Privacy Policy

Last Updated: January 15, 2025

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1. Introduction

Welcome to Trackle! This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you use our Taylor Swift song guessing game. By using Trackle, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Email address - Used for account identification and login
• Username - Your chosen display name
• Password - Stored securely using industry-standard encryption (hashed and salted)
• Display name - How you appear on scoreboards and in the game

2.2 OAuth Social Login Information

If you sign in with Google or Facebook, we collect:

• Name - Your name from your Google/Facebook profile
• Email address - Your email from your Google/Facebook account
• Profile picture - Your profile picture URL (optional)
• User ID - A unique identifier from Google/Facebook to link your account

Note: We only request basic profile information. We do NOT access your friends list, posts, photos, or any other personal data beyond what's needed for login.

2.3 Game Activity Data

To provide the game functionality and scoreboards, we collect:

• Game history - Your guesses, scores, and completion times
• Daily streaks - How many consecutive days you've played
• Statistics - Win rate, average guesses, best scores
• Timestamps - When you played each game

2.4 Technical Information

We automatically collect certain technical information:

• IP address - For security and preventing abuse
• Browser type - To ensure compatibility
• Device information - To optimize the game experience
• Error logs - To fix bugs and improve the app (via Application Insights)

2.5 Analytics Data

We use Google Analytics to understand how users interact with Trackle:

• Pages visited and features used
• Time spent on the site
• General location (city/region level, not exact address)
• Device and browser statistics

Analytics data is aggregated and anonymized. We can't identify individual users from this data.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide the game - Track your progress, scores, and statistics
• Authenticate you - Keep you logged in and secure your account
• Display scoreboards - Show rankings and compare scores with other players
• Improve the game - Analyze usage patterns and fix bugs
• Prevent cheating - Detect and prevent unfair gameplay
• Communicate with you - Send important updates (rare, only when necessary)

We do NOT:

• Sell your personal information to third parties
• Send marketing emails or spam
• Share your data with advertisers
• Use your data for purposes unrelated to Trackle

4. Cookies and Local Storage

Trackle uses cookies to provide a seamless experience:

4.1 Essential Cookies

These are required for the site to function:

• Authentication cookie (Trackle.Auth) - Keeps you logged in (expires after 1 year)
• Anti-forgery tokens - Protects against CSRF attacks
• OAuth correlation cookies - Secures Google/Facebook login process

4.2 Analytics Cookies

• Google Analytics (_ga, _gid) - Tracks usage patterns (can be blocked via browser settings)

4.3 Browser Local Storage

We store some data in your browser:

• Game preferences (if implemented)
• Temporary game state (prevents losing progress on refresh)

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but this may affect site functionality (e.g., you won't stay logged in).

5. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We share your data only with trusted service providers necessary to operate Trackle:

5.1 Authentication Providers

• Google OAuth - When you sign in with Google
• Facebook Login - When you sign in with Facebook

These services have their own privacy policies. We only receive the basic information you authorize.

5.2 Cloud Services

• Microsoft Azure - Hosts our application and database (data stored in US East region)
• Application Insights - Monitors errors and performance

5.3 Analytics

• Google Analytics - Tracks anonymized usage statistics

We do NOT share your personal information with:

• Advertisers or marketing companies
• Data brokers
• Social media platforms (beyond login)
• Anyone else, unless required by law

6. Data Security

We take security seriously and implement multiple measures to protect your data:

• HTTPS encryption - All data transmitted is encrypted
• Password hashing - Passwords are hashed using PBKDF2 with SHA-256 (100,000 iterations)
• Secure cookies - HttpOnly and SameSite flags prevent common attacks
• CSRF protection - Anti-forgery tokens on all forms
• Database security - Hosted on secure Azure infrastructure
• Regular updates - We keep our software up-to-date with security patches

Important: No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Your Data Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

7.1 Access

You can view your account information and game statistics anytime by logging in.

7.2 Correction

You can update your username and email address in your account settings (feature coming soon).

7.3 Deletion

You can request deletion of your account and all associated data.

How to delete your account:

1. Send an email to: privacy@trackle.app
2. Include your username or email address
3. We'll delete your account within 7 business days

Note: Deleting your account will permanently remove:

• Your profile and login credentials
• All your game history and statistics
• Your scoreboard entries

This action cannot be undone.

7.4 Export

You can request a copy of your data in a portable format (JSON or CSV).

Email privacy@trackle.app to request a data export.

7.5 Opt-Out

You can opt out of analytics tracking:

• Install a browser extension like uBlock Origin
• Enable "Do Not Track" in your browser settings
• Use Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on

8. Data Retention

We retain your data as follows:

• Account data - Until you delete your account
• Game history - Until you delete your account
• Error logs - 90 days (via Application Insights)
• Analytics data - 26 months (Google Analytics default)
• Deleted accounts - Permanently removed within 7 days, with backups purged within 30 days

9. Children's Privacy

Trackle is intended for general audiences. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately at privacy@trackle.app and we will delete it.

10. International Users

Trackle is operated from the United States. If you are accessing Trackle from outside the US, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the US where our servers are located. By using Trackle, you consent to this transfer.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by:

• Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• Displaying a notice on the website (for significant changes)

Your continued use of Trackle after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this privacy policy or your personal data, please contact us:

13. Legal Compliance

We may disclose your information if required by law, such as:

• In response to a court order, subpoena, or legal process
• To protect our rights, property, or safety
• To prevent fraud or abuse
• In connection with a business transfer (sale, merger, etc.)

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