Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

• Account information: username, email address, platform usernames, platform, and games you select.
• Content you create: video highlights, posts, comments, messages, and player ratings you submit.
• Usage data: interactions with posts, communities, and features, used to personalize your feed.
• Device information: device type, operating system, and identifiers needed for push notifications and app performance.
• Payment and creator finance records: account and transaction references, purchased point quantities and amounts, gift senders and recipients, transaction dates and statuses, source funding and processing fees, earnings statements, expense allocations, payout amounts and statuses, agreement versions and acceptance records when collected, and refund, dispute, or financial hold records. Restricted sandbox tools currently create test records. Live financial services remain disabled.

2. How We Use Information

We use the information we collect to operate and improve the App, personalize your feed and player recommendations, enable communities and messaging, maintain safety and trust (including the Run Together rating system), and communicate with you about updates and support requests. We also use financial records to verify test transactions, attribute gifts to purchase funding, calculate and reconcile creator earnings, review expenses, prevent duplicate credits or payouts, investigate refunds and disputes, and maintain accounting and security records. If live services launch, these records will support the corresponding payment and payout functions.

3. Sharing of Information

Content you post publicly, such as highlights, comments, and profile information, is visible to other users of the App. We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with service providers who help us operate the App (such as cloud hosting and analytics providers) under confidentiality obligations, or when required by law. When website payment protection is requested, Google reCAPTCHA Enterprise and Firebase App Check process browser, device and network signals to help prevent automated abuse. This security check is separate from optional analytics and does not itself take payment. Google’s Privacy Policy applies. We use Stripe for restricted payment and connected account testing and plan to use it for approved live services. We exchange account identifiers, transaction references, amounts, status information, and information necessary for verification, fraud prevention, and the requested service. Stripe also processes information for its own legal and regulatory responsibilities under its Privacy Policy.

4. Your Choices

You can update your profile information, manage notification preferences, and delete content you've posted from within the App. You can permanently delete your account from Settings in the App. Account deletion removes your profile, uploaded posts, authored comments and messages, ratings, activity data, and other records linked to your account, except information we must retain to comply with law, prevent fraud, or resolve disputes.

5. Data Retention & Security

We retain information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the App's features. We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information, but no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. Access to private expense review notes and finance administration is restricted to authorized staff and service providers. Creators receive their own earnings and payout information rather than other creators' private records. A gift may display the sender's public username, recipient, and point amount to its audience; bank details and private earnings are not part of that display.

Financial, agreement, support, and security records may need to remain after account deletion for accounting, applicable legal obligations, fraud prevention, or dispute resolution. We retain them only for those purposes for as long as needed, restrict access, and delete or deidentify them when no longer required. Deleting a Merq account does not automatically delete records Stripe must retain under its own obligations. Contact us with financial record access or deletion requests.

6. Children's Privacy

The App is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

7. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will identify updates with the date at the top of this page and provide notice of material changes through the App or another appropriate channel. Where required, we will request consent before processing information for a new purpose.

Website Privacy and Consent

Website account creation uses your email and password or a Google sign-in. Your username and selected games support your profile and player matching. Platform usernames remain in your private account record until shared through a feature you request, such as accepting a run request. Profile photos, bios, and additional platform usernames are optional. General website signup does not request your precise location, address, payment card details, or a full birth date. When you choose a supported payment or creator onboarding flow, Stripe may separately request billing, identity, tax, or bank information on its hosted pages. Merq does not ask you to send raw card numbers, security codes, bank login credentials, or identity documents through our support forms. Our current hosted integration receives relevant account references, verification requirements and status, and transaction records rather than storing raw card numbers, bank account numbers, or identity documents in Merq's database. Use only Stripe's designated test values in sandbox onboarding.

Support reports include your account ID, name and email for follow-up, the category, title, description, and any troubleshooting details you choose to supply. Device, app version, and reproduction steps are optional. Do not include passwords, payment details, or unnecessary personal information. Reports are handled by authorized staff and service providers.

Optional website session analytics and viewing-based personalization require your choice before collection. These records are linked to your account ID. You can withdraw either choice through “Privacy choices” on any page. Rejecting them does not prevent use of core features. Likes, saves, messages, community membership, tournament registrations, and current live-viewer presence are still stored when needed to carry out your requested action. The website does not initialize Google Analytics or advertising pixels.

Firebase provides authentication, database, storage, and backend functions; Vercel provides website hosting; Agora delivers requested live audio and video. They process connection, device, and service information needed for those functions. Studio uses camera, microphone, and screen access only after your action and browser permission. Live content and public posts can be visible to other people. See our Cookie Policy for browser storage and controls. Website choices do not change mobile-app analytics settings.

Privacy Requests and International Visitors

Contact support@merqapp.com to request access, correction, deletion, or a copy of your information, or to object to or restrict processing where applicable law provides those rights. We may need to verify account ownership using the minimum information necessary. If a request is denied, reply to ask for review. You may also complain to your relevant privacy regulator.

Where data-protection law requires a legal basis, we process account and feature data to provide requested services, optional website tracking with consent, and security or abuse-prevention data for legitimate interests or legal obligations as applicable. We do not sell personal information or use the website for cross-site targeted advertising. Providers may process data in the United States or other countries; applicable transfer safeguards are required where law mandates them.

Website tracking choices stop new optional collection; they do not erase earlier records. Optional records follow the account retention described above. Support and security records are retained as needed to resolve the issue, maintain safety, or satisfy legal obligations. Contact us about deleting records that are no longer needed.

8. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at support@merqapp.com.