Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

SongVotes ("we", "our", or "us") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect information when you use our music ranking service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information (Optional)

If you choose to create an account, we collect:

• Email address (for account authentication)
• Account creation date
• Login timestamps

Note: Account creation is optional. You may vote anonymously without creating an account.

2.2 Voting Data

When you vote on song comparisons, we collect:

• Your vote choices (which song or album you preferred)
• Timestamp of your vote
• Browser fingerprint (for anti-spam purposes only)
• User ID (if you're logged in) or session ID (if anonymous)

2.3 Technical Information

We automatically collect certain technical information:

• IP address (hashed and not stored in identifiable form)
• User agent string
• Response time (to detect automated voting)
• Device type and browser information

2.4 Analytics Data

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our service. This includes:

• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Traffic sources and referral URLs
• Device and browser information
• Geographic location (country/city level only)
• Anonymized IP addresses

Google Analytics uses cookies and may collect data across websites. See Google's Privacy Policy for more information.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information to:

• Manage user accounts and authentication (if you create an account)
• Calculate and display music rankings based on community votes
• Prevent vote manipulation and spam
• Rate limit excessive voting from single sources
• Improve our ranking algorithm and service quality
• Analyze aggregate usage patterns and site performance
• Understand user behavior to improve the user experience

4. Browser Fingerprinting

We use browser fingerprinting solely for anti-spam purposes. This technique creates a non-personally-identifiable hash based on your browser configuration to detect duplicate or automated votes. This fingerprint cannot be used to track you across websites and is not shared with third parties.

5. Cookies and Local Storage

5.1 Essential Cookies

We use essential cookies and local storage for:

• Authentication (if you create an account)
• Session management
• UI preferences (e.g., dark mode)

5.2 Analytics Cookies

Google Analytics uses cookies to collect usage data. These cookies include:

• _ga (expires after 2 years) - Distinguishes users
• _gid (expires after 24 hours) - Distinguishes users
• _gat (expires after 1 minute) - Throttles request rate

5.3 Your Cookie Choices

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect site functionality. We do not use third-party advertising cookies.

6. Third-Party Services

6.1 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to analyze website traffic and improve our service. Google may use this data for their own purposes, including profiling and targeted advertising on other websites.

To opt out of Google Analytics tracking, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

6.2 Spotify

We use Spotify's API to:

• Fetch music metadata, album artwork, and preview clips
• Provide music playback functionality

When you play a preview clip, you are directly accessing Spotify's content delivery network. Please refer to Spotify's Privacy Policy for how they handle this data.

6.3 Hosting Provider

Our service is hosted on Vercel. Server logs may contain IP addresses and are retained according to their data retention policies.

7. Data Retention

We retain data as follows:

• Account data: Retained until you delete your account
• Voting data: Retained indefinitely for ranking calculations (even after account deletion, votes remain but are anonymized)
• Browser fingerprints: Hashed values purged after 90 days of inactivity
• Session data: Expired and deleted after 30 days
• Analytics data: Retained according to Google Analytics retention settings (default 26 months)

8. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including:

• HTTPS encryption for all data transmission
• Secure database hosting with access controls
• Regular security updates and patches

9. Children's Privacy

Our service is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are under 13, please do not create an account or provide any personal information.

If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

10. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights:

10.1 For Registered Users

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated personal data (votes will be anonymized but retained for rankings)
• Correction: Update your account information
• Data Portability: Request an export of your voting history

10.2 For Anonymous Users

• You can stop using our service at any time
• You can clear your browser's local storage to remove session data
• You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking (see section 6.1)

10.3 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise these rights, please contact us at info@songvotes.com. We will respond to verified requests within 30 days.

11. International Users

Our service is hosted in the United States. By using SongVotes, you consent to the transfer and processing of data in the United States.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last Updated" date at the top indicates when changes were last made. Continued use of the service constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

For questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at info@songvotes.com.