Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

SquadUp ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our football squad and match organization platform, currently in an invite-only beta.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using SquadUp, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

When you register, we collect your email address and, depending on how you sign in, either a password or use of a one-time sign-in link (handled by our authentication provider — we never see or store your password in plain text). You may also add:

• First and last name, and an optional nickname
• Country
• Profile photo (optional)
• Date of birth (optional)
• A short bio (optional)

2.2 Football Profile Information

You may optionally choose to add:

• Playing positions and preferred side of the pitch
• Experience level and preferred foot
• Height
• Availability (days and times)
• Jersey number preference and favorite teams
• An emergency contact name and phone number, for your own reference — this is shown only to you on your own profile, we don't use it, and it is never shown to other members or organizers

2.3 Squad & Match Activity

Using the Service creates records of:

• The squads you're a member of, and matches and tournaments you join
• Your attendance status for matches (confirmed, waitlisted, cancelled, etc.)
• Payment status a squad organizer records against you for a match's cost (e.g. marked as paid by cash, card, or bank transfer) — this is a manual record for splitting costs, not an in-app payment; see Section 5 for who can see it
• Ratings other members of your squads give you, and badges you earn

2.4 Usage Information

We automatically collect:

• Device and browser information, and approximate location from your IP address
• Aggregated, privacy-focused site performance and usage data
• When you tap a "share to WhatsApp" button, we record which screen and share type you used, tied to your account — never the message content itself, which is built on your device and never passes through our servers (see Section 5.3)
• Error and diagnostic reports if something breaks while you're using the app

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Create and manage your account
• Organize and facilitate squads, matches, and tournaments
• Connect you with other players in your squads
• Send you notifications about matches and squads (see Section 4)
• Improve and personalize your experience
• Provide customer support
• Analyze usage patterns and improve the Service
• Prevent fraud and ensure security
• Comply with legal obligations

4. Notifications & Your Preferences

We send transactional notifications about squads and matches — invites, RSVPs, reminders, changes and cancellations — by email and inside the app. We do not currently send SMS text messages or push notifications, whatever any older screen or toggle in the app might suggest.

You can manage what you receive, and unsubscribe from email entirely, from your notification preferences in Settings or the unsubscribe link included in every email.

5. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information:

5.1 With Other Squad Members

Your name, nickname, photo, and football profile are visible to other members of squads you join. Ratings other members give you and badges you earn are also visible within that squad. Squad organizers (owners and managers) additionally see your attendance and recorded payment status for matches they run.

5.2 Public Match Invite Links

A match invite link (the kind shared in a WhatsApp chat) shows basic match facts — what, where, when — to anyone who opens it, signed in or not, so a link preview never exposes more than that. It does not show your personal information or any other player's.

5.3 With Service Providers

We work with service providers who help us run the Service. None of them are permitted to use your data for their own purposes:

• Infrastructure providers — hosting, database, authentication, email delivery, error monitoring, site analytics and background processing. They store and process your data only to run the Service. Your data is stored in the United Kingdom.
• Google (address lookup) — when an organizer looks up a venue address, the search text is sent to Google; this is not tied to your player profile.
• WhatsApp — "share to WhatsApp" buttons open WhatsApp on your own device with a pre-filled message. We don't send anything to WhatsApp or Meta on your behalf; we only see that you tapped the button (Section 2.4).

A current list of the providers behind each category is available on request via the address in Section 13.

5.4 For Legal Reasons

We may disclose your information if required by law or to:

• Comply with legal processes
• Enforce our Terms and Conditions
• Protect our rights, property, or safety
• Protect users or the public from harm

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.

• Encrypted data transmission
• Secure authentication through our authentication provider
• Regular security updates and monitoring
• Access controls and permission management

7. Data Retention & Account Deletion

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active. You can delete your account at any time from your profile settings. Deleting your account removes your profile, squad memberships, attendance records, badges, and ratings you gave or received, and cancels invitations you sent. Share-button tap records (Section 2.4) are kept but disconnected from your account rather than deleted, since they're only ever used in aggregate. Some information may be retained after deletion where we have a legal, tax, or security obligation to keep it.

8. Your Privacy Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal information
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Delete your account and data (Section 7)
• Manage your notification preferences
• Request an export of your data
• Object to certain data processing

To exercise these rights, please contact us at the email address provided below.

9. Age Requirement

SquadUp is intended for users aged 18 and over. We don't currently run an automated age check at sign-up, so this is a condition you agree to when you register rather than something we independently verify. If you believe a child has an account or has given us personal information, please contact us so we can remove it.

10. International Data Transfers

Your data is stored in the United Kingdom. Some of our service providers (Section 5.3) may process data in other countries. These countries may have different data protection laws than your own. By using our Service, you consent to such transfers.

11. Cookies

We use one essential cookie to keep you signed in (your session cookie). We don't use advertising or tracking cookies. Our site analytics are designed to work without cookies.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.