Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Email address: Used for account authentication, password recovery, and optional notifications. Your email is never publicly visible.
• Username: A display name you choose, which is publicly visible on leaderboards and game histories.
• Authentication data: If you sign in via Google, we receive your email and name from Google but do not have access to your Google password.

Gameplay Data

During gameplay, we collect:

• Words submitted: Every word you enter during a game
• Game outcomes: Scores, round results, and judge decisions
• Timestamps: When games are played and rounds are completed

Important: All gameplay data is publicly visible by design. This includes your username, submitted words, and game results. This transparency is integral to TuringDuel's function as both a game and a research project.

Technical Data

We automatically collect certain technical information:

• IP address (for security and abuse prevention)
• Browser type and version
• Device type and operating system
• Pages visited and interactions within the Service

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide the Service: Enable gameplay, display leaderboards, and show game history
• Communicate with you: Send account-related emails (password resets, security alerts) and optional game notifications
• Improve the Service: Analyze usage patterns to enhance gameplay and fix bugs
• Ensure security: Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and violations of our Terms
• Conduct research: Analyze anonymized gameplay data to understand human-AI interaction patterns

3. Research and Data Sharing

TuringDuel was inspired by academic research on the Turing Test and human-AI interaction. As part of our mission, we may:

• Share anonymized, aggregated data with researchers and academic institutions for the purpose of studying human-AI dynamics
• Publish research findings based on aggregate gameplay patterns (e.g., "Which types of words do humans prefer?" or "How do different AI models perform?")
• Make anonymized datasets available to the research community

Any shared data will be anonymized and aggregated such that individual users cannot be identified. We will never share your email address or other personal identifying information for research purposes.

4. AI Service Providers

TuringDuel relies on third-party AI providers to generate opponent responses and judge decisions. When you play, your submitted words are sent to these providers for processing:

Data sent to these providers consists of game prompts and submitted words only. We do not send your email address or other personal information to AI providers. Each provider has their own privacy policy governing how they handle data.

5. Infrastructure and Data Processors

We use the following third-party services to operate TuringDuel:

Where possible, we self-host analytics tools to maintain control over your data. Our hosting is based in the European Union (Finland) for GDPR compliance.

6. Cookies and Tracking

We take a privacy-first approach to tracking:

• No advertising cookies: We do not use third-party advertising or tracking cookies
• Essential cookies only: We use only essential session cookies required for the Service to function (e.g., keeping you logged in)
• Cookie-free analytics: Both Plausible Analytics and Ahoy operate without placing cookies on your device

7. Data Retention

We retain your data as follows:

• Account data: Retained until you delete your account
• Gameplay data: Retained indefinitely as part of the public game archive (even after account deletion, games may remain visible with username removed)
• Analytics data: Aggregated and retained for up to 24 months
• Security logs: Retained for up to 90 days

8. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Rectification: Correct inaccurate personal data
• Erasure: Request deletion of your account and associated personal data
• Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Objection: Object to certain processing of your personal data
• Withdraw consent: Unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time

To exercise these rights, please contact us at the email address below or use the account settings page to manage your preferences.

9. Children's Privacy

TuringDuel is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to delete it.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Significant changes will be communicated through the application or via email. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact us at:

[email protected]