Bud Privacy Policy
Last updated: July 2, 2026
Hey. We're Bud - the sports buddy that texts you. This is our Privacy Policy. We've written it in plain English because privacy policies you can't understand aren't really policies at all. It's long because it's complete, not because we're hiding anything in the fine print.
The short version: we collect what we need to text you about sports, we don't sell your personal information, and you can leave (and take your data with you, or have it deleted) whenever you want.
1. Who We Are
Bud is operated by Wunderfan ("Wunderfan," "we," "us," or "our"). If you have any questions about this policy or your data, email us at support@budknowsball.ai.
For the purposes of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the UK GDPR, Wunderfan is the data controller of the personal data described in this policy.
This policy covers the Bud messaging service (on iMessage - including messages delivered as SMS, such as iMessage fallback - Telegram, WhatsApp, and any other messaging platform we support) and our website at budknowsball.ai.
2. What Data We Collect
We collect only what we need to be a good sports buddy. Specifically:
2.1 Contact and account identifiers
- Your phone number and/or messaging handle (whatever you use to text Bud).
- Platform user IDs assigned by the messaging platform you use (e.g., your Telegram user ID or WhatsApp identifier).
2.2 Message content
- Messages you send to Bud and messages Bud sends to you - the full conversation, both directions. We need this so Bud can understand what you said and remember the thread of your conversation.
2.3 Sports preferences and watch habits
- The teams, sports, and leagues you follow, and your watching habits - what games you care about, what kinds of updates you want, how you like to follow along. Some of this you tell us directly; some of it Bud learns from your conversations over time (see Section 6 on profiling).
2.4 Settings
- Quiet hours, timezone, and notification preferences - so Bud knows when not to text you.
- Content preferences - including your betting-content preference, if you've asked Bud to leave lines, spreads, and odds out of your messages (see Section 14).
2.5 Usage analytics
- Service usage data such as message counts, feature usage, timestamps, and error logs - so we can keep Bud running well and understand what's working.
2.6 Website visitor data
When you visit budknowsball.ai, we collect:
- IP address
- Device and browser information (device type, operating system, browser version, screen size)
- Cookies and similar technologies (see Section 15)
- Pages viewed and basic interaction data
2.7 Future rewards program data
If and when we launch a rewards program, we will collect data necessary to operate it - such as participation status, points/rewards balances, and redemption history. The program may be operated with a third-party partner; if so, participation data may be shared with that partner under separate rewards terms that will be presented to you. We will update this policy before launching, and participation will be optional.
2.8 A note on sensitive information you might volunteer
Bud is an open chat, and people sometimes type things a sports buddy doesn't need to know. Please don't share sensitive personal data with Bud - things like health information, religious or political views, sexual orientation, immigration status, or anything similar. Bud doesn't ask for it and doesn't need it.
If you do volunteer something sensitive in a message:
- We do not use it to build your preference profile or for any purpose beyond generating Bud's reply in that conversation.
- Like all message content, it is transmitted to our AI subprocessors (Section 5) to generate the reply, and it will be deleted on request and under the retention schedule in Section 11.
- Where GDPR applies, any incidental processing of special-category data occurs only on the basis of your explicit consent in choosing to share it, and you can withdraw that by asking us to delete the message.
What we do NOT collect
We don't ask for or knowingly collect payment card numbers via chat, government IDs, precise geolocation, or biometric data. If we ever need something new, we'll update this policy first.
3. Where the Data Comes From
We get personal data from three sources:
- Directly from you - when you message Bud, set preferences, tell Bud your teams, adjust quiet hours, or email us.
- From messaging platforms and delivery vendors - the platform you use (Apple iMessage, Telegram, WhatsApp) and, for iMessage, our messaging relay vendor (see Section 8) pass us your messages and the identifiers needed to reply to you.
- Automatically - usage analytics from the service, and cookies/device data when you visit our website.
4. Why We Use Your Data (Purposes and Legal Bases)
Here's what we do with your data and - for folks covered by the GDPR/UK GDPR - the legal basis for each use:
| Purpose | What it involves | Legal basis (GDPR) |
|---|---|---|
| Providing the Bud service (responsive/service messages) | Receiving your messages, generating replies to things you asked, and sending service messages about your account (e.g., confirming a settings change or an opt-out) | Performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) |
| Proactive recurring texts | Bud texting you first - game updates, score alerts, and other recurring messages you signed up for | Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)); for EU/UK users, consent is also required under ePrivacy rules/PECR. Withdrawing this consent stops proactive texts but does not close your account - Bud will still reply when you text first |
| Personalization | Learning your teams, preferences, and watch habits so Bud's messages are actually relevant to you | Performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) and legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)) - with a right to object at any time (see Section 6) |
| Respecting your settings | Honoring quiet hours, timezone, and opt-outs | Performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b)); legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) for opt-out records |
| Service improvement and analytics | Understanding usage patterns, fixing bugs, improving Bud's responses | Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)) |
| Security and abuse prevention | Detecting spam, fraud, and misuse; protecting the service | Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)); legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) |
| Promotional/marketing messages | Any messages promoting new features, offers, or the future rewards program - as distinct from the sports updates you signed up for | Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) - you can withdraw anytime (see Section 14) |
| Website analytics and cookies | Understanding website traffic and performance | Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) for non-essential cookies; legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)) for essential ones |
| Legal compliance | Responding to lawful requests, keeping required records | Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) |
To be clear about message categories: service messages are replies to things you send Bud and administrative notices about your account; proactive recurring texts are the sports updates Bud sends you first, which run on your consent; promotional messages advertise something beyond what you signed up for, and also run on consent. You can turn off either consent-based category without losing the other or your account.
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we've balanced our interests against your rights, and you can object at any time (see Section 10).
5. How Bud's AI Works
Bud is powered by artificial intelligence. When you send Bud a message:
- Your message (and relevant conversation context, like your team preferences) is processed by AI / large language model (LLM) providers acting as our subprocessors to understand it and generate Bud's reply.
- These providers process your messages on our behalf and under our instructions, subject to data processing agreements.
- We do not use your conversations to train AI models, and we contractually prohibit our AI providers from using your message content to train their models.
- Bud is a chatbot, not a human. If that's ever unclear, just ask - Bud will tell you.
One honest note: AI-generated content can be wrong. Scores, odds, and stats Bud mentions are for entertainment and information - don't bet the house on them (see Section 13).
6. Personalization and Profiling
Bud learns how you watch sports. That's the whole point - but under privacy law, this is a form of profiling, and you deserve a clear explanation:
- Bud builds a profile of your sports preferences: teams you follow, sports you care about, when and how you like updates.
- This profile is built from what you tell Bud and from your conversations with Bud over time.
- It's used only to personalize Bud's messages to you - not to make legal or similarly significant decisions about you, and not for third-party advertising.
- Legally, this runs on performance of our contract with you and our legitimate interest in making Bud useful - and you have the right to object at any time.
Opting out: If you'd rather Bud not build a preference profile, just tell Bud in chat - something like "stop personalizing" works, and Bud will confirm. You can also email support@budknowsball.ai. Either way, we'll turn off personalization for your account (Bud will be a bit more generic, but that's your call). You can also ask us - in chat or by email - to show you or delete the preferences Bud has learned at any time.
7. The Messaging Platform Reality Check
Bud lives inside messaging apps that we don't control. This matters:
- iMessage: Messages travel through Apple's infrastructure and are subject to Apple's privacy practices. See Apple's Privacy Policy at https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/.
- Telegram: Messages travel through Telegram's infrastructure and are subject to Telegram's privacy policy at https://telegram.org/privacy.
- WhatsApp: Messages travel through WhatsApp/Meta's infrastructure and are subject to Meta's privacy policies at https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/privacy-policy.
- SMS: Where a message is delivered as SMS (for example, iMessage fallback), it travels over mobile carrier networks, and carriers process message data under their own policies.
These platforms are not our service providers or subprocessors - they are independent controllers (or, in some cases, mere conduits) of the message data that crosses their networks. When you message Bud on a platform, that platform independently processes your messages under its own privacy policy - that processing is between you and them, and this policy doesn't (and can't) cover it. We recommend reading the policy of whichever platform you use.
Separately: because Apple offers no direct business API for iMessage, Bud's iMessage traffic is delivered through a messaging relay/gateway vendor that does act on our behalf and under our contract - see Section 8.
8. Who We Share Data With
We do not sell your personal information. Full stop.
We share data only with service providers ("subprocessors") who help us run Bud, under contracts that restrict what they can do with it:
| Category | What they do | Data they touch |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud hosting providers | Host our servers and databases | All service data |
| AI / LLM providers | Process messages to generate Bud's replies (see Section 5) | Message content and conversation context |
| Messaging relay / gateway providers | Deliver messages between you and Bud on platforms without a direct business API - in particular, iMessage delivery | Phone number/handle, platform IDs, and message content in both directions |
| Sports data providers | Supply scores, schedules, odds, and stats | Our queries to these vendors fetch scores and stats and are not linked to your identity |
| Analytics providers | Help us understand usage and website traffic | Usage data, website visitor data |
The messaging platforms themselves (Apple, Telegram, Meta/WhatsApp) are not on this list on purpose: they don't process your data on our behalf or under our contracts. They're independent controllers of what crosses their networks - see Section 7.
If we launch the rewards program described in Section 2.7 with a third-party partner, we will update this section - and re-verify the "no sale/share" statements in Section 9 - before any participation data is shared with that partner.
We may also disclose data if required by law, to protect our rights or users' safety, or as part of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale (in which case this policy's protections follow your data, and we'll notify you).
9. Your US State Privacy Rights
9.1 California (CCPA/CPRA)
If you're a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (as amended by the CPRA) gives you specific rights.
Categories of personal information we collect (as defined by the CCPA): identifiers (phone number, platform IDs, IP address); internet/electronic activity (usage data, website data, cookies); and inferences (your sports preference profile). See Section 2 for details. We collect them from the sources in Section 3, for the purposes in Section 4, and share them with the service-provider categories in Section 8.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not "share" it for cross-context behavioral advertising (as those terms are defined in the CCPA/CPRA). We have not done so in the preceding 12 months. We do not knowingly sell or share personal information of consumers under 16.
Your rights:
- Know/Access - what personal information we've collected about you
- Delete - request deletion of your personal information
- Correct - fix inaccurate personal information
- Portability - get a copy in a usable format
- Opt out of sale/sharing - moot in our case, since we don't do either, but the right is yours
- Limit use of sensitive personal information - we don't collect sensitive personal information on purpose; if you've volunteered something sensitive in chat (see Section 2.8), you may ask us to delete it
- Non-discrimination - we will never treat you worse for exercising your rights
Global Privacy Control (GPC): Where required, we treat GPC signals as a valid opt-out-of-sale/sharing request.
How to exercise these rights: Email support@budknowsball.ai. Verification: we'll verify your identity by confirming control of the phone number or messaging handle associated with your Bud account (and/or the email you contact us from). You may use an authorized agent; we'll require proof of authorization. We respond within 45 days (extendable by another 45 with notice, as the CCPA allows).
9.2 Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Texas, and other states
If you live in a state with a comprehensive privacy law - including Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Texas, and others as they take effect - you have rights to:
- Access the personal data we process about you and confirm we're processing it
- Correct inaccuracies
- Delete personal data you provided or that we obtained about you
- Portability - obtain a copy in a portable, usable format
- Opt out of targeted advertising, the sale of personal data, and profiling in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects. (We don't sell personal data or use it for targeted advertising, and Bud's personalization doesn't produce legal or similarly significant effects - but the rights are yours, and you can opt out of personalization anytime per Section 6.)
How to exercise: email support@budknowsball.ai. We'll respond within 45 days (extendable once by 45 days with notice).
Right to appeal: if we decline a request, we'll tell you why. You may appeal by writing to support@budknowsball.ai with the subject "Privacy Appeal." We'll respond to appeals within 60 days (or the shorter period your state's law requires) with a written explanation. If we deny your appeal, we'll provide a way to contact your state Attorney General to submit a complaint.
10. Your GDPR / UK GDPR Rights
If you're in the European Economic Area, the UK, or another jurisdiction with similar laws, you have the following rights over your personal data:
- Right of access - get a copy of the data we hold about you
- Right to rectification - correct inaccurate or incomplete data
- Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten") - have your data deleted
- Right to restriction of processing - pause our use of your data in certain situations
- Right to data portability - receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Right to object - object to processing based on legitimate interests (including personalization - see Section 6), and to any direct marketing (marketing objections are always honored, no questions asked)
- Rights related to automated decision-making and profiling - including the personalization opt-out described in Section 6; we do not make solely automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects
- Right to withdraw consent - where processing is based on consent (proactive recurring texts, promotional messages, non-essential cookies), withdraw it at any time without affecting prior processing - and withdrawing messaging consent doesn't close your account
To exercise any of these, email support@budknowsball.ai. We'll respond within 30 days (one month), extendable where the law permits for complex requests.
Complaints: You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority (in the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office). We'd appreciate the chance to sort it out with you first, but that's your right regardless.
11. How Long We Keep Data (Retention)
We keep data only as long as we need it:
| Data type | Default retention | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Contact and account identifiers | Life of your account, plus up to 30 days after a deletion request | A hashed copy may be kept indefinitely in the suppression list so we never message you again after an opt-out |
| Message content (both directions) | 12 months from the date of the message, then deleted or anonymized | Recent history is kept so Bud remembers your conversations |
| Sports preferences and profile | For as long as your account is active, plus 30 days after a deletion request | Deleted promptly when you ask |
| Quiet hours / settings (incl. betting-content preference) | For as long as your account is active | |
| Consent records (signup/opt-in) | Life of your account plus the period required to demonstrate compliance | See Section 14 |
| Usage analytics | 24 months, then aggregated or deleted | Aggregated stats (no personal data) may be kept longer |
| Website visitor data / cookies | Per cookie lifespans in Section 15; server logs 90 days | |
| Opt-out records (STOP requests) | Kept indefinitely in suppression list form | Legally required so we don't message you again |
| Legal/compliance records | As required by applicable law |
When you request deletion, we remove your data from active systems within 30 days; encrypted backups cycle out on a schedule of up to 90 days.
12. Security and Breach Notification
We take reasonable and appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including:
- Encryption in transit (TLS) and encryption at rest for stored data
- Access controls and least-privilege access for our team
- Data processing agreements with every vendor that processes personal data on our behalf
- Logging, monitoring, and regular review of our security practices
No system is perfectly secure - anyone who promises that is selling something. If a data breach occurs, we will notify the relevant authorities and affected individuals as and when required by applicable law, and additionally where we determine there is a meaningful risk of harm to you - with clear information about what happened and what we're doing about it.
13. Children and Age Requirements
Because Bud's content can include betting odds, spreads, and lines, Bud is intended for users 18 or older (or the age of majority where you live). At signup, you must confirm that you are 18 or older before Bud will message you.
Bud provides odds and stats for entertainment - Bud is not a sportsbook, doesn't take bets, and doesn't provide gambling services or advice.
Under 13: Bud is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (per COPPA). If we learn we've collected data from a child under 13, we'll delete it promptly - parents/guardians, contact support@budknowsball.ai.
13 to 17: Bud is not for you either - the 18+ requirement applies to everyone. If we learn a user is under 18, we will close the account, stop all messaging and profiling, and delete the associated personal data. If you believe a minor is using Bud, tell us at support@budknowsball.ai.
14. Marketing, Recurring Messages, and Opting Out
Bud is, by design, a service that texts you - so we only message people who signed up and consented to recurring messages.
How consent works: you opt in during signup, where we disclose that you'll receive recurring automated messages, that message frequency varies, and that message and data rates may apply. Consent to receive messages is not a condition of purchasing any goods or services. We keep a record of your consent - what you agreed to, when, and how - for as long as needed to demonstrate compliance.
Message frequency varies with your preferences and how chatty your teams' seasons are. Message and data rates may apply depending on your carrier and platform.
Opting out is always easy:
- On SMS or iMessage: reply STOP to any message from Bud - we'll confirm and stop messaging you. Reply HELP for help and support information at any time.
- On Telegram or WhatsApp: send Bud the word "stop" (or any reasonable opt-out request), or use the platform's block, mute, or report controls. Ask Bud for "help" anytime.
- Use in-chat commands to pause updates, change frequency, or adjust quiet hours (just tell Bud "pause" or "fewer updates" - Bud speaks human)
- Turn off the betting talk: tell Bud to leave lines, spreads, and odds out of your messages (e.g., "no betting content") and we'll honor that preference without stopping your other updates
- Email support@budknowsball.ai and we'll take care of it
Withdrawing your messaging consent stops proactive texts, but it doesn't close your account - Bud will still answer if you text first. Opting out of messages doesn't delete your data by itself - see Section 11 and Section 18 if you want deletion too. We keep a record of your opt-out (we have to, so we don't accidentally message you again).
15. Cookies (Website)
Our website at budknowsball.ai uses cookies and similar technologies:
- Essential cookies - required for the site to function. Always on.
- Analytics cookies - help us understand how visitors use the site, set only with your consent where required.
- We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies.
You can control cookies through your browser settings.
Do Not Track and GPC: our website does not respond to browser Do Not Track (DNT) signals, but we honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals as described in Section 9.
16. International Data Transfers
Wunderfan is based in the United States, and our subprocessors (Section 8) may process data in the United States and other countries. If you use Bud from the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, your data may be transferred to countries that don't have the same data protection laws as yours.
Where we transfer personal data internationally, we rely on appropriate safeguards, such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses (and the UK Addendum), or adequacy decisions where they apply. You can request more information by emailing support@budknowsball.ai.
17. Changes to This Policy
We'll update this policy as Bud evolves (for example, when the rewards program in Section 2.7 launches). When we make material changes, we'll notify you - via a message from Bud and/or a prominent notice on our website - before the changes take effect, and we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top.
For processing that rests on your consent (proactive recurring texts, promotional messages, non-essential cookies), material changes take effect for you only after you renew your opt-in consent - continued use alone isn't consent. For everything else, continued use of Bud after changes take effect means you accept the updated policy; if you don't, Section 14 tells you how to leave.
18. Contact Us and How We Handle Requests
Questions, concerns, or requests about your privacy:
Email: support@budknowsball.ai
Our promise on data requests: whether you're asking under GDPR, CCPA, another state law, or just asking - we will acknowledge your request promptly and respond in full within 30 days (GDPR and general requests) or 45 days (CCPA and other US state requests), with lawful extensions only where genuinely needed and always with an explanation. If we refuse a request, you can appeal (see Section 9.2). Deletion requests can be made simply by emailing us - no forms, no hoops, no dark patterns.
Bud is a product of Wunderfan. Thanks for reading the whole thing - most people don't. Now go watch some ball.