EarlyHunt LogoEarlyHunt

Privacy Policy

Last updated: December 2024

1. Introduction

At EarlyHunt ("we," "our," or "us"), we are committed to protecting your privacy. EarlyHunt is where early adopters discover the next big thing, connecting builders and product hunters. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information.

By using our Platform, you consent to the data practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access or use the Platform.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

We collect information that you provide directly to us when you use EarlyHunt, including:

  • Account Information: Name, email address, profile picture (avatar), bio, website URL, Twitter/X handle, GitHub username, location, and account creation date
  • Authentication Data: When you sign in via Google OAuth, GitHub OAuth, or email magic links, we receive your email, name, and profile picture from the authentication provider
  • Project Submission Information: Project name, website URL, short description, full description, logo image, preview images, screenshots (up to 5), video URLs, selected categories (up to 3), pricing model (Free/Freemium/Paid), launch type (Free/Nofollow/Premium), launch week selection, and any additional tags or metadata
  • Payment Information: For Premium launches ($10), payment is processed through Polar. We receive payment confirmation and transaction IDs, but never store credit card numbers or full payment details on our servers
  • Backlink Verification Data: For Free launches, we verify that you've added an EarlyHunt link to your website by checking your website's source code
  • Voting and Engagement Data: Your votes on projects, comments you post on project pages, and interactions with the platform
  • Communication Data: Messages sent through our contact forms, support requests, feedback, and email communications with our team
  • Newsletter Subscriptions: Email preferences, subscription status, and newsletter engagement data

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you use EarlyHunt, we automatically collect certain technical and usage information:

  • Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, click patterns, navigation paths, voting activity, project views, search queries, and feature usage
  • Device Information: IP address (may be anonymized), browser type and version, operating system, device type (desktop/tablet/mobile), screen resolution, and device identifiers
  • Log Data: Server logs including access times, pages viewed, referring URLs, HTTP status codes, error logs, API request/response data, and performance metrics
  • Session Information: Session IDs, authentication tokens, and session duration for security and functionality purposes
  • Analytics Data: Aggregated user behavior patterns, performance metrics, engagement statistics, conversion rates, and platform usage trends (collected via Vercel Analytics)
  • Cookies and Tracking Technologies: Essential cookies for authentication and functionality, analytics cookies for platform improvement (see our Cookie Policy for details)
  • Location Data: General geographic location derived from IP address (country/region level) for analytics and fraud prevention, not precise location

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information from third-party services that you interact with:

  • Authentication Providers:
    • Google OAuth: When you sign in with Google, we receive your email, name, profile picture, and Google account ID
    • GitHub OAuth: When you sign in with GitHub, we receive your email, username, profile picture, and GitHub account ID
    • Email Magic Links: Sent via Resend email service, we receive confirmation when you click authentication links
  • Payment Processors: Polar processes all Premium launch payments. We receive payment confirmation, transaction IDs, order details, and webhook notifications about payment status
  • Database Services: Neon DB (PostgreSQL) stores all your data securely. Neon processes data on our behalf but doesn't access your information
  • File Storage: UploadThing stores uploaded images (logos, previews, screenshots). UploadThing processes file uploads and serves images but doesn't access file contents
  • Email Services: Resend delivers all transactional emails (authentication links, notifications, updates). Resend processes email delivery and engagement data
  • Analytics Services: Vercel Analytics provides anonymized usage analytics and performance monitoring. No personal data is shared
  • Webhook Services: Svix may be used for webhook delivery and signature verification. Webhook data includes payment and service events
  • Social Media Platforms: If you connect your social accounts (Twitter/X, GitHub) or share content, we may receive public profile information
  • Hosting Infrastructure: Vercel hosts our platform and may collect server logs, error reports, and performance data as part of their service

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

3.1 Service Provision

  • Create and manage your user account, authenticate your identity, and maintain your profile
  • Process, review, approve, and display your project submissions on the platform
  • Schedule your projects for weekly launch competitions and manage launch weeks
  • Enable voting functionality, track votes, and calculate competition rankings
  • Facilitate comments and discussions on project pages
  • Display project information, categories, search results, and browse pages
  • Process Premium launch payments securely through Polar payment processor
  • Verify backlinks for Free launches by checking your website
  • Send automated email notifications about project status, scheduling, competition results, and platform updates
  • Provide customer support, respond to inquiries, and handle support requests
  • Manage the Hall of Fame and winner recognition features
  • Generate and serve project pages, founder profiles, and platform content

3.2 Communication

  • Send transactional emails including authentication magic links, project submission confirmations, scheduling notifications, and payment receipts
  • Notify you when your project is approved, scheduled, goes live, or wins a competition
  • Send weekly competition updates, voting reminders, and results announcements
  • Provide newsletters, platform updates, and marketing communications (only with your explicit consent, which you can withdraw anytime)
  • Notify you of important changes to our services, terms, privacy policy, or platform features
  • Respond to your comments, questions, support requests, and feedback
  • Send administrative messages, security alerts, and account-related notifications

3.3 Analytics and Improvement

  • Analyze usage patterns and platform performance
  • Improve user experience and platform functionality
  • Develop new features and services
  • Conduct research and analytics

3.4 Legal and Security

  • Comply with legal obligations and regulatory requirements
  • Protect against fraud, abuse, and security threats
  • Enforce our Terms of Service and other policies
  • Protect our rights and the rights of our users

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

4.1 With Your Consent

We may share your information when you have given us explicit consent to do so.

4.2 Service Providers

We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our Platform:

  • Neon DB (PostgreSQL): Cloud database service that stores all platform data including user accounts, projects, votes, comments, and analytics. Neon is GDPR compliant and operates under strict data protection standards
  • NextAuth.js: Authentication framework that handles OAuth providers (Google, GitHub) and email magic links. NextAuth manages session tokens and authentication flows
  • Polar: Payment processing service that handles all Premium launch transactions. Polar is PCI-DSS compliant and processes credit card payments securely
  • UploadThing: File upload and storage service for project logos, preview images, and screenshots. Files are stored securely and served via CDN
  • Resend: Email delivery service that sends all transactional emails including authentication links, notifications, and updates. Resend processes email delivery and engagement metrics
  • Vercel Analytics: Privacy-focused analytics service that provides anonymized usage statistics and performance monitoring. No personal data is collected
  • Vercel Hosting: Cloud hosting platform that serves our application. Vercel may collect server logs and performance data as part of hosting services
  • Svix: Webhook service that may be used for secure webhook delivery and signature verification (for payment notifications, etc.)

All service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes of providing services to EarlyHunt. We regularly review and audit our service providers to ensure they meet our data protection standards.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid legal processes, such as subpoenas or court orders.

4.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of the business transaction.

4.5 Public Information

Information you choose to make public on our Platform (such as project descriptions, names, and public profiles) will be visible to other users and may be indexed by search engines.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

  • Encryption of data in transit and at rest
  • Regular security assessments and updates
  • Access controls and authentication mechanisms
  • Secure hosting infrastructure
  • Employee training on data protection practices

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Specifically:

  • Account Information: Retained until you delete your account or request account deletion. Some information may be retained longer if required for legal or security purposes
  • Project Submissions: Retained permanently to maintain the platform archive, unless you specifically request deletion. Projects remain discoverable even after competitions end
  • Voting and Engagement Data: Retained to maintain competition integrity and historical records. Vote counts and rankings are permanent parts of competition history
  • Comments: Retained as part of project pages. You can delete your own comments, but they may remain visible if they're part of active discussions
  • Payment Information: Payment transaction records are retained as required by financial regulations (typically 7 years). Credit card details are never stored - only transaction confirmations and IDs from Polar
  • Email Communications: Retained for customer support, legal compliance, and service improvement. You can request deletion of specific communications
  • Analytics Data: Aggregated and anonymized analytics data may be retained indefinitely for platform improvement and research purposes
  • Log Files: Server logs and access logs are typically retained for 90 days for security and troubleshooting, then automatically deleted or anonymized
  • Deleted Accounts: When you delete your account, we begin a 30-day grace period where data can be recovered. After 30 days, most personal data is permanently deleted, though project submissions and public content may remain anonymized

7. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

7.1 General Rights

Depending on your location (especially if you're in the EU under GDPR, California under CCPA, or other jurisdictions with data protection laws), you have the following rights:

  • Right to Access: Request a copy of all personal information we hold about you, including account data, project submissions, voting history, and communication records
  • Right to Correction: Update or correct inaccurate or incomplete information through your account settings or by contacting us
  • Right to Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information and account. Note that project submissions and public content may remain visible if deletion would impact platform integrity
  • Right to Data Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format (JSON/CSV) that you can transfer to another service
  • Right to Restriction: Request that we limit how we process your information in certain circumstances
  • Right to Object: Object to processing of your information for certain purposes, such as marketing communications
  • Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing where consent is the legal basis (you can unsubscribe from emails anytime)

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hi@earlyhunt.com. We'll respond to your request within 30 days (or as required by applicable law). We may need to verify your identity before processing requests to protect your privacy.

7.2 Marketing Communications

You can opt-out of marketing communications at any time by:

  • Clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails
  • Updating your preferences in your account settings
  • Contacting us directly

7.3 Cookie Preferences

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings or our cookie consent banner. For more information, see our Cookie Policy.

8. International Data Transfers

EarlyHunt operates globally, and your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. Our primary data processing occurs in:

  • United States: Where Vercel (hosting), UploadThing (file storage), and Resend (email) operate
  • European Union: Where Neon DB (database) may process data, depending on your region
  • Other Regions: Service providers may operate data centers in various locations worldwide

We ensure that international data transfers are conducted in accordance with applicable data protection laws:

  • All service providers are contractually bound to protect your data
  • We use Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) where required for EU data transfers
  • Service providers maintain appropriate security certifications (SOC 2, ISO 27001, etc.)
  • Data is encrypted in transit and at rest

By using EarlyHunt, you consent to the transfer of your information to these locations. If you're in the EU/EEA, you have the right to object to certain transfers, though this may impact your ability to use our services.

9. Children's Privacy

Our Platform is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us to have the information removed.

10. Analytics and Tracking

We use analytics services to understand how visitors interact with EarlyHunt, improve user experience, and maintain platform performance. We prioritize privacy-friendly analytics that comply with GDPR, CCPA, and other data protection regulations.

10.1 Vercel Analytics

We use Vercel Analytics, a privacy-focused analytics service that provides anonymized usage statistics. Vercel Analytics collects:

  • Page views and navigation patterns (anonymized)
  • Performance metrics (page load times, Core Web Vitals)
  • Error rates and technical issues
  • General geographic distribution (country/region level, not precise location)
  • Device and browser type statistics

Privacy Features: Vercel Analytics is designed to be privacy-friendly. It doesn't use cookies for tracking individual users, doesn't collect personal information, and all data is aggregated and anonymized. It's fully compliant with GDPR and CCPA.

10.2 Platform Analytics

We also track internal platform metrics for service improvement:

  • Vote Counts: Public vote totals for projects (not individual voting behavior)
  • Project Views: Aggregate view counts for projects (anonymized)
  • Submission Statistics: Number of submissions, launch types, categories (aggregated)
  • Competition Metrics: Weekly competition participation, winner statistics

These metrics help us understand platform usage, improve features, and ensure fair competition. Individual user behavior is not tracked or analyzed for advertising purposes.

10.3 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies for essential platform functionality:

  • Authentication Cookies: Session cookies to keep you logged in (essential for platform functionality)
  • Preference Cookies: Store your display preferences and settings
  • Analytics Cookies: Anonymized analytics cookies (you can opt-out)

For detailed information about our cookie usage, please see our Cookie Policy. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings.

11. Third-Party Links and Content

EarlyHunt contains links to third-party websites, services, and content, including:

  • Project Websites: Links to projects submitted by users (website URLs, social media links)
  • Sponsor Links: Links to sponsor websites (Rank++, Aura++, etc.)
  • Social Media: Links to Twitter/X, GitHub, and other social platforms
  • External Resources: Links to documentation, guides, and external resources

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or data collection of these third-party websites. When you click on external links, you leave EarlyHunt and are subject to the privacy policies and terms of service of those third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

User-Generated Content: Project descriptions, comments, and user-submitted content may contain links to external websites. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of these linked sites.

12. Data Security and Breach Notification

We implement comprehensive security measures to protect your personal information:

  • Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest using industry-standard encryption protocols
  • Authentication: Secure authentication via NextAuth.js with OAuth providers and email magic links
  • Access Controls: Strict access controls, role-based permissions, and authentication requirements for staff access
  • Secure Infrastructure: Hosting on Vercel with enterprise-grade security, DDoS protection, and regular security updates
  • Database Security: Neon DB with encrypted connections, automated backups, and access logging
  • Payment Security: All payments processed through PCI-DSS compliant Polar payment processor - we never store credit card information
  • Regular Security Audits: Regular security assessments, vulnerability scanning, and dependency updates
  • Employee Training: Staff trained on data protection, security best practices, and privacy compliance

Data Breach Notification: In the unlikely event of a data breach that compromises your personal information, we will:

  • Notify affected users within 72 hours of discovering the breach (as required by GDPR)
  • Report the breach to relevant data protection authorities if required by law
  • Provide clear information about what data was affected and what steps we're taking
  • Offer guidance on protective measures you can take

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

13. Your Responsibilities

When using EarlyHunt, you have certain responsibilities:

  • Accurate Information: Provide accurate and truthful information in your account and project submissions
  • Account Security: Keep your account credentials secure, don't share your account, and notify us immediately of any unauthorized access
  • Privacy Settings: Review and manage your privacy settings, email preferences, and account information regularly
  • Public Content: Understand that project information, comments, and public profiles are visible to all users and may be indexed by search engines
  • Third-Party Links: Exercise caution when clicking on links to external websites from project pages
  • Compliance: Ensure your use of EarlyHunt complies with our Terms of Service and applicable laws
  • Data Accuracy: Update your information if it changes, especially email address for important notifications

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, legal requirements, or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. When we make changes:

  • We'll update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
  • For material changes, we'll notify you via email (to your registered email address) or through a prominent notice on the platform
  • We'll post the updated Privacy Policy on this page before changes take effect
  • Continued use of EarlyHunt after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we collect, use, and protect your information. If you disagree with any changes, you may stop using EarlyHunt and request deletion of your account.

Historical Versions: Previous versions of this Privacy Policy are archived. If you'd like to review a previous version, contact us at hi@earlyhunt.com.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Data Protection Officer: For privacy-related inquiries, data protection requests, or to exercise your data rights under GDPR, CCPA, or other applicable laws, please email us at hi@earlyhunt.com with "Privacy Request" in the subject line. We aim to respond to all privacy inquiries within 30 days.

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