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HackKU

HackKU Privacy Policy

Last Updated: June 28, 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to HackKU! This Privacy Policy explains how the HackKU organizing team collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal information when you apply for, attend, or interact with our event and website. We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with applicable global and state privacy regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and state-specific laws. By participating in HackKU, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information to run a safe, engaging, inclusive, and well-managed event.

  • Required Registration Information: To attend, you must be at least 14 years of age and provide your name, phone number, age, email address, country of residence, t-shirt size, current school, and level of study.
  • Minor Chaperone Information: If you are between the ages of 14 and 17, we require the name, email address, and phone number of your designated chaperone for safety and liability purposes.
  • Optional Registration Information: You may choose to provide additional details, including your resume, gender identity, race, Hispanic/Latino identification, dietary restrictions, special accommodations, major, minor, and the number of previously attended hackathons.
  • OAuth & Third-Party Sign-In: If you choose to register or log in using a third-party OAuth provider (Google, Discord, GitHub, LinkedIn, or MyMLH), we automatically collect the profile information permitted by your provider and your authorization settings. While some providers only share basic authentication details (like your name and email address), others (such as MyMLH) may automatically pre-fill required registration fields on your application based on your profile settings with that platform. Third-party authentication usage is subject to the respective provider's policies (see Section 4).
  • Event and Participation Data: During the event, we collect information regarding the teams you form and the projects you build and submit. We track this information internally and utilize an external platform for project hosting and judging (see Section 4).
  • Media and Photography: Please note that photography, filming, and media recording occur throughout the hackathon. Media captured at the event is governed by our separate HackKU Photo Waiver, which all participants must review and agree to during the application process.
  • Automatically Collected Information & Analytics: When you visit our website, we use Vercel Web Analytics to collect basic technical data (such as your IP address, browser type, and operating system) to maintain security, manage sessions, and track aggregate usage trends. We also employ automated bot-detection services during authentication (see Section 4).

Your Privacy Choices: We respect your right to privacy. You can explicitly opt out of Vercel Web Analytics tracking at any time by enabling a Do Not Track (DNT) signal in your browser settings, or by clicking the opt-out button on our privacy banner. If you opt out, this preference is saved as an essential cookie on your browser. This cookie does not track you; it is strictly required to ensure our systems remember your choice and stop collecting your session data.

3. How and Why We Use Your Information

Under laws like the GDPR, we must have a "lawful basis" for processing your data. We process your data to fulfill our commitment to provide you with the hackathon experience (Contract), to ensure a safe and secure event (Legitimate Interest), and based on your explicit permission (Consent). Specifically, we use it to:

  • Process your application, authenticate your account, prevent automated spam, and communicate event updates.
  • Manage event logistics, including catering (via dietary restrictions), accessibility (via special accommodations), and swag distribution.
  • Provide a safe, age-appropriate environment for all attendees.
  • Facilitate project submissions, community communication, and judging.
  • Analyze registration demographics and trends to improve the inclusivity and reach of future HackKU events.

4. Third-Party Platforms and Services

To host a hackathon on our web platform, HackKU integrates several external services. Each service handles your data independently according to its own policies. Additionally, any participant activity on our interactive third-party platforms is strictly subject to the HackKU Code of Conduct.

Event Operations & Security

  • Devpost (Project Submissions & Judging): We use Devpost to manage, showcase, and judge project submissions. Your use of this service is governed by the Devpost Privacy Policy and Devpost Terms of Service.
  • Discord (Community & Communication): We use Discord for official event announcements, digital mentoring, and teammate matching. While joining our Discord server is strongly suggested, it is entirely optional. Your activity on Discord is governed by the Discord Privacy Policy and Discord Terms of Service.
  • Cloudflare Turnstile (Bot Protection): We use Cloudflare Turnstile on authenticated areas of our website to evaluate browser telemetry and block malicious bot activity. Data processed by this security service is subject to the Cloudflare Privacy Policy and Cloudflare Terms of Service. Our technical use of this service and its data collection parameters are explicitly detailed in Cloudflare's specific Turnstile Privacy Addendum.
  • Major League Hacking (Tournament Administration): HackKU is an official Major League Hacking (MLH) member event. By registering, you authorize us to share your required application and registration details with MLH for tournament administration, aggregate event statistics, and ensuring compliance with community guidelines. Your data shared with MLH is subject to the MLH Privacy Policy and MLH Terms of Service.

Authentication Providers (OAuth)

If you utilize third-party credentials to log into our platform, your data handling by those platforms is governed by their respective agreements:

5. Sharing with Sponsors (Anonymized & Opt-In)

HackKU is made possible by our sponsors. We share attendee data with them in two specific ways:

  • Anonymized Analytics: We share aggregated, non-personally identifiable information with our sponsors to demonstrate the impact and demographics of our event. This includes high-level summaries of majors, graduation years, general geographic reach, and demographic breakdowns. This data is strictly aggregated and cannot be used to identify you.
  • Opt-In Sharing: If you explicitly opt-in during registration to share your specific information for recruiting purposes (such as your resume, name, and email address), we will pass that directly to our sponsors. You are never required to opt-in to this sharing to attend the event.

6. Data Storage, Security, and Retention

We take reasonable steps to protect your data from unauthorized access or disclosure. Your information is stored securely using industry-standard databases and access controls, and it is only accessible by authorized HackKU organizing team members.

Data Retention and Prefilling: To streamline your experience, we retain your registration data across years so that your information can be securely prefilled when you register for future HackKU events. This long-term retention includes your logistical details like dietary restrictions and special accommodations to ensure your future event needs are pre-loaded. You can update any of this information or request its complete erasure at any time.

International Transfers: HackKU is based in the United States. If you are accessing our website or applying from outside the US (such as the European Economic Area), please be aware that your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States.

7. Your Data Rights

Regardless of where you live, you own your data. Depending on your region (such as under the GDPR or CCPA), you have the right to:

  • Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Rectification: Request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
  • Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): Request that we delete your personal data from our systems.
  • Data Portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
  • Withdraw Consent: Withdraw your consent for sponsor data sharing or other optional processing at any time. (Note: withdrawing consent for basic event communications or required safety fields may result in losing your registration spot).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information below. We will respond to your request within the timeframe required by applicable law (typically 30 days).

8. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, your data rights, or the event itself, please reach out to our team at: hack@ku.edu