Privacy Statement

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Username: Your chosen username for the platform
• Display Name: Your public display name (optional)
• Email Address: Used for account recovery and important notifications
• Password: Securely hashed and never stored in plain text
• Profile Information: Avatar, bio, and other optional profile details

1.2 Content You Create

We store content you voluntarily upload or create:

• Memes and Images: Images, Zingers (text posts), and associated metadata
• Comments: Comments you post on memes
• Interactions: Likes, saves, follows, and category preferences
• Flags/Reports: Content reports you submit for moderation

1.3 Automatically Collected Information

When you use MemeGET, we automatically collect:

• Usage Data: How you interact with content (views, clicks, time spent)
• Device Information: Browser type, device type, operating system
• IP Address: For security and abuse prevention
• Browser Fingerprint: For rate limiting and security (see section 6.3 below)
• Cookies: Session cookies for authentication (see Cookies section below)

1.4 Preference Data

To personalize your experience, we store:

• Followed Users & Categories: To show relevant content in your feed
• Filtered Keywords & Categories: Content you choose to hide
• Content Maturity Level: Your progress in our content maturity system
• Political Preferences: Your political affinity settings (optional)

2. How We Use Your Information

2.1 To Provide Our Services

• Create and manage your account
• Display your content to other users
• Process interactions (likes, comments, follows)
• Personalize your "For You" feed based on preferences
• Enable features like saved items and notifications

2.2 To Improve MemeGET

• Analyze usage patterns to enhance features
• Test new features and functionality
• Monitor and improve algorithm performance
• Understand user preferences and behavior

2.3 Safety and Security

• Detect and prevent spam, abuse, and violations
• Enforce our Terms of Service
• Protect against fraud and security threats
• Respond to legal requests and prevent harm

2.4 Communications

• Send important account and service updates
• Notify you of interactions (if enabled)
• Respond to your support requests
• Send administrative messages about your account

3. Information Sharing

3.1 Public Information

The following information is publicly visible to all users:

• Username and display name
• Profile avatar and bio
• Memes, Zingers, and comments you post
• Your followers and following lists
• Your public activity (likes and saves are private)
• Verification badge (if applicable)

3.2 We Do NOT Sell Your Data

Important: MemeGET does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

3.3 Limited Sharing

We may share information only in these circumstances:

• Service Providers: With trusted vendors who help operate MemeGET (hosting, analytics, security)
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or legal process
• Safety: To protect users' safety and prevent harm
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale (with notice to users)

4. Your Rights and Choices

4.1 Access and Control

You have the right to:

• Access Your Data: View all information we have about you
• Edit Your Profile: Update your username, display name, avatar, and bio
• Manage Preferences: Control followed/blocked content and users
• Download Your Data: Request a copy of your information
• Delete Your Account: Permanently delete your account and data

4.2 Privacy Controls

Within your Settings and Preferences, you can:

• Choose what categories and keywords to filter
• Control your content maturity level
• Manage your political content preferences
• Block specific users
• Control notification settings

4.3 Communication Preferences

You can opt out of non-essential communications. However, we may still send account-related messages for security and service updates.

5. Data Security

5.1 How We Protect Your Information

• Encryption: HTTPS encryption for data in transit
• Password Security: Passwords are hashed using industry-standard algorithms
• Access Controls: Limited employee access to user data
• Security Monitoring: Active monitoring for suspicious activity
• Regular Updates: Security patches and updates applied promptly

5.2 Your Responsibility

To protect your account:

• Use a strong, unique password
• Don't share your password with anyone
• Log out on shared devices
• Report suspicious activity immediately

6. Cookies and Tracking

6.1 What Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies: Required for basic functionality

• Authentication (keeping you logged in)
• Session management
• Security features

Analytics Cookies: Help us understand usage (optional)

• Page views and navigation patterns
• Feature usage and performance
• Error tracking and debugging

6.2 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies may affect site functionality.

6.3 Browser Fingerprinting for Security

To protect our platform from abuse and automated attacks, we use browser fingerprinting as part of our rate limiting system. This technique analyzes basic browser characteristics such as screen resolution, language settings, and timezone to generate a temporary identifier.

What We Collect for Fingerprinting:

• Screen resolution and color depth
• Browser language and timezone
• Device memory and CPU cores (if available)
• Browser plugins count (not specific plugins)
• Touch support capability
• User agent string (hashed)

Important Privacy Notes:

• We do NOT track you across websites: The fingerprint is only used within MemeGET
• Security purposes only: Used exclusively for rate limiting and abuse prevention
• Non-invasive collection: We only collect basic, publicly available browser properties
• Temporary storage: Fingerprint data is automatically deleted after 7 days
• Respects Do Not Track: We honor your browser's "Do Not Track" setting
• No cross-site tracking: This is not used for advertising or analytics

Why We Use Fingerprinting:

Browser fingerprinting helps us prevent abuse by users who might try to bypass our security measures using VPNs or other IP-changing methods. This allows us to maintain a safe platform while still respecting your privacy. The fingerprint is combined with IP-based limits to provide a balanced security approach that protects all users.

7. Children's Privacy

MemeGET is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

8. International Users

MemeGET is operated from the United States. If you access MemeGET from outside the US, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the US or other countries where our service providers operate.

By using MemeGET, you consent to the transfer of your information to countries outside your country of residence, which may have different data protection laws.

9. Data Retention

9.1 How Long We Keep Your Data

• Active Accounts: We retain your data as long as your account is active
• Deleted Content: Removed from public view immediately, fully deleted within 90 days
• Deleted Accounts: Personal data deleted within 90 days of account deletion
• Backups: May persist in backups for up to 90 days
• Legal Holds: May retain data longer if required by law or legal process

9.2 What Remains After Deletion

After account deletion, some data may remain:

• Public posts may remain visible but attributed to "Deleted User"
• Aggregated, anonymized analytics data
• Data required for legal compliance or fraud prevention

10. Third-Party Services

10.1 External Links

MemeGET may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies.

10.2 OAuth/Social Login

If you choose to sign in with Google OAuth or other social providers, we only receive the information you authorize them to share with us (typically name, email, and profile picture).

11. Changes to This Privacy Statement

We may update this Privacy Statement from time to time. When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top
• We will notify users of significant changes via email or site notification
• Continued use of MemeGET after changes constitutes acceptance
• Previous versions will be archived and available upon request

12. Your Privacy Rights (By Region)

12.1 California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act:

• Right to know what personal information we collect and how it's used
• Right to delete your personal information
• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we don't sell data)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights

12.2 European Users (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area, you have rights under GDPR:

• Right of access to your personal data
• Right to rectification of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restrict processing
• Right to data portability
• Right to object to processing