Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Deb8er. Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect your personal information when you use our platform and services.

By using Deb8er, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Personal Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal information when you use Deb8er:

Account Information:

• Full legal name
• Nickname
• Email address
• Password (stored securely as a hash)

Contact Information:

• Phone number (optional)

Basic Personal Information:

• Age
• Country of residence

3. How We Use & Process Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• To create and manage your Deb8er account.
• To verify your identity via email verification (OTP).
• To provide access to platform features including debates, MUNs, learning modules, and leaderboards.
• To track your progress, gems, awards, and conference participation.
• To communicate with you about your account, platform updates, and support requests.
• To generate and issue certificates for verified participation.
• To ensure platform security and prevent fraudulent activity.
• To comply with legal obligations.

4. Disclosure of Your Personal Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• With service providers: We use trusted third-party providers such as Firebase (authentication and database), Google Apps Script (certificate generation and email delivery), and Netlify (hosting) to operate our platform. These providers process data on our behalf under strict confidentiality obligations.
• For legal compliance: We may disclose your information if required by law, regulation, or valid legal process.
• With your consent: We may share information when you give us explicit permission to do so.
• Platform features: Your nickname, country, and gems may be visible on the public leaderboard. Your email is never displayed publicly.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services. If you wish to delete your account or request removal of your data, please contact us at hello.deb8er@gmail.com.

We may retain certain information as required by law or for legitimate business purposes, such as fraud prevention and record-keeping.

6. Children's Privacy (COPPA)

Deb8er is designed for users between the ages of 10 and 18. We are committed to protecting the privacy of children in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

For users under the age of 13, we require verified parental or guardian consent before collecting personal information. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without proper consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

7. Information Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Password hashing using SHA-256.
• Secure HTTPS connections for all data transmission.
• Firestore security rules that restrict data access to authenticated users and admins only.
• Regular monitoring of our systems for vulnerabilities.

While we take reasonable precautions, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that compromises your personal information, we will:

• Notify affected users promptly via email or platform notification.
• Take immediate steps to contain and remediate the breach.
• Cooperate with relevant authorities as required by applicable law.

9. Policy Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you by posting the updated policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date above. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

10. Contact Us

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

hello.deb8er@gmail.com