Cuddle Connect Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains what information the Cuddle Connect mobile game ("the app") stores on Android devices, iPhone and iPad, how in-app purchases are handled, what information our advertising partner Google and the maker of the app's purchasing software, Unity Technologies, may receive, and the choices you have. Where something works differently on Android and on iPhone and iPad, this policy says so. "We", "us" and "our" mean Cae's Games (Cennet Okur), the developer of the app.

1. Who we are

Cuddle Connect is developed and published by Cae's Games (Cennet Okur), an independent developer. We are responsible for this app and for this Privacy Policy. If you have a question or request about privacy, email us at caesgames.dev@gmail.com.

2. Data stored on your device

To save your game, the app stores a small amount of information locally on your device using the Unity engine's standard local storage (PlayerPrefs):

• your level progress (which levels you have unlocked and completed) and the stars (1 to 3) you have earned on each level
• your coins and helpers (Shuffle, Hammer, Bomb and Magic Wand)
• the totals of coins and helpers you have bought with real money, and whether you own "No Ads"
• the one-time gifts you have already received (for example a helper's free uses when it unlocks, or a Star Chest you have opened), a short code for each purchase made with real money (see section 4), and the offers you have already seen
• your daily gift calendar and how many free-coin videos you have watched today
• your Paw Streak: how many new levels in a row you have won on the first try
• a few counters the game uses to time its offers and questions: how many times you have opened the game, how many full-screen ads you have seen, the day the "No Ads" offer was last shown, and when and how often the game has asked you to rate it
• the transaction IDs of your purchases from Google Play or the App Store, so that no purchase is ever delivered twice (see section 4)
• a little bookkeeping about your save, such as when your coins or helpers last changed
• your sound effects, music and vibration on/off settings

Google's software in the app also keeps some information on your device, such as your ad consent choice (see section 6). On iPhone and iPad, your answer to Apple's tracking question is kept by iOS itself (see section 6).

We can't see the data on your device, and it is never sent to us. It stays on your device until you clear the app's data or uninstall (delete) the app. Because there is no account or cloud save, we can't restore it for you. If your device's own backup is turned on (Android's backup with Google, or iCloud Backup or a computer backup on iPhone and iPad), this data may be included in your personal device backup. That backup is controlled by your Google or Apple account settings, and we can't access it.

The game itself can be played offline. An internet connection is used to load and show ads, and to talk to your app store: to show the shop's prices, to make purchases and to bring back "No Ads" (see section 4).

3. What we do not collect

• The game has no account and no sign-up form. It never asks for your name, email address, phone number, photos, contacts or any other personal details.
• There's no chat, no social features and no user-generated content.
• The app does not ask for permission to use your device's location (GPS). Our ad partner may estimate a general location from your IP address, as described in section 5.
• We never receive your card number, bank details or other payment details. Apple or Google handles all payments (see section 4).
• We don't use analytics, crash-reporting or tracking tools of our own, and the game contains no Firebase or Google Play Games software. Unity's in-app purchasing software sends information about purchases to Unity Technologies, as described in section 4.
• We don't run any servers, and your game data is never uploaded anywhere.
• We don't sell your personal information, and we don't use your purchase information for advertising.

4. In-app purchases

Cuddle Connect is free to play. You can buy optional items with real money: "No Ads", "No Ads + Coins", the Starter Pack, the Helper Pack and coin packs. The game can be fully played without buying anything.

• Apple or Google processes all payments. When you buy something, you pay through your app store: Google Play with the payment method in your Google account, or Apple's App Store with the payment method in your Apple Account. Apple or Google is the payment processor and handles your payment information under its own privacy policy: the Google Privacy Policy or the Apple Privacy Policy. We never receive your card number, bank details or billing address.
• What the app receives: your app store tells the app which item you bought, with a transaction ID and a receipt (on the App Store, a transaction signed by Apple), so that the app can deliver the item. The app may check the receipt on your device to confirm that the purchase is genuine. The receipt is not sent to us.
• Unity Technologies (Unity IAP): the app talks to Google Play or the App Store through Unity In-App Purchasing ("Unity IAP"), software made by Unity Technologies. Each time you start a purchase, and each time a purchase succeeds, fails or is confirmed, Unity IAP sends this information to Unity Technologies over an encrypted connection (HTTPS):
  • the item: its product ID, name, description, price and currency
  • the store's transaction details: on Google Play, the order details (order ID, purchase token and purchase time) and Google's signature for them; on the App Store, the transaction ID and original transaction ID, the transaction as signed by Apple, the app's App Store receipt, and whether you bought the item yourself or received it through Family Sharing
  • device information: device model, operating system version, language and locale settings, when the device was last started, and total storage size
  • app information: the app's package name or bundle ID and its version, when the app was installed, and on Android whether it was installed from the app store or as a test build
  • on iPhone and iPad only: the IDFV, an ID that iOS gives to all apps from the same developer on your device (see section 5)
  It does not include your advertising ID (the Android advertising ID or the IDFA), a Unity installation ID, your name, or your card or payment details. Unity IAP sends this information whether or not we use Unity's other services, and the version of Unity IAP in the app has no setting to switch it off.
  What Unity uses it for: Unity receives this information as the maker of the app's purchasing software. It uses it to run that software and for analytics about in-app purchases and how the software works (Unity's "insights" service). Unity's own data disclosure for Unity IAP lists this information as collected for app functionality and analytics, and as not shared with third parties. We don't receive this information from Unity. Unity handles it under its own privacy policy: https://unity.com/legal/privacy-policy. Unity Technologies is bound by its own published privacy commitments, linked above, which provide protection for that data at least equivalent to what this policy describes.
• What we keep on your device: the transaction IDs of your purchases (so that a purchase is never delivered twice, for example if the app closes during a purchase), a short code for each purchase, the totals of coins and helpers you have bought, and whether you own "No Ads". The code is made from the item's ID and part of a scrambled (hashed) form of the purchase's transaction ID, for example "Paid.coins_1000.3f9a1c2b7d4e", and is another safeguard against delivering a purchase twice. None of this is sent to us.
• "No Ads" on a new device, and Restore Purchases: "No Ads" belongs to the Google account or Apple Account you bought it with. If you reinstall the game or move to a new device with the same account, your app store tells the app that you own "No Ads", and the app turns it back on automatically. On iPhone and iPad, the shop also has a Restore Purchases button that asks the App Store for your past purchases again (Apple may ask you to sign in). A restore brings back what you keep for good: "No Ads", bought on its own or as part of "No Ads + Coins". The coins and helpers in a pack are a one-time bonus delivered when you buy it, so a restore doesn't deliver them again. Coins and helpers you have collected are kept only on your device (see section 2).
• Pending payments: if a payment is pending, for example a cash payment, or a purchase waiting for a parent's approval (Google Family Link or Apple's Ask to Buy), the game shows "Payment pending". The item arrives once your app store confirms the payment.
• Order information we see: Google gives us limited order information in our Google Play developer account, such as the order number, the item, the price, the date and the country of purchase. Apple gives us sales reports in App Store Connect, such as which items were sold, at what price, and on which day and in which country. Neither gives us your card or payment details. We use this information only for support requests, refunds, accounting and taxes.
• Refunds: Google Play purchases are refunded under Google Play's refund policies. App Store purchases can only be refunded by Apple: you can request a refund at https://reportaproblem.apple.com/, and we can't refund an App Store purchase ourselves. You can also contact us at caesgames.dev@gmail.com.

5. Advertising by Google AdMob

Cuddle Connect is free to play and is funded by ads and optional purchases. Ads are provided by Google AdMob through the Google Mobile Ads SDK, which is built into the app. The app shows two kinds of ads:

• Rewarded ads (optional): you can choose to watch a video for a reward, for example "Ad: +5 Moves" when you run out of moves, "Ad: x2 Coins" on the win screen, or free coins in the shop (a few videos per day). Watching is always your choice.
• Interstitial ads: starting from level 10, a full-screen ad may appear between levels, no more than once every three levels and at least 60 seconds after the previous ad. If you buy "No Ads" or "No Ads + Coins", these full-screen ads stop for good. Optional rewarded videos stay available.

So that an ad is ready when you want one, the app loads ads in the background soon after it starts, as soon as Google's consent tool allows ads to be requested (see section 6). Each time the app starts, Google's consent tool also checks with Google whether a consent message is needed where you are. This means Google can receive the information below even in a session in which you don't watch an ad.

When the app requests or shows an ad, Google may collect and process information from your device. This can include:

Google uses this information to deliver and measure ads, to limit how often you see the same ad, to prevent fraud and abuse, to keep its services secure, and for analytics. Where you have agreed to it, or where the law allows it, Google may also use it to personalise ads.

On iPhone and iPad, Google's ads SDK only reads the IDFA if you have allowed Cuddle Connect to track (see section 6). If you haven't, Google doesn't receive the IDFA, and ads are shown using the other information above. The SDK also supports Apple's SKAdNetwork, which lets advertisers measure app installs from ads without identifying you.

Google processes this information under its own policies. For some of this processing, Google acts as an independent controller rather than on our behalf. Please read:

• Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
• How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites

Google receives this information directly from the app, not through us. Google is bound by its own published privacy commitments, linked above, which provide protection for that data at least equivalent to what this policy describes.

We don't receive your advertising ID (on iPhone and iPad, the IDFA or IDFV), IP address or any other personal information from Google's ad services. We only see aggregated reports, such as the total number of ads shown and our ad earnings. Your game data and purchase information are not shared with AdMob.

6. Consent and privacy settings

The app uses Google's User Messaging Platform (UMP) to ask for your consent where the law requires it, including in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom and Switzerland. If consent is required, a consent form appears when you first open the app, before any ads are requested. The form explains how Google and its ad partners use data and lets you accept or decline. In US states with privacy laws, the same tool lets you opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of your personal information for ads (see section 11).

Changing your choice: if you are in a region where the law requires it, such as the EEA, the UK, Switzerland or a US state with a privacy law, the game shows a privacy button on the map screen (the icon with a small purple lock) and a Privacy Settings button in Settings (the gear on the home screen). Tap either one to reopen Google's privacy form and change your choice at any time. Changing your choice affects future ad requests. Google's tool saves your choice on your device, so you aren't asked again every time you play.

Tracking permission on iPhone and iPad: Apple requires apps to ask for your permission before they, or partners such as Google, track you across apps and websites owned by other companies, for example by using the IDFA for ads. The app may ask you this through Google's consent tool: you then see a short explanation from Google, followed by Apple's own question. Choose Allow to let the app's ads use the IDFA, or Ask App Not to Track to keep it from them. If you choose Ask App Not to Track, or if the app never asks, the IDFA is not used. Ads still appear either way, and the whole game works the same.

You can also control ads and tracking on your device:

• Android: delete or reset your advertising ID. Open your device's Settings, then Privacy (or Google), then Ads. The exact menu names depend on your device and Android version. After you delete the advertising ID, apps can no longer use it to show you personalised ads.
• iPhone and iPad: turn off tracking. Open Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Tracking. Turn off the switch next to Cuddle Connect (it appears there once the app has asked) to stop the app from using the IDFA, or turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track so that no app can ask you.
• Uninstalling the app stops all data collection by the app and its SDKs. On iPhone and iPad, deleting every app from us also resets the IDFV.

7. Personalised and non-personalised ads

• Personalised ads are chosen based on information such as your advertising ID and your activity in other apps and on other websites. In the EEA, the UK and Switzerland, Google only shows personalised ads if you give consent through the consent form. On iPhone and iPad, the IDFA is only used for this if you have also allowed tracking (see section 6).
• Non-personalised ads aren't based on your past behaviour. They are chosen using the context, such as the app you are using and your general location (for example, the country or city estimated from your IP address). Even for non-personalised ads, Google may still use cookies or device identifiers, where permitted, to limit how often an ad is shown, to produce aggregated ad reports and to fight fraud and abuse.
• If you don't consent to the use of your device for storing or accessing information, Google may show limited ads that use even less data, or no ads at all. The game can always be played either way.

8. Legal bases (EEA and UK users)

Where the GDPR or the UK GDPR applies, we rely on:

• Performance of our contract with you to provide the game and the features you use: delivering the items you buy, bringing back "No Ads" on a new device, and answering your support requests.
• Consent for personalised ads and for storing or accessing information on your device for advertising, and on iPhone and iPad for the use of the IDFA (Apple's tracking permission). You can withdraw consent at any time with the game's privacy button on the map screen or the Privacy Settings button in Settings (section 6), or on iPhone and iPad in Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking. Withdrawal doesn't affect processing that took place before.
• Legitimate interests for showing non-personalised or limited ads that fund the free game; for selling items through Unity's in-app purchasing software, which sends purchase and device information to Unity (section 4); and for preventing fraud and abuse and keeping the app secure (for example, checking purchase receipts), where the law allows it. You can object at any time by emailing us; for ad data, you can also use the privacy settings described in section 6.
• Legal obligations for keeping sales records as tax and accounting laws require.

The data saved on your device stays on your device and is used only so the game works as you would expect.

9. Children

Cuddle Connect is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. The app doesn't ask for your age and has no special features for children.

The game has no sign-in and no account. Purchases are paid through the payment method of the player's Google account or Apple Account. Parents can require approval or authentication for purchases: on Android in Google Play's settings or with Google Family Link, and on iPhone and iPad with Ask to Buy (Family Sharing) or Screen Time's Content & Privacy Restrictions.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has used the app, please contact us at caesgames.dev@gmail.com. We hold no account or game data for your child, because the game keeps its data on the device. We will answer your questions and explain how to limit or remove data held by Google and Unity, for example by deleting the device's advertising ID (on iPhone and iPad, by turning off tracking) and uninstalling the app.

10. Data retention

• On your device: your game data and settings stay on your device until you clear the app's data or uninstall the app.
• Purchase records: Apple or Google keeps your order history under its own policies. Unity keeps the purchase information that Unity IAP sends (section 4) for the periods described in its privacy policy, https://unity.com/legal/privacy-policy. We keep sales records only as long as tax and accounting laws require.
• Google AdMob: Google keeps the information it collects for the periods described in its own policies. See https://policies.google.com/privacy.
• Emails you send us: if you contact us, we keep your message and email address only as long as we need to answer you and handle your request, and then delete them, unless the law requires us to keep them longer.

11. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• EEA, UK and Switzerland (GDPR, UK GDPR, Swiss FADP): access your personal data, have it corrected or deleted, restrict or object to processing, receive a copy in a portable format, and withdraw consent at any time. You can also complain to your local data protection authority.
• California and other US states with privacy laws (such as the CCPA/CPRA): know what personal information is collected, ask for it to be deleted or corrected, and opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising. We don't sell personal information for money. Personalised advertising based on your advertising ID may count as "sharing" under these laws. How to opt out: in states where the law gives you this right, the game shows a privacy button on the map screen (the icon with a small purple lock) and a Privacy Settings button in Settings (see section 6). Tap either one to open Google's privacy message and opt out. Google's ads SDK then restricts how your information is used for ads in this app. You can also use your device's own controls, such as deleting or resetting your Android advertising ID, or turning off tracking on iPhone and iPad (see section 6). If you email us, we will help you and explain these steps. We can't opt you out of ad data use ourselves, because we don't receive your advertising ID or other ad data. We won't discriminate against you for using these rights.

What we hold: because the game has no account and keeps your game data on your device, we usually hold no personal data about you, apart from the limited order information Google or Apple gives us (section 4) and any emails you send us. Data stored on your device is under your control, and you can delete it by clearing the app's data or uninstalling the app.

How to make a request: email caesgames.dev@gmail.com with the subject "Privacy request – Cuddle Connect" and tell us what you would like us to do. For a request about a purchase, include the order number from the receipt email Google Play or Apple sent you, so we can find it. We will reply within 30 days, also when the answer is that we hold nothing about you. For data held by Google (ads and Google Play payments), by Apple (App Store payments) or by Unity (the purchase information Unity IAP sends, see section 4), we will explain how to use their tools and settings and how to contact them about your request.

12. International transfers

Google, including its ad and payment services, and Apple, which handles App Store payments, may process information in the United States and other countries where they or their partners operate. Unity Technologies, which receives purchase information from the app's in-app purchasing software (section 4), may process it in the United States and other countries, as described in its privacy policy. So the information described in sections 4 and 5 may leave the country you are in. Google, Apple and Unity describe the safeguards they use for their own services in their privacy policies: the Google Privacy Policy, the Apple Privacy Policy and the Unity Privacy Policy.

13. Security

The data the app saves on your device is protected by your device's app sandbox (on Android and on iOS), which stops other apps from reading it. Payments are handled entirely by Apple or Google. Unity IAP sends its purchase information over an encrypted connection (HTTPS), and according to Google, data collected by the Google Mobile Ads SDK is encrypted in transit using TLS. No method of storage or transmission is completely secure, but we only keep the data the game needs.

14. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy, for example when we add features or change partners. If the app starts doing something this page doesn't describe, we will update this page before that version of the app is released. When we update it, we will change the effective date at the top of this page. If the changes are significant, we will also tell you through the app or its store listing on Google Play or the App Store. Please check this page from time to time.

15. Contact us

Cae's Games (Cennet Okur)
Email: caesgames.dev@gmail.com
Support: Cuddle Connect support page