Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

SurgeBattle ("we", "our", or "us") operates surgebattle.com — a community voting and debate platform. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you use our site, how we use it, and your rights regarding that information.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly to us when you:

• Create an account (username, email address, password)
• Vote in battles or brackets
• Post in the forum or comment on battles
• Submit a contact form message
• Connect via Facebook Login (if used)

We also automatically collect certain technical information when you visit, including your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and referring URLs. This is standard across all websites.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Operate and improve the SurgeBattle platform
• Authenticate your account and keep it secure
• Display your username, level, and Surge Points on the site
• Send account-related emails (verification, password reset)
• Respond to messages you send through our contact form
• Monitor for spam, abuse, and violations of our Terms of Service

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. Ever.

4. Cookies

SurgeBattle uses cookies to keep you logged in and remember your session. We do not use third-party advertising cookies. If you use Facebook Login, Facebook may set its own cookies subject to their own privacy policy.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but doing so may prevent you from logging in or using certain features.

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties except in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers — such as our hosting provider, who process data on our behalf and are bound by confidentiality agreements.
• Legal requirements — if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of SurgeBattle or our users.

6. Public Information

Your username, profile, Surge Points, votes, and public forum posts are visible to all visitors. Do not post anything publicly that you wish to keep private.

7. Account Security

We store passwords using industry-standard hashing. You are responsible for keeping your login credentials secure. Please use a strong, unique password and do not share your account with others.

8. Children's Privacy

SurgeBattle is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has created an account, please contact us and we will remove it promptly.

9. Your Rights

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting us at our contact page. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of SurgeBattle after changes are posted means you accept the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, reach out via our contact page.