Firespot is a community-driven deals platform. This policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, and what we do with it. We've tried to keep this readable — no walls of legalese.

What We Collect

Account Information

When you sign up, we collect your email address, a password (which we hash — we never see or store your actual password), your handle (username), and optionally your first and last name. You can also upload a profile image.

Activity Data

We track what you do on the platform: votes (up and down), comments, favorites, follows, searches, and which deals you view or click. This helps us personalize your feed and show you deals you'll actually care about.

Automatically Collected

We automatically collect your IP address (current and previous sign-ins), when you log in, and how many times you've signed in. This helps us keep accounts secure and spot suspicious activity.

Derived Data

Based on your activity (votes, comments, favorites, onboarding selections), we calculate your interests to personalize your feed. We also track your points and rank as part of our gamification system.

How We Use Your Information

• Running the platform — Authentication, profiles, communities, the basics.
• Personalization — Ranking your feed based on interests, follows, and votes so you see relevant deals.
• Communications — Password resets, deal alerts, notifications. We don't send marketing emails.
• Security — Fraud prevention, bot protection, locking out accounts after too many failed logins.
• Analytics — Understanding how people use Firespot so we can make it better.

Third-Party Services We Use

We use a few external services to run Firespot. Here's who they are and what data they might see:

• PostHog — Product analytics. Tracks events like votes, comments, and favorites. Receives your user ID, email, and handle. Their privacy policy.
• Sentry — Error tracking (production only). Helps us fix bugs. Their privacy policy.
• Postmark — Sends our emails (password resets, alerts). Their privacy policy.
• Unsplash — Provides community images. Their privacy policy.
• Cloudflare Turnstile — Bot protection during signup/login. Their privacy policy.
• Google AdSense — Advertising. Uses cookies for ad targeting. Their privacy policy.
• Google Fonts — Loads our typeface (DM Sans). Their privacy policy.

Data Sharing & Disclosure

We don't sell your data. Full stop.

We share data only with the service providers listed above to keep Firespot running. We may also disclose information if required by law or court order, or in the event of a business transfer (merger, acquisition) — but we'd notify you first.

Advertisers (via Google AdSense) don't get direct access to your personal data from us.

Cookies & Tracking

We use cookies. Here's what they do:

• Session cookies — Keep you logged in and secure.
• Remember me cookie — Optional persistent login.
• Analytics cookies — PostHog uses these for behavior analysis.
• Advertising cookies — Google AdSense uses these for ad targeting.
• Security cookies — Cloudflare Turnstile uses these for bot protection.

You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Blocking some cookies may affect how Firespot works.

Data Retention & Deletion

We keep your data as long as your account is active. Database backups are retained for 7 days (for disaster recovery).

When you delete your account, we delete everything: your deals, comments, votes, searches, favorites, follows, interests — all of it. Gone. Third-party services (PostHog, Sentry, etc.) retain data according to their own policies.

Your Rights & Choices

• Delete your account — Full removal of all your data.
• Update your profile — Change your handle, name, email, or profile image anytime.
• Manage alert preferences — Control how often you receive deal alerts.
• Control cookies — Use your browser settings to block or delete cookies.

Security

We take security seriously. Passwords are hashed with bcrypt (12 rounds). All traffic is encrypted with SSL/TLS. We use CSRF protection and lock accounts after repeated failed login attempts. We monitor for errors and suspicious activity.

Where Your Data Lives

Firespot is hosted on DigitalOcean in Toronto, Canada. Our database is also in Toronto. Static assets are served via cdn.firespot.ca.

Children's Privacy

Firespot isn't directed at children under 13. We don't knowingly collect data from children under 13. The platform may contain user-generated content that isn't suitable for minors — parental guidance is recommended.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top. For significant changes, we'll notify you by email. Continued use of Firespot after changes means you accept the updated policy.

Questions?

Got privacy questions or concerns? Get in touch.