Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how GameDev.net, LLC ("GameDev.net," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and shares information when you use our website at gamedev.net and all associated services (collectively, the "Services").

By using the Services, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Services.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

We collect information you voluntarily provide, including:

• Account information: Username, email address, and password when you create an account.
• Profile information: Display name, biography, avatar, website URL, social links, and other details you add to your profile.
• Content: Forum posts, blog entries, tutorials, project descriptions, portfolio items, comments, messages, and other content you submit.
• Communications: Messages you send to other users, and correspondence you send to us (e.g., support requests).
• Payment information: If you purchase a membership or paid feature, payment details are collected and processed by our third-party payment processor. We do not store credit card numbers on our servers.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you use the Services, we automatically collect:

• Usage data: Pages visited, features used, search queries, links clicked, and interaction patterns.
• Device information: Browser type and version, operating system, device type, and screen resolution.
• Network information: IP address, approximate location (country/region level), referring URL, and internet service provider.
• Cookies and similar technologies: See Section 5 for details.

1.3 Information from Third Parties

If you sign in using a third-party authentication provider (e.g., Google, GitHub), we may receive your name, email address, and profile picture from that provider, as permitted by your settings with them.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Operate the Services: Create and manage your account, display your content, enable messaging, and provide community features.
• Personalize your experience: Show relevant content, customize your feed, and remember your preferences (e.g., dark mode, compact view).
• Maintain community quality: Operate our trust and reputation system, detect and prevent spam, enforce our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines, and support moderation activities.
• Improve the Services: Analyze usage patterns, diagnose technical issues, and develop new features.
• Communicate with you: Send account-related notifications, respond to support requests, and (with your consent) send newsletters or updates.
• Process payments: Facilitate purchases and manage subscriptions.
• Ensure security: Detect unauthorized access, protect against abuse, and maintain the integrity of the platform.
• Comply with legal obligations: Respond to lawful requests from authorities and fulfill our legal requirements.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• Public content: Content you post publicly (forum posts, blogs, tutorials, projects, profile information) is visible to all visitors. Your username, avatar, and trust level are displayed alongside your contributions.
• Service providers: We share information with third-party companies that help us operate the Services, including hosting, analytics, payment processing, email delivery, and spam prevention. These providers are contractually required to protect your information and may only use it to provide services to us.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, or court order, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of GameDev.net, our users, or the public.
• Business transfers: If GameDev.net is acquired, merged, or sells substantially all of its assets, user information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change.
• With your consent: We may share information in other circumstances with your explicit consent.

4. AI and Automated Processing

GameDev.net uses AI-assisted tools and automated systems to enhance the community experience. These systems may process your content and activity data to:

• Detect and filter spam, abuse, and content that violates our guidelines.
• Calculate trust and reputation scores based on contribution quality and community interactions.
• Generate content summaries, suggestions, and enrichments (e.g., news article summaries, related content recommendations).
• Improve search relevance and content discovery.

Automated moderation decisions that significantly affect your account (e.g., content removal, account restrictions) can be appealed to human moderators via support@gamedev.net.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

• Essential cookies: Required for the site to function, including authentication, session management, and security. These cannot be disabled.
• Preference cookies: Remember your settings such as dark mode, compact view, and beta mode preferences.
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use the site so we can improve it. We use Google Analytics for this purpose.
• Advertising cookies: Used by our advertising partners (including Google AdSense) to serve relevant advertisements. These cookies may track your browsing activity across other sites.

Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. However, disabling essential cookies will prevent you from logging in and using core features of the site.

To opt out of Google Analytics tracking, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. To manage Google ad personalization, visit Google Ad Settings.

6. Data Retention

We retain your information as follows:

• Account data: Retained as long as your account is active. If you request account deletion, we will delete or anonymize your account data within 30 days, except as required by law or as described below.
• Public content: Forum posts, tutorials, blog entries, and other public contributions are part of the community knowledge base and are retained indefinitely, even if your account is closed. Upon account closure, this content may be disassociated from your profile at our discretion.
• Private messages: Retained while your account is active. Upon account deletion, your messages may be retained in the other participants' accounts but your identity may be anonymized.
• Server logs: Automatically deleted after 90 days.
• Analytics data: Aggregated analytics data (which cannot identify you) may be retained indefinitely.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit using TLS/SSL.
• Secure password hashing.
• Access controls limiting who can view personal data.
• Regular security reviews and vulnerability scanning.
• Payment processing handled entirely by PCI-compliant third-party providers.

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you via email and on-site notification within 7 business days.

8. Your Rights and Choices

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

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information. You can edit most of your information directly in your account settings.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated personal data, subject to our data retention practices for public content.
• Data portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Opt out of marketing: Unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the link at the bottom of each email, or by adjusting your notification preferences in account settings.
• Do Not Track: We honor Do Not Track (DNT) browser signals.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@gamedev.net. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

9. California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA):

• You have the right to know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose.
• You have the right to request deletion of your personal information.
• You have the right to opt out of the sale of your personal information. We do not sell personal information.
• You will not be discriminated against for exercising your privacy rights.
• You can visit and use our site anonymously.
• This Privacy Policy is accessible from a link on every page of the site.

To make a CCPA request, contact us at support@gamedev.net.

10. International Users

GameDev.net is operated from the United States. If you access the Services from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country. By using the Services, you consent to this transfer.

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or another jurisdiction with data protection laws, you may have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or similar legislation. To exercise these rights, contact us at support@gamedev.net.

11. Children's Privacy

The Services are not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@gamedev.net.

12. Email Communications

We may send you the following types of email:

• Transactional: Account verification, password resets, purchase confirmations, and security alerts. These cannot be opted out of.
• Notifications: Replies to your posts, mentions, messages, and other activity. You can manage these in your notification settings.
• Marketing: Newsletters, feature announcements, and community updates. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in each email.

We will not use false or misleading subject lines, and every marketing email will include our physical address and a clear unsubscribe option.

13. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may collect data about you:

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, for significant changes, by posting a notice on the Site or sending you an email. Your continued use of the Services after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or want to exercise your privacy rights, contact us at:

GameDev.net, LLC
San Diego, CA
USA
support@gamedev.net