Privacy Policy

1. Who operates SquadPulse

SquadPulse is an independently operated UK-based Discord bot and web service for gaming communities. References to “SquadPulse”, “we”, “us” or “our” in this policy mean the operator of the SquadPulse service.

SquadPulse is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Discord.

For privacy questions or requests, contact privacy@squadpulse.co.uk.

2. Information we process

Depending on the SquadPulse features you use, we may process:

• Discord account information: Discord user IDs, usernames and basic account information made available through Discord.
• Discord server information: server IDs, server names and information needed to determine where SquadPulse is installed and how features are configured.
• Events and squads: event titles, games, creator/host IDs, player signups, attendance, team assignments, winners, results and related timestamps.
• Seasons and competitive records: season participation, points, standings, results and player records.
• Tournaments: tournament participation, team assignments, invitations, captains, results and bracket information. Private tournament invitations are linked to authorised Discord accounts rather than using shared tournament passwords.
• Discord resource identifiers: channel, message and role IDs where required to post announcements, manage rooms or operate other SquadPulse features.
• Server configuration: settings, themes, appearance preferences, event presets, room settings and other administrator-configured options.
• Dashboard login information: when you sign in using Discord OAuth, Discord provides the basic identity and server-list information required to identify you and determine which installed servers you are authorised to manage.
• Session information: information required to maintain and secure your dashboard login session.
• Operational and security information: command usage, administrative actions, installation/removal history, diagnostic information and system error records used to operate, protect and troubleshoot SquadPulse.

3. Where the information comes from

Information may be provided directly by you when you use SquadPulse, provided by Discord through the bot or Discord OAuth, entered by an authorised server administrator, or generated through your interaction with SquadPulse features.

4. Why we use information and our lawful bases

We process personal information only where we have a lawful basis to do so. Depending on the processing, our main lawful bases are:

• Legitimate interests — to operate, maintain, secure and improve SquadPulse; provide expected Discord community functionality; prevent misuse; diagnose technical problems; maintain limited operational records; and protect the service and its users.
• Contract — where processing is necessary to provide functionality that you request when using SquadPulse and the processing is necessary for the service relationship with you.
• Legal obligation — where we are required to process or retain information to comply with applicable law.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, those interests are operating a reliable and secure gaming-community service while limiting processing to information reasonably necessary for that purpose.

We do not currently rely on consent as the general lawful basis for providing SquadPulse's core bot and dashboard functionality.

5. How we use information

We use information to provide and administer SquadPulse; manage events, squads, seasons and tournaments; create and clean up Discord rooms; operate statistics and leaderboards; apply server settings; authenticate dashboard users; control administrative access; send service-related Discord messages; investigate errors and abuse; maintain security; and operate and improve the service.

6. Discord OAuth, cookies and sessions

SquadPulse does not ask for or receive your Discord password. Dashboard sign-in uses Discord OAuth. OAuth information is used to identify you and determine which SquadPulse servers you are authorised to manage.

The dashboard uses a session cookie necessary to keep you signed in and protect your session. It is used for service functionality rather than advertising. Logging out ends the current dashboard session, and browser controls can also remove cookies.

7. Sharing and service providers

SquadPulse does not sell personal information.

Information may be processed by third-party services where necessary to operate SquadPulse, including Discord and infrastructure providers used to host the bot, website and database. Privacy email may also pass through the email service used for the squadpulse.co.uk domain.

Optional donations are handled by Ko-fi under its own terms and privacy practices. SquadPulse does not require your payment-card information to provide its free features.

We may also disclose information where required by law or where reasonably necessary to protect the rights, security or integrity of SquadPulse, its users or others.

8. International processing

Some third-party providers used by SquadPulse, including Discord, may process information in countries outside the United Kingdom. Where UK data-protection law requires safeguards for an international transfer, the relevant provider or transfer arrangement is expected to use an applicable lawful transfer mechanism. You can contact us if you have questions about international processing relating to SquadPulse.

9. How long we keep information

Retention depends on the type of information and the SquadPulse feature involved.

• Command usage records: normally deleted after 90 days.
• System error logs: normally deleted after 30 days.
• Administrative audit logs: normally deleted after 365 days.
• Server installation/removal history: normally deleted after 365 days.
• Active server data: event, participation, season, tournament, statistics, configuration and related operational records may remain while SquadPulse is installed and the information is needed to provide server history or functionality.
• Removed servers: when SquadPulse is removed from a Discord server, the server is marked inactive. A 30-day grace period is used before associated server data is scheduled for deletion. This allows for accidental removal or reinstallation. After that period, SquadPulse's automated retention process removes the associated operational and user-linked server records covered by the purge process.

SquadPulse also maintains rotating service backups. Information deleted from the live database may remain temporarily in an existing backup until that backup is rotated out under the backup-retention process.

Information may exceptionally be retained for longer where reasonably necessary for security, investigation, dispute handling or a legal obligation.

10. Removing SquadPulse and deletion requests

Removing the bot from a Discord server stops normal active use for that server and begins the removed-server retention process described above. Removing SquadPulse does not necessarily cause every database and backup copy to disappear immediately.

Individuals may also ask us to review or delete personal information relating to them. User-level deletion requests are handled individually rather than through an automatic account-deletion system. We may need information sufficient to verify the request and identify the relevant Discord account or server.

Send applicable requests to privacy@squadpulse.co.uk.

11. Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis involved, UK data-protection law may give you rights including:

• the right to request access to your personal information;
• the right to request correction of inaccurate information;
• the right to request erasure of information in applicable circumstances;
• the right to request restriction of processing in applicable circumstances;
• the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests in applicable circumstances; and
• the right to data portability where that right applies.

Your right to object: where SquadPulse relies on legitimate interests, you may have the right to object to that processing. We will consider the circumstances and applicable legal requirements when responding.

These rights are not absolute and may depend on why the information is being processed. To exercise an applicable right, email privacy@squadpulse.co.uk.

12. Complaints

If you have concerns about how SquadPulse handles your personal information, please contact us first at privacy@squadpulse.co.uk so we can investigate.

You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Information about making a data-protection complaint is available from the ICO at ico.org.uk.

13. Automated decision-making

SquadPulse does not currently use personal information to make solely automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects about individuals, and it does not use personal information for advertising profiling.

14. Security

SquadPulse uses technical and organisational measures intended to protect information and restrict unauthorised access. Access to administrative functions is restricted, private tournament access is tied to authorised Discord accounts, and retention processes limit how long certain operational records remain in the live database.

No internet service can guarantee absolute security. Users and server administrators should also protect their Discord accounts, credentials and server permissions.

15. Children

SquadPulse is designed to operate through Discord and is not intended to enable anyone to bypass Discord's age requirements. If you believe personal information relating to a child is being processed inappropriately, contact privacy@squadpulse.co.uk.

16. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as SquadPulse develops, its data practices change, or legal requirements change. The effective date at the top of this page will be updated when a revised policy is published.

17. Contact

Privacy questions, rights requests and deletion requests can be sent to privacy@squadpulse.co.uk.