Privacy Policy
The House and Tree · thehouseandtree.com Version: 1.0 Effective date: [Set at launch]
1. Who We Are
The House and Tree operates thehouseandtree.com (the "Site"), a debate community. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. Questions can be sent to contact@thehouseandtree.com.
2. Information We Collect
Account information
- Email address, username, and password (stored in encrypted form)
- Avatar image, if you upload one
- If you sign in with Google or Microsoft: your name, email address, and account identifier from that provider
Content you submit
- Claims, rebuttals, and judgments, including voice recordings, written text, and the image regions you select
- Reports you file about other content or accounts
Activity on the Site
- Your participation history, vote outcomes, and profile statistics
- In-app notifications sent to you
- Your account settings, including whether you have chosen to view removed content
- Records of your acceptance of these policies
Technical information
- Pages you visit, recorded by our own analytics system
- IP address, browser type, and device information, used for security and to count visits
3. How We Use Your Information
- To create and run your account
- To display debates, your submissions, and your profile
- To calculate vote counts and profile statistics
- To send in-app notifications and account emails, such as verification and password reset
- To review reports, moderate content, and enforce our Terms of Service
- To keep the Site secure and prevent abuse
- To understand how the Site is used, through aggregate visit counts
We do not sell your personal information. We do not use it for advertising.
4. What Is Public
The following is visible to anyone who visits the Site, including people who are not signed in:
- Your username and avatar
- Your profile statistics and participation history
- Your claims, rebuttals, and judgments, including voice recordings and text
- If your account is suspended: a suspension notice, the reason, and, where applicable, the content that led to it
Your email address is never shown publicly.
5. Who We Share Information With
We share information only with service providers that help us operate the Site, and only as needed for that purpose:
- Hosting provider: runs the Site's servers and database
- Storage provider: stores images and voice recordings
- Email provider: delivers account emails
- Sign-in providers: Google or Microsoft, if you choose to sign in through them
We may also disclose information if required by law, or to protect the safety of users or the public.
6. Cookies
The Site uses only essential first-party cookies: one to keep you signed in, and one to protect forms against forgery. We use no third-party cookies, advertising trackers, or external analytics services.
7. How Long We Keep Information
- While your account is active, we keep your account information and content.
- If you delete your account:
- Your account information is deleted.
- Your content in open debates is removed.
- Your content in closed debates remains on the Site, attributed to "Deleted user."
- Moderation records of removed content, reports, and suspensions are kept after account deletion to maintain an accurate record and prevent abuse.
- Analytics records are kept in aggregate form.
8. Your Choices
- Access and correction: you can view and update your profile and settings at any time.
- Deletion: you can delete your account from your account settings.
- Questions or requests: email contact@thehouseandtree.com.
9. Security
We use encrypted connections, store passwords in encrypted form, and restrict access to personal information. No system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. Age Requirement
The Site is for users aged 16 and older. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone younger. If we learn that a user is under 16, we will delete their account.
11. Location
The Site is operated from the United States and is intended for users in the United States.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy. When we do, we will increase the version number and ask you to accept the updated policy the next time you sign in.