Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Debattle ("we", "us", "our") operates the website debattle.com, a competitive debate platform where users argue motions in real time, scored by AI. Our contact email is hello@debattle.com.

2. What We Collect

We collect the following information when you use Debattle:

• Account data — email address, username, and hashed password (email/password signup), or your Google account name and email (Google sign-in).
• Profile and match data — ELO rating, win/loss/draw record, match history, and debate transcripts generated during matches.
• Voice and audio — during a debate, your microphone audio is streamed in real time for transcription. Audio is not stored permanently; transcripts (text) are retained as part of your match record.
• Usage data — debate topic votes, session timestamps, and general interaction with the app.
• Technical data — IP address, browser type, and device information collected automatically via standard server logs.

Guest users (no account) are assigned a temporary session identity. No email is collected. Guest match results are not persisted after the session ends.

3. How We Use Your Data

• To operate your account and authenticate you securely.
• To run debates, calculate ELO ratings, and maintain the leaderboard.
• To transcribe your speech during debates using our speech-to-text provider (Deepgram).
• To generate AI debate judgments and bot opponent arguments using Anthropic's Claude API. Debate transcripts are sent to Anthropic's API to produce scores and verdicts.
• To improve the platform and diagnose technical issues.

4. Third-Party Services

Debattle uses the following third-party services, each with their own privacy policies:

• Firebase (Google) — real-time database for matchmaking signaling and voting. Firebase Privacy
• Deepgram — speech-to-text transcription of your microphone audio during debates. Deepgram Privacy
• Anthropic — AI processing of debate transcripts for scoring and bot responses. Anthropic Privacy
• OpenAI — text-to-speech for bot opponent voice. OpenAI Privacy
• Metered — TURN relay servers for peer-to-peer voice connections. No debate content passes through TURN servers; they relay encrypted audio packets only.
• Railway — backend hosting for user accounts and match data.
• Vercel — API proxy hosting.
• Google OAuth — optional sign-in via your Google account.

5. Microphone Access

Debattle requests access to your microphone solely to capture your debate speech. Microphone access is only active during your assigned speaking turns. Your audio stream is:

• Sent to Deepgram for real-time transcription (text returned, audio not stored by us).
• Sent peer-to-peer to your opponent over an encrypted WebRTC connection during live PvP matches.
• Never recorded or stored as an audio file by Debattle.

You can revoke microphone permission at any time in your browser settings. Without it, debates will proceed in text-only mode.

6. Data Storage and Security

Account and match data is stored on Railway-hosted PostgreSQL servers. Session tokens are stored in your browser's localStorage. We use HTTPS for all data in transit. We take reasonable technical precautions against unauthorised access, but no system is completely secure.

7. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. Match history and ELO records are retained indefinitely to maintain leaderboard integrity. You may request deletion of your account and associated data by emailing hello@debattle.com.

8. Children

Debattle is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, contact us and we will delete it promptly.

9. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data. To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@debattle.com.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be noted by updating the effective date above. Continued use of Debattle after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact

Questions about this policy? Email hello@debattle.com.