Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains the information we collect, how we use and share it, and the choices available to you when you use the Pit Pals mobile application, website, and related services, collectively referred to as the “Service.”

2. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

We collect information that you provide when you create an account, build your profile, track a cook, interact with other users, or contact us.

This may include:

• Profile information such as your first and last name, email address, username, and account information
• Information about your barbecue cooks, including meat type, cut, weight, timing, temperatures, steps, equipment, fuel, wood, ratings, and notes
• Photos you upload to your profile or cooks
• Comments, reactions, and other interactions with users
• Reports, blocks, and information submitted for moderation or safety purposes
• Messages and information you provide when contacting support

Passwords and authentication credentials are handled through our authentication provider. Pit Pals does not have access to your password in readable form.

Information Collected Automatically

When you use the Service, Pit Pals and its service providers may automatically receive limited technical information, such as:

• Internet Protocol address
• Device type and operating-system information
• Pit Pals app version
• Login, authentication, and security events
• Error, performance, and diagnostic information
• Dates and times associated with your use of the Service

We use this information to operate, secure, maintain, and troubleshoot Pit Pals.

3. How We Use Information

We may use information to:

• Create, authenticate, and maintain your account
• Save and synchronize your cooks, steps, notes, photos, and ratings
• Display your profile and shared content within Pit Pals
• Provide feeds, comments, reactions, and other social features
• Send account confirmations, password resets, and service-related communications
• Respond to support requests and user feedback
• Detect spam, abuse, unauthorized access, and security incidents
• Review reports and enforce our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines
• Maintain and improve the performance and reliability of the Service
• Comply with legal obligations and protect the rights and safety of Pit Pals, our users, and others

We do not use your personal information for targeted advertising.

4. Information Visible to Other Users

Pit Pals includes social features that allow users to share barbecue cooks and interact with one another.

Information that may be visible to other Pit Pals users includes:

• Your name, username, profile photo, biography, and general location
• Cooks that you share through the Service
• Cook details, notes, ratings, and photos
• Comments and reactions
• Other information you intentionally post through social features

Your email address, password, and authentication credentials are not displayed publicly.

Other users may view, save, copy, capture, or share information that you post. Please consider what you choose to make available through the Service.

5. How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share information in the following limited circumstances.

Service Providers

We use third-party providers to help operate Pit Pals. Our current providers include:

• Supabase, which provides authentication, database services, backend infrastructure, and file storage
• Resend, which helps deliver account confirmations, password resets, and other transactional emails

These providers may process information in connection with the services they provide to us and are subject to their own terms and privacy practices.

Other Users

Information that you post through Pit Pals’ social features may be displayed to other users as described in this Privacy Policy.

Legal, Safety, and Security Purposes

We may preserve or disclose information when we reasonably believe it is necessary to:

• Comply with applicable law, legal process, or a valid government request
• Investigate fraud, abuse, harassment, or security incidents
• Enforce our Terms of Service or Community Guidelines
• Protect the rights, property, or safety of Pit Pals, our users, or others

Business Changes

If Pit Pals is involved in a sale, merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, or transfer of some or all of the Service, information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

We will take reasonable steps to notify users if a transaction materially changes how their personal information is handled.

6. Advertising, Sales, and Tracking

Pit Pals does not currently:

• Sell personal information
• Share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising
• Display third-party advertising
• Track users across other companies’ apps or websites for advertising purposes

If these practices change, we will update this Privacy Policy and provide any notices or choices required by applicable law.

7. Data Retention

We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary to:

• Provide and maintain the Service
• Maintain your account
• Fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy
• Resolve disputes
• Prevent fraud, abuse, or security incidents
• Enforce our agreements
• Meet legal obligations

When you delete your account, we will delete or de-identify information associated with the account, subject to limited exceptions.

For example, information may be retained temporarily:

• In secure backups
• When required by law
• To prevent fraud, abuse, or repeated policy violations
• To investigate or document moderation and safety incidents
• In connection with a legal claim or dispute

Information that another user has independently saved, copied, or shared outside Pit Pals may remain outside our control.

8. Your Choices and Rights

Review and Update Information

You may review or update certain account, profile, and cook information from within the Pit Pals app.

Delete Your Account

You may initiate permanent deletion of your account from within the app:

Profile → Settings → Delete Account

Deleting your account will remove your account and associated content, subject to the limited retention circumstances described in this Privacy Policy.

Account deletion is permanent and may not be reversible.

You may contact support@pitpals.app if you need assistance deleting your account.

Privacy Requests

Depending on where you live, applicable law may provide rights concerning your personal information, such as the right to request access, correction, or deletion.

To make a request, contact support@pitpals.app from the email address associated with your account. We may need to verify your identity before completing the request.

Email Communications

Account confirmations, password resets, security notices, and other transactional communications are necessary to operate your account and may not include an unsubscribe option.

Pit Pals does not currently send third-party advertising emails.

Blocking and Reporting

Pit Pals allows users to block other users and report content or accounts.

Blocking is designed to prevent normal interaction between the accounts and hide the blocked user’s content where supported.

Reports may be reviewed for violations of our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines.

9. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information.

No system or method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee that information will never be accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed without authorization.

You are responsible for protecting your login credentials and notifying us if you believe your account has been compromised.

10. Children’s Privacy

Pit Pals is a general-audience service and is not directed to children under 13.

Children under 13 may not create an account or use the Service. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

If we learn that an account belongs to a child under 13, we will take reasonable steps to close the account and delete the associated personal information.

A parent or guardian who believes that a child under 13 has provided personal information to Pit Pals may contact us at support@pitpals.app.

11. Users Outside the United States

Pit Pals is operated from the United States.

If you access the Service from another country, your information may be processed and stored in the United States or in other locations where our service providers operate.

The privacy laws in those locations may differ from those in your country.

12. Third-Party Links and Services

Pit Pals may contain links to services or content operated by third parties.

We are not responsible for the privacy, security, or content practices of services that we do not operate. You should review the applicable terms and privacy policies before providing information to a third-party service.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as Pit Pals and our practices evolve.

When we make changes, we will update the “Last updated” date. For material changes, we may provide additional notice through the Service, by email, or through another reasonable method.

14. Contact Us