Overview
This Privacy Policy explains how HoopingNow collects, uses, stores, shares, protects and deletes personal data when people use the HoopingNow mobile application, website and related services, together called the Service.
HoopingNow is an early-stage basketball community app based in the United Arab Emirates and made available to adult users in the UAE and other countries. It helps players discover courts and nearby games, create or join games from 1v1 to 5v5, organize or join tournaments, maintain player profiles, record results and receive community ratings or recognition.
HoopingNow acts as the controller or responsible operator of personal data processed for the Service. This Policy is intended as a worldwide baseline and reflects Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 Concerning the Protection of Personal Data in the UAE. Additional rights and obligations may apply under the law of a user's country, including the GDPR or UK GDPR, United States state privacy laws, Brazil's LGPD and other applicable privacy laws. Where this Policy conflicts with a mandatory legal requirement, the mandatory requirement applies.
Who may use HoopingNow
The Service is intended only for people aged 18 or older. HoopingNow does not knowingly create accounts for, or intentionally collect personal data from, anyone under 18. If a minor appears to have created an account, HoopingNow may restrict the account and delete the associated data where appropriate.
Personal data we collect
Information you provide
- Account information, including name, username, email address, mobile number, authentication credentials, age confirmation, profile photo and optional profile details.
- Basketball profile information, including playing position, skill level, availability, preferred game formats, home area, biography, statistics, attendance, ratings, badges and recognition.
- Game and tournament information, including activities created or joined, venue, date and time, roster, teams, organizer status, attendance, scores, results, cancellations and reports.
- User content, including photos, videos, captions, comments, descriptions and other material uploaded or shared through the Service.
- Communications and support information, including messages, reports, blocked-user selections, complaints, survey responses and correspondence through the App.
- Limited information received from optional Apple, Google or other sign-in services according to the user's settings and choices.
Location information
With device permission, the App may access approximate or precise location while the App is being used to show nearby courts, games and tournaments, calculate distance, assist with venue selection and improve local recommendations. HoopingNow does not require continuous background location for its current public-beta features.
Users may deny or withdraw location permission through their device settings. Where available, they may search by entering an area, court or venue manually. Disabling location may reduce the accuracy of nearby discovery.
Information collected automatically
- Device and technical data, including IP address, device type, operating system, App version, language, time zone, installation identifiers, push-notification token and network information.
- Usage and diagnostic data, including screens viewed, feature interactions, searches, timestamps, crash logs, error reports, performance data and security events.
- Essential website technologies used for operation, preferences, security and basic analytics. Non-essential cookies or tracking will require an appropriate notice and choice where required.
Information from other users
HoopingNow may receive information about a user from organizers and participants, including attendance, results, ratings, reports and content in which that user appears. Community ratings and game records may therefore contain information submitted by other users.
Data we do not require
HoopingNow does not require medical records, biometric identifiers, government identification numbers, bank-account information or payment-card details for its current Service. Any participation or venue payment is arranged directly and outside the App between players, hosts, organizers, venues or providers. HoopingNow does not collect or process payment credentials.
How we use personal data
- Create, authenticate, secure and manage user accounts.
- Display profiles, games, tournaments, rosters, results, ratings, statistics and community recognition.
- Provide nearby discovery, venue selection and distance-based features.
- Send confirmations, reminders, cancellations, safety notices, moderation updates and enabled push notifications.
- Enable coordination between players, hosts and organizers.
- Detect fake accounts, manipulated ratings, fraud, security threats and other abuse.
- Review User Content, investigate reports, block abusive users and enforce the Terms and Conditions.
- Troubleshoot errors, perform analytics and improve the App's performance, reliability and user experience.
- Comply with law, respond to lawful authority requests, protect users and establish or defend legal claims.
Legal grounds and permissions
HoopingNow processes personal data only where permitted by applicable law. Depending on the activity and jurisdiction, processing may be based on consent, steps requested by the user, performance of the Service agreement, compliance with a legal obligation, protection of vital interests, legitimate interests that are not overridden by the user's rights, or another lawful ground.
Device permissions for location, photos, camera and notifications are controlled through the operating system. The App will request a permission only when relevant to a feature and will provide a purpose notice where required. Permission can be withdrawn through device settings, although the related feature may stop working.
What other users can see
A username, profile photo, basketball level, position, statistics, ratings, badges, public game activity and published User Content may be visible to other users. Organizers and participants may see roster and coordination information needed for a game or tournament.
Public content can be copied, recorded or reshared by other people outside HoopingNow's control. Users should not publish information they want to keep private. Deleting an account or post may not remove copies independently saved or lawfully retained by others.
When we share personal data
HoopingNow does not sell personal data and does not currently use personal data for targeted or cross-context behavioural advertising. Personal data may be disclosed only as reasonably necessary:
- To other users and organizers through profiles, rosters, ratings, results, communication and chosen social features.
- To service providers supporting hosting, authentication, maps, analytics, crash reporting, notifications, moderation, support and security under appropriate data-protection obligations.
- To venues or event partners where necessary for an activity selected by the user and after an appropriate notice or consent where required.
- To professional advisers, insurers or transaction parties subject to confidentiality and lawful safeguards.
- To courts, regulators, law-enforcement agencies or other authorities where required or permitted by law or reasonably necessary to protect rights, safety or the public.
- As part of a lawful reorganization, financing, acquisition or transfer of the Service, subject to appropriate protection and notice.
Storage and international processing
HoopingNow and its service providers may process personal data in the UAE and other countries where they operate or maintain infrastructure. These countries may have privacy laws that differ from those in the user's location.
Where required, HoopingNow will use a lawful transfer mechanism and appropriate safeguards, such as an adequacy decision, approved contractual clauses, consent or another mechanism permitted by applicable law. HoopingNow will apply the transfer requirements of UAE law and, where applicable, the EEA, UK, Switzerland and other relevant jurisdictions.
Data retention
HoopingNow keeps personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary to operate and test the Service, protect users, resolve disputes and meet legal obligations. The current retention approach is:
- Account and profile data: while the account remains active.
- Deleted accounts: production account data deleted or irreversibly anonymized within 30 days after a valid deletion request; encrypted backups may remain for up to 90 additional days before routine overwrite.
- Public posts and uploaded content: until deleted by the user, removed through moderation or deleted with the account, subject to safety, dispute and legal-retention needs.
- Game, tournament, attendance, score and rating records: normally no longer than 24 months after the relevant activity unless a longer period is justified.
- Security and technical logs: normally up to 12 months unless needed for an active investigation.
- Support, complaint and moderation records: normally up to 24 months after closure, or longer where needed for safety, enforcement or legal claims.
- Aggregated or irreversibly anonymized information: may be retained because it no longer identifies an individual.
Account and data deletion
Users may request permanent account deletion through the account or privacy controls made available inside the HoopingNow App. HoopingNow may verify the request before processing it. Deletion means deletion or irreversible anonymization of associated personal data, not merely account deactivation.
Narrowly limited information may be retained where required by law or reasonably necessary for security, fraud prevention, enforcement of a ban, dispute resolution or legal claims. If a deleted user's activity forms part of a shared game record, HoopingNow may anonymize that part of the record rather than deleting the entire shared activity.
User rights and choices
Subject to applicable law and lawful exceptions, users may request information about processing, access their personal data, obtain a portable copy where applicable, correct inaccurate data, request erasure, restrict or object to certain processing, withdraw consent and challenge inaccurate or abusive ratings. HoopingNow will not discriminate against a user for exercising a legally protected privacy right.
A privacy request may be submitted to privacy@hoopingnow.com or through the privacy contact method displayed inside the HoopingNow App or on the official HoopingNow website. HoopingNow may request information reasonably necessary to verify identity and locate the relevant records.
Regional privacy information
EEA, United Kingdom and Switzerland
Users in these regions may have rights to access, correct, erase, restrict or object to processing, receive portable data, withdraw consent and complain to their local data-protection authority. HoopingNow does not currently make decisions based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects. Where applicable law requires a local representative or data-protection officer, the relevant contact details will be published before HoopingNow actively targets that jurisdiction.
United States
Depending on the state and whether a law applies to HoopingNow, residents may have rights to know or access, correct, delete or obtain a copy of personal information and to opt out of its sale, sharing for cross-context behavioural advertising, targeted advertising or certain profiling. HoopingNow does not currently sell personal information, share it for cross-context behavioural advertising or use it for targeted advertising. Where legally required, HoopingNow will recognize applicable opt-out preference signals and provide an appeal process for denied requests.
Brazil, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
Users in these countries may have rights to information, access, correction, deletion or anonymization, portability, withdrawal of consent and complaint to the competent privacy authority, subject to local law. HoopingNow will respond to valid requests under the law that applies to the user and the Service.
Other countries
Users may exercise any additional privacy rights available under the law that applies to them. A request should identify the user's country or region so HoopingNow can assess the correct procedure and response period.
Notifications
Users can manage optional push notifications in the App or device settings. Essential service messages may include game changes, account-security notices, moderation decisions and policy updates. HoopingNow does not currently send third-party advertising through the App.
Security and data incidents
HoopingNow uses reasonable safeguards appropriate to the data and risk, including access controls, protected credentials, secure transmission, least-privilege practices, monitoring, backups, vendor controls and incident-response procedures. No system is completely secure, and HoopingNow cannot guarantee that unauthorized access or loss will never occur.
If a personal-data incident occurs, HoopingNow will investigate, contain and remediate it and will notify the competent authority and affected users where required by applicable law.
Third-party services
The Service may link to maps, venues, social sign-in providers, app stores or other independent services. Their own privacy policies apply. HoopingNow is not responsible for an independent third party's privacy practices.
Changes to this Policy
HoopingNow may update this Policy as the public beta develops, the law changes or the Service expands. The updated version will show a new effective date. Material changes will receive an additional notice, and consent will be requested where legally required.
Contact and complaints
HoopingNow is the controller or responsible operator for the processing described in this Policy. Privacy questions, rights requests and complaints may be submitted to privacy@hoopingnow.com. General support requests may be submitted to support@hoopingnow.com or through the contact method displayed inside the HoopingNow App or on the official HoopingNow website.
Users may also raise a complaint with the UAE Data Office or the competent privacy authority in their country where applicable. HoopingNow encourages users to contact the Service first so the concern can be reviewed promptly.
HoopingNow · Dubai, United Arab Emirates · Terms and Conditions · Contact support