Privacy Policy

Last updated: January 3, 2026

👋 Hey there, hockey fan! We're just a small team of hockey enthusiasts who built Ref Geek because we love the game. We're not some giant corporation—we're fans just like you. This privacy policy explains how we handle your data, and spoiler alert: we try to collect as little as possible.

What We Collect

Information You Give Us

Account info (email, username, display name) if you create an account
Profile picture (optional)
Flags and votes you submit on referee calls
Any feedback or messages you send us

Automatic Stuff

Session IDs for anonymous users (stored in browser, cleared when you close your browser)
IP addresses for rate limiting and spam prevention
Authentication data managed by our third-party provider (see below)

How We Use Your Data

✓To run the platform and show you referee stats
✓To track community contributions and leaderboards
✓To improve the site based on how people use it
✓To respond if you reach out to us
✗We do NOT sell your data. Ever. That's gross.

Third-Party Services

Clerk (Authentication)

We use Clerk (clerk.com) to handle user authentication and account management. When you create an account:

Clerk stores your authentication credentials securely
Clerk syncs your account info (email, username, profile) to our database via webhooks
Clerk sets cookies to keep you logged in across sessions
Clerk's own Privacy Policy applies to their services

NHL API (Game Data)

We fetch publicly available NHL game data from the NHL's official API. This data includes game schedules, scores, penalties, and official assignments. We don't share any of your personal information with the NHL.

PostgreSQL/Replit (Hosting)

Our database and servers are hosted on Replit. Your data is stored securely in a PostgreSQL database with industry-standard security practices.

Cookies & Browser Storage

We use minimal cookies and browser storage to make Ref Geek work:

Clerk cookies - Keep you logged in (managed by Clerk)
Session storage - Track anonymous users during their browser session only
No tracking cookies - We don't use advertising or analytics cookies

For the full scoop on cookies, check out our Cookie Policy.

Your Rights

You can:

Ask us what data we have about you
Request we delete your account and data
Update your account information through your Clerk profile settings
Delete your account directly through Clerk's user settings

For data requests or questions, email us at info@flaresoft.solutions.

Anonymous Users

If you use Ref Geek without an account, we track your flags using a session ID that's displayed as a memorable code (like "ANON-RED-WOLF"). This helps us prevent spam and abuse. Your session ID is cleared when you close your browser and cannot be linked back to you personally.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, hit us up at info@flaresoft.solutions. We're real people and we'll actually respond!

🏒 A Note About the NHL

Ref Geek is an independent fan project. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with the National Hockey League (NHL), any NHL team, or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates. All NHL logos, team names, player names, and related marks are trademarks of the NHL and its teams. We use publicly available game data for commentary and fan discussion purposes only. We're just hockey fans who want to talk about the game we love! 💙