Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy describes how Digital UWU ("we," "us," or "our") handles personal information when you use the Search & Discover mobile application and website (collectively, the "Service"). The Service is an NFC-based scavenger hunt platform.
1. Age Restriction
We expressly limit use of the Service to individuals 13 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us at privacy@digitaluwu.com and we will delete it promptly.
2. Information We Collect
Browsing and Device Information
When you visit our website, we may automatically collect your IP address, device type, browser type and version, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, and the date and time of your request. This information is used for security, analytics, and service improvement.
Account Registration
If you create a registered account, we collect your email address, display name, and encrypted password (or, if you sign in with Google, the profile information provided by Google's OAuth service). We do not store your Google password. We may also record your IP address at the time of registration.
Guest Usage
You may use the Service as a guest without creating an account. In guest mode, we collect only the display name you choose. This name is associated with your activity within a single game session and is not linked to any persistent identity.
Game Data
When you participate in a game, we collect records of the NFC tags you scan, the timestamps of those scans, points earned, and your ranking within that game. Organizers also create and store game configurations, tag metadata, and game results on our servers.
NFC Tag Data
NFC tags used with Search & Discover contain only an identifier and a cryptographic signature written by the organizer. The app reads this data to validate and record a turn-in. We do not read any personal data from NFC tags themselves.
Push Notification Tokens
If you grant permission for push notifications, we collect a Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) token associated with your device. This token is used solely to deliver game-related notifications (e.g., game started, game ended).
Offline Queue Data
If you scan a tag while offline, the scan is stored temporarily on your device using local storage. This data is submitted to our servers when your connection is restored and is then deleted from local storage.
Communications
If you contact us for support or feedback, we retain records of that correspondence, including your email address and the content of your messages.
3. How We Use Your Information
Providing the Service
- Authenticating your account and maintaining your session
- Recording and validating NFC tag scans within games
- Calculating scores and maintaining game leaderboards
- Storing your game history (for registered accounts)
- Delivering push notifications about games you are participating in
Service Improvement
We use aggregated, anonymised usage data to understand how the Service is used, identify bugs, and improve features. We do not use your game history or personal content to train machine learning models without your explicit consent.
Communications
We may use your email address to send service-related notifications (e.g., account security alerts) and, with your consent, product updates. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time.
4. Data Sharing and Disclosure
Other Players and Organizers
Your display name and score are visible to other participants in a game, including the game organiser. If the organiser enables a public scoreboard, your display name and score may be visible to anyone with access to the game.
Service Providers
We share data with third-party service providers who help us operate the Service, including:
- Google Firebase — cloud hosting, authentication, database (Firestore), push notifications (FCM), and analytics
- Google Play / Apple App Store — app distribution and updates
These providers are bound by their own privacy policies and data processing terms. We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
Legal Requirements
We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of our users or others.
5. Data Security
We implement reasonable technical and organisational safeguards to protect your information, including:
- Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
- Firebase security rules restricting direct database access
- Cryptographic signatures on NFC tags to prevent forgery
- Firebase Authentication for account access control
No method of electronic storage or transmission is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, and any use of the Service is at your own risk.
6. Your Rights and Choices
Account Deletion
You may delete your account at any time from within the app. Upon deletion, your personal account information will be removed. Some anonymised game records (e.g., aggregate scores) may be retained for the benefit of other participants.
Data Access and Correction
You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you, or request corrections, by emailing privacy@digitaluwu.com.
Push Notifications
You can withdraw consent for push notifications at any time through your device's notification settings. This does not affect the rest of your use of the Service.
Marketing Communications
You can opt out of marketing emails at any time by using the unsubscribe link in those emails or by contacting us directly.
7. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide the Service and comply with our legal obligations. Specifically:
- Registered accounts: Data is retained until you delete your account, after which personal information is removed within 30 days.
- Guest sessions: Guest display names and game records are retained for the duration of the game and a short period afterward for leaderboard display, then anonymised or deleted.
- Game records: Turn-in records may be retained for the lifetime of the game as created by the organiser.
- Support correspondence: Retained for up to two years.
8. International Data Transfers
The Service is operated using Google Firebase infrastructure, which may store and process your data in the United States and other countries. By using the Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to these locations. We rely on Google's data processing terms to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date above. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
10. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
Email: privacy@digitaluwu.com
General Support: support@digitaluwu.com