# Privacy Policy

_Last updated: March 2026_

## Who We Are

Pen the Pet is a free, browser-based daily logic puzzle game created and operated by
[Avin Zarlez](https://www.AvinZarlez.com). The game is hosted on GitHub Pages at
[avinzarlez.github.io/penthepet](https://avinzarlez.github.io/penthepet/).

## What Data We Collect

### Analytics (Anonymous, No PII)

If you play the game on the official deployment, we use **Firebase Analytics** to
collect a small set of anonymous, aggregated usage statistics. These events contain:

| What we record                                       | Why                                       |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Which puzzle date was opened                         | Know which puzzles are being played       |
| Whether the puzzle was already completed when opened | Understand return-visit behaviour         |
| Submitted score and optimal score                    | Measure difficulty and score distribution |
| Number of walls placed                               | Understand player strategy                |
| Time taken to submit (seconds)                       | Understand how long puzzles take          |
| Whether the solution was perfect                     | Track perfect-completion rate             |
| Whether the "check if optimal" hint was used         | Signal puzzle difficulty                  |
| Whether the "reveal target score" hint was used      | Signal puzzle difficulty                  |
| Unhandled JavaScript error message and source file   | Detect bugs in production                 |

**No personally-identifiable information (PII) is ever logged.** There are no user
IDs, email addresses, IP addresses, names, or device fingerprints in any analytics
event.

Analytics events are stored in Google's Firebase servers in accordance with
[Google's Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy).

### Cloud Sync (Optional, Logged-In Users Only)

Cloud sync is an **opt-in feature**. If you choose to sign in:

- We store your puzzle submissions (score, walls, time, hints used) and settings
  (pet choice, hint preferences, language) in **Firebase Firestore**.
- Data is stored under your Firebase user account and is **private — only you can
  read or write it**.
- Your email address is used by Firebase for authentication only and is not visible
  to us in any analytics or log data.
- You can delete your account and all cloud data at any time from the Options menu
  (☰ Menu → Options → ☁️ Account → 🗑️ Delete Account & Cloud Data). This
  permanently deletes your Firebase Authentication account and all associated
  Firestore records.

### Cookies (Local Storage Only)

The game uses browser **cookies** to save your progress locally — puzzle
submissions, timer state, settings — without any server communication. These
cookies:

- Never leave your browser unless you opt in to cloud sync.
- Are scoped to the game's origin (they cannot be read by other websites).
- Are not advertising or tracking cookies.
- Expire after 1 year or when you clear your browser data.

## What We Do Not Collect

- We do **not** collect your name, email (outside of optional sign-in), location,
  or any other personal details.
- We do **not** sell, rent, or share any data with third parties for commercial
  purposes.
- We do **not** use advertising networks or cross-site tracking.
- We do **not** use third-party analytics beyond Firebase (a Google product).

## Your Rights Under GDPR

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, you
have the following rights regarding your personal data:

- **Right of access** — you can download a copy of all cloud data we hold about
  you at any time using the
  ☰ Menu → Options → ☁️ Account → 📥 Download My Data button. The file is a
  JSON export of your puzzle submissions, timer states, and settings.
- **Right to erasure** — you can permanently delete your account and all cloud
  data at any time from the Options menu
  (☰ Menu → Options → ☁️ Account → 🗑️ Delete Account & Cloud Data),
  which removes your Firebase Authentication account and all Firestore records.
- **Right to object** — analytics are anonymous and cannot be linked to you, but
  you can block them entirely using browser privacy settings, a content blocker, or
  Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection.

Because analytics data is fully anonymous (no user ID is attached), it does not
qualify as personal data under GDPR and cannot be attributed to or deleted for a
specific individual.

## Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

| Service                          | Purpose                    | Privacy Policy                                                                                                                              |
| -------------------------------- | -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Firebase Analytics (Google)      | Anonymous usage statistics | [policies.google.com/privacy](https://policies.google.com/privacy)                                                                          |
| Firebase Authentication (Google) | Optional account sign-in   | [policies.google.com/privacy](https://policies.google.com/privacy)                                                                          |
| Firebase Firestore (Google)      | Optional cross-device sync | [policies.google.com/privacy](https://policies.google.com/privacy)                                                                          |
| GitHub Pages                     | Hosting                    | [docs.github.com/en/site-policy/privacy-policies](https://docs.github.com/en/site-policy/privacy-policies/github-general-privacy-statement) |

## Changes to This Policy

If we make significant changes to how we collect or use data, we will update this
file and the "Last updated" date at the top.

## Contact

Questions about this privacy policy? Open an issue on
[GitHub](https://github.com/AvinZarlez/penthepet/issues) or contact us via
[AvinZarlez.com](https://www.AvinZarlez.com).