Privacy Policy

Introduction

WiseCreations Inc. ("we," "our," or "us") operates EarthChasers (earthchasers.com), a free geography learning game that uses 3D photorealistic maps. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and use our services.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Account Information: If you create an account, we collect your email address and username.
• User-Generated Content: Custom maps you create and any associated data.
• Game Data: Your game scores, progress, and gameplay history (if you have an account).
• Payment Information: If you subscribe to Pro features, payment information is processed securely by Stripe. We do not store your credit card information.

Automatically Collected Information

• Usage Data: Information about how you interact with our website, including pages visited, features used, and time spent.
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, IP address, and device identifiers.
• Location Data: General location information inferred from your IP address (not precise geolocation).
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies to enhance your experience and for analytics purposes (see Cookie Policy below).

How We Use Your Information

• To provide, maintain, and improve our services
• To process your account registration and manage your account
• To save your game progress and custom maps
• To process payments and subscriptions
• To send you important updates about our services
• To analyze usage patterns and improve user experience
• To display relevant advertisements (see Advertising section)
• To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on our website. You can manage your cookie preferences through our Cookie Consent banner or your browser settings.

Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: Required for basic website functionality, including authentication and sidebar preferences.
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website (Google Analytics).
• Advertising Cookies: Used to deliver personalized advertisements through Google AdSense.

Third-Party Cookies: When you use our website, third parties such as Google may place and read cookies on your browser, or use web beacons or other identifiers to collect information. This occurs as a result of ad serving on our website.

For more information about how Google uses data when you use our site, please visit: How Google uses data when you use our partners' sites or apps

Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may collect information:

• Google Maps Platform: For 3D map rendering and geocoding services. Subject to Google's Privacy Policy.
• Google Analytics: For website analytics and usage tracking. Subject to Google's Privacy Policy.
• Google AdSense: For displaying advertisements on our website. Advertisers may use cookies to serve personalized ads based on your interests. You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Ads Settings.
• Supabase: For database, authentication, and backend services. Subject to Supabase's Privacy Policy.
• Stripe: For payment processing. Subject to Stripe's Privacy Policy.
• Vercel: For website hosting and deployment. Subject to Vercel's Privacy Policy.

Advertising

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on our website. These ads may be personalized based on your interests and browsing activity. Google and other third-party vendors may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our website or other websites.

You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting: Google Ads Settings

We comply with the Digital Advertising Alliance's Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising and the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA) principles.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services. If you close your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within a reasonable timeframe, except where we are required to retain it for legal, regulatory, or security purposes.

• Account Data: Retained while your account is active and for 30 days after account deletion
• Game History: Retained while your account is active
• Analytics Data: Retained for up to 26 months (Google Analytics default)
• Payment Records: Retained as required by law (typically 7 years)

Your Rights

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 correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
• Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Opt-Out: Opt out of personalized advertising and analytics
• Withdrawal of Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing where we rely on consent

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@earthchasers.com

European Union Users (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority
• Right to restrict processing of your personal data
• Right to object to processing based on legitimate interests

Legal Basis for Processing: We process your data based on:

• Consent: For cookies and personalized advertising
• Contract Performance: To provide our services when you create an account
• Legitimate Interests: For analytics and service improvement
• Legal Obligation: To comply with applicable laws

We use a cookie consent mechanism to obtain your consent before setting non-essential cookies.

Children's Privacy

Our service is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us, and we will delete such information from our systems.

We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and do not use personalized advertising for content directed at children under 13.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit using SSL/TLS
• Secure authentication systems
• Regular security audits and updates
• Access controls and authentication requirements

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

International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have data protection laws different from your country. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

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

Contact Us

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