Privacy Policy

Austin AI Hub (“Austin AI Hub,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard personal information when you use the Call for Code AI: United Against Trafficking hackathon platform at https://hackathon.austinaihub.org (the “Platform”). By registering for or participating in the Hackathon you acknowledge this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform.

1. Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to information we collect through the Platform and in connection with the Hackathon. It does not apply to third-party services (such as GitHub, YouTube, or video-conferencing tools) that you may choose to use while participating; those services have their own privacy policies.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information:

1. Identity and contact information you provide during registration — including full name, email address, display name, country, organization (optional), and a short bio.
2. Eligibility confirmations — age confirmation (18+), agreement to the Terms of Participation, and acknowledgment of the Guidelines & Rules.
3. Team and submission information — team name, teammates’ emails, project title, tagline, description, problem / solution / impact / survivor-centered design narratives, track selection, repository URL, demo URL, video URL, and slide deck.
4. Uploaded files — images, slide decks, and demo assets that you choose to attach to your submission.
5. Judging data (judges only) — scores, recommendations, and private notes recorded in the judging dashboard.
6. Authentication and log data — magic-link sign-in events, IP addresses, user-agent strings, timestamps, referral URLs, and basic diagnostic data generated by Cloudflare.
7. Communications — emails you send to us and messages we send to you about the Hackathon.

We do not intentionally collect financial account numbers, government IDs, health information, or other special-category data. Please do not include such information in your submissions.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

1. create and administer your Hackathon account and team;
2. send magic-link sign-in emails and transactional notifications (e.g., phase changes, deadline reminders, status of your submission);
3. operate the judging process, including assigning judges and aggregating scores;
4. showcase submissions, winners, and highlights on the Platform and in related Austin AI Hub communications;
5. enforce our Terms of Participation, Guidelines & Rules, and Code of Conduct;
6. secure the Platform, prevent fraud and abuse, and respond to security incidents;
7. comply with legal obligations, sanctions screening, and reporting requirements; and
8. improve the Platform and plan future Austin AI Hub programs.

4. Legal Bases (GDPR)

For participants located in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or Switzerland, our legal bases for processing personal data are: (a) contract — to operate the Hackathon you register for; (b) consent — where you opt in to specific processing such as public showcase; (c) legitimate interests — to secure the Platform, prevent fraud, and evaluate program outcomes, balanced against your rights; and (d) legal obligation — to comply with applicable laws.

5. Cookies and Similar Technologies

The Platform uses only the cookies and local-storage entries strictly necessary for authentication (storing a short-lived session token after you click a magic link). We do not use advertising cookies, cross-site trackers, or third-party analytics scripts on hackathon.austinaihub.org. Cloudflare may set minimal security cookies to detect abuse and bots, as described in Cloudflare’s privacy documentation.

6. How We Share Information

We share information only as described below. We do not sell personal information.

1. With judges and organizers: your team, submission content, and uploaded materials are shared with assigned judges and Hackathon organizers for review.
2. Public showcase: after the awards ceremony on July 30, 2026, selected submissions (title, tagline, display name, demo / repo / video links) may be featured in a public project gallery, press, and social media, consistent with the license granted in the Terms of Participation.
3. Service providers: we rely on a small set of processors to run the Platform, including Cloudflare (hosting, D1 database, R2 object storage, Zero Trust Access, KV rate limiting) and an email-delivery provider (e.g., Resend or MailChannels) used to deliver magic-link emails. These processors act on our instructions under written data-processing terms.
4. Legal and safety: we may disclose information where required by law, to respond to valid legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Austin AI Hub, participants, or the public.
5. Business transfers: if Austin AI Hub merges with, is acquired by, or transfers assets to another nonprofit, information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this Privacy Policy.
6. With your consent: for any other sharing, we will ask first.

7. International Data Transfers

Austin AI Hub is based in the United States. Your information may be processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate. Where required, we use appropriate safeguards (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) for international transfers.

8. Data Retention

We retain submission and account data for up to twelve (12) months after the end of the Hackathon for mentorship coordination, winner showcase, and program reporting. After that period, data is archived or deleted, except for: (a) information we are required to retain for legal, audit, or tax purposes; (b) aggregated or de-identified information; and (c) materials already published as part of the public showcase.

9. Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

1. access the personal information we hold about you;
2. correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
3. request deletion of your information;
4. object to or restrict certain processing;
5. withdraw consent (where processing is based on consent);
6. receive a copy of your information in a portable format; and
7. lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

To exercise these rights, email team@austinaihub.org. We will respond within a reasonable time and in accordance with applicable law. Deletion requests do not apply to materials already published or used in Hackathon promotional content.

10. Children’s Privacy

The Platform is not directed to children under 18. Participation requires that you are at least 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

11. Security

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect information, including encryption in transit (HTTPS / TLS), Cloudflare Zero Trust Access for judge and admin surfaces, rate limiting, and least-privilege access controls. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. Please choose a unique magic-link inbox and protect it.

12. Third-Party Links

Submissions often link to external services such as GitHub, YouTube, Figma, or hosted demos. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties and encourage you to review their policies before interacting with them.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will post the updated version at this URL and revise the “Last Updated” date above. Material changes will be communicated through the Platform or by email before they take effect.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, contact:

Austin AI Hub — Privacy Team
Email: team@austinaihub.org
Web: austinaihub.org