

• Access: Request access to your personal information
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate data
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
• Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format
• Objection: Object to certain processing of your data
• Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time

To exercise these rights, please contact us through the Platform's support channels.

7. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. We take appropriate safeguards to ensure your data receives an adequate level of protection.

8. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your information. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Children's Privacy

Our Platform is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

10. Region-Specific Provisions

10.1 GDPR (European Union)

If you are located in the EU/EEA, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

10.2 CCPA (California)

California residents have specific rights regarding their personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (Note: PledgeEdge does not sell personal information).

11. 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.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us through our support channels.