Privacy Policy

What we collect, why we collect it, and your rights as a user.

Effective Date: June 23, 2026 · Last Updated: June 23, 2026 · Version: 1.0

1. Who We Are

TentPole, Inc. ("TentPole," "we") operates the TentPole platform at thetentpole.com. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect personal information.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

Account info: name, email, password, role (organizer/vendor), business name, phone
Profile info: avatar, bio, business address, social links
Event info (organizers): event name, dates, location, descriptions, photos, terms, booth fees
Application info (vendors): product category, booth needs, samples, references
Payment info: handled by PayPal — we receive token references, not full card numbers
Communications: messages with other users, support tickets
Tax info: when required (W-9 for US vendors paid above $600/year)

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

Usage data: pages viewed, actions taken, timestamps, referrer URLs
Device data: IP address, browser type, OS, screen size
Cookies and similar: session cookies, preference cookies — see our Cookie Policy
Error data: stack traces and console output sent to Sentry for debugging

2.3 Information from Third Parties

Payment processors (PayPal): transaction status, partial card info, dispute notifications
OAuth providers (Google, etc.): name, email when you sign in
Analytics: aggregated, anonymized data

3. How We Use Information

Purpose	Examples
Provide the Service	Process applications, send messages, accept payments, generate booth layouts
Account management	Authenticate, send password resets, notify of activity
Communicate	Transactional emails, security alerts, billing notices
Improve the Service	Debug errors, monitor performance, analyze feature use
Marketing	Send product updates, newsletters (opt-out anytime)
AI features	Send relevant content to AI providers (Anthropic) to generate suggestions
Legal and compliance	Respond to subpoenas, prevent fraud, enforce our Terms
Tax reporting	Issue 1099-K forms to vendors over IRS thresholds

4. Legal Bases (GDPR / EEA Users)

If you are in the European Economic Area, UK, or Switzerland, we process your personal data based on:

Contract performance — to deliver the Service you signed up for
Legitimate interest — to improve security, prevent abuse, send service updates
Consent — for marketing emails, optional cookies, AI feature opt-ins
Legal obligation — to comply with tax, fraud, and law enforcement requirements

5. Sharing Information

We share personal information only as follows:

Between platform users. When you apply to an event, the organizer sees your application and contact info. When you organize an event, vendors who apply see your profile.
Service providers (sub-processors). Supabase (database, auth, file storage), PayPal (payments), Anthropic (AI), Resend (email), Sentry (error monitoring), Netlify (hosting), Cloudflare (security). Full list in our DPA.
Legal authorities. When required by law, court order, or to protect rights, safety, or property.
Business transfers. If TentPole is acquired or merges, personal data may transfer subject to this Policy.
With your consent. For any other sharing.

We do not sell personal information.

6. Data Retention

Active accounts: retained for the duration of the account.
Closed accounts: personal data is deleted or anonymized within 90 days of account closure, except where retention is required by law (e.g., tax records: 7 years).
Backups: may persist up to 30 days after deletion before purge.
Logs: error logs retained 90 days, security logs retained 1 year.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have rights to:

Access your personal data we hold
Correct inaccurate data
Delete your data ("right to be forgotten")
Export your data in a portable format
Restrict or object to certain processing
Withdraw consent at any time
Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

To exercise these rights, email privacy@thetentpole.com. We will respond within 30 days (45 days for complex requests).

8. California Privacy Rights (CCPA / CPRA)

California residents have additional rights:

The right to know what personal information we collect
The right to delete personal information
The right to correct inaccurate information
The right to opt out of "sale" or "sharing" — we do not sell or share for cross-context behavioral advertising
The right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights

To submit a CCPA request, email privacy@thetentpole.com with subject "CCPA Request."

9. Security

We implement industry-standard safeguards including:

Encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+)
Encryption at rest for database storage
Row-level security policies in our database
Multi-factor authentication for staff accessing production
Regular security reviews and dependency audits
Incident response procedures

No system is 100% secure. If you suspect a security issue, contact security@thetentpole.com.

10. International Data Transfers

TentPole stores data primarily in the United States. If you access the Service from outside the US, your information will be transferred to and processed in the US. Where required, we use standard contractual clauses or equivalent safeguards.

11. Children's Privacy

TentPole is not directed to children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we learn we have done so, we will delete it.

12. Third-Party Links

The Service may link to third-party websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Review their policies before using.

13. Cookies

We use cookies as described in our Cookie Policy. You can control cookies via your browser settings.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy. Material changes will be notified by email or in-app notice at least 30 days before taking effect.

15. Contact

TentPole, Inc.
Privacy: privacy@thetentpole.com
General: support@thetentpole.com
Address: [Insert registered Delaware business address]