1. Introduction

Welcome to Games With Words ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and what rights you have in relation to it.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: Email address, password (encrypted), and optional display name
• User-Generated Content: Word submissions, feedback, and reports you provide
• Gameplay Data: Puzzle completion times, scores, hints used, and progress
• Communications: Messages you send us through contact forms or support requests

2.2 Information Automatically Collected

• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent, puzzles played, click patterns
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device type, IP address
• Cookies: Session cookies for authentication, preference cookies for settings
• Analytics: We use Ahoy gem to track page visits and events for improving our service

3. How We Use Your Information

• Provide the Service: Create and manage your account, save your progress, remember your preferences
• Improve the Service: Analyze usage patterns, fix bugs, develop new features
• Communicate: Send account-related emails (password resets, important updates)
• Moderate Content: Review flagged puzzles, enforce community guidelines
• Legal Compliance: Respond to legal requests, prevent fraud and abuse

4. Third-Party Services

4.1 Google AdSense

We may display advertisements provided by Google AdSense. Google may use cookies to serve ads based on your visit to our site and other sites. You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings.

4.2 Analytics

We use self-hosted analytics (Ahoy gem) to understand how users interact with our site. This data is stored in our database and not shared with third parties.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do NOT sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share your information only in these circumstances:

• With Your Consent: When you explicitly agree to share information
• Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect our legal rights
• Safety: To prevent harm to you or others
• Business Transfer: If we are acquired or merged with another company

6. Your Rights

6.1 General Rights

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Correction: Update inaccurate information in your account settings
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and data (see Section 6.2)
• Portability: Export your gameplay history and account data
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing emails (we don't send many!)

6.2 GDPR Rights (EU Users)

If you are located in the European Union, you have additional rights under GDPR:

• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restrict processing
• Right to object to processing
• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

6.3 California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know what personal information is collected
• Right to know if personal information is sold or disclosed
• Right to say no to the sale of personal information (we don't sell data)
• Right to delete personal information
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights

7. Data Retention

• Active Accounts: We retain your data as long as your account is active
• Deleted Accounts: 30-day grace period, then permanent deletion
• Gameplay Data: Retained indefinitely for leaderboards and statistics (anonymized after account deletion)
• Legal Requirements: Some data may be retained longer if required by law

8. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

• Passwords are hashed using bcrypt (never stored in plain text)
• HTTPS encryption for all data transmission
• Regular security updates and patches
• Database backups with encryption
• Access controls and monitoring

However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

Our service is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are under 13, please do not create an account or provide any personal information.

If we discover that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it immediately. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us at privacy@gameswithwords.com.

10. Cookies and Tracking

10.1 Essential Cookies

• Session Cookies: Keep you logged in (required for authentication)
• CSRF Tokens: Protect against cross-site request forgery attacks

10.2 Preference Cookies

• Theme/Settings: Remember your gameplay preferences (cell size, colors, etc.)
• Language: Remember your language preference

10.3 Analytics Cookies

• Ahoy Tracking: Track page visits and events to improve the service
• Duration: Visitor token expires after 2 years

10.4 Advertising Cookies (if AdSense is enabled)

• Google AdSense: May use cookies to display relevant ads
• Control: You can opt out via Google Ads Settings

11. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and maintained on servers located outside of your state, province, country, or other governmental jurisdiction where data protection laws may differ. By using our service, you consent to this transfer.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by:

• Posting a notice on our homepage
• Sending an email to registered users (for material changes)
• Updating the "Effective Date" at the top of this page

Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

• Email: privacy@gameswithwords.com
• Data Protection Officer: dpo@gameswithwords.com

14. Your Acceptance

By using Games With Words, you signify your acceptance of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this policy, please do not use our service.