Privacy Policy

🛡️ Privacy Policy for Hoops Central

Effective Date: 05/29/2025

At Hoops Central your privacy is a big deal — right up there with buzzer-beaters and game-winning dunks. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and what rights you have when you visit our site at [https://hoops-central.com/].

🧑‍💻 Who We Are

Website: Hoops Central
Tagline: Your slam-dunk source for premier basketball news and insights.

📥 What Personal Data We Collect (and Why)

🗨️ Comments

When you leave a comment, we collect the data shown in the comment form, plus your IP address and browser user agent to help keep spam off the court.

An anonymized string from your email may be sent to the Gravatar service to check if you use it. Gravatar’s privacy policy is here. After approval, your profile picture may show up with your comment.

📸 Media Uploads

If you upload images, avoid including location data (EXIF GPS) — visitors could download and extract that info.

📬 Contact Forms

Any info you provide via contact forms is used only for customer service or editorial feedback. We don’t sell, rent, or trade it — ever.

🍪 Cookies

We use cookies to:

  • Save your comment info (name, email, site) for convenience
  • Manage login sessions and screen preferences
  • Track site performance via analytics tools

Cookie Lifespans:

  • Comment info: 1 year
  • Login/session: 2 days (2 weeks if “Remember Me” is checked)
  • Published article cookie: 1 day

🔗 Embedded Content from Other Sites

Articles may include embedded content (like YouTube videos or tweets). These behave as if you visited the other site, which may collect data, use cookies, and track interactions.

📊 Analytics

We use analytics tools to understand what content you love most (highlight reels, game recaps, trade rumors — we get it). These tools may collect non-personal data such as browser type, device info, and page views.

🤝 Who We Share Your Data With

Your data is not sold or shared for marketing. Visitor comments may be scanned through spam detection services.

📆 How Long We Keep Your Data

  • Comments and metadata: indefinitely (for smoother follow-up moderation)
  • Registered users: your profile info is stored as long as your account exists. You can view/edit/delete your data anytime (except your username).

⚖️ Your Rights Over Your Data

You can request:

  • A copy of your data
  • Deletion of any personal data we hold

Note: We may retain some data for administrative, legal, or security reasons.

🌍 Where We Send Your Data

Comments may be scanned by automated spam filters.

🔒 How We Protect Your Data

We use best practices, including:

  • HTTPS encryption
  • Limited access to admin tools
  • Regular site updates and backups

🛠 Additional Info

  • We don’t currently use profiling or automated decision-making tools.
  • If there’s ever a data breach, we’ll notify users and follow required protocols.

📬 Contact

Have questions about this policy? Email us at: [contact@hoops-central.com]