Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Spark Machine (the “Game”) handles information. The Game is published by ADV Web Design, San Diego, California, USA (“we”, “us”). If you have any questions, contact us at privacy@adv.design.

1. Information stored on your device

The Game saves your progress (resources, research, settings and similar game data) in the Game’s private storage on your device. It stays there until you clear the Game’s data or uninstall the Game.

2. Online features (Unity Gaming Services)

The Game uses Unity Gaming Services, operated by Unity Technologies, for online features such as leaderboards and tournaments.

• Anonymous player ID (Unity Authentication): The first time you use an online feature, Unity creates an anonymous player ID linked to your installation of the Game. It isn’t tied to your name, email or Google account.
• Player name: The Game may give you a generated player name, which you can change. It is shown publicly on leaderboards, so please don’t use your real name or any personal information. We may change or remove names that are offensive or impersonate others.
• Leaderboards and tournaments: Your scores, tournament results and the time they were submitted are stored with your player ID and player name. Leaderboards are visible to other players.

We can see this information in our Unity dashboard to run leaderboards and tournaments and to handle cheating or abuse. Unity processes it on our behalf. See Unity’s Game Player and App User Privacy Policy.

If you uninstall the Game or clear its data, your device gets a new player ID next time, and your old player ID can’t be recovered. To remove the data held online, see Delete your data.

3. Information we collect

Apart from the online-feature data described in section 2, we don’t collect personal information. We never ask for your name, email address, phone number, contacts, photos or precise location, and you don’t need a Google or social account to play.

If you email us, we receive your email address and whatever you include in your message. We use it only to reply to you and handle your request.

4. Advertising

The Game is free and supported by ads. Ads are delivered through Unity LevelPlay, an ad mediation platform operated by Unity Technologies, which may serve ads from Unity Ads and other ad networks it works with.

To deliver ads, these partners collect information from your device directly. This can include:

• Your device’s advertising ID (Google Advertising ID) and app installation identifiers
• Device and system information, such as device model, operating system version, language and screen size
• IP address and approximate (country or region level) location derived from it
• Information about ads you see and interact with, such as views, clicks and rewarded ad completions

Partners use this information to show ads, limit how often you see the same ad, measure ad performance, prevent fraud and, where you allow it, show ads tailored to your interests. Their use of this information is governed by their own privacy policies:

• Unity (including LevelPlay and Unity Ads): Unity Game Player and App User Privacy Policy
• Google (if Google ads are served): How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services

We don’t sell your information. However, sharing device identifiers with ad partners for personalized advertising may count as “selling” or “sharing” under some US state laws (see section 9).

5. Technical data from Unity

The Game is built with Unity. Unity’s engine and services may collect technical information, such as device details, performance data and crash reports, to keep the Game working properly.

6. In-app purchases

If the Game offers in-app purchases, Google Play processes the payment. We never receive or store your payment details. See the Google Privacy Policy.

7. Your choices

• Ad personalization: On Android, go to Settings › Google › Ads, or Settings › Privacy › Ads depending on your device, to delete or reset your advertising ID. Deleting it stops apps from using it for personalized ads.
• Consent in the EEA, UK and Switzerland: If you play from these regions, the Game asks whether you consent to personalized ads before showing them. You can change your choice later in the Game’s settings.
• Unity ads: Tap the privacy icon shown on Unity ads to manage your choices for Unity.
• Online data: You can delete your player ID, player name and scores. See Delete your data.
• Game progress: Uninstalling the Game, or clearing its data in Android settings, permanently deletes your saved progress.

8. Children

The Game is intended for a general audience aged 13 and over and is not directed at children under 13. We don’t knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

9. Your privacy rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct or delete personal information about you, to object to or restrict certain processing, and to withdraw consent. To make a request, email privacy@adv.design and include your player ID, which you can find in the Game’s settings. We respond within 30 days.

EEA, UK and Switzerland

We process online-feature data to provide the Game’s features you choose to use (performance of a contract) and to prevent cheating and abuse (legitimate interests). Personalized advertising relies on your consent; non-personalized ads, ad measurement and fraud prevention rely on legitimate interests. You can also complain to your local data protection authority.

California and other US states

Residents of California and other states with privacy laws have the right to know what personal information is collected, to request deletion, to correct it, and to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information for targeted advertising. To opt out, delete or reset your advertising ID as described in section 7, or contact us. We won’t discriminate against you for exercising these rights.

Requests about ad data are often best made directly to the ad partners listed in section 4. We’ll help where we can.

10. Data retention and security

• Game progress stays on your device and is under your control.
• Your player ID, player name and scores are kept while you play. If your player ID has been inactive for 24 months, we may delete it. Past tournament results may stay in archived leaderboards until you ask us to delete them.
• Emails you send us are kept only as long as needed to handle your request.
• Information collected by Unity and ad partners is kept according to their own policies.

We rely on Unity’s and Google’s security measures, and data sent between the Game and Unity is encrypted in transit.

11. International transfers

We are based in the United States, and our partners may process information in the United States and other countries. Where required, they rely on appropriate safeguards for these transfers.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy, for example when we add new features. When we do, we’ll change the effective date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we’ll let you know in the Game.

13. Contact