Lying Ted — Privacy Policy

Version: 2026-03-29

This Privacy Policy explains what we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have when playing Lying Ted. By continuing, you agree to this policy.

Operator

Lying Ted is operated by Brian Nabiswa.

At a glance

• We use Firebase for sign‑in, storage, and game services.
• We collect account, gameplay, limited telemetry and crash diagnostics, and moderation data to operate the game.
• Telemetry and crash diagnostics are minimal, optional, and kept for a short time.
• We do not sell your data or share it with third parties for their marketing.
• California residents: we do not sell or share your personal information.

Data we collect

• Account data: anonymous user ID by default; optional Google/Apple linkage (which may provide an email address and account identifiers to Firebase Authentication); nickname; policy acceptance versions; basic settings (e.g., show AI clues, reduce motion, allow telemetry, language).
• Gameplay data: words you submit, placements, bids/guesses, per‑game events, match invites and status, leaderboard entries (nickname and net worth), and matchup/block lists.
• Deferred invite attribution (install flows): when you open an invite landing page before installing the app, we may temporarily store privacy-preserving attribution signals (invite code, HMAC-hashed IP signal, and coarse client class hash) to attempt post-install invite recovery.
• Telemetry and crash diagnostics: enabled by default unless you turn them off in Settings via the gameplay analytics toggle. We may collect sampled, limited app/game analytics events and crash diagnostics to help monitor stability and improve the game. This may include events such as phase name, screen views, feature usage, crash traces, device/OS/app version information, and limited diagnostic metadata provided by Firebase Crashlytics. We do not intentionally include raw gameplay content, free-text reports, invite codes, or other user-entered text in crash diagnostics. Telemetry and crash diagnostics are de-identified in our product workflows and are not intended to be used to directly identify you.
• Notifications: if you enable push notifications (where available), we store a Firebase Cloud Messaging device token to deliver notices (e.g., moderation prompts).
• Ads: we use Google AdMob / Google Mobile Ads to show rewarded ads (optional) and occasional interstitial ads. The Google Mobile Ads SDK may collect information such as device identifiers (including the advertising ID), IP address, and ad interaction/diagnostic data for ad delivery and measurement. We request non-personalized ads. You can also control ad personalization via your device settings (where supported). If you watch a rewarded ad, we verify the reward server‑side using an AdMob verification token and your Firebase UID, then store a short‑lived verification record (includes reward type and AdMob metadata) to credit your account.
• Reports & moderation: report targets, reason, optional free‑text details (sanitized), evidence references, and moderation actions/labels.
• AI clues: to generate Ted’s hints, we may send limited gameplay context (including the hidden word and revealed letters) to a third-party AI service provider (currently Google Cloud Vertex AI; this may change). Outputs are filtered against a profanity/banned list.

How we use data

• Provide and improve gameplay (matchmaking, turns, reveals, leaderboards, anti‑abuse/anti‑spam).
• Operate features you choose (notifications, rewarded ads, AI clues).
• Monitor reliability and performance (sampled telemetry, crash diagnostics, and server logs).
• Safety and moderation (block lists, reports, enforcement).

Legal bases (EU/UK)

• Contract/performance: to provide the game you requested.
• Legitimate interests: prevent abuse, ensure security, measure performance.
• Consent: where required by applicable law (for example, certain device-level or advertising-related controls).

Retention

• Telemetry and crash diagnostics: ~7 days.
• Game events/round metadata: ~30 days.
• Match invites: expire ~24 hours after creation.
• Deferred invite attribution records: ~2 hours maximum (auto-expired), with one-time consume semantics.
• Leaderboard entries: may be pruned after inactivity (~30 days) or when eligibility ends.
• Ad reward verifications: a few minutes (used once, then expired).
• Reports and moderation records: retained as needed for enforcement, safety, and legal compliance.
• Account: until you delete it (see “Your choices”). Some minimal records may persist in backups for a limited period.

Your choices & rights

• Telemetry and crash diagnostics: toggle in Settings via the gameplay analytics control (allow/disallow). The game continues to work if you opt out.
• AI clues: enable/disable in Settings at any time.
• Ads: rewarded ads are optional; you can also control ad personalization via your device settings (where supported).
• Data access (where applicable): you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you by contacting us at lyingtedgame@gmail.com.
• Account deletion requests:
• In-app: Settings > Delete Account.
• Web: https://sites.google.com/view/lyingted-acc-del/home
• Email: lyingtedgame@gmail.com with subject "Account Deletion Request - Lying Ted".
• Include sign-in method (Google/Apple/Anonymous), account email (if applicable), and in-game name and/or user ID so we can locate your account. We may ask for verification before deletion.
• What we delete after a verified request: authentication account for Lying Ted, profile/settings, gameplay-related personal data linked to your user ID, and reports/feedback linked to your account.
• What we may retain: limited server/security logs and legally required records for security, fraud prevention, legal compliance, and audit purposes, typically up to 30 days after deletion completion unless a longer period is required by law.
• Processing time: verified deletion requests are typically processed within 72 hours.
• Blocking/Reporting: you can block other players and report content. Reports are reviewed by moderators.

Sharing & transfers

• Service providers: Google Firebase/Google Cloud (including Authentication, Firestore, Functions, Storage, Cloud Messaging, and Firebase Crashlytics), Google AdMob / Google Mobile Ads, and AI service providers used for clues. These providers may process data in the United States and other regions where they operate.
• We do not sell your data and do not share it with third parties for their marketing.

Security

• Firebase App Check on write APIs, Firestore security rules, rate limiting, and structured server logs.
• Encryption in transit and at rest is provided by Firebase/Google Cloud.

Children

This game is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided information, please use Settings > Delete Account or the account deletion page (https://sites.google.com/view/lyingted-acc-del/home), or contact us at lyingtedgame@gmail.com.

Changes

If we make material changes, we will notify you in‑app and require acceptance of the new versions before continuing play.

Contact

Questions about privacy? Email lyingtedgame@gmail.com

See our Terms of Service in Settings or at: https://links.zeitnotentertainment.com/terms