Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 7, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains what information BuzzThat ("we", "us") collects, how we use it, and the choices you have. By using buzzthat.com (the "Service") you agree to this Policy.

1. Information we collect

Account information — your name, username, email, password (stored hashed), and optional profile details (pronouns, vibe, bio, links, avatar).
Content you create — buzzes, comments, images, polls, community activity, and messages.
Usage & device data — actions you take, pages viewed, approximate location from IP, browser/device type, and sign-in IP and timestamps (for security).
Payment data — when you buy Buzz Coins, payment is processed by Stripe. We do not store your full card number; we keep records of the transaction (amount, status, identifiers) needed to provide coins and handle refunds/disputes.

2. How we use your information

To operate the Service — show your feed, deliver content, run Buzz Coins, and process payouts.
To keep BuzzThat safe — detect spam, fraud, chargebacks, and abuse, and enforce our Terms.
To communicate with you — verification, security, and notification emails (you can control notification emails in your settings).
To improve the Service and develop new features.

3. Service providers we share with

We share only what's necessary with vendors that help us run BuzzThat:

Stripe — payment processing for coin purchases and refunds/disputes.
Brevo (email) — to send verification and notification emails.
OpenAI — to power optional AI features (content-safety moderation, thread summaries, and the "improve your draft" assistant). Text you submit to these features is sent to the provider to generate a result.

We do not sell your personal information.

4. Cookies

We use essential cookies to keep you signed in and to remember preferences (like dark mode). We do not use third-party advertising cookies.

5. Location data

Some features use your device location — confirming you're at a place for a Verified Visit, checking in, and showing nearby places. We practice data minimization:

A Verified Visit stores only a yes/no "you were within range" result — not your coordinates. Check-ins record the place and time, not a coordinate trail.
We use your approximate location to show nearby content. You can decline the location prompt and browse by city instead.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your location data.
For members under 18, we do not store a precise home location (only a coarse city/area) and we do not broadcast their real-time location to anyone.

6. Data retention

We keep your information while your account is active and as needed to provide the Service, comply with legal obligations (e.g., tax and payment records), resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When you delete your account, we delete or anonymize your personal data except where we must retain it. We keep location-derived data only as long as needed for the feature that used it.

7. Government & legal requests

We disclose personal information to government or law-enforcement authorities only when required by valid legal process (such as a subpoena, court order, or warrant) or where necessary to protect someone's safety. We do not sell data to, or provide bulk access for, any government agency or data broker.

8. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including hashed passwords and encrypted storage of sensitive credentials. No system is perfectly secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, export, or delete your personal data, and to object to certain processing. You can edit most information in your account settings, or contact us to make a request. We will respond as required by applicable law.

10. Age & young people

You must be at least 13 years old to use BuzzThat. We ask your date of birth at sign-up and block accounts for anyone under 13 (consistent with COPPA); we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, and if we learn that we have, we delete it.

For teen members (13–17) we apply extra protections: we don't store a precise location, we don't broadcast their real-time location, and only their friends can message them. See our Child Safety & Teen Protection page for details and how to report a concern.

11. Changes

We may update this Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will take reasonable steps to notify you. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect means you accept them.

12. Contact

Questions or requests? Email [email protected].

See also our Terms of Service and Refund Policy.