Effective Date: January 27th, 2026
Last Updated: January 27th, 2026

Strivers United Inc., a nonprofit corporation, doing business as “Pickleheart” (“Pickleheart,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect information when you use our websites, mobile applications, and related services (collectively, the “Services”).

1. Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to:

• The Pickleheart website(s)
• The Pickleheart mobile application
• Community, messaging, events, and commerce features
• Communications with us (email, SMS, support)

This policy does not apply to third-party websites, apps, or services that may be linked from our Services.

2. Information You Provide to Us

a) Account & Profile Information

• Name or display name
• Email address and/or phone number
• Profile photo
• Skill level, preferred parks or courts, and community affiliations
• Any additional information you choose to provide

b) Community Content

• Posts, comments, photos, and other content you share
• Event participation and RSVPs
• Community or park-related information

c) Direct Messages (DMs)

• Messages and attachments exchanged through the Services
• Reports or feedback related to messaging

d) Communications

• Messages sent to us for support or feedback
• Survey or form responses

3. Information We Collect Automatically

a) Device & App Usage Data

• Device type, operating system, app version
• IP address and approximate location (e.g., city/state)
• Logs, timestamps, and feature usage

b) Cookies & Similar Technologies (Web)

• Session and preference cookies
• Analytics and performance measurement

c) Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand usage trends and improve our Services. Google Analytics collects information such as pages viewed, actions taken, and approximate location derived from IP address. Data is analyzed in aggregate and not used to identify you personally.

4. Location & “At the Park” Presence (Opt-In)

Pickleheart offers an optional presence feature that allows users to indicate when they are at a participating park or court.

What We Collect

• Geofenced location signals only, based on:
  • A park or court you manually select, and/or
  • Device location permissions you explicitly grant
• We do not track continuous or background GPS location by default

How Presence Works

• Presence is disabled by default
• When enabled, presence shows availability within a defined geofenced location
• Presence is used to support community features such as discovering who is currently playing

Controls

• You may enable or disable presence at any time in the app
• You may revoke location permissions through your device settings
• Visibility may vary based on community or privacy settings

Important Clarifications (App Store–relevant)

• We do not collect precise, continuous GPS tracking data
• We do not create or publish public location heatmaps
• Location data is used only to power real-time community functionality, not advertising

5. How We Use Information

We use information to:

• Operate and maintain the Services
• Enable community interaction, events, and messaging
• Display opt-in presence at geofenced parks
• Personalize experiences and content
• Process payments and fulfill orders
• Communicate service-related updates
• Send marketing communications (where permitted)
• Detect fraud, prevent abuse, and enforce community rules
• Analyze usage and improve functionality
• Comply with legal obligations

6. How We Share Information

We do not sell personal information.

a) Within the Community

Depending on your settings, certain information (profile details, posts, presence status) may be visible to:

• Other members of the same park or community
• Event participants
• Direct message recipients

b) Service Providers

We use trusted vendors to operate our Services, including:

• Brevo – email and SMS communications
• Google Analytics – usage analytics
• Stripe – payment processing
• WooCommerce – commerce and order management

These providers process data solely on our behalf and under contractual obligations.

c) Legal & Safety

We may disclose information if necessary to:

• Comply with legal obligations
• Protect user safety or rights
• Enforce our Terms of Service

7. Messaging, Moderation & Safety

• Messages are private between participants, subject to our Terms
• We may use automated tools and human review to:
  • Detect spam, fraud, or abuse
  • Investigate reports
  • Enforce community standards
• Message content may be reviewed when reported or required for safety or compliance

8. Payments & Commerce

• Payments are processed securely by Stripe
• We do not store full payment card numbers
• Order and transaction records are retained for accounting and support
• Payment processors handle sensitive financial data under their own privacy policies

9. Your Choices & Controls

You may:

• Update or edit profile information
• Control presence and visibility settings
• Disable location permissions at any time
• Opt out of marketing communications
• Request access, correction, or deletion of your data
• Delete your account, subject to retention requirements

10. Data Retention

We retain information only as long as necessary to:

• Provide the Services
• Meet legal and regulatory requirements
• Resolve disputes
• Enforce agreements

Retention periods vary depending on data type and purpose.

11. Security

We employ reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards to protect personal information. No system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

12. U.S. Privacy Rights

Depending on your state of residence, you may have rights to:

• Access personal information
• Correct inaccurate information
• Request deletion
• Opt out of certain data uses

Requests may be submitted using the contact information below.

13. Children’s Privacy

Pickleheart is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

14. International Users

If you access the Services from outside the United States, your information may be processed in the United States or other jurisdictions.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. The “Effective Date” will reflect the most recent version. Material changes will be communicated as required.

16. Contact Us

If you have questions or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, contact us at:

Email: legal@pickleheart.org
Address:
Strivers United Inc.
159 W 126th St, #2A
New York, NY 10027