Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Pieces ("we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, use our services, or engage with our platform. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By accessing or using our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy.

1.1 Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to all users of Pieces and covers information collected through our website, applications, smart contract operations, and communications.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of information from and about you:

2.1 Personal Identification Information

Information that you provide directly to us when creating an account or using our Services:

Email address
Account credentials and authentication data
Profile information, including username and display preferences
Communications and correspondence with us

2.2 Financial and Transaction Information

Information related to your financial activities on our platform:

Blockchain wallet addresses connected to your account
On-chain transaction data related to our platform, including Piece creations, backings, refunds, and claims (publicly visible on-chain)
Piece funding goals and amounts
Smart contract interactions and events specific to our Services

Note: We do not have access to your external wallet transaction history or transactions unrelated to our platform. We only process cryptocurrency transactions and do not collect traditional payment method information (e.g., credit cards, bank accounts).

2.3 Technical and Usage Information

Information automatically collected when you access or use our Services:

Device information, including device type, operating system, browser type, and unique device identifiers
IP address and approximate geographic location
Usage data, including pages visited, features used, time spent, and navigation patterns
Referral sources and clickstream data
Performance data, error logs, and diagnostic information

2.4 Content and Piece Information

Information you provide when creating or engaging with content:

Piece titles, descriptions, and metadata
Source content files (encrypted at rest and released publicly if the Piece's funding goal is met) and optional preview files (publicly visible from the moment the Piece is published)
Content identifiers stored on public blockchains and decentralized storage
Comments, messages, and other user-generated content

2.5 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third-party sources, including:

Authentication providers: When you sign in using Google, we receive your email address from Google. We use this information solely to create and authenticate your Pieces account.
Payment processors: When you use fiat-to-crypto purchase services through our platform, your information may be shared with our payment processor (Coinbase) to facilitate the transaction. Coinbase's handling of your data is governed by their own Privacy Policy.
Blockchain network data and public ledgers
Analytics and service providers
Fraud prevention and security services

2.6 Google API Services User Data Policy

Pieces's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

3.1 Service Provision and Operations

Provide, maintain, and improve our Services
Process and execute transactions, including smart contract operations
Create and manage your account
Authenticate your identity and prevent unauthorized access
Enable Piece creation, backing, and content distribution
Process refunds and fund claims

3.2 Communications and Support

Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
Send transactional notifications, such as Piece status updates and confirmations
Provide important service announcements and security alerts
Send marketing communications and promotional materials (with your consent, where required)

3.3 Platform Improvement and Development

Analyze usage patterns to improve our Services and user experience
Develop new features, products, and services
Conduct research, testing, and analysis
Monitor and analyze trends, usage, and activities

3.4 Security, Fraud Prevention, and Compliance

Detect, prevent, and address fraud, security breaches, and prohibited activities
Verify identity and maintain security of accounts and transactions
Comply with legal obligations, including anti-money laundering (AML) requirements
Enforce our Terms of Service and other policies
Protect our rights, property, and safety, and that of our users and others
Respond to legal requests and prevent harm

3.5 Analytics

We use analytics services, including product analytics and session recording, to understand how our Services are used and to improve the platform. This includes pages visited, features used, clicks, and navigation patterns. Sensitive information like wallet addresses, private keys, and transaction amounts is always excluded, and input fields are masked in session recordings.

You can opt out of analytics anytime in Settings → Privacy Settings.

4. Data Security and Retention

4.1 Security Measures

We implement commercially reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including encryption in transit and at rest, secure authentication, and access controls. However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

4.2 Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, or as required by law. When no longer necessary, we securely delete or anonymize it.

We may share your personal information in the following circumstances:

5.1 Service Providers

We engage third-party service providers for cloud hosting, analytics, authentication, email delivery, and security. These providers access your information only to perform services on our behalf and are obligated not to use it for other purposes.

5.2 Legal and Regulatory Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities, including to:

Comply with legal obligations, court orders, or legal process
Respond to lawful requests from government authorities
Enforce our Terms of Service or other agreements
Protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of others
Investigate or prevent fraud, security breaches, or illegal activities

5.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or prominent notice on our website of any change in ownership or use of your personal information, as well as any choices you may have regarding your personal information.

5.4 Blockchain and On-Chain Data

When you interact with blockchain networks through our Services, certain information becomes publicly available on distributed ledgers. This includes:

Wallet addresses associated with your account
Transaction hashes, amounts, and timestamps
Smart contract events (Piece creation, backings, refunds, claims)
Content identifiers

This information is recorded on public blockchains and is not under our control. It may be accessed, copied, and stored by third parties indefinitely. We do not control blockchain nodes, validators, or infrastructure outside of our own systems.

Important: We never have access to, collect, or store your private keys, seed phrases, or wallet passwords. You are solely responsible for the security of your wallet credentials.

5.5 Public Content Release

When a Piece's funding goal is met, the source content is released publicly. Released content and any preview files are stored on decentralized storage networks (such as IPFS) and are accessible to anyone. Once released, content may be copied, mirrored, or stored by third parties indefinitely, and may be difficult or impossible to fully remove. Do not include sensitive personal information, the personal information of others without consent, or anything you are not comfortable making permanently public.

5.6 Aggregated and Anonymized Data

We may share aggregated or anonymized information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you. This includes statistics, research findings, and usage trends shared with partners, researchers, or the public.

6. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. These rights may include:

6.1 Access and Portability

Right to Access: Request confirmation of whether we process your personal information and obtain a copy of that information
Right to Data Portability: Receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and transmit it to another controller

6.2 Correction and Deletion

Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information
Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., legal obligations, establishment of legal claims)

6.3 Processing Restrictions

Right to Restrict Processing: Request limitation of how we process your personal information in certain circumstances
Right to Object: Object to processing of your personal information based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes
Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, withdraw that consent at any time (without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal)

6.4 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, you may:

Access your account settings at Settings → Privacy Settings
Contact us at [email protected]
Submit a request through our support channels

We will respond to your request within 30 days (or as otherwise required by applicable law). We may require verification of your identity before processing certain requests to protect your privacy and security.

6.5 Limitations

Please note that certain rights may be subject to limitations based on applicable law, including:

Legal obligations that require us to retain certain information
Information recorded on public blockchains, which we cannot modify or delete after recording
Information necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims
Anonymized or aggregated data that cannot reasonably be linked back to you individually

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

7.1 Types of Technologies Used

We use cookies, web beacons, local storage, and similar technologies to collect information about your use of our Services. These technologies serve various purposes:

Essential Cookies: Required for core functionality, including authentication, security, and session management
Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how users interact with our Services (subject to your consent preferences)
Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences

7.2 Managing Cookies

You can control cookie preferences through:

Your account settings at Settings → Privacy Settings
Your browser settings (note that disabling cookies may affect functionality)

7.3 Do Not Track

We honor Do Not Track (DNT) signals when transmitted by your browser. When a DNT signal is detected, we do not track, plant non-essential cookies, or use advertising technologies.

8. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States, where our servers and service providers are located. These countries may have data protection laws that differ from those in your jurisdiction.

When we transfer personal information internationally, we implement appropriate safeguards, including:

Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission
Adequacy decisions recognizing equivalent data protection
Other legally recognized transfer mechanisms

9. Age Requirement

9.1 Age Restrictions

Our Services are intended for adults. We do not direct the Services to, and do not knowingly collect personal information from, anyone under 18 (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, whichever is greater). If you are under 18, do not use our Services or provide any information to us. In addition, consistent with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 under any circumstances.

9.2 Parental Notice

If we learn that we have collected personal information from a minor without the required consent, we will take steps to delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe we may have collected information from a minor, please contact us at [email protected].

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via email or prominent notice on the Service and update the "Last Updated" date above.

11. Contact Information

For questions or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, contact us at [email protected].

If you are in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, you may lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority if we have not adequately addressed your concerns.