Privacy Policy

See Below for Our Privacy Policy

Last Updated: April 6, 2025

This Privacy Policy explains how Kinsleo Media LLC (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal information when you visit or use our websites and services. It applies to TheWorldCupGuide.com (our blog and content site) and the 2026 WC Bracket Predictor at 2026bracket.vercel.app (our interactive bracket tool). We refer to these collectively as the “Services.”

We believe privacy policies should be understandable, so we have written this in plain language. If anything is unclear, please contact us at hello@theworldcupguide.com.

1. Who We Are

Kinsleo Media LLC is a limited liability company incorporated in the State of Georgia, United States. We operate TheWorldCupGuide.com and the 2026 WC Bracket Predictor. For any privacy-related questions or requests, you can reach us at:

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide and improve our Services. Here is a complete breakdown of what we collect and where it comes from:

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

2.2 Information We Do NOT Collect

We want to be clear about what we do not collect:

• Passwords — Our bracket predictor uses magic link authentication (a sign-in link sent to your email). You never create or provide a password to us.
• Date of birth
• Phone number
• Physical address or mailing address
• Payment card details — If you leave a tip via Stripe, all payment information is collected and processed entirely by Stripe. We never see or store your card number, expiration date, or security code.

2.3 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Services, certain technical information is collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies:

• Analytics data — Page views, session duration, approximate geographic region, device type, browser type, and referring URLs, collected via Google Analytics 4 in anonymized form.
• WordPress analytics — TheWorldCupGuide.com uses the Jetpack plugin, which collects standard site analytics and performance data.
• Local storage data — The bracket predictor stores your in-progress bracket state in your browser’s localStorage. This data stays on your device and is not transmitted to our servers unless you explicitly save your bracket.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To provide the Services — Authenticating your account, saving and displaying your bracket predictions, operating group leaderboards, and delivering newsletter content.
• To improve the Services — Understanding how visitors use our sites through aggregated, anonymized analytics so we can make improvements.
• To communicate with you — Sending authentication emails (magic links), newsletter issues you have subscribed to, and responding to your inquiries.
• To maintain security — Enforcing rate limits on authentication flows and preventing abuse of the Services.

We do not use your information for automated decision-making or profiling.

4. Cookies, Analytics, and Local Storage

4.1 Cookies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your web browser. Our Services use cookies from the following sources:

4.2 Local Storage

The bracket predictor uses your browser’s localStorage to save your in-progress bracket state on your device. This is technically distinct from cookies. localStorage data is not sent to servers with each request, does not expire automatically, and remains on your device until you clear your browser data or we remove it programmatically. You can clear localStorage at any time through your browser settings.

4.3 Managing Cookies

You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block cookies, delete existing cookies, or receive a notification before a cookie is set. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of certain features on our Services.

5. Third-Party Service Providers

We rely on the following third-party services to operate our Services. Each provider processes data according to their own privacy policies:

We select service providers that maintain reasonable security practices. However, we are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party services. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

6. Affiliate Partnerships

TheWorldCupGuide.com participates in affiliate programs, meaning we may earn a commission when you click certain links and make a purchase or booking. Our affiliate partners include:

• Stay22 (accommodation)
• LiveFootballTickets (event tickets)
• HelloTickets (event tickets)
• Amazon Associates (products)
• Partnerize
• AWIN
• Impact
• Rakuten

When you click an affiliate link, the affiliate partner may place a cookie on your device to track the referral. This cookie is set by the affiliate partner, not by us, and is governed by that partner’s privacy policy. We receive only aggregated commission reports from these partners. We do not receive your personal purchase details.

7. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We are committed to protecting your information. Here is our data sharing stance:

• We do not sell your personal data. Not to advertisers, data brokers, or any other party. Period.
• We do not share your email address or email lists with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
• We share data only with the service providers listed in Section 5, and only to the extent necessary for them to provide their services to us (for example, Supabase needs your email to authenticate you, and Beehiiv needs your email to send you the newsletter).

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, regulation, legal process, or enforceable governmental request, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

8. User-Generated Content and Public Visibility

Certain information you provide may be visible to other users of the Services:

• Display names on group leaderboards — If you join a prediction group, your display name and ranking are visible to other members of that group.
• Display names on the global leaderboard — If your bracket ranks in the top 10 globally, your display name is shown publicly on the global leaderboard.
• Shared bracket URLs — If you share your bracket link with others, they can view your bracket and your display name.
• Group data — Group membership, standings, and related data are visible only to members of that group. Group data is not publicly accessible.

Please choose a display name that you are comfortable displaying publicly. Do not use your real name if you prefer anonymity.

9. Data Storage and International Transfers

Our database is hosted by Supabase in the US East region of the United States. Our website is hosted by Vercel, also in the United States.

9.1 For Users in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, and Switzerland

If you are located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, your personal data is transferred to and processed in the United States. We rely on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) as adopted by the European Commission, together with the data protection commitments of our service providers, as the legal mechanism for these transfers. By using our Services, you acknowledge that your data will be processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country.

9.2 For Users in Brazil

If you are located in Brazil, your data is transferred to and processed in the United States. We process your data based on your consent (provided when you sign up) and as necessary to perform the services you have requested, consistent with the Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD).

10. Data Retention

We retain your data according to the following practices:

• Bracket data and account information — Retained for as long as the Services are in operation, or until you request deletion.
• Newsletter subscriber data — Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
• Analytics data — Retained according to Google Analytics’ standard retention policies (typically 14 months for user-level data).
• Local storage data — Remains on your device until you clear your browser data.

When you request deletion of your account data, we will remove your personal information from our active databases. Some data may persist in backups for a limited period, but we will not actively use it.

11. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Row-Level Security (RLS) — Every table in our database uses row-level security policies to ensure users can only access their own data.
• HTTPS everywhere — All data transmitted between your browser and our Services is encrypted using TLS/SSL.
• No sensitive data in frontend code — We do not embed secrets, API keys with write access, or other sensitive credentials in our client-side code.
• Input validation and XSS protection — All user inputs are validated and sanitized to prevent cross-site scripting and injection attacks.
• Rate limiting — Authentication flows are rate-limited to prevent abuse.

While we take security seriously, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we are committed to promptly addressing any security issues that arise.

12. Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you have various rights regarding your personal data. We honor these rights for all users regardless of location, to the extent practical.

12.1 Rights for All Users

Any user of our Services may:

• Request access — Ask us what personal data we hold about you.
• Request deletion — Ask us to delete your account and associated personal data.
• Unsubscribe from the newsletter — Click the unsubscribe link in any newsletter email, or email us.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@theworldcupguide.com. We will respond within 30 days.

12.2 Additional Rights Under the GDPR (EU/EEA/UK)

If you are located in the European Union, European Economic Area, or United Kingdom, you have the following additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation:

• Right to rectification — Request that we correct inaccurate personal data.
• Right to data portability — Receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
• Right to restrict processing — Request that we limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to object — Object to our processing of your data where we rely on legitimate interests as the legal basis.
• Right to withdraw consent — Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
• Right to lodge a complaint — File a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority.

Our legal bases for processing your personal data are: (a) your consent, (b) performance of the service you requested, and (c) our legitimate interests in operating and improving the Services.

12.3 Additional Rights Under the CCPA (California)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act provides you with the following rights:

• Right to know — Request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal data we have collected about you.
• Right to delete — Request that we delete the personal data we have collected from you.
• Right to opt out of sale — You have the right to opt out of the sale of your personal data. However, we do not sell your personal data, so there is nothing to opt out of.
• Right to non-discrimination — We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights. You will not receive different pricing or quality of service for making a privacy request.

12.4 Additional Rights Under the LGPD (Brazil)

If you are located in Brazil, the Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados grants you rights that are substantially similar to those described in Section 12.2, including the rights to access, rectification, anonymization, deletion, data portability, and information about third parties with whom your data is shared. You may also request a review of decisions made solely based on automated processing of your personal data. To exercise these rights, contact us at the email address in Section 18.

13. Cookie Consent

When you first visit our Services, a cookie consent banner is displayed to inform you about our use of cookies. You can choose to accept or manage your cookie preferences. Cookies set by Google Analytics 4, Stay22, Jetpack, and our affiliate partners are described in Section 4.

Please note that localStorage (used by the bracket predictor to save your in-progress work on your device) is technically distinct from cookies and is not covered by cookie consent requirements. It does not track you across sites and the data remains on your device.

14. Newsletter

Subscribing to our newsletter is entirely optional. You may encounter signup forms embedded on our website or within the bracket predictor. If you subscribe, your email address is shared with Beehiiv, our newsletter delivery platform, solely for the purpose of sending you newsletter emails.

• You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link included at the bottom of every newsletter email.
• You can also email us at hello@theworldcupguide.com to be removed from the mailing list.
• We will never share your newsletter email address with other companies for their own marketing.

15. Payments and Tips

Our Services offer an optional tipping feature powered by Stripe. If you choose to leave a tip:

• All payment information (card number, expiration date, billing details) is collected and processed entirely by Stripe on their platform.
• We never see, receive, or store your credit card details or full payment information.
• We receive only a confirmation that a payment was made and the amount.
• Stripe’s handling of your payment data is governed by Stripe’s Privacy Policy.

16. Children’s Privacy

Our Services are not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. If you are under 13, please do not use our Services or provide any personal information to us.

If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child under 13, we will take prompt steps to delete that information from our systems. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at hello@theworldcupguide.com so we can take appropriate action.

This policy is consistent with the requirements of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

17. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, Services, or applicable law. When we make changes:

• We will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page.
• For material changes that significantly affect how we handle your data, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you (such as a notice on our website or an email to registered users).
• Your continued use of the Services after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

18. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise your data rights, or have any privacy-related concerns, please contact us:

We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.