BOOTLEG EMPIRE

PRIVACY POLICY

How we handle your information when you visit our website or play Bootleg Empire.

Effective date: October 6, 2026 · Last updated: October 8, 2026

Bootleg Empire is operated by Steve Weber in the United States ("we," "us," or "our"). This policy covers bootlegempire.com, the game at app.bootlegempire.com, and the Bootleg Empire mobile application.

For privacy questions or requests, contact steve.weber81@gmail.com.

1. Information we collect

• Account and sign-in information. Your email address, an internal account identifier, account creation time, and email-verification status. If you use a supported Apple or Google sign-in option, we receive the provider's account identifier and email address when supplied. We do not receive your Apple or Google password. For email-and-password accounts, we store a password verifier rather than your plain-text password.
• Game information. Your city and player identifiers, names you choose, buildings, resources, crew, progression, family membership, game commands, and interactions with the shared game world. This information lets us save your progress and run multiplayer gameplay.
• Chat and private messages. Messages you post in world or family chat and private messages you send to other players, with their time and sender. If you tap Translate on a message, its text is sent to Microsoft Translator to be translated, and we keep the translation so it is not sent twice.
• Purchases. When you buy Chips in the iOS app, Apple processes the payment. We receive and keep Apple's signed transaction record (product, transaction identifier, and time) so we can credit your Chips and prevent duplicate credits. We do not receive your payment card details.
• Notifications. If you allow push notifications, we store your device's push token and your notification settings so we can tell you about attacks, finished builds and training, returning crews, and messages.
• Advertising. The iOS app offers optional rewarded ads served by Google AdMob. When an ad is shown, Google's Mobile Ads SDK collects device and usage information such as an approximate location derived from your IP address, ad interactions, and diagnostics. If you allow tracking when iOS asks, it may also use your device's advertising identifier (IDFA) to personalize ads and measure them. We record which ad rewards your account received.
• Session and technical information. Sign-in sessions, session timestamps, security and account-recovery tokens, and technical request information such as IP address, browser or app information, requested URLs, timestamps, and errors processed by our servers and hosting providers.
• Support information. Your email address and any messages, screenshots, or other information you choose to send us. Please do not send passwords or unnecessary sensitive information.

The game does not require access to your contacts, photos, microphone, camera, or precise device location for its current gameplay.

2. How we use information

We use information to create and secure accounts; authenticate players; save and restore game progress; operate the shared world; provide account verification and password recovery; respond to support and privacy requests; investigate errors, abuse, and cheating; and meet applicable legal obligations.

We do not sell your personal information. Watching ads is optional. In the iOS app, Google may use the advertising identifier for personalized ads and ad measurement across apps only if you allow tracking when iOS asks; you can change this at any time in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking. This marketing website does not include advertising pixels or optional analytics scripts.

3. Cookies and device storage

The game uses a session cookie to keep you signed in. It may also use browser or app storage for gameplay preferences, local game state, and offline or cached resources. Clearing this storage can sign you out or remove settings stored only on that device. It does not itself delete your server account or saved server progress.

The marketing pages do not set advertising or analytics cookies. Hosting services still process the technical information needed to deliver and secure website requests.

4. When information is shared

• Other players. Gameplay information such as your chosen city or player name, world position, family affiliation, and interactions may be visible to other players as part of the game. Your account email and password verifier are not public profile information. Avoid using private personal information in public game names.
• Service providers. We use providers for hosting, database storage, security, email delivery, and support communications. The marketing site is hosted on Vercel and the game runs on Fly.io. Account emails may be delivered through an email provider such as Resend. These providers process the information needed to perform their services for us. We require service providers handling personal information on our behalf to protect it consistently with this policy and applicable requirements.
• Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Apple processes in-app purchases and delivers push notifications. Google AdMob serves the optional rewarded ads and processes the information described above under Google's policies. Microsoft Translator receives the text of messages you choose to translate.
• Sign-in and external services. If you choose an Apple or Google sign-in option, that provider processes your sign-in under its own privacy policy. The game may load fonts from Google Fonts, which receives ordinary network request information when those fonts are requested. The marketing site's fonts are hosted with this website.
• Legal and safety needs. We may disclose information when required by law or when reasonably necessary to protect users, investigate fraud or abuse, enforce our rights, or protect the service.

External websites and app stores have their own privacy policies. Their independent handling of information is governed by those policies.

5. Retention and account deletion

We keep account and gameplay information while it is needed to provide the service. Session and recovery credentials have expiry periods. Technical logs, support correspondence, and backups may be retained as needed for security, troubleshooting, recovery, resolving disputes, or legal obligations. Retention depends on the type of information and the reason it is needed.

Deleting an account removes its sign-in identities and sessions and unlinks its cities from the account. The shared game world can retain the city, its chosen name, and gameplay history so other players' ongoing interactions are preserved. Account deletion does not automatically erase every record of activity in the shared world. If a retained game name or other content contains personal information, contact us to request its removal or de-identification.

Deleting the app or clearing browser data does not delete your account. Information in backups and records needed for legitimate security or legal purposes may remain for the applicable retention period.

6. Your privacy choices and rights

You can stop using the service, turn notifications off in the game's Settings or in iOS Settings, decline or withdraw ad tracking in iOS Settings, clear device storage, manage available linked sign-in methods in your account, or delete your account. You can contact us to request access to, correction of, a copy of, or deletion of your personal information. Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights to restrict or object to processing, withdraw consent where consent is the basis for processing, or complain to a data protection authority.

Send requests to steve.weber81@gmail.com, preferably from the address associated with your account. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request and will respond as required by applicable law. We will not penalize you for exercising applicable privacy rights.

7. Security and international processing

We use safeguards such as encrypted HTTPS connections, password hashing, and session controls to protect information. No system can guarantee absolute security. Keep your sign-in credentials private.

We operate in the United States. Our providers may process information in the United States and other countries where they operate. Privacy protections can differ by location; applicable safeguards are used where legally required.

8. Children

Bootleg Empire is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information, contact us so we can investigate and take appropriate action. App-store age ratings and local age requirements may impose additional restrictions.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the game and our practices change. The revised policy will be posted at this address with an updated date. Where required, we will provide additional notice or seek consent for material changes.

10. Contact

Steve Weber
Operator of Bootleg Empire
United States
steve.weber81@gmail.com