Privacy Policy for The Common Ground

1. Introduction

Welcome to The Common Ground ("TCG," "we," "our," or "us"). TCG is a debate‑centric mobile application and website operated in the United States by its co‑founders, Aakash Gnanakumar and Arjun Ponnala ("the Operators"). This Privacy Policy explains—in plain but formal language—what limited personal data we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, and the safeguards in place to protect it. By accessing or using TCG, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Policy.

2. What information we collect and why

We do not collect names, email addresses, precise geolocation, contact lists, device fingerprints, advertising identifiers, or payment information. We do not serve ads or sell personal data.

3. How we use your information

1. Authentication & account security – Phone numbers and User IDs let us verify accounts and maintain login sessions.
2. Debate functionality – Discussion text and vote counts let the community see and respond to ideas while keeping individual identities private.
3. Safety & moderation – User IDs and blocking data help us act on abuse reports and enforce community guidelines.
4. Analytics & improvement – Summaries and scores from OpenAI help us understand which topics resonate, measure overall civility, and steer new feature development.

4. Data retention

• Phone number & User ID – Retained until you delete your account. We do not delete accounts for inactivity.
• Discussion answers & replies – Erased from primary and backup storage no later than five (5) days after analytic processing.
• Votes – Stored in anonymized, aggregate form indefinitely; individual votes cannot be reverse‑engineered.
• Blocking data – Kept until you remove the block or delete your account.

Automated scripts run daily to confirm that time‑limited data has been wiped from both active databases and encrypted backups.

5. Where your data is processed

All data is processed and stored exclusively in the United States. We do not transfer personal data outside U.S. borders.

6. How we share information

• OpenAI, LLC (United States) – Receives only de‑identified discussion text for real‑time summarization under a written data‑processing agreement.
• SMS gateway provider (United States) – Receives your phone number solely to deliver verification codes.
• Legal authorities – We disclose information only when required by valid legal process (e.g., court order or subpoena) and will attempt to notify you unless prohibited.

We never share personal data with advertisers, marketers, or data brokers.

7. Security measures

All data is handled by Google Firebase, which means they are in sole control of data loss, theft, etc. TCG is not held responsible for any of their actions. Access to Firebase projects is restricted to the two Operators through Google Cloud IAM with multi‑factor authentication. Firestore security rules further limit read/write operations to authenticated sessions. The votes collection is isolated from user credentials to prevent re‑identification.

We do not implement custom encryption algorithms or bespoke protection layers beyond those supplied by Google Firebase.

8. Your privacy choices and rights

Because TCG operates solely in the United States, our primary legal obligations arise under U.S. federal and state privacy laws. Regardless of your state, we voluntarily honor the following rights:

• Correction – You may ask us to fix inaccurate or incomplete data (e.g., an outdated phone number).
• Deletion – You may delete your account at any time, after which all associated phone numbers, User IDs, and residual discussion text are erased within five (5) days.
• Objection / opt‑out – You may opt out of analytic processing by emailing us.

California residents also have the right to know what categories of personal information we collect and to request deletion or correction under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA). TCG does not "sell" personal information as that term is defined by California law.

You can exercise any right by emailing thecommonground366@gmail.com. We aim to respond within 30 days.

9. Children's privacy

TCG is not directed to children under 17 years of age. We do not knowingly collect data from minors. If you believe a minor has provided data, please contact us so we can delete it promptly.

10. Changes to this Policy

If we add new data types or materially change how we handle existing data, we will post the updated Policy in‑app and on our website. We will also display an update notice the next time you open or bring TCG to the foreground, on the day the new Policy takes effect. Continued use of TCG after you have been shown this notice constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.

11. Contact information