Privacy Policy - PDGames

Introduction

PDGames ("we," "us," "our," or "the Service") is an unofficial, fan-made website operated by a single individual for the purpose of cataloging and browsing Playdate games. We are committed to protecting your privacy and maintaining the confidentiality of your personal information in accordance with applicable data protection laws and best practices.

This Privacy Policy describes our policies and procedures regarding the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of information when you use our Service. It also explains your privacy rights and how the law protects you. By accessing or using our Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Important Note: PDGames is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Panic Inc., the official Playdate console, or any game developers featured on this site. This Service is operated independently by a single fan for educational and informational purposes.

Types of Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal information when you use our Service:

Personal Data Provided Directly by You

Registration Information: When you create an account, we collect your chosen username, email address, and encrypted password. This information is necessary to provide you with access to personalized features of the Service.
Profile Information: Any additional information you choose to provide in your user profile, including but not limited to display preferences and account settings.
User-Generated Content: Information you provide when using interactive features, including game ratings, reviews, comments on games, and bug reports or feedback submitted through our reporting system.
Communication Data: Records of communications between you and us, including support requests, bug reports, and any other correspondence.

Automatically Collected Information

Usage Data: Information about how you interact with our Service, including which games you view, search queries, pages visited, time spent on pages, and features utilized. This data helps us understand user behavior and improve our Service.
Device and Technical Information: Technical data including your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, screen resolution, and other device characteristics. This information is used for compatibility testing, security purposes, and troubleshooting technical issues.
Log Data: Server logs that may include your IP address, browser type, the page you requested, and the time and date of your request. These logs are maintained for security and operational purposes.
Session Information: Temporary data stored during your session to maintain your logged-in state and provide seamless navigation across the Service.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use minimal cookie technology solely for essential functionality:

Session Cookies: Essential cookies that enable you to navigate the Service and use its features. These cookies are deleted when you close your browser.
Authentication Cookies: Cookies that remember your login status to avoid requiring you to log in repeatedly during your session.
Security Cookies: Cookies used to detect security threats and protect against malicious activity.

We do not use: Analytics cookies, advertising cookies, social media cookies, or any third-party tracking technologies.

Legal Basis and Purpose for Processing Your Information

We process your personal information for the following purposes and under the following legal bases:

Legitimate Purposes for Data Processing

Service Provision (Contract Performance): To provide, maintain, and improve our Service, including user account creation, authentication, and access to personalized features such as your game library and wishlist.
Communication (Contract Performance & Legitimate Interest): To send essential service communications including account verification emails, password reset instructions, and responses to user inquiries or bug reports.
Security and Fraud Prevention (Legitimate Interest): To protect our Service and users from security threats, prevent unauthorized access, detect and prevent fraud, and maintain the integrity of our systems.
Service Improvement (Legitimate Interest): To analyze usage patterns and user feedback to enhance the functionality, performance, and user experience of our Service.
Legal Compliance (Legal Obligation): To comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, or governmental requests.
Technical Operations (Legitimate Interest): To operate, maintain, and troubleshoot our Service, including server maintenance, bug fixes, and system optimization.

Explicit Commitments - What We DO NOT Do

We make the following binding commitments regarding your personal information:

No Commercial Use: We will never use your personal information for commercial purposes, marketing, advertising, or revenue generation of any kind.
No Data Sales or Sharing: We will never sell, rent, lease, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties for any purpose.
No Marketing Communications: We will never send you promotional emails, newsletters, marketing materials, or any non-essential communications.
No Behavioral Tracking: We do not engage in cross-site tracking, behavioral profiling, or detailed analytics beyond basic operational metrics.
No Third-Party Analytics: We do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any third-party tracking or analytics services.
No Social Media Integration: We do not integrate with or share data with social media platforms.
No Automated Decision Making: We do not use your personal information for automated decision-making or profiling that could affect you legally or significantly.
No Data Mining: We do not engage in data mining, predictive analytics, or algorithmic processing of your personal information.

Data Storage, Security, and Protection Measures

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

Technical Security Measures

Encryption: All data transmission is protected using industry-standard TLS/SSL encryption protocols. Sensitive data is encrypted both in transit and at rest.
Password Security: User passwords are hashed using bcrypt with appropriate salt rounds, making them computationally infeasible to reverse. We never store plaintext passwords.
Server Security: Our servers are configured with security best practices, including regular security updates, firewall protection, and intrusion detection systems.
Database Security: Database access is restricted through authentication mechanisms, and queries are protected against injection attacks through parameterized statements.
Session Management: User sessions are managed securely with appropriate timeout periods and protection against session hijacking attacks.

Organizational Security Measures

Access Control: Access to personal data is strictly limited to the site operator on a need-to-know basis for operational purposes only.
Data Isolation: All data is stored on dedicated infrastructure under our direct control, with no third-party access or cloud storage dependencies.
Backup Security: Any data backups are encrypted and stored securely within our controlled infrastructure. We do not use third-party backup services.
Incident Response: We maintain procedures for detecting, investigating, and responding to potential security incidents or data breaches.

Data Location and Infrastructure

Your personal information is stored and processed on servers located in secure data centers. We maintain full control over our infrastructure and do not utilize third-party cloud services that would have access to your data.

Third-Party Services

PDGames is a self-hosted service and does not integrate with third-party analytics, advertising, or tracking services. The only external connections are:

Email Service: For sending account verification emails (no marketing)
Game Data Sources: We fetch game information from play.date and itch.io (no personal data shared)

Your Privacy Rights and How to Exercise Them

Under applicable data protection laws, including GDPR (where applicable), you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Right of Access (Article 15 GDPR)

You have the right to obtain confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning you is being processed, and access to your personal data along with specific information about the processing.

Right to Rectification (Article 16 GDPR)

You have the right to have inaccurate personal data corrected and incomplete personal data completed, including by providing a supplementary statement.

Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten") (Article 17 GDPR)

You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data under certain circumstances, including when the data is no longer necessary for the original purpose or when you withdraw consent.

Right to Restrict Processing (Article 18 GDPR)

You have the right to request restriction of processing of your personal data in specific circumstances, such as when you contest the accuracy of the data.

Right to Data Portability (Article 20 GDPR)

You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit that data to another controller.

Right to Object (Article 21 GDPR)

You have the right to object to processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes or processing based on legitimate interests.

How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us through the bug report system available on any game page (select "Other" as the issue type) or through any other available communication method. We will respond to your request within 30 days and may request additional information to verify your identity.

Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe your data protection rights have been violated.

Data Retention Policies

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected and in accordance with applicable legal requirements:

Account Data Retention

Active Accounts: Personal data is retained indefinitely while your account remains active and you continue to use our Service.
Inactive Accounts: Accounts that remain inactive (no login) for 24 consecutive months may be subject to deletion after appropriate notice is provided to the registered email address.
Account Deletion: Upon request for account deletion or after the inactive period, all personal data associated with your account will be permanently and irreversibly deleted within 30 days.

Specific Data Categories

Login Logs: Server access logs containing IP addresses are retained for a maximum of 90 days for security purposes.
Bug Reports and Communications: Technical support communications and bug reports may be retained for up to 2 years for service improvement purposes, but are anonymized by removing all personally identifiable information.
Session Data: Temporary session data is deleted immediately upon logout or session expiration.
Email Communications: Account verification emails and service communications are not retained after successful delivery.

Legal Retention Requirements

In exceptional circumstances, we may be required to retain certain data for longer periods to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, or enforce our terms of service. In such cases, data will be retained only for the minimum period required by law.

Children's Privacy

PDGames does 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 so we can delete it.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the new policy.

Contact Information

If you have questions about this privacy policy or want to exercise your data rights, please use the bug report system on any game page, selecting "Other" as the issue type.

Remember: PDGames is an unofficial fan website and is not affiliated with Panic Inc. or the official Playdate console.