Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
Ihtaraf is a pickup football platform operating in Kuwait at ihtaraf.com. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect when you use Ihtaraf, why we collect it, who we share it with, and the choices you have about your data.
We've tried to write this in plain language. If anything is unclear, email us at privacy@ihtaraf.com.
2. What we collect
We collect only what we need to run matches and operate the platform.
From you, when you create an account or sign up for matches
- Display name — what other players see on rosters
- Email address — for sign-in and account recovery only; never displayed publicly
- Phone number — optional; only stored if you choose to share it with an organizer
- Position — the role you play (GK / DEF / MID / ATT)
- Self-declared skill level — your initial skill rating before placement matches
From your activity on the platform
- Match signups, cancellations, and team assignments
- Skill ratings derived from your match performance
- MVP votes you give and receive
- No-show records (only marked by an organizer when you don't appear at a match you signed up for)
- Match scores and result confirmations
Automatically, when you use the website
- IP address and approximate location, derived from network routing (used for security and abuse prevention only; never stored beyond 30 days)
- Browser type and device information (used to detect mobile vs desktop layout and serve the right version of the site)
- Pages you view and basic interaction events (used only to fix bugs and improve the product; no behavioral advertising profiles are built)
We do not collect: your contacts, your photos beyond what you explicitly upload, your location beyond what's derived from your IP, or any tracking from third-party advertisers.
3. Why we collect it
- To run matches — sign you up, build rosters, balance teams, manage waitlists
- To let you sign in — authenticate your account through your email
- To show you and other players a fair record — skill ratings, MVP votes, attendance
- To resolve disputes — when scores are contested or no-shows are challenged
- To keep the platform safe — detect abuse, fraud, and inappropriate behavior
- To improve the product — understand which features are used and which are broken
We do not sell your data. We do not run behavioral advertising. We do not share your data with third parties for marketing purposes.
4. Who we share it with
To operate Ihtaraf we use a small number of trusted service providers. Each one only sees the data they need to perform their function:
- Supabase (database, authentication, real-time updates) — sees your account data, match participation, and skill ratings
- Cloudflare (website hosting and DNS) — sees your IP address and browser headers when you load any Ihtaraf page
- Resend (email delivery) — sees your email address and the content of any emails Ihtaraf sends you (account verification, match reminders)
- Tap or MyFatoorah (payment processing, when paid matches are introduced) — will see payment-card details, name, and phone number to process the transaction; we never see or store your full card number
We do not share your data with anyone else without your explicit consent, except where required by law (for example, in response to a valid legal order from a Kuwaiti court).
5. How long we keep it
- Active accounts — kept indefinitely while you continue to use the platform. We don't auto-delete inactive accounts.
- Match history — kept for the lifetime of your account so you and other players can see records of past matches.
- IP address logs — kept for up to 30 days for security and abuse prevention, then automatically deleted.
- Deleted accounts — see Section 7 below.
6. Your rights
You have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Correct any inaccurate data — most of this you can edit yourself in your profile
- Delete your account and personal data (see Section 7)
- Export your data in a machine-readable format on request
- Object to specific processing — for example, asking us to stop emailing you
- Complain to a relevant authority if you believe we've mishandled your data
To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@ihtaraf.com. We respond to all requests within 30 days.
7. Account deletion
You can request account deletion at any time by emailing privacy@ihtaraf.com. When we process a deletion request:
- Your name, email, phone number, and any profile photo are permanently removed from our database
- Your historical match participation is anonymized — your past rosters show "Former player" instead of your name. This preserves the record of those matches for the players who participated alongside you, while removing your personal identity from them.
- MVP votes and no-show records you generated stay attached to the anonymized record
- If you have a wallet balance, we will refund it to your original payment method (where possible) before deletion
- Authentication credentials and recovery tokens are immediately invalidated
Deletion is permanent. We cannot recover a deleted account or its data after the fact.
8. Security
We use industry-standard security measures to protect your data: encrypted connections (HTTPS) for all traffic, encrypted storage at rest through our database provider, and access controls that limit who on our team can see what.
No system is perfect. If we discover a security incident affecting your data, we'll notify affected users by email within 72 hours of becoming aware of it.
9. Age requirement
Ihtaraf is for adults aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has created an account, email privacy@ihtaraf.com and we will remove the account.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the platform evolves — for example, when we introduce paid matches or add new features. When we make material changes, we will:
- Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
- Send a notice by email to all active users at least 14 days before the change takes effect
- Display a notice in the app the next time you sign in
Continuing to use the platform after the change takes effect means you accept the updated policy. If you don't agree with a change, you can delete your account before the effective date.
11. How to contact us
For any privacy questions or to exercise the rights described in this policy:
Email: privacy@ihtaraf.com
Website: ihtaraf.com