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BoardGameBrain

Privacy Policy

Effective July 11, 2026

This policy explains how BoardGameBrain, a service operated by SpecialGlasses LLC, handles information across the BoardGameBrain website, iOS app, accounts, chat, support, and related services.

1. Scope

This policy applies when you browse our public game catalog, create or use an account, save games, ask BoardGameBrain questions, submit a board photo, purchase or manage access, contact support, or otherwise use BoardGameBrain. Public catalog browsing does not require an account. Asking BoardGameBrain questions on the website requires a signed-in account with an active paid subscription.

2. Information we collect

Account and profile information

When you create, save, or upgrade an account, we process an account identifier, email address, authentication provider, authentication status, and security information needed to maintain the session. The iOS app may create an anonymous account before you add a sign-in method.

Game activity and saved content

We process catalog searches and filters, and we store the games you select or bookmark, list and shelf changes, chat sessions, questions, responses, citations, session titles, feedback, and related timestamps so the service can work across sessions and devices.

Chat and photo content

Questions, game context, available rulebook excerpts, generated responses, and photos you choose to submit are processed to provide rules and strategy features. Photos may contain information visible in the image. Do not submit sensitive personal information or images you do not have permission to share. BoardGameBrain does not intentionally store submitted photo bytes in chat history; for web photo analysis, the associated question and generated answer are stored, and access-restricted operational or accounting records may include technical metadata such as image type, file size, and a one-way content hash. Chat history is retained with your account until you delete the chat or delete your account. A small group of authorized BoardGameBrain operators may review bounded recent conversations to evaluate answer quality, investigate reported or unreliable responses, provide support, and improve the service. Access to that review tool is restricted and logged. Image payloads are not included in our content-free product analytics, but service providers may process and temporarily retain them to complete your request and for limited security or operational purposes under their terms.

Purchases, subscriptions, and credits

We process product identifiers, subscription status, entitlement state, purchase and refund events, credit balances, transaction references, and the account email sent to web checkout. Apple or the configured web billing and payment providers process payment-card, billing-address, tax-location, or App Store payment details; BoardGameBrain does not receive your full payment-card number.

Product analytics and technical data

BoardGameBrain collects first-party events about page and catalog use, account flows, bookmarks, paywalls, purchases, feedback, chat status, and feature use. These events use bounded categories and identifiers rather than page-query text or message content. Raw product events are scheduled for deletion after 90 days. An analytics session rotates after 30 minutes of inactivity and when you sign out or change accounts. We also receive standard request and diagnostic data such as IP address, browser or device type, operating-system and app version, timestamps, error details, security signals, and request metadata. We do not include raw catalog search text, chat prompts, answers, or images in product-analytics event payloads.

Support and launch communications

If you contact us, we process your message, email address, diagnostic details you provide, and our replies. If you previously joined the launch-notification list, we processed your email address and submission time to send the requested launch notice.

Cookies and local storage

The website uses first-party cookies or browser storage for secure authentication sessions, CSRF and recovery state, theme and interface preferences, an opaque abuse-prevention identity, first-party analytics-session rotation, RevenueCat purchase state, and Cloudflare Turnstile security checks. Turnstile processes browser and device signals to distinguish people from automated traffic. We do not use advertising cookies or track activity across unrelated websites. Because BoardGameBrain does not perform cross-site behavioral tracking, browser “Do Not Track” and Global Privacy Control signals do not change this website's behavior. If our practices change, we will update this policy and provide controls required by applicable law.

3. How we use information

We rely on performing our agreement with you to provide accounts, saved content, chat, purchases, and support; on our legitimate interests to secure the Service, prevent fraud and abuse, diagnose failures, measure product use, and review answer quality; and on legal obligations for tax, accounting, disputes, and valid government requests. We rely on consent where we specifically ask for it. Where consent applies, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting earlier processing.

4. Service providers and disclosure

We disclose information only as needed to operate the service, complete transactions, follow your direction, protect BoardGameBrain and its users, or comply with law. Current provider categories include:

BoardGameGeek supplies public game data and artwork. We may send game identifiers and bounded catalog or research search terms to BoardGameGeek services. Catalog artwork can load from BoardGameGeek or Geekdo image hosts, which receive ordinary web request data such as IP address, browser information, and referrer. We do not intentionally send those services your BoardGameBrain account identifier or full chat transcript. We may disclose information in a business transfer or when reasonably necessary to comply with law or protect rights and safety. We do not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

5. Retention and account deletion

We keep account and user content while your account is active and as needed to provide the service. Operational logs and analytics are retained for bounded periods based on security, reliability, and product needs. Support records may be kept while a request is open and afterward as needed to document its resolution.

Authenticated account deletion removes the authentication account, stored chats, saved games, and active entitlement records from the user-facing service. Account-bound credits become inaccessible. Some records are retained, restricted, severed, redacted, or de-identified where reasonably necessary for payment, model-cost and usage accounting, refunds, tax, security, abuse prevention, legal, and audit obligations. These may include a one-way deletion tombstone, account-derived operational references, redacted provider events, transaction and allowance ledger records, severed feedback, and processor-side logs, application state, or customer records. Backups and provider systems may take additional time to rotate.

Deleting a BoardGameBrain account does not cancel an App Store or web subscription. Cancel through the platform where you subscribed before deleting. Unused purchased credits may become inaccessible after deletion.

See Support for the current account-deletion process and help if deletion does not complete.

6. Your choices and rights

7. Security and international processing

We use technical and organizational safeguards intended to protect information, including access controls, encrypted transport, signed sessions, row-level access policies, and abuse controls. No service can guarantee absolute security. BoardGameBrain and its providers may process information in the United States and other countries where they operate, subject to applicable transfer safeguards.

8. Children

BoardGameBrain is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. A person below the age of legal majority must have permission from a parent or guardian, and only an adult or otherwise legally authorized person may make a purchase.

9. Changes

We may update this policy. We will post the revised version and effective date here and, for material changes, provide an additional notice through the website, app, or account email when appropriate.

10. Contact

SpecialGlasses LLC is the operator and data controller of BoardGameBrain. For privacy questions, complaints, or requests, email support@boardgamebrain.app. We may need to verify your identity before completing an account-specific request. You may also have the right to complain to the data-protection authority where you live.