Privacy Policy

1. Information we collect

Account information

• Username and password (stored hashed). We do not collect email on the account, so we cannot send password-reset or marketing mail. If you open a guest Ticket, you may give an email so we can follow up. Account notices are in-site (banners, notifications).
• A birthday entered at sign-up or in the age gate, used only to check that you are 13+. We do not store the date of birth. We store a flag that you completed the check. If the date is under 13, we ban the account.
• Profile details you choose to set (bio, avatar appearance, equipped items).
• Optional settings and preferences, including related-account visibility and device-fingerprint opt-in.

Technical & usage data

• Session cookies / tokens to keep you logged in.
• IP address, user agent, and approximate connection metadata for security, abuse prevention, account limits, related-account matching, and bans (including game/IP bans).
• Optional device fingerprint (off unless you opt in under Settings): browser user agent, platform, CPU core count, device memory, touch points, screen size and pixel ratio, timezone, language, color depth, and GPU vendor/renderer. We hash those values with SHA-256 and store only the hash, not the raw fields. We use it to match related accounts more strictly (same network and same device class).
• Gameplay and presence data (e.g. current place, server, online status) needed for multiplayer. Some of that is visible to other users; we do not currently offer a setting to hide all online status.
• Logs related to errors, joins, moderation, and economy actions.
• In-game public chat, logged for safety and moderation. Private messages between friends are stored in your account so the conversation can be shown later, and staff may read them when investigating abuse. Forum posts, comments, and reports are also stored.
• When we show a CAPTCHA, Google reCAPTCHA may collect device and usage data under Google’s terms.

Payments

• If you make a supporter payment or buy virtual currency, we store the PolyWorld account, amount, currency, and a Stripe checkout/session id so we can grant rewards and prevent duplicate charges.
• Card numbers and other payment-method details are collected and processed by Stripe, not stored by PolyWorld. Stripe’s privacy policy applies to that data.

We do not require

• Real name, postal address, or government ID to play. We may ask for extra proof if you appeal a ban, recover an account, or we have to handle a legal request, and we keep only what we need for that request.

Content you create

• Places, scripts, catalog uploads, images, chat, comments, private messages, friend relationships, and similar UGC stored to provide the Service.

2. How we use information

• Operate accounts, multiplayer, Studio save/load, catalog, and social features.
• Process supporter payments and virtual-currency purchases, and grant the matching in-game rewards.
• Moderate content and enforce Community Rules / Terms, including related-account and IP-based action.
• Prevent fraud, cheating, spam, and attacks, including the public and staff “Related to” lists described in section 4.
• Improve performance, fix bugs, and understand feature usage in aggregate from our own logs. We do not currently use a named third-party analytics product for that.
• Communicate service notices (site banners, in-site notifications, Discord announcements).

3. Cookies & local storage

We use cookies (or similar) for authentication sessions. The desktop client and browser may also store local preferences (for example, remembering that you prefer the native client). You can clear cookies/local storage in your browser; doing so may log you out.

4. Sharing

• Public by design: usernames, profiles, public places, catalog items, and some presence/play activity (for example who is in a server) are visible to other users.
• Related accounts: when accounts share a public IP, a “Related to” list may appear on profiles so players can see likely alts on the same network. If you opted into device fingerprinting, the public list only includes matches that also share your device hash. You can hide the list on your profile in Settings. Hiding it does not hide you on someone else’s list. Super-Moderators (staff rank above Moderator) and the Owner can still see related-account matches, including IP-only matches, whether or not you opted into fingerprinting or hid the list. Opting in therefore changes what other users see, not what those staff see. There is no extra parental step for 13–17-year-olds. Shared-network matches (home, school, VPN) can appear; that is expected, not a finding that the accounts are the same person.
• Staff: moderators and other staff may access account and content data, including chat and private messages when needed, to enforce rules and run the platform. Access is limited by staff rank. We do not currently publish an audit log of staff views to users.
• Infrastructure: hosting and network providers process data as needed to deliver the Service. We do not currently publish a named subprocessor list.
• Payments: Stripe processes checkout when you pay.
• Tickets: on-site Tickets (and optional guest name/email on those tickets) are stored so staff can reply. Email epic.gdps@gmail.com if you contact us that way.
• Discord: if you join the Discord server, Discord processes that under Discord’s policy. Discord is not required for support or legal requests.
• CAPTCHA: Google, when reCAPTCHA runs.
• Legal: we may disclose information if required by law or to protect rights, safety, or the Service. We will try to notify you before a legal disclosure that is about you specifically, unless the law or the request forbids it or we believe notice would create a risk.
• Business transfer: if the Service is transferred, user data may move with it under this Policy.
• We do not sell your personal information.

5. Retention

We keep account and content data while your account is active. You can schedule deletion in Settings (7-day grace; logging in cancels it). After deletion we remove the account row, inventory, places, and ordinary profile data. We may keep for a longer period:

• Ban, IP, and related-account records needed so a deleted or banned user cannot immediately evade (typically while the ban or investigation matters, often months, sometimes longer for permanent bans).
• In-game chat logs used for moderation (operational logs; we rotate them and do not promise a public retention calendar).
• Private messages until either user deletes the account (we do not currently offer per-thread deletion).
• Payment records as needed for accounting, chargebacks, and fraud.
• Backups, which may hold copies (including device hashes) until those backups expire, typically weeks to a few months.

Turning device fingerprinting off deletes the stored hash from the live account and session records. Derived “related” displays rebuild from whatever hashes and IPs still exist. Backup copies may remain until those backups expire.

6. Children

PolyWorld is intended for users 13+. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. The birthday check is self-attested. If the date given is under 13, or if you tell us a child under 13 has an account, we will ban and then delete that account. We do not offer a verified parental-consent flow, including for 13–17-year-olds or for regions with a digital-consent age of 16. If those rules apply to you, do not use PolyWorld unless a parent or guardian has agreed as described in the Terms.

7. Security

We use reasonable measures such as hashed passwords and session controls. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. Protect your password and never share your session cookie. If we become aware of a security incident that is likely to affect your account, we will try to notify you in-site and, where we have an email from a Ticket, by email.

8. Your choices

• Update profile and avatar settings in-account.
• Opt in or out of device fingerprinting, and hide related accounts on your profile, in Settings. Turning fingerprinting off deletes the stored live hash. Super-Moderators and the Owner can still see related-account matches.
• Log out to end a session on a shared device.
• Delete your account in Settings (7-day grace). You can also ask questions about your data, or ask us to correct or export what we reasonably can, with an on-site Ticket or email epic.gdps@gmail.com. We do not currently offer a full GDPR-style access/portability/objection portal, a set response deadline, or a named regulator. If a privacy law where you live gives you extra rights, tell us in the ticket and we will try to honor them.

9. Changes

We may update this Policy by posting a revised version here with a new “Last updated” date. Changes take effect when posted. We will also announce material changes via site banner or Discord. Continued use after the new date means you accept the updated Policy. If you do not agree, stop using the Service and delete your account.

10. Contact

Privacy questions, data requests, and legal notices: Tickets or epic.gdps@gmail.com (Crzy). We do not currently publish a postal address.