Privacy Policy

Effective date:

Last updated:

This Privacy Policy describes how Leftward Labs LLC (“we,” “us,” “Leftward Labs”) handles information in connection with the RiftWords mobile game (“RiftWords,” the “App”) and the leftwardlabs.com website.

We are a one-person indie studio. We collect as little as we can get away with.

1. Who we are

Leftward Labs LLC is an Oregon limited liability company.

2. Information we collect

2.1 Information you give us

  • Email correspondence. If you write to us at any leftwardlabs.com address, we receive your email address and the contents of your message. We use that to reply and nothing else.

2.2 Information the App collects on your device

  • Game progress. High scores, daily-puzzle records, language preference, and dismissed-hint flags are stored locally on your device using your operating system’s standard app storage (AsyncStorage). This data never leaves your device unless you explicitly opt into a cloud-sync feature (none exists today).

2.3 Information collected automatically (from third parties)

Depending on platform and your settings, the following third parties may collect information through the App. Each is governed by its own privacy policy.

  • Apple App Store / Google Play Store. Standard install, crash, and aggregate-usage telemetry. Governed by Apple’s privacy policy and Google’s privacy policy.
  • Apple Game Center (iOS only, if enabled). Stores leaderboard scores against your Game Center identity. Governed by Apple.
  • Word-validation API (freedictionaryapi.com). When the App can’t validate a word against the on-device dictionary, it sends the candidate word, and only the word, to a public dictionary API to check spelling. No device identifier or account is sent. Most of the time this never happens because the App ships with on-device dictionaries.
  • [TODO · fill in once integrated, remove rows that don’t apply]:
    • AppLovin MAX (advertising). May collect advertising identifier (IDFA / GAID), IP address, and ad-interaction events to serve and measure rewarded ads. iOS users will see the App Tracking Transparency prompt. AppLovin privacy policy.
    • RevenueCat (subscription / IAP management). Receives a randomly generated user ID, subscription status, and purchase events. Does not receive your Apple/Google account email. RevenueCat privacy policy.
    • Amplitude (product analytics). Receives a randomly generated user ID and event metadata (which mode you played, session length, conversion to purchase). Does not receive your name, email, or precise location. Amplitude privacy policy.

We do not run our own analytics, ad, or tracking infrastructure.

3. What we don’t collect

  • We do not collect your name, email address (other than what you write us directly), phone number, precise location, contacts, photos, microphone, or camera.
  • We do not sell your personal information. We do not “share” your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising as defined under the CCPA.
  • We do not have accounts, logins, or passwords.

4. Children’s privacy

RiftWords is rated for general audiences and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided information to us, contact privacy@leftwardlabs.com and we’ll delete it.

5. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights under the GDPR (EU/UK), CCPA/CPRA (California), or similar laws. These typically include:

  • Access. Ask what information we have about you. (For most users, the answer is “nothing on our servers” · we don’t have servers in the traditional sense.)
  • Deletion. Ask us to delete information we hold. You can also uninstall the App, which removes all on-device data.
  • Opt-out of ads / analytics. Use your device’s “Limit Ad Tracking” (iOS) or “Opt Out of Ads Personalization” (Android) setting. iOS users can also deny App Tracking Transparency consent when prompted.
  • Portability, correction, restriction, objection. Available where law requires.

To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@leftwardlabs.com. We’ll respond within 30 days. We may need to ask follow-up questions to verify your request.

6. Data retention

  • On-device data persists until you uninstall the App or clear its data.
  • Emails to our @leftwardlabs.com addresses are retained in our mail provider (Namecheap PrivateEmail) for as long as is operationally useful, then deleted.
  • Third-party services (AppLovin, RevenueCat, Amplitude) retain data according to their own retention policies.

7. International transfers

Where third-party services we use are located outside your country (typically the United States), your information may be transferred there. Each provider listed above maintains its own legal basis for international transfers (Standard Contractual Clauses, etc.).

8. Security

We follow reasonable industry practices to protect information. We’re a small studio with no user database, which is itself a security control. If you believe you’ve found a vulnerability, please see our security policy or email security@leftwardlabs.com.

9. Changes to this policy

If we make material changes, we’ll update the “Last updated” date above. For significant changes affecting personal information, we’ll post a notice in the App or on leftwardlabs.com.

10. Legal contact

For DMCA notices, trademark claims, and other legal correspondence: legal@leftwardlabs.com