Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

HymnGather ("we", "us", or "our") is a faith-based music community platform that helps musicians, groups, and venues discover and connect with one another. Our website is located at hymngather.com.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly and information generated automatically when you use the platform.

Information you provide:

• Account details (name, email address, password) via Clerk authentication
• Profile information (bio, genres, location, photos, social links)
• Content you post (events, messages, booking inquiries)
• Newsletter subscription email address
• Communications you send to other users or to us

Information collected automatically:

• Browser type, device type, and IP address
• Pages visited and features used (via Cloudflare Analytics)
• Error and performance data (via Sentry)

3. How We Use Your Information

• To create and manage your account
• To display your profile to other community members
• To facilitate connections, messages, and booking inquiries
• To send you service emails (account activity, RSVPs, newsletters you opted into)
• To improve the platform and fix bugs
• To comply with legal obligations

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share data only in these limited circumstances:

• Service providers — Clerk (authentication), Cloudinary (image storage), Neon/PostgreSQL (database), Cloudflare (CDN and analytics), Sentry (error monitoring). Each provider processes data only as needed to deliver their service.
• Other users — Profile information you mark as public is visible to other logged-in members.
• Legal requirements — We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the rights and safety of our users.

5. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will deactivate it and remove or anonymize your personal information within 90 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal reasons. Relational data (e.g., past event records) may be preserved in anonymized form.

6. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies solely to keep you logged in and to collect anonymous analytics data (page views, performance metrics). We do not use advertising cookies or share data with advertisers.

7. Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or export your personal data. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the address below. We will respond within 30 days.

You may unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time using the unsubscribe link included in every email.

8. Children's Privacy

HymnGather is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

9. Security

We implement industry-standard safeguards including encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS), server-side authentication tokens, and restricted database access. No system is completely secure; please use a strong, unique password and report any suspected security issues to us immediately.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "last updated" date at the top of the page. Continued use of HymnGather after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.