Privacy
Privacy Policy
Effective date: April 26, 2026 · Last updated: April 26, 2026
Official URL: https://www.wearethematchers.com/privacy
Matchmaker Virginia (“MMVA,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is operated by The Matchers in connection with the MMVA show and its fan companion experience. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you visit wearethematchers.com, use our mobile-friendly web app (including roster, voting, feed, and account features), or interact with us offline or on social platforms we control.
Please read this policy carefully. If you do not agree with our practices, do not use the Services (defined below). Where required by law, we provide additional notices or choices.
1. Scope and definitions
“Services” means our websites (including wearethematchers.com and related MMVA pages), the MMVA companion web application, newsletters or forms we operate, and related digital experiences we link to this Policy.
“Personal information” means information that identifies, relates to, or could reasonably be linked with you or your household, directly or indirectly, depending on applicable law.
2. Information we collect
We may collect the following categories of information, depending on how you use the Services:
- Account and profile data. If you create a viewer or operator account, we collect identifiers such as email address, authentication credentials (stored securely by our auth provider), and profile attributes you or we maintain (for example, role or display preferences).
- Show and app activity. We may collect information about how you use the companion app - such as pages viewed, voting interactions, feed engagement (for example, likes), and similar events - to operate features, secure the Services, and understand product usage.
- Patreon and membership data. If you connect Patreon or we verify patron status for voting or perks, we may receive identifiers and membership status from Patreon subject to your authorization and Patreon’s policies. We use this to enforce eligibility rules and improve support.
- Communications. When you email us or submit forms, we collect the content of those messages and related metadata.
- Device and technical data. We may collect IP address, browser type, device type, general location derived from IP, timestamps, and diagnostic data through logs or analytics tools.
- Cookies and similar technologies. We use cookies and similar technologies for authentication, security, preferences, and analytics. You can control many cookies through your browser settings.
3. How we use information
We use personal information to:
- Provide, maintain, and improve the Services, including the roster, voting, feed, and account areas;
- Authenticate users, prevent fraud and abuse, and protect security;
- Apply eligibility rules on the server (for example signed-in voting and patron bonus allowances tied to qualifying accounts - not determined in the browser);
- Communicate with you about the show, the Services, support, or policy changes;
- Comply with law, respond to lawful requests, and enforce our terms; and
- Generate aggregated or de-identified analytics that do not identify you.
4. Legal bases (where applicable)
If the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation or similar frameworks apply to you, we rely on one or more of the following: performance of a contract, legitimate interests (such as securing and improving the Services, balanced against your rights), consent where required, and legal obligation.
5. How we share information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with:
- Service providers who host, secure, or process data on our behalf under contractual obligations (for example, database and authentication infrastructure, email delivery, analytics, and infrastructure partners).
- Patreon when you choose to connect your account or when we verify membership status as described in our Terms.
- Professional advisors (lawyers, accountants) where necessary.
- Authorities when required by law or to protect rights, safety, and security.
- Business transfers in connection with a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, subject to appropriate safeguards.
6. Retention
We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes above, including legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods vary by data category and system backups may persist for a limited time after deletion requests are processed.
7. Security
We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to protect personal information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Your choices and rights
Depending on your location, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or export certain personal information, or to object to or restrict certain processing. You may also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. To exercise rights, contact us using the details below. We may need to verify your request.
9. U.S. state privacy (including Virginia)
Residents of certain U.S. states, including Virginia, may have additional rights under applicable state privacy laws (such as the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act), including rights to confirm, access, correct, delete, and opt out of certain processing. We do not sell personal information or use it for targeted advertising as defined in those laws in a manner that requires opt-out for MMVA today; if that changes, we will update this Policy and offer appropriate controls.
10. Children
The Services are not directed to children under 13 (or the age required by local law), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, contact us and we will take appropriate steps.
11. International users
We are based in the United States. If you access the Services from other regions, your information may be processed in the U.S. or other countries where we or our providers operate, which may have different data protection rules than your jurisdiction.
12. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version on this page and revise the “Last updated” date. For material changes, we may provide additional notice (for example, a banner or email) where appropriate.
13. Contact
Questions about this Policy or our privacy practices: contact@matchmakerva.com
This Policy is provided for transparency. It is not legal advice. You may wish to have qualified counsel review it for your specific operations and jurisdictions.