The short version: we collect the bare minimum needed to run your alerts: your email (from sign-in) and the classes you watch, plus a little more only to stop people from abusing the free plan. We never sell your data or use it for ads.

1. What we collect. (a) your email address and account ID, via “Sign in with Google” or “Sign in with Apple” (we never see or store your password); (b) the classes and sections you ask us to watch; (c) if you choose to receive text alerts, the mobile number you give us, together with a record of your consent (the wording you agreed to, and the date, time, and IP address it was given); (d) your IP address, used to keep the service secure, including rate-limiting and helping us spot abuse such as one person creating many accounts to get around free-plan limits; (e) a device identifier, a random ID we generate and store in your browser (a cookie and local storage) used solely to detect fraud and free-plan abuse (for example, many accounts from one device). It is not an advertising ID and is never used to track you across other websites.

2. Payment information. If you buy a paid plan, our payment provider (Stripe) processes your payment. We never see or store your full card number; we keep only a record of the transaction (such as amount, date, plan, and a payment reference) to run the service, prevent fraud, and meet legal and tax obligations.

3. What we do NOT collect. No password (sign-in is handled by Google/Apple) and we never see or store your card details (payment, if any, is handled by Stripe); no location, no browsing history, and no browser “fingerprinting”. We do run one third-party advertising tag, the Meta Pixel, which is cross-site tracking — see 7b below for exactly what it sees and how to stop it.

4. How alerts are delivered. Alerts are sent by email, and by text message if you have given consent for texts. Email is delivered through our email provider, and texts through our SMS provider (Twilio); each receives only what is needed to deliver your alert. You can change which of these you receive at any time from your account page, and you can stop texts at any time by replying STOP.

5. How we use your data. To run the watch-and-alert service, and to keep it secure and fair (see below). Nothing else.

6. Preventing abuse of the free plan. So we can keep offering a free plan, we look for signs that one person is using multiple accounts to bypass the free limit, for example accounts that share a device, network/IP address, or email, or that together watch more of a class than one free account is meant to. To do this we use only the data described above (the device identifier, IP address, sign-in email, any mobile number you gave us, and your watch activity), the minimum needed, and no invasive fingerprinting. This protects our legitimate interest in preventing fraud. If we find likely abuse, we may remove the extra watches or accounts, as permitted by our Terms of Service. These checks are reviewed by a person before any action. If you believe you were flagged by mistake, email [email protected] and a human will help sort it out.

7. Sharing. We do not sell or rent your data. The one exception is the Meta Pixel described in 7b, which reports page views and first-time signups to Meta so we can measure and target our advertising. We share nothing else for advertising — not your email address, not your phone number, not the classes you watch.

7b. Advertising & Ad Choices (Meta Pixel). Our pages load the Meta Pixel, code provided by Meta Platforms. Why we use it: to measure whether our advertising works — it tells Meta that a browser visited SeatWatch and, when someone creates their first class alert, that a signup was completed — and to let us target and optimise ads on Facebook and Instagram. What Meta receives: your IP address, browser and device information, and the address of the page. Meta may combine this with information it already holds about you. What Meta never receives from us: your name, your email address, your mobile number, your school, or any course, section or professor you watch. We have switched off Meta’s automatic matching feature, which would otherwise read those details out of the page. How to opt out. Two controls actually stop this, and both sit with you rather than with us: block the pixel in your browser — Firefox and Safari do it by default, and any ad blocker or a browser extension will do it in Chrome — or use the “Off-Facebook activity” and ad-preference controls in your Meta account to limit what Meta does with what it receives. We cannot switch Meta off for you from our end, so we are not going to promise it: the pixel runs in your browser, not on our server. What we can do, if you email [email protected], is delete your account and everything attached to it. Blocking the pixel never changes your alerts or your plan — SeatWatch works exactly the same with it blocked.

7a. Text-message (SMS) alerts. If you opt in to text alerts, we collect your mobile number and a record of your consent: the exact wording you agreed to, the date and time, and the originating IP address, used solely to send the course seat-availability alerts you requested and to honor your STOP and HELP replies. SeatWatch does not share or sell mobile phone numbers, SMS opt-in, or consent information with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. We disclose your mobile number only to our SMS delivery provider (Twilio), strictly to transmit the alerts you asked for. Message frequency varies based on the courses you monitor; message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to any alert to unsubscribe, or HELP for help. Opting in is never a condition of purchase. SeatWatch works fully without a phone number on every plan, using web push and email. See our SMS Terms & Conditions.

California residents. Where these rights apply to you, you may ask what personal information we hold about you and how it is used, and request a copy, a correction, or deletion, without being treated differently for asking. We do not sell your personal information. We do disclose limited identifiers (IP address and browser information) to Meta for advertising measurement, described in 7b, and you can opt out of that at any time by the means listed there or by emailing us. To exercise any right, email [email protected]. Nothing here is a statement about which privacy laws apply to SeatWatch; we offer these choices to everyone who asks, whether or not a statute requires it.

8. Retention. A watch is kept only while it is active. Stop it (or ask us) and it is removed. Abuse-prevention signals are kept only as long as needed to protect the service.

9. Security. We use reasonable safeguards to protect the service, but no system is 100% secure.

Data breaches. If a breach affects your personal information, we will notify you and any authorities as required by applicable law.

10. Children. SeatWatch is intended for college students and is not directed at children under 13.

11. Changes. We may update this policy; the “last updated” date above will change.

12. Contact / data removal. Want your data removed, or have a question? Contact the SeatWatch LLC team at [email protected]. You can also reach us by mail at SeatWatch LLC, 2219 York Rd, Ste 400 #1032, Timonium, MD 21093, USA.