Tripod Labs Privacy Policy

Effective Date: May 9, 2025
(Last Updated: May 9, 2025)

Important: Tripod Labs (“Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a U.S.-based support and educational self-help platform intended only for users in the United States who are 18 years of age or older. Our Services are not medical or healthcare services and we are not a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This means that information you provide to us is not protected health information (PHI) under HIPAA, and our platform is not HIPAA-compliant. While we are committed to safeguarding your data, we want to be transparent that Tripod Labs is not a medical service and does not provide medical or mental health care or advice. If you need medical or mental health assistance, please contact a qualified professional.

This Privacy Policy describes how Tripod Labs collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal information when you use our website, mobile application, and related services (collectively, the “Services”). It also explains your privacy rights and choices. By using our Services, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Services.

Information We Collect

We only collect the information that is necessary to provide and improve our Services. This includes information you provide directly to us and data collected automatically when you use our platform.

1. Information You Provide to Us: When you sign up for or use Tripod Labs, you may provide certain personal information, including:

• Account Information: Your name and email address during registration. We collect this to create and manage your account and to communicate with you. (We do not require sensitive identifiers like social security numbers or medical record numbers since we are not a medical service.)
  
  

• Gambling Behavior Data: Details about your gambling habits and related inputs you log into our tracking tools. For example, you might record instances of gambling, urges or triggers, amounts wagered, mood or feelings related to gambling, and personal notes about your behavior. This information helps us provide you with tracking features and personalized feedback to manage your gambling behavior.
  
  

• Communications: If you contact us directly (such as by email or through any support features), we will collect the information you provide in that correspondence (for example, your contact information and the content of your message) so we can respond to your questions or concerns.
  
  

• Other Information You Choose to Provide: You may provide other information when using the Services, such as responses to surveys, feedback, or participation in any interactive features. We will collect whatever information you choose to share with us in these contexts.
  
  

We do not intentionally collect any sensitive personal information beyond what is described above. In particular, we do not ask for or want any health information beyond your self-reported gambling-related behavior. Please refrain from submitting any highly sensitive data (such as health diagnoses, medical records, or financial account details) to the platform.

2. Information We Collect Automatically: Like many online services, Tripod Labs automatically collects certain information about your device and usage of our Services:

• Device and Usage Data: When you use our website or app, we may collect technical information such as your device type, browser type, operating system, IP address, device identifiers, and general location based on your IP (e.g., city or state). We also log data about your activity on the Service, such as the pages or screens you view, the date/time of your visits, the features you use, and the links or buttons you click. This usage data helps us understand how users interact with our platform and enables us to improve functionality and user experience.
  
  

• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies and similar tracking technologies (such as local storage and web beacons) to collect information automatically. Cookies are small text files stored on your browser or device to help websites remember information about your visit. These technologies serve several purposes on our site:
  
  

• Essential Functions: Certain cookies are essential to make our site work – for example, keeping you logged in, saving your preferences, or enabling functionality like account navigation. These cookies help you move around the site and use its features smoothly.
  
  

• Analytics and Performance: We also use cookies (and similar tools) to understand user activity and usage patterns on our site. For instance, cookies may record that you visited a particular page or used a certain feature, which helps us learn what parts of our Services are useful or need improvement. This data is used internally for service optimization and analytics. We may use third-party analytics services (like Google Analytics) that set their own cookies to collect aggregated information about how users use our site; however, these providers act on our behalf and are not permitted to use the data for their own purposes.
  
  

• Cookie Choices: Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies or alert you when a cookie is being placed. Please note that if you disable or delete cookies, some essential features of our Services may not function properly (for example, you may need to log in repeatedly or certain preferences might not be saved).
  
  

We do not use cookies for third-party advertising or marketing purposes, and we do not allow third-party advertisers to collect your data through our site. Our cookies are used only to operate and improve our Services, as described above.

How We Use Your Information

Tripod Labs uses the collected information solely for legitimate and internal purposes related to providing and improving our Services. We do not use your data for any purposes unrelated to our platform’s functionality or your experience. Specifically, we may use your information in the following ways:

• To Provide and Maintain the Service: We use personal information to create and manage user accounts, authenticate you when you log in, and deliver the core functionality of the platform. For example, we use your name and email to register your account, and we use your logged gambling behavior data to generate personal insights, charts, or feedback to help you track your progress. This is essential for us to assist you in monitoring your gambling habits and making positive changes.
  
  

• To Personalize Your Experience: The data you input (such as your gambling activity and self-reported feelings) allows us to tailor the content and feedback you receive. We may analyze your entries to provide individualized recommendations, reminders, or motivational messages that align with your situation. All personalization is automated and occurs within our system, and it is aimed at helping you reach your self-improvement goals.
  
  

• To Improve and Develop Our Services: We continually strive to make Tripod Labs more effective. We may use your information to debug issues, perform data analytics, and research usage trends to guide improvements. In particular, we may aggregate and anonymize data (so it no longer identifies any individual) to analyze behaviors and outcomes across our user base. This helps us understand what features are most helpful and how we can refine our tools. Importantly, user data is also used to train and enhance our proprietary large language model (LLM), which is the AI that powers certain features of our platform. Training our LLM with real, anonymized user inputs allows it to better understand gambling behavior patterns and provide more accurate and helpful responses. We only use your data for these internal development purposes; we do not share your identifiable personal information externally for research or AI training.
  
  

• To Communicate with You: We may use your contact information to send you service-related communications. This includes transactional emails (for example, a welcome email, password reset instructions, or notifications about important updates to the Services). We might also send support messages or responses if you reach out with a question. Occasionally, we may inform you about new features, tips for using the platform, or relevant content that could help with your journey. You can opt out of non-essential communications at any time (see Your Rights & Choices below).
  
  

• For Customer Support: If you contact us for help, we will use any information you provide (including your contact info and the details of your issue) to troubleshoot problems and improve our support services. This helps us resolve your issues effectively and document common questions for future improvements or FAQs.
  
  

• To Ensure Safety, Security, and Legal Compliance: We may process personal information as needed to enforce our Terms of Service and policies, to prevent fraud or abuse, and to protect the rights, property, or safety of our users, our company, or others. For example, if we detect suspicious activity that may indicate a breach or misuse of an account, we will investigate using the relevant data. Additionally, if necessary, we will use or disclose information to comply with applicable laws and regulations or to respond to lawful requests (such as court orders or subpoenas).
  
  

We want to re-emphasize that we do not use your personal data for any form of third-party advertising or marketing. We do not engage in interest-based advertising on our platform, and we do not monetize your data. All usage of your data is strictly related to providing you with our Services and improving those Services for your benefit.

Data Sharing and Third-Party Access

We value your privacy. Therefore, we do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for their own marketing or commercial uses. In fact, we never sell or share user data with advertisers or unrelated third parties. The personal information you entrust to Tripod Labs is used by us to serve you and is not disclosed outside our organization except in the limited circumstances described below:

• Service Providers (Processors): We may share certain data with third-party companies that we hire to perform services on our behalf (“Service Providers”). These providers might include, for example, our cloud hosting provider (for data storage), email delivery service (to send you emails), analytics providers (to help us understand platform usage), or customer support tools. We only share the minimum information necessary for these vendors to perform their functions. Importantly, all Service Providers are contractually obligated to use your data only for our specified purposes and to protect it. They are not permitted to use your information for anything outside the scope of what we’ve hired them to do, and they must not disclose or sell your information. In essence, when we do engage a third-party for assistance, they act under our direction and adhere to standards at least as strict as those in this Privacy Policy.
  
  We may share your information with third-party service providers who assist us in operating, maintaining, and improving our Services. These providers perform services on our behalf and are contractually obligated to use your personal information only in accordance with our instructions and for the specific purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy.
  
  This may include large language models such as OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, which we use to power certain interactive features of our platform (such as conversational responses, behavioral suggestions, or insight generation based on your inputs). When you use these features, the information you provide (including any text-based entries you make through the chat interface) may be transmitted to and processed by OpenAI for the purpose of generating relevant responses and improving service functionality.
  
  Please note: By engaging with chat-based features on our platform, you acknowledge that your inputs may be shared with and processed by ChatGPT (operated by OpenAI) as part of delivering those features.
  
  Changing Choices only uses ChatGPT under strict confidentiality and data processing terms that **prohibit the use of your identifiable personal information for independent purposes**. OpenAI may use de-identified and aggregated data to improve the performance of its language models, in accordance with its own privacy practices and terms of use. However, it may not use your personal information for marketing, advertising, or unrelated analytics.
  
  We carefully vet all service providers, including AI vendors, to ensure they meet our data privacy and security standards. All such processors are required to implement adequate safeguards and are **not permitted to sell, share, or disclose your personal information** except as necessary to provide services to us or as otherwise required by law.
  
  

• Within Our Corporate Group: If Tripod Labs is part of a family of companies (for example, subsidiaries or affiliates under common ownership), we may share data within that corporate group as needed to operate and improve the Services. Any such entities will follow privacy practices that are consistent with those described here.
  
  

• Legal Compliance and Protection: We may disclose personal information to government authorities, regulators, or other third parties when we believe disclosure is required or permitted by law. For instance, we might need to share information in response to a court order, legal process, or to investigate or enforce legal rights. We may also share data if necessary to detect, prevent, or address fraud, security, or technical issues, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Tripod Labs, our users, or the public. In all such cases, we will only share the information that is reasonably required for the purpose (for example, providing records to law enforcement as legally mandated).
  
  

• Business Transfers: If Tripod Labs undergoes a business transaction such as a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of some or all of our assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We would ensure that any new owner or merged entity continues to honor the commitments we have made in this Privacy Policy regarding your personal data. We would also provide notice (e.g., via email or through the Service) if your data becomes subject to a new privacy policy as a result of such a transaction.
  
  

• With Your Consent or Direction: Apart from the scenarios above, we will only share your personal data with third parties when you direct us to or expressly consent to such sharing. For example, if in the future we offer an integration that allows you to share your progress with a counselor or share a success story publicly, we would do so only with your knowledge and consent. If you choose to share any personal information publicly (for instance, by posting a testimonial or interacting in a public forum), please be aware that you are controlling what information is visible to others in those cases. We are not responsible for information you voluntarily disclose in public areas of the Service or third-party platforms.
  
  

No Third-Party Advertising: To reiterate, we do not share data with advertisers. You will not find your personal details being sold or rented to marketing companies. Any advertising or promotional messages you receive directly from Tripod Labs (if any) will be about our own services, and you can opt out of those. We maintain a strict policy of keeping user data confidential and within our control except as necessary to operate the Service.

Not HIPAA-Regulated: Because Tripod Labs is not a healthcare provider or a covered entity, we are generally not subject to HIPAA rules for data sharing. However, we treat all user-provided information with great care and confidentiality. We will not disclose any information related to your gambling behavior or health to third parties except as described above or as required by law, and certainly not without your consent. In other words, even though HIPAA does not legally apply to us, we uphold a comparable standard of privacy: your sensitive information stays with us and those who need to know it to provide the service, and nobody else.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

(See the “Information We Collect – Cookies” section above for details on our use of cookies.) To summarize, we use cookies and similar tracking technologies primarily to make our website function and to improve our Services. We do not use these tools to collect information for third-party marketing. By using our site, you consent to our use of cookies for the purposes outlined in this policy. You have the ability to control cookies through your browser settings; however, disabling cookies may affect your experience with our Service as certain functions rely on them.

For more information on how we use cookies and how you can manage them, please refer to the Information We Collect – Cookies portion of this Privacy Policy. We believe in being transparent about any tracking, and as stated, our use is limited and focused on enhancing your experience and our platform’s performance.

Your Rights and Choices

You have control over your personal data and the following rights and choices regarding the information you have shared with Tripod Labs:

• Access and Portability: You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, including obtaining a copy of that information in a portable format. We can provide you with a summary of your account data and the records of your gambling tracking entries, typically in a common digital format. This allows you to see what data you’ve given us and, if you wish, to use it for your own purposes. We will fulfill access requests as required by applicable law and within a reasonable timeframe.
  
  

• Correction: If any of your personal information is inaccurate or has changed (for example, you registered with a nickname and want to provide your real name, or you have a new email address), you have the right to request a correction or update. You may be able to directly edit certain information through your account settings. For any information not editable by you, you can contact us to correct it. We strive to keep your information accurate and up-to-date.
  
  

• Deletion (Right to Be Forgotten): You have the right to request deletion of your personal data. This includes the option to delete your account and associated data from Tripod Labs at any time. Upon your request, we will delete or de-identify your personal information, except for any data we are required to retain by law or for legitimate business purposes (for example, records of transactions or communications as required for legal compliance or internal recordkeeping). We will also ensure that any Service Providers handling your data delete it from their systems. Please note that residual copies of your data might persist in our backup systems for a short period, but they will be purged according to our regular backup retention schedule. Once your data is deleted, your account will no longer be accessible.
  
  

• Withdrawal of Consent / Opt-Out: If we ever process your information based on your consent (for instance, if you agreed to receive optional promotional updates or agreed to a new feature that collects additional data), you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing we conducted prior to your withdrawal. For example, if you initially opt-in to receive our newsletter or tips emails, you can later opt out by using the unsubscribe link in those emails or by adjusting your account preferences. We will respect your choice and cease the related processing.
  
  

• Object or Restrict Processing: You may have the right (in certain jurisdictions or under certain laws) to object to or request that we limit our processing of your data. For instance, if you object to us using your data for research and development purposes, you can let us know. We will consider such requests and comply when required by law. However, since we do not engage in secondary uses like marketing, our processing is generally limited to service provision and improvement.
  
  

• Download Your Data: As part of your access rights, you can ask for a copy of your data. We encourage users who wish to maintain a personal archive of their gambling behavior logs to make use of this feature. We can compile your tracked entries and other personal data into a report for you to download. This can be done by contacting us (see Contact Us below).
  
  

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the “Contact Us” section of this Policy. For security, we may need to verify your identity (for example, by confirming control of your email account or asking for certain information) before fulfilling your request. This is to ensure that we do not disclose or delete someone else’s data improperly.

We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights. That means if you choose to access or delete your data, we will not deny you services or provide you a lesser experience because of the request (though deleting essential data like your account information will naturally end your ability to use the Service).

California Residents: While our Service is intended for U.S. users generally, we address California privacy rights specifically. Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and its amendments, California users have rights to know about personal information collected, to access their data, to request deletion, and to not be sold. We want to clarify that we do not “sell” or “share” personal information as defined by the CCPA. If you are a California resident and have questions or requests regarding your rights under California law, you may contact us, and we will honor those rights in accordance with the law. In fact, as described above, we extend the core privacy rights (access, deletion, etc.) to all our users, not just California residents.

Nevada Residents: Nevada law allows users to opt-out of certain kinds of data sales. Again, while we do not sell data, Nevada users who want to ensure their data is not sold can also contact us to record that preference.

European Union (GDPR) and Other Regions: Our Service is not targeted to users outside the United States, and we require that all users be located in the U.S. (see Children’s Privacy and International Use below). If, however, you are using the Service from outside the U.S. (against our intended use), please be aware that you may have additional rights under your local laws (like the GDPR in Europe or PIPEDA in Canada). We will try to honor any requests you send that invoke international privacy rights, but our primary compliance is with U.S. law given our user base is U.S.-only. We also process all data in the United States (which may have different data protection standards than your home country). By using the Service, you understand that your information will be transferred to and stored in the United States.

Data Storage and Security

Data Security: Tripod Labs takes the security of your personal information very seriously. We implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your data from unauthorized access or disclosure, both in transit and at rest. Some of the security measures we use include: encryption of data transmissions (we use HTTPS for all interactions with our app and website), encryption of sensitive data at rest in our databases, firewall and intrusion prevention systems to guard our network, and regular security assessments. We also limit internal access to personal data: only employees or contractors who need to process your information to operate the Service are allowed to do so, and they are bound by strict confidentiality obligations.

While we strive to protect your information with a high level of care (following industry-standard practices and frameworks such as NIST or similar security standards), no method of electronic storage or transmission over the internet is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee absolute security of your data. However, we can assure you that we continuously monitor for vulnerabilities and threats, and we update our security practices to mitigate new risks as they become known. In the unlikely event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you and the appropriate authorities as required by law.

Data Retention: We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy or as required by law. In practice, this means:

• We keep your account information and the data you’ve entered into the platform for as long as your account is active. This allows us to provide you with ongoing access to your historical tracking data (so you can see your progress over time).
  
  

• If you choose to delete your account or if your account becomes inactive for an extended period, we will initiate the deletion process for your personal data. We will remove personal identifiers (like your name, email) and either delete or anonymize the entries you have logged, unless we need to retain any of it for legal reasons.
  
  

• In some cases, certain data may be kept for a bit longer if necessary (for example, server logs are typically rotated and deleted after a short retention period; backup copies might contain your data until the backups are cycled out). We may also retain information as needed to comply with any legal obligations (such as financial records for tax/audit purposes) or to resolve disputes and enforce agreements. When we retain data for such purposes, we ensure it’s only used for that intended purpose.
  
  

• When we no longer have a legitimate need to retain your personal information, we will dispose of it in a secure manner. This may involve permanently deleting it from our systems or anonymizing it so that it can no longer be associated with you.
  
  

Data Storage Location: All personal data collected through Tripod Labs is stored on servers located in the United States. If you use our Services from outside the U.S. (though our intent is to serve U.S. users only), your information will be transferred to the U.S. and processed there. We rely on recognized legal mechanisms for any such transfers and the inherent consent you provide by using the Service.

By continuing to use Tripod Labs, you acknowledge and agree to our data practices, including the transfer, storage, and processing of your personal information in the United States. We will keep you informed and request necessary permissions if our data storage practices change.

Children’s Privacy

Tripod Labs is not intended for anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly solicit or collect personal information from children or teenagers under 18 years old. If you are under 18, do not use or attempt to register for our Services. We expressly prohibit individuals under the required age from using the platform.

Parents or legal guardians: if you become aware that your child under 18 has created an account or provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately so that we can take appropriate action. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a user under 18, we will promptly delete that information from our records. In the case of any user under 13 (the age under which additional legal protections apply under COPPA), we will ensure deletion of the data and take steps to prevent any further collection or use of that data.

Our Services also are not intended for users outside the United States, and particularly not for minors outside the U.S. If you are located in a jurisdiction with a higher age of majority or stricter rules for online activities of minors, you must abide by those laws and refrain from using the Service if you are not of the legal age to do so.

By using Tripod Labs, you affirm that you are at least 18 years old and meet the eligibility requirements. We reserve the right to ask for proof of age if we suspect a user is underage, and to suspend or terminate accounts that are suspected to be used by underage persons.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update or modify this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy. If the changes are material, we will also provide a more prominent notice of the update (such as by posting a notice on our website or sending an email notification).

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information. If you continue to use the Services after a Privacy Policy update takes effect, that will indicate your acceptance of the revised policy. If you do not agree with any changes to the Privacy Policy, you should stop using the Services and, if applicable, delete your account or reach out to us to request deletion of your data.

In the event that we ever wish to use your personal information for purposes materially different from those stated in this Privacy Policy, we will notify you and obtain your consent as required by law.

Contact Us

Your privacy and trust are extremely important to us. If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please do not hesitate to contact us:

Tripod Labs – Privacy Team
Email: compliance@tripod-labs.com
Mailing Address: 

 Tripod Labs, Inc.
506 Warren St.
Brooklyn, NY 11217, USA

You can reach out to us for any reason – whether it’s to exercise your rights (access, deletion, etc.), to ask a question about how your data is handled, or to give feedback about our privacy practices. We will respond as promptly as we can, and no later than required by applicable law.

Thank you for taking the time to read our Privacy Policy. We are committed to protecting your personal information and being transparent about how we use it. Your trust is important to us, and we will continuously work to maintain that trust by handling your data with care and respect.