Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to PuzzleElo ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring you have a positive experience on our website and in our games. This Privacy Policy applies to our website at www.puzzleelo.com and all related services.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, use our mobile applications, or engage with our puzzle games. Please read this privacy policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the site.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

2.1 Personal Information

• Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your email address, username, and password. You may optionally provide your country and birthday.
• Profile Information: Any additional information you add to your profile, such as a display name or profile picture.
• Payment Information: If you subscribe to premium features, our payment processor (Stripe) handles your payment details. We do not store your full credit card information.

2.2 Usage Data

• Game Data: Puzzle completion times, scores, win/loss records, Elo ratings, and gameplay statistics.
• Progress Data: Your progress through lessons, achievements earned, and practice history.
• Interaction Data: How you interact with our services, including features used, buttons clicked, and pages visited.

2.3 Device Information

• Technical Data: IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, screen resolution, and language preferences.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience. See our Cookie Policy section below.

2.4 Social Features

• Friends List: Information about users you connect with as friends.
• Class/Group Data: If you join educational classes or groups, we store your membership and assignment data.
• Leaderboard Data: Your username and scores may appear on public leaderboards.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

• Service Provision: To provide, operate, and maintain our puzzle games and services.
• Matchmaking: To match you with appropriate opponents based on your skill level and Elo rating.
• Personalization: To personalize your experience, including puzzle difficulty recommendations.
• Progress Tracking: To save your game progress, statistics, and achievements.
• Communication: To send you service-related announcements, updates, and promotional materials (with your consent).
• Analytics: To analyze usage trends and improve our services.
• Security: To detect, prevent, and address technical issues, fraud, and abuse.
• Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms of service.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• Public Leaderboards: Your username, country, and scores may be displayed on public leaderboards.
• Social Features: Information shared with friends or class members as part of social features.
• Service Providers: We work with third-party service providers who help us operate our services (e.g., hosting, analytics, payment processing).
• Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect our rights, safety, or property.
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

5. Third-Party Services and Analytics

We use third-party services to help us understand how our services are used and to improve your experience:

• Google Analytics: To analyze website traffic and user behavior. Google Analytics may collect information about your use of our website, including your IP address.
• Google OAuth: If you choose to sign in with Google, Google will share your basic profile information with us according to their privacy policy.
• Stripe: For payment processing. Stripe handles your payment information according to their privacy policy.

These third-party services have their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review them.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:

• Keep you logged in to your account
• Remember your preferences and settings
• Understand how you use our services
• Provide personalized content and recommendations
• Analyze and improve our services

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our services.

7. Data Security

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

• Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
• Secure password hashing
• Regular security assessments
• Access controls and authentication
• Secure data storage practices

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services. If you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days, except where we need to retain certain information for legal or legitimate business purposes.

Game statistics and leaderboard data may be retained in anonymized form for historical and analytical purposes.

9. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: Request that we delete your personal information.
• Portability: Request a copy of your data in a machine-readable format.
• Opt-out: Opt out of marketing communications at any time.
• Restriction: Request that we restrict the processing of your information.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at support@puzzleelo.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

10. Children's Privacy

Our services are designed to be family-friendly. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without parental consent. If you are a parent and believe your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us.

For users under 18, we encourage parental involvement in their online activities and recommend reviewing this policy together.

11. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this privacy policy and applicable data protection laws.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

13. Contact Us

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

• Email: support@puzzleelo.com
• Website: www.puzzleelo.com/support

We are committed to resolving any complaints about your privacy and our collection or use of your personal information. We aim to respond to all inquiries within 30 business days.

14. Additional Information for Specific Jurisdictions

For European Union (EU) Residents (GDPR)

If you are located in the EU, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

For California Residents (CCPA)

California residents have the right to know what personal information we collect, request deletion, and opt out of the sale of personal information. Note that we do not sell personal information.