Whack-A-Word — Privacy Policy
Effective date: 2025-06-04
Developer/Publisher: Bircube Technologies

1.      Overview

Whack-A-Word is offered by Bircube Technologies as a freemium kids’ learning app. We are committed to protecting children’s privacy and complying with applicable laws, including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and relevant app marketplace guidelines (Google Play and Apple App Store policies).

This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and what controls parents/guardians have. We design our data practices to collect only what is strictly necessary to deliver the app’s core functionality. We do not use data for advertising, profiling, or behavioral tracking.

New parental-control screen (summary): We have added a parental control screen that must be completed or verified by a parent/guardian before children can access gameplay or other child-directed features. The parental control is designed to ensure that a responsible adult authorizes access, and to give parents control over account sign-in, online sync, and server-based features. The parental control does not collect children’s personal information beyond what is required to authenticate a parent (if the parent chooses to use account sign-in); local verification options are available that do not require sharing personal data.

Plain-language summary for parents:

·         We do not show ads and do not track your child across apps or websites.

·         Any data we collect is only for app functionality and safety (e.g., saving progress, preventing fraud/abuse, fixing crashes).

·         We do not sell personal information.

·         You can review, delete, or request deletion of your child’s information by emailing info@bircube.com.

2.      Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to all users of Whack-A-Word, whether they download it via the Google Play Store, Apple App Store, or other authorized marketplaces.

3.      Information we collect (minimal & purpose-limited)

We aim to avoid collecting personal information from children. In some cases, we may collect limited information that qualifies as personal information under COPPA or other laws. We collect only what is necessary for internal operations and core functionality:

3.1 Device and app diagnostics (automatic)
Identifiers: randomized app/user ID, device model, OS version, language/region settings, transient IP address, and similar technical data.

App activity & diagnostics: crash logs, performance reports, and basic analytics limited to internal operations.

Purpose: internal operations, security, fraud prevention, service reliability, and compliance.

3.2 Gameplay data
Progress & settings: level progress, stars/scores, preferences, and parental control settings.

Purpose: saving/restoring progress, enabling core gameplay.

3.3 Optional account functionality (parent-managed only)
Parents may enable login features to sync data across devices.

·         On iOS → Apple Sign-In

·         On Android → Google Play Sign-In

·         Underlying authentication is managed via Unity Authentication.

Accounts are pseudonymous; we do not require a child’s real name or email.

Purpose: sync and restore progress, manage Unity account login, and prevent fraud/abuse.

No advertising identifiers or behavioral profiles are collected or used.

Parental Control & Authentication details: When parents enable online sync or account features, they must complete the parental control verification before these features are activated for the child. Parental verification options include a parent account sign-in (Apple/Google) or a local parental gate (for example, entering a parent-set PIN, solving a simple parent-only task, or other manual verification). We do not require or request children’s personal information to complete the parental control. If a parent chooses sign-in, only the minimum authentication metadata (e.g., account ID or token) necessary for managing the parent’s preference is used and stored in accordance with this policy.

4.      How we use information
We use the information described above only for:

·         Core functionality (gameplay, saving progress, login/sync if parent-enabled).

·         Security & integrity (fraud prevention, abuse prevention, service protection).

·         Diagnostics & quality (crash reports, performance measurement, troubleshooting).

·         Compliance (responding to legal requests, enforcing terms).

We do not use data for targeted advertising, marketing, behavioral profiling, or cross-app tracking.

5.      Third-party service providers (processors)
We rely on carefully selected third-party providers who act only on our instructions and only for service-related purposes. They are contractually restricted from using data for any other purpose.

Current providers:

·         Unity Services → Used for Unity Authentication (parent-enabled login) and Unity IAPs (processing purchases). No Unity Ads or Unity Analytics are used. https://unity.com/legal/privacy-policy

·         Supabase → Secure backend database for storing and updating gameplay progress, settings, and synced game data. Not used for authentication or marketing. https://supabase.com/privacy

·         Google Play Services (Android only) → Enables login into Unity accounts via Google. Also supports app distribution and essential platform functions. https://myaccount.google.com/privacypolicy

·         Apple Sign-In (iOS only) → Enables login into Unity accounts using Apple credentials without sharing personal details. https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/

6.      No ads, no tracking, no profiling

No behavioral ads. We do not show personalized ads.

No cross-app or cross-site tracking.

No data sales. We do not sell personal information.

7.      Legal bases (GDPR/UK GDPR)
Depending on your location, our legal bases for processing may include:

·         Performance of a contract (to provide the requested service).

·         Legitimate interests (ensuring app security, preventing abuse).

·         Consent (where required; for kids, we obtain parental consent where applicable or limit collection to COPPA-permitted operations only).

8.      Children’s privacy & parental controls (COPPA)
Whack-A-Word is designed for children but always under parental oversight.

We collect only the minimum data necessary for gameplay and Unity login.

We never knowingly collect personal information beyond internal operations.

For future features requiring additional data, we will obtain verifiable parental consent first.

8.1 Parental Control Screen (new)
To further protect children and meet regulatory expectations, Whack-A-Word now includes a parental control screen that must be completed or verified by a parent or legal guardian before a child can access the app’s gameplay and other child-directed features. Key points about the parental control:

·         Purpose: Ensure that an adult authorizes access, prevent unauthorized child access to online features, and allow parents to enable or disable syncing, purchases, or other features.

·         How it works: Parents may verify via one of the following methods:

o    Parent account sign-in using Apple Sign-In (iOS) or Google Play sign-in (Android) — when parents choose this, minimal authentication metadata (account ID/token) is used to tie parental preferences to the child’s pseudonymous game data.

o    Local parental gate (offline verification) such as a parent-set PIN or completing a parent-only action (example: a simple math problem or following instructions that are unlikely to be completed by a young child).

·         No unnecessary data collection: The parental control screen itself does not require a child’s personal information. If a parent chooses sign-in, only the minimal account metadata necessary to manage settings is stored, and such sign-in is strictly parent-managed.

·         Parental controls: Through the parental control screen parents can: enable/disable cloud sync, activate local-only mode, require parental approval for in-app purchases, and adjust other parental settings.

·         Designed for compliance: The parental gate is designed to be a reasonable mechanism for obtaining parental authorization as required by relevant law and marketplace guidelines. We do not use parental control inputs for advertising or profiling.

COPPA Internal Operations Notice: We may collect a persistent identifier (e.g., randomized user ID or transient IP) strictly for internal operations such as app functionality, login authentication, performance analytics, and crash reporting.

Parents may review, delete, or refuse collection of their child’s information by contacting info@bircube.com.

9.      Data sharing & transfers
We only share information with:

·         Service providers listed in Section 5.

·         When required by law or to protect safety/security.

·         With parent/guardian consent.

Data may be processed outside your region; we apply safeguards as required.

10.  Data retention

·         Gameplay progress: kept until a parent requests deletion or the account becomes inactive.

·         Diagnostics & crash logs: retained temporarily for troubleshooting.

Parents may request data deletion anytime via info@bircube.com.

11.  Security
We use industry-standard security measures to protect data. However, no system is 100% secure. In case of a breach, we will act promptly and notify affected parties where required by law.

12.  Parents’ rights & choices
Parents/guardians may:

·         Access their child’s data.

·         Request deletion.

·         Opt-out of future data collection.

·         Contact info@bircube.com to make a request.

Local-only mode & parental gating:
If you don’t want any data sent to our servers, you may play entirely offline. In this mode, all progress is stored locally. Parents can enable local-only mode from the parental control screen so that no gameplay or diagnostics data leaves the device. Parents may also require parental approval for any account sign-in, cloud sync, or purchases.

13.  Links to other sites
Our app may link to third-party websites or content. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Please review their policies.

14.  Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as needed. Any updates will be posted with a new Effective Date, and where required, we’ll provide additional notices or request parental consent.

15.  Contact us
Bircube Technologies

16.  Marketplace privacy disclosures
App marketplaces may require additional disclosures:

·         Data Used to Track You: None.

·         Data Linked to You: None, unless parents enable login (then account IDs only).

·         Data Not Linked to You: Diagnostics, crash logs, randomized user IDs, and gameplay progress.

·         Parental Control: Access to gameplay and cloud features is gated by the parental control screen; parents must complete verification before online sync or account features are enabled.

Your Google Play Console and App Store Connect disclosures should match this policy.

17.  Region-specific notices
United States (COPPA): Minimal data collection for internal operations only.

EEA/UK (GDPR): Users may request access, deletion, or correction.

California (CCPA/CPRA): We do not sell or share personal data.

Final assurance:
Bircube Technologies collects information only to provide and improve the service. We never use children’s data for advertising or tracking. If you believe we have collected data inconsistently with this policy, contact us at info@bircube.com immediately.

 


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