Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Sudoku Leader (“we,” “our,” or “us”). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and what rights you have in relation to it when you visit our website (sudokuleader.com) and use our online puzzle tools, calculators, and leaderboards.

By using Sudoku Leader, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us, as well as data that is collected automatically when you visit our site.

• Authentication Data (Firebase): If you choose to log in to our Global Leaderboard, we use Google Firebase Authentication. We collect your public Google profile information (Name, Email Address, and Profile Picture) solely to create your player profile and display your rank.
• Gameplay Data: We store your gameplay statistics, including puzzles solved, experience points (XP), best times, and current streaks in our database (Firebase Firestore) to maintain the leaderboards.
• Optional Social Data: If you choose to link your Instagram handle to your player profile, we store this text string.
• Ratings & Feedback (optional): After you have solved a few puzzles, downloaded a few printables or used our tools a few times, we may ask you to rate Sudoku Leader. If you answer, we store your star rating, any comment you write, the page you were on, how many puzzles you had solved, and whether you allowed us to show it on the site. It is linked to your player account, or, if you are not signed in, to an anonymous ID created only to send it. A comment is shown on the website only if you tick the box allowing it, and then only with your first name (or no name, for guest players). Your comment is never sent to Google Analytics.
• Automatically Collected Data: When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information about your device and usage through Google Analytics. This includes your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, and interaction with our puzzles.

3. Advertising & Cookies

To keep Sudoku Leader free for everyone, we show advertising from Google AdSense, Google’s advertising service. The companies authorized to sell advertising on this site are listed publicly in our ads.txt file.

• These third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies and similar technologies to select which ads you see, to limit how often the same ad is shown, and to measure whether an ad was viewed.
• Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visits to this site and/or other sites on the internet. You can read how Google uses information from sites that use its services.
• Where you have consented, ads may be personalized using your prior visits to this website or to other websites and apps.
• Consent in Europe: If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, we instruct Google’s advertising and analytics tags not to store or read advertising or analytics cookies unless you consent. Outside those regions, these tags are enabled by default.
• Opting Out: You can turn off personalized advertising from Google at Google My Ad Center. You can also opt out of many other advertising vendors at www.aboutads.info or, in Europe, at www.youronlinechoices.eu.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the data we collect for the following business and operational purposes:

• To operate and maintain the Global Leaderboards and player profiles.
• To track and analyze website traffic using Google Analytics to improve our puzzles and user interface.
• To read your ratings and feedback, fix the problems you tell us about, and, only where you allowed it, show your comment on the site.
• To serve relevant, non-intrusive advertisements to help fund server costs.
• To prevent fraud, cheating on the leaderboards, or unauthorized automated activity.

5. Data Retention & Deletion Rights (GDPR & CCPA)

We believe your data belongs to you. We retain your profile and gameplay data only for as long as your account is active on our leaderboards.

Deleting Your Account: You can delete your account and everything saved with it (your player profile, XP, rank and all your times on the leaderboards) at any time on our Delete Your Account page, or in the Sudoku Leader app under Your Account. It happens right away. If you can’t sign in, email us at the address below with the subject line “Data Deletion Request” and we will delete it for you within 7 business days.

6. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party sites or services (such as Instagram). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies when you leave our site.

7. Children’s Privacy

Sudoku Leader is a general-audience website and is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information—for example, by creating a leaderboard profile—please contact us at the email below and we will delete it promptly.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.