Privacy Policy

Effective Date: November 01, 2025

Leafy Wave Interactive ("we," "us," "our" or "Leafy Wave Interactive") built the Balloon Odyssey mobile application ("App") as a commercial app provided on an "AS IS" basis.

This Privacy Policy explains what data the App collects, stores and processes in connection with the App's online leaderboard and related features, and how we protect and use that data.

1. Information We Collect

Data collected:

• Player nickname (nick): a player-chosen display name submitted in the App for use on the public leaderboard.
• Highscore / game score: the player's game score submitted to and stored on our server to maintain the leaderboard and highscore history.
• Unique Player ID: a randomly generated identifier stored on your device and on our server to uniquely identify your player account for the leaderboard.
• Parent/Guardian Email (if provided): if you are under the age threshold, you may provide a parent or guardian's email address. This is used only to send a consent request and track whether consent has been given; we store it only as long as needed for that purpose.
• Birth Year (age verification): the year of your birth entered in the App to determine eligibility for the leaderboard. This data is kept locally on your device only and never transmitted to our servers.

Notes: We do not require or collect additional personal identifiers (such as e-mail, real name, or device identifiers) for the leaderboard, except as described above. A nickname may in some cases be personal data under applicable law (for example, if it identifies a real person); we treat nicknames, highscores, and other necessary data as needed to provide the leaderboard feature and protect them accordingly.

2. How We Use the Data

We collect and process the above data for the following purposes:

• to display and update the public leaderboard;
• to store and show the player's highscore and ranking;
• to moderate displayed nicknames and enforce rules (for example restricting or banning accounts that circumvent filters or violate terms);
• to detect and prevent cheating, abuse or fraud related to leaderboard integrity;
• to associate your account on our server via the unique player ID;
• to send a parental consent request email if a player is under the age threshold, and to record whether consent has been granted;

We do not use this data for targeted advertising or share it with marketing partners.

Note on birth year: The birth year you enter in the App is used only locally to determine if parental consent is needed. It is not sent to our server or used for any other purpose beyond age verification.

3. Nickname Moderation and Community Safety

Nicknames submitted by players are processed through anti-vulgarity and moderation filters before being published on the leaderboard. We actively attempt to block profanities and other prohibited words or expressions to keep the leaderboard appropriate for younger players. Players who intentionally try to circumvent filters (for example by leetspeak, substitutions, repeated attempts or other means) may have their leaderboard privileges limited or may be banned.

4. Data Storage, Security and Risk

Nickname, player ID, and highscore data are stored on Leafy Wave Interactive's servers. Parental email addresses (if provided) are also stored on our server but only for as long as necessary to manage the consent status, after which they are deleted. We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect stored data (for example, access controls, encryption in transit, and encryption at rest where possible, and regular security reviews).

However, no system is completely secure: while we take care to protect your data, we cannot guarantee that unauthorized parties will never obtain access to stored data. In the event of a security breach affecting personal data, we will comply with applicable laws regarding breach notifications and will take steps to mitigate the impact.

5. Children's Privacy — COPPA & GDPR

United States (COPPA): COPPA protects children under 13. Because Balloon Odyssey is a general audience game, we are not directed exclusively to children. We will not knowingly allow any child under age 13 to participate in the online leaderboard without granted parental consent. If you are a parent and believe a child under 13 has used the game and provided personal information (such as a nickname), please contact us to request deletion or provide consent if appropriate. Under COPPA, parents have rights to review and delete their child's data.

European Union (GDPR — children's consent): Under GDPR Article 8, the age at which a child can legally provide consent for online services is generally 16. In practice, Balloon Odyssey asks for your year of birth to determine if parental consent is needed. If you are below the applicable general age, the App will require a parent or guardian's email to send a consent request for the leaderboard feature. We obtain verifiable parental consent before including any underage player in the ranking. Parents may withdraw consent at any time via a link in our email, and we will promptly remove the child's data if consent is revoked. We also provide an option in the game settings to regenerate the consent email (once per day) if the parent did not receive or respond to it.

6. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), we process nickname and highscore data because it is necessary to provide the leaderboard service (performance of our contract / provision of the App's core features) and to protect the App’s integrity and security. Where processing involves children below the age of consent, we rely on verifiable parental consent as required by law.

7. Data Retention and Deletion

We retain nicknames, unique IDs, and highscores indefinitely to maintain the leaderboard service, unless you request their deletion. We do not retain birth years at all on our server (they are only kept locally in the App). Parental email addresses are stored as long as they needed to be to provide evidence of the consent status. You can delete data at any time in the App's settings or through the revoke consent link included in the "Parental Consent Request for Balloon Odyssey game" mail. You can request deletion of your personal data (nickname, scores, ID) at any time by contacting us, and we will remove it from our systems. (Under GDPR Article 17, you have the right to erasure of personal data that is no longer necessary for its original purpose.) After deletion, we may keep anonymized or aggregate data for analysis, but such data cannot be linked back to you.

8. Consequences of Misuse, Tampering and Cheating

Intentionally bypassing moderation filters, attempting to manipulate leaderboard data, cheating, or tampering with the App or game files is strictly prohibited. Such actions may result in temporary or permanent restrictions from the leaderboard, suspension or banning from the App, or other corrective measures. In some cases, tampering with game files may render the game inoperable for the user.

9. Third-Party Services

We do not sell or share nicknames, scores, or other personal data with third parties for marketing. We may use trusted third-party services for operation: for example, we integrate Google Play Services (on Android) solely to display an in-app review prompt. We do not collect additional personal data through this; data collected by Google is governed by Google’s privacy policies. We may also use our email service provider to send consent emails (via PHPMailer on our secure hosting). These third parties process data only as needed to provide their service to us under confidentiality agreements. We will not otherwise disclose personal data except when required by law (e.g., to comply with a legal process) or to protect our legal rights.

10. Your Rights

Depending on applicable law, you have rights to access, correct, or delete your personal data, to restrict or object to processing. Parents or guardians have specific rights under COPPA and GDPR regarding their children's data. To exercise your rights or make requests (including deleting data or revoking consent), please contact us at leafywaveinteractive@gmail.com. We will respond in accordance with applicable laws.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes we will post the updated policy here with a new "Effective Date." We encourage you to review this page regularly.

12. Your Consent

By using the App and submitting data such as a nickname or a parental email, you agree to the processing described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not submit these data or use the leaderboard features.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or wish to exercise any rights described above, please contact:

leafywaveinteractive@gmail.com

14. About These Terms

This Privacy Policy was prepared with reference to common app privacy templates and legal guidance and has been modified to reflect the specific terms applicable to Balloon Odyssey by Leafy Wave Interactive.