Studio SixteenPrivacy policy
The short version
- Our games don’t ask for your name, email, contacts, photos or precise location.
- They show ads. Google and its advertising partners use your device’s advertising ID and basic device data to show and measure ads. Where the law requires it, we ask your consent first.
- We use analytics and crash reports to fix bugs and make the games better.
- We don’t run our own servers for game data. The services listed below hold it for us.
- You can ask us to delete your data at any time: [email protected].
Contents
- Who we are
- What our games collect, and why
- Ads, advertising ID and consent
- Legal bases
- How long we keep data, and deletion
- Children
- Your rights
- International transfers
- Security
- Changes to this policy
- Contact
1. Who we are
Studio Sixteen is a small independent game studio operated by Rushi Vaghasiya, an individual based in India. In this policy, “we” and “us” mean Studio Sixteen.
We are responsible for the personal data our games collect (the “controller” under European law, the “Data Fiduciary” under India’s law). Contact: [email protected].
2. What our games collect, and why
Our games are built with the services below. Each one collects data directly from the game on your device and processes it under its own privacy policy, linked in each table. All of them send data over encrypted (HTTPS/TLS) connections.
We never collect your name, email address, phone number, contacts, photos, files, microphone or precise (GPS) location through our games.
Google AdMob and Google’s consent tool (UMP)
| Data | Why |
|---|---|
| Advertising ID, app set ID | Show ads, limit how often you see the same ad, measure ads, prevent fraud. Used for personalised ads only if you allow it. |
| IP address (used to estimate your general location, such as country or city) | Pick ads that suit your region, comply with local laws, prevent fraud |
| Ad interactions (ad views, taps, video views) and app launch events | Count and pay for ads, measure ads, prevent fraud |
| Diagnostics (ad load times, app launch time, performance) | Keep ads working |
| Device data (model, operating system, language, screen size) | Show ads that fit your device |
Google’s User Messaging Platform (UMP) shows the consent screen where the law requires one, and stores your choice on your device. Vendor: Google LLC. Policies: Google Privacy Policy and How Google uses information from apps that use its services.
Advertising partners (as integrated)
Google AdMob can let other ad networks bid to show an ad in our games (“mediation”). Each partner below gets the same kinds of data as Google AdMob above (advertising ID, IP address, device data and ad interactions), for the same purposes, and only within the consent you gave. A partner is marked Active only while it is actually in our games.
| Partner | Status | Privacy policy |
|---|---|---|
| Liftoff (Vungle) | Not yet active | Liftoff privacy policy |
| Mintegral | Not yet active | Mintegral privacy policy |
| Pangle | Not yet active | Pangle end-user privacy policy |
| Meta Audience Network | Not yet active | Meta privacy policy |
| Unity Ads | Not yet active | Unity game player privacy policy |
Google Firebase: Analytics, Crashlytics, Remote Config
| Service | Data | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics for Firebase | An app-instance ID, the advertising ID, a random Player ID we create, general location from your IP address, game events (levels played, sessions, settings changed, ads watched, purchases with product and price), device model and OS | Understand how the games are played, so we can fix what frustrates players and improve the games |
| Firebase Crashlytics | Crash and error reports: what the app was doing, device model, OS, an installation ID, the random Player ID | Find and fix crashes |
| Firebase Remote Config and Installations | An installation ID, country, language, time zone, app and OS version | Change game settings (such as difficulty or how often ads appear) without an app update, and test which settings players prefer |
Vendor: Google LLC, acting for us as a processor. Policy: Privacy and security in Firebase.
GameAnalytics
| Data | Why |
|---|---|
| Device identifiers (including the advertising ID and the random Player ID), general location from your IP address, game events (level starts and finishes, progress, in-game resources, purchases with product and price), session length, device model and OS | Measure level difficulty, progress and player retention, so we can tune the games |
Vendor: GameAnalytics ApS (Denmark), acting for us as a processor. Policy: GameAnalytics privacy notice.
Google Play Games Services
| Data | Why |
|---|---|
| Your Play Games profile (gamer name, avatar, player ID), if you use Play Games | Sign you in to the game with Play Games |
| Achievements you unlock | Show your achievements in Play Games |
| Saved game progress | Let you continue on a new or reset device |
Google stores this in your Play Games account. You control your profile’s visibility in the Play Games app, and you can delete your Play Games data for a game there. Vendor: Google LLC. Policy: Google Privacy Policy.
Purchases (Google Play Billing)
Purchases such as “Remove ads” go through Google Play. Google handles your payment details, and we never see them. The game receives a record of what you bought (product, time, order ID) so it can unlock the purchase on your device. Our analytics record that a purchase happened, with product and price (see above). Policy: Google Privacy Policy.
Google Play Install Referrer
When you first open a game, it reads from Google Play where the install came from (for example, a Google Play search or a link we shared) and when it happened. This is attached to our analytics, so we learn which of our links and store pages work. It contains no personal details.
This website and email
This site has no cookies, no analytics and no trackers. It is hosted by Cloudflare, which processes your IP address to deliver pages and protect the site (Cloudflare privacy policy). If you email us, we receive your email address and whatever you write. Your message is handled through Cloudflare Email Routing and Gmail (Google).
What we don’t do
- We don’t sell your personal data for money.
- We don’t ask for your real name or email in our games.
- We don’t collect precise location, contacts, photos or files.
- We don’t combine game data with data about you from other sources.
3. Ads, advertising ID and consent
Our games are free and earn money from ads. Ads can be:
- Personalised: chosen using your advertising ID and your activity in apps, to match your likely interests.
- Non-personalised: chosen using general signals only, such as the game you’re playing and your approximate location. They still use device data to count ads, cap how often you see them, and fight fraud.
Europe, the UK and Switzerland
When you first open one of our games in the European Economic Area, the UK or Switzerland, Google’s consent screen asks whether ads may be personalised and whether data may be stored on your device for ads. If you don’t agree, you get non-personalised or limited ads. You can change your choice at any time in the game under Settings → Privacy.
United States
Some US state laws treat personalised advertising as “selling” or “sharing” personal information, even when no money changes hands for the data. You can opt out in the game under Settings → Privacy. We then tell Google and our advertising partners to restrict how they process your data, and you get non-personalised ads.
Reset or delete your advertising ID (any country)
On Android 12 and newer, open Settings → Security & privacy → Privacy → Ads (the names vary by phone) and tap Delete advertising ID. On older versions, open Settings → Google → Ads and turn on Opt out of Ads Personalization, or reset your ID. Apps then can no longer use your advertising ID for personalised ads. Google explains this on its advertising page.
If you buy “Remove ads”, our games stop showing ads that interrupt play. The ad tools stay in the game for optional rewarded videos that you choose to watch.
4. Legal bases (EEA and UK)
- Consent: personalised ads, and storing or reading data on your device for ads. You can withdraw it at any time in Settings → Privacy.
- Legitimate interests: non-personalised ads (to fund free games), analytics and crash reports (to fix and improve the games), and fraud prevention. You can object by emailing us.
- Contract: delivering purchases you make, and saving your progress if you use Play Games.
- Legal obligation: keeping records the law requires, such as tax records of purchases.
5. How long we keep data, and deletion
We don’t run our own servers for game data. Our games store your progress and settings on your device. The services above hold the rest:
- Analytics (Google Analytics for Firebase): user-level data is kept for up to 14 months, then deleted automatically. Reports with no IDs may be kept longer.
- Crash reports (Crashlytics): 90 days.
- GameAnalytics: kept under GameAnalytics’ retention schedule, and deleted when you ask us.
- Remote Config installation IDs: until deleted on request, then removed within 180 days.
- Ads data: Google and our advertising partners keep it under their own policies, linked above.
- Play Games data: kept in your Play Games account until you delete it there.
- Emails you send us: kept for up to 2 years after our last exchange, or deleted sooner if you ask.
How to ask for deletion
Email [email protected] with “Privacy request” in the subject line. Include the Player ID shown in the game under Settings → Privacy, because we can’t find your data without it. We delete your data from Firebase and GameAnalytics within 30 days and confirm by email. Uninstalling the game stops all collection, and deletes the progress stored on your device.
To delete Play Games data for a game, use the Play Games app (Profile → Settings → Delete Play Games account & data). For ad data, delete your advertising ID (see section 3) or contact the ad network directly.
6. Children
Our games are made for adults. They are not directed to children under 13, and we don’t knowingly collect personal data from children under 13 (or under the age of digital consent where you live). If we learn that a child’s data was collected, we delete it from our analytics and ask our vendors to do the same. Parents can contact us at [email protected].
7. Your rights
To use any of these rights, email [email protected]. We answer within 30 days, free of charge. We may ask for your Player ID to find your data. We won’t treat you differently for using your rights.
Everyone
Wherever you live, you can ask what data we have about you, ask us to correct or delete it, and opt out of personalised ads.
EEA and UK (GDPR and UK GDPR)
You have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict or move your data, to object to processing based on legitimate interests, and to withdraw consent at any time. You can also complain to your local data protection authority (in the UK, the Information Commissioner’s Office).
United States (state privacy laws)
Depending on your state, you can ask to know what we collect, get a copy, correct or delete it, and opt out of “sale”, “sharing” or targeted advertising (see section 3). An authorised agent can make a request for you. If we turn down a request, you can appeal by replying to our answer.
India (Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023)
You can ask for a summary of your data and how we process it, and ask us to correct, complete, update or erase it. You can withdraw consent, and nominate someone to act for you if you die or are unable to act. For complaints, contact us first at [email protected]. If we don’t resolve your complaint, you can go to the Data Protection Board of India.
8. International transfers
We are based in India. Our vendors process data in the United States, the European Union and other countries. Where data leaves the EEA, UK or Switzerland, the vendors rely on approved safeguards, such as the EU–US Data Privacy Framework (Google) and the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses.
9. Security
All data our games send travels over encrypted HTTPS/TLS connections. Our vendor accounts are protected by strong passwords and 2-step verification, and only we can access them. No system is perfectly secure. If a breach affects your data, we will tell you and the authorities where the law requires.
10. Changes to this policy
We update this policy whenever we add or remove a service in our games. The new version is posted here with a new effective date. If a change is significant, we will say so at the top of this page.
11. Contact
Studio Sixteen (Rushi Vaghasiya), India
Email: [email protected]