Privacy Policy
How Paint the Blocks (painttheblocks.com) collects, uses, and protects your information.
Who We Are
Paint the Blocks is a territory-mapping fitness product operated on painttheblocks.com. For privacy questions contact contact@painttheblocks.com.
Information We Collect
- Account data — name, display name, email, password hash (or Google account id if you use Google sign-in).
- Activity & map data — GPS tracks and activity metadata needed to paint 2km squares (from Strava, Garmin, or route-file import), claimed squares, streaks, and related stats.
- Wearable connections — Secure connection tokens for Strava and Garmin when you connect those services, used to sync your Activities and (when you choose) share outings.
- Device & session data — trusted-device cookies (optional, up to 30 days), session identifiers, and security logs.
- Technical logs — IP address and user-agent on security events for signed-in accounts (UsersHistory / sessions), used for abuse prevention.
- Support messages — chatbot conversations and emails you send to support.
How We Use Information
- Provide and improve the map, Races, Clubs, quests, trip planner, and related features.
- Authenticate you, keep you signed in when you opt in, and protect accounts.
- Sync Activities you authorize from Strava.
- When you choose to share, send recorded Activities to Strava. Planned routes can be downloaded as GPX for Strava Route Builder.
- Respond to support requests and investigate abuse or security issues.
- Send transactional email (for example account approval or password reset) when required.
Legal Bases (Where Applicable)
Where GDPR or similar laws apply, we process data to perform our contract with you (providing the service), with your consent (for example connecting Strava or trusting a device), and for legitimate interests such as security and service improvement.
Sharing
- We do not sell your personal data.
- We only post Activities to Strava when you explicitly choose to share them (or turn on optional sharing when you record an outing).
- Public features you choose (for example share cards, public race/club pages, leaderboards) may show your display name and painted territory stats.
- Service providers (hosting, email delivery) process data only as needed to run Paint the Blocks.
- We may disclose information if required by law or to protect Users and the service.
Cookies & Local Storage
We use essential cookies/session storage for login, CSRF protection, and optional trusted devices. Local storage may remember light UI preferences. These are required for the app to work securely.
Retention
- Account and map data are kept while your account is active.
- You can archive your account (hidden from public boards; painted squares stay in the archive) or permanently delete it from Settings. Permanent deletion removes your activities, photos, and account after you confirm with your password and two-factor code if enabled. Some records may remain in backups for a limited period.
- Security-related account history is retained as needed for abuse prevention and support; we do not keep a separate anonymous visitor log.
Your Choices & Rights
- Update profile details and play settings in Settings.
- Disconnect Strava or Garmin, revoke trusted devices, or archive or permanently delete your account from Settings.
- Request access, correction, or erasure by emailing contact@painttheblocks.com or using the in-app assistant when signed in.
- You may also have rights under local law (for example GDPR) to object or restrict certain processing.
Children
Family / kids mode changes gameplay (for example smaller blocks) but Paint the Blocks is not directed at children under 13 (or the equivalent age in your region) without appropriate guardian consent. Contact us if you believe we hold a child’s data in error.
Security
We use HTTPS where configured, password hashing, CSRF protection on writes, and access controls for admin tools. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure; please use a strong unique password.
International Transfers
Depending on hosting and connected providers (Google, Strava, Garmin, email), data may be processed in the UK, EU, US, or other regions with appropriate safeguards where required.
Changes
We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top will change when we do. Continued use of the service after updates means you accept the revised policy.
Contact
Email contact@painttheblocks.com, or sign in and use the on-site assistant.