ARGdb Privacy Policy

Last Updated on February 22, 2007

ARGdb does not send unsolicited email nor does it sell email addresses.

About ARGdb and the Information We Collect

Profile Information submitted by Members to ARGdb

ARGdb is a social networking community dedicated to Alternate Reality Games which connects people through networks based on games played and member selected friends. To accomplish this, each ARGdb Member creates his or her profile, which contains the personal information that the Member chooses to include. This information includes items such as:

• First or last names of the Member
• Location (e.g., address, city, and state)
• Contact Information (e.g., telephone numbers, email addresses, instant messenger information)
• Photos or avatars (to the extent that it includes personal information)

Other Information submitted by Members to ARGdb

ARGdb also collects Member-submitted information on the games that they have played. This may further include their personal rating of the game and memories of the game. Members may reveal additional personal details in those posts. This information might be viewed by other Members or visitors to the ARGdb website who are not members.

Information Not Directly Submitted by Members or Other Website Users to ARGdb

Finally, we also collect some information from Members, as well as from other visitors to the ARGdb website, that is not personally identifiable, such as browser type and IP address. This information is gathered from all visitors to the website.

Use of Information Obtained by ARGdb

Profile Information submitted by Members to ARGdb

The personal information of a Member contained in his or her profile will be shown to those people whom the Member chooses. ARGdb maintains a robust permissions system to allow Members to share personal information to members marked as friends and to specify which friends are able to see which information. Additionally, Members may select to allow Alternate Reality Game design teams access to their personal information and select which information each team receives on a game by game basis.

As a default, each member has three options when choosing the level of permissions on his or her profile. They are:

• "Private" which means that the information will not be shared.
• "Friends" which consists of Members defined as Friends
• "Public" which is all visitors to the ARGdb website, whether or not they are ARGdb members.

PLEASE NOTE THAT, REGARDLESS OF WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION A MEMBER CHOOSES TO INCLUDE IN HIS OR HER PROFILE, OR WHAT LEVEL OF SHARING HE OR SHE CHOOSES, CERTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT EACH MEMBER WILL BE INCLUDED IN THAT MEMBER'S PROFILE. A LIST OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN EACH PUBLIC PROFILE CAN BE FOUND IN THE ARGDB TERMS OF SERVICE. PUBLIC PROFILES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ANY USER OF THE ARGDB WEBSITE, WHETHER OR NOT THE USER IS A MEMBER

Information that Members do not submit to us

We use information relating to the server information, IP address, and browser-type.

Sharing of the Information this Site Gathers/Tracks

Except as explained above, or where you are expressly informed otherwise, we do not sell, rent, share, trade or give away any of your personal information, unless required by law or for the protection of your Membership.

Links

The ARGdb Website contains links to other websites. This includes links that are placed there by ARGdb (such as to Game Websites), as well as by other ARGdb Members. Please be aware that ARGdb is not responsible for the privacy practices of any other website. We encourage all Members and other users of the ARGdb website to be aware of when they leave our website, and to read the privacy policies of each and every website that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy policy applies solely to information collected by ARGdb through the ARGdb website.

Use of Cookies

A cookie is a small text file that is stored on a user's computer for record-keeping purposes. We use cookies on the ARGdb website. However, we do not and will not use cookies to collect private information from any Member or other user of the ARGdb website which they did not intentionally submit to us, other than as stated in this Privacy Policy.

We use both "session ID cookies" and "persistent cookies." We use session ID cookies to make it easier for you to navigate our site. A session ID cookie expires when you close you browser. A persistent cookie remains on your hard drive for an extended period of time. You can remove persistent cookies by following directions provided in your Internet browsers's "help" file; however, please note that, if you reject cookies or disable cookies in your web browser, you may not be able to use the ARGdb website.

Correcting/Updating or Removing Information

REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN CHANGE THE PERSONAL INFORMATION YOU'VE SUBMITTED TO THE ARGDB WEBSITE AND THE PERMISSIONS OF WHO MAY VIEW YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION AT ANY TIME. YOU CAN CHANGE THIS INFORMATION BY CLICKING THE "MY ACCOUNT" LINK IN THE TOP, RIGHT CORNER OF THE ARGDB HOMEPAGE.

Changes in Our Privacy Policy

If we change our privacy policy, we will post those changes on our web site so Members and other users of the ARGdb website are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it. If we are going to use Members' or other users' personally identifiable information in a manner different from that stated at the time of collection, we will notify those Members and users via email or by placing a prominent notice on our website.

Security

The ARGdb account of every Member is password-protected. ARGdb takes every precaution to protect the information of the Members, as well as information collected from other users of the ARGdb website. We use industry standard measures to protect all information that is stored on our servers and within our database. We limit the access to this information to those administrators who need access in order to perform their job function. If you have any questions about the security at our website, please contact us.

Members and Users Located Outside of the United States of America

We have made an effort to protect the personal information of all Members and other users of the ARGdb website, and to the extent applicable, we attempt to comply with local data protection and consumer rights laws. If you are unsure whether this privacy policy is in conflict with the applicable local rules where you are located, you should not submit your personal information to the ARGdb website. IN ADDITION, IF YOU ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION, YOU SHOULD NOTE THAT YOUR INFORMATION WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE UNITED STATES, THE LAWS OF WHICH MAY BE DEEMED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION TO HAVE INADEQUATE DATA PROTECTION (see, for example, European Union Directive 95/46/EC of 24 October 1995, a copy of which can be found here). Members and other users of the ARGdb website located in countries outside of the United States of America who submit personal information do thereby consent to the general use of such information as provided in this privacy policy and to the transfer of that information to and/or storage of the information in the United States of America.

Contacting ARGdb

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, ARGdb's privacy practices, or your dealings with ARGdb, please contact us.