Barcode Tycoon – Privacy Policy
Barcode Tycoon is a mobile game: you scan barcodes, hide them in shelters and try to steal other players’ codes. This policy explains what data is collected, why, who it is shared with and how to exercise your rights.
1. Controller
The app is published by AZ Soft Games. For any question about your data: privacy@appgames.cc.
2. Data we collect
- Account: email address and password, handled by Firebase Authentication (Google). We never have access to your password.
- Public profile: nickname, avatar (emoji and color), “About me” text and favorite game mode, visible to other players together with your statistics (points, codes owned, attacks won, streak).
- Game data: scanned barcodes (product numbers, no personal data), points, shelters, attacks, heists, daily rewards and referrals.
- GPS location: only when you hide a code in a public shelter or search for one. The shelter’s position is stored; other players only see an approximate area, and the exact position only appears when they are very close. Your last position is kept to detect impossible movements (cheating).
- Photos: the photo of a public shelter’s location and its masked copy. Only the masked copy is shown, to players who are on site. The hidden text is only kept as an encrypted fingerprint. Photos are deleted when the shelter is taken, closed or expires (30 days at most).
- Device and connection: a random identifier specific to the installation and your IP address, of which we only keep encrypted fingerprints, never in clear text, for 30 days, to limit cheating (several accounts on the same phone or network). The phone’s time zone is used for the daily reward.
- Notifications: your phone’s notification token (Firebase Cloud Messaging) and the app language.
- Anonymous statistics: for each scanned barcode, the country of connection is counted, with no link to your account.
- Reports: when you report a profile or a shelter, your report is recorded; a profile report keeps a copy of the reported nickname and “About me” text.
3. Advertising
The game shows Google AdMob ads, including rewarded ads. Google may use your device’s advertising ID to show and measure ads, which may be personalized. In the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, your consent is requested at first launch; you can change it at any time in Profile > Ad privacy. For a rewarded ad, your game account identifier is sent to Google, which confirms the ad to our server. Learn more: https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads.
4. Why we use this data
- to run the game and your account (performance of the contract);
- to fight cheating and abuse and to secure the service (legitimate interest);
- to send you game notifications, which you can turn off in your phone settings;
- to show personalized ads (consent, where required).
5. Service providers
Google Firebase (authentication, notifications), Google AdMob (advertising), Cloudflare (hosting of the server, database and photos), Google Play (installation and passing on the referral code) and OpenStreetMap (map tiles: your IP address is sent to the map server). These providers may process data outside your country, notably in the United States, with appropriate safeguards (standard contractual clauses).
6. What other players see
Your public profile and statistics, your leaderboard rank, the existence of the codes you have hidden (never their exact position from afar) and your nickname in code histories.
7. Retention
Your data is kept as long as your account exists. When it is deleted, your account, profile, points, location, notification tokens and games are deleted, as well as your shelters’ photos; your codes go to the game’s expired codes vault. What remains, not linked to your identity, are encrypted fingerprints and the history of scans and referrals, used only to fight cheating.
8. Deleting your account
In the app (Profile > Delete my account) or at https://barcodetycoon.appgames.cc/account/delete.
9. Your rights
You can access your data, correct it (Profile > Edit), delete it, object to its processing, restrict its use, request its portability and withdraw your consent. Write to us at privacy@appgames.cc. You can also contact your country’s data protection authority.
10. Children
The game is not intended for children under 13. If you believe a child has given us data, write to us and we will delete it.
11. Security
Communications are encrypted (HTTPS), device and connection identifiers are only kept as fingerprints, and access to data is restricted. No system is completely infallible, however.
12. Changes
This policy may change; the update date is shown at the top of the page. Any significant change will be announced in the app.