This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) explains how BlockAura Classic and BlockAura Eternity (collectively, the “Tokens”) and the broader BlockAura ecosystem (the “Platform”) collect, use, disclose, and protect personal and non-personal information when you access or interact with the Platform, including official websites, documentation portals, community forums, applications, and related services. By using the Platform, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the practices described in this Policy.

1. Scope and Application

1.1 Who We Are: BlockAura is a fully decentralized, open-source blockchain ecosystem maintained by a global community. There is no central legal entity; community-maintained custodians facilitate operations but do not own or control the Platform.

1.2 What This Policy Covers: This Policy applies to:

• Personal data you voluntarily provide via forms, subscriptions, or community channels.
• Technical and usage data automatically collected through web analytics and on-chain interactions.
• Data processed by third-party service providers integrated with the Platform (e.g., analytics, hosting, wallet integrations).

1.3 Jurisdictional Variances: Regulatory requirements for data privacy vary globally. Where local laws impose stricter requirements, we comply with those obligations.

2. Definitions

• “Personal Data”: Any information that can identify an individual, directly or indirectly (e.g., name, email address, IP address when linked to an individual).
• “Non-Personal Data”: Information that does not identify an individual (e.g., aggregated usage statistics, anonymized on-chain data).
• “Process” or “Processing”: Collection, recording, organization, storage, adaptation, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure, or destruction of data.
• “You” or “User”: Any individual or entity interacting with or accessing the Platform.
• “Controller”: Community-appointed custodians acting collectively to determine purposes and means of processing personal data.
• “Processor”: Third-party service providers processing data on behalf of the community.

3. Data We Collect

3.1 Voluntary Data Collection

• Account and Profile Information: When you subscribe to mailing lists, sign up for newsletters, or register on community forums, you may provide your name, email address, organization, or other profile details.
• Governance Participation: Data associated with on-chain governance actions (votes, proposals) is publicly recorded on the blockchain.
• User-Generated Content: Any comments, posts, translations, or code contributions you share.

3.2 Automatic and Technical Data

• Usage Analytics: We use decentralized-friendly analytics to collect page views, session durations, and navigation paths (via self-hosted or privacy-centric services).
• IP Addresses and Geolocation (Aggregate only): We may collect IP address data to enforce security measures, mitigate abuse, and approximate geolocation for legal compliance.
• Device and Browser Information: Browser type, operating system, device model, screen resolution, and other metadata.
• Cookies and Tracking Technologies: See Section 4 for details.

3.3 On-Chain Data

• Public Transaction Data: All interactions with smart contracts (e.g., transfers, staking, governance votes) are publicly recorded on the Polygon blockchain. This data is outside our direct control and inherently public.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

4.1 Use of Cookies: To enhance user experience, our websites may use cookies. We limit cookies to:

• Essential Cookies: Required for core functionality (e.g., load balancers, security tokens).
• Analytics Cookies: Privacy-focused analytics to track general usage patterns (no personal identifiers).
• Preference Cookies: Store UI preferences (dark mode, language settings).

4.2 Third-Party Cookies: We do not integrate third-party advertising or social media tracking cookies. If such services are added, we will update this Policy accordingly.

4.3 User Choices: You can manage cookie preferences via your browser settings or opt-out mechanisms provided on our website.

5. How We Use Data

5.1 Provision of Services: To deliver and maintain the Platform, facilitate governance, and process transactions.

5.2 Communication: To send updates, announcements, security alerts, and newsletters, when you consent.

5.3 Analytics and Improvement: To analyze usage trends, diagnose technical issues, and optimize the user experience.

5.4 Security and Fraud Prevention: To detect suspicious activity, enforce rate limits, and protect the Platform from abuse.

5.5 Legal and Regulatory Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, respond to lawful requests, and enforce our legal rights.

6. Legal Bases for Processing

Depending on jurisdiction, we rely on the following legal bases:

• Consent: When you opt in to receive communications or accept cookies.
• Contractual Necessity: To fulfill on-chain governance processes or Platform features you request.
• Legitimate Interests: To improve services, maintain security, and protect the Platform, provided your rights do not override these interests.
• Legal Obligation: To comply with regulatory requirements, tax laws, or legal processes.

7. Disclosure of Data

7.1 Public On-Chain Data: Transactional data is inherently public and not controlled by us.

7.2 Service Providers: We may share non-personal or aggregated data with hosting providers, analytics processors, email delivery services, and security vendors under strict confidentiality.

7.3 Legal Requirements: We may disclose personal data to comply with court orders, subpoenas, or government investigations.

7.4 Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, data may be transferred, subject to confidentiality commitments.

7.5 Anonymized Data: We may share aggregated or anonymized data for research, audit, or community reporting without identifying individuals.

8. Data Retention

8.1 Personal Data: Retained only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined (communications, support, compliance). Generally, we delete or anonymize personal data after 24 months of inactivity unless a longer retention is required by law.

8.2 On-Chain Data: Permanently stored on the Polygon blockchain and outside our control.

8.3 Backup and Archival: We maintain encrypted backups for disaster recovery and legal compliance; backups are retained for up to 36 months.

9. International Data Transfers

9.1 Decentralized Nature: As a decentralized protocol, data is processed by community custodians distributed globally.

9.2 Compliance Safeguards: We implement standard contractual clauses where required and comply with cross-border data transfer regulations (e.g., GDPR).

9.3 Your Responsibilities: If you transfer personal data from within restricted territories, ensure you have appropriate legal bases.

10. User Rights and Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights:

• Access: Request a copy of personal data we hold.
• Correction: Rectify inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Erasure: Request deletion of personal data, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Portability: Receive personal data in a usable format.
• Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Restriction: Request limits on processing in certain circumstances.

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@blockaura.example. We respond within 30 days, unless extended for complex requests under applicable law.

11. Data Security

11.1 Security Measures: We employ industry-standard practices—encryption at rest and in transit, access controls, and regular security audits.

11.2 Incident Response: In the event of a data breach, we will notify affected users and regulators within 72 hours when required by law.

11.3 User Responsibilities: You are responsible for securing your own devices, wallets, and credentials. We cannot recover private keys on your behalf.

12. Children’s Privacy

The Platform is not intended for minors under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under this age. If discovered, we will delete any such data promptly.

13. Third-Party Services and Links

Our websites may link to third-party services, wallets, or analytics tools. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Review their policies before use.

14. Changes to This Policy

1. Governance Approval: Significant changes require community proposal and on-chain vote.
2. Notice: Updates will be published on official channels with an updated Effective Date.
3. Continued Use: Your continued use after the Effective Date constitutes acceptance of changes.

15. Contact Information

For privacy inquiries, requests, or concerns:

• Email: privacy@blockaura.com