Privacy Policy

How NorthSyntax Labs collects, uses and protects personal information across our website, apps and games.

1. Who we are and what this covers

NorthSyntax Labs Inc. ("NorthSyntax", "we", "us") is a software studio incorporated in Ontario, Canada. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share and protect personal information when you use our website (northsyntax.com), our mobile and desktop applications, our games, and any related services that link to this policy (together, the "Services").

Consulting and development work we do for clients is governed by our written agreement with that client. Where we process personal information on a client's behalf, the client's privacy policy applies and we act on their instructions.

2. Information we collect

Information you give us

• Account details – email address, display name, password (stored hashed), and, if you sign in with Apple, Google or another provider, the identifier and basic profile information that provider shares with us.
• Profile and game data – usernames, avatars, saved progress, settings, scores, achievements and content you create or share in-app.
• Communications – messages you send us for support or through our website, and any feedback you provide.

Information collected automatically

• Device and usage data – device model, operating system and version, language, time zone, app version, screen size, IP address, approximate location derived from IP, session length, features used, levels played, in-app events and crash logs.
• Identifiers – device identifiers, installation IDs, and advertising identifiers (IDFA on iOS, GAID on Android) where you have allowed their use.
• Cookies and similar technologies on our website – see section 8.

Information from third parties

• App stores and platforms (Apple App Store, Google Play, Steam and similar) send us purchase confirmations and, in some cases, anonymised analytics. They do not send us your payment card details.
• Sign-in providers share the information you authorise them to share.

3. How we use information

We use personal information to:

• provide, operate and secure the Services, including creating accounts, saving progress and syncing across devices;
• process purchases and subscriptions and deliver in-app content;
• understand how the Services are used so we can fix bugs, balance games and improve features (analytics and crash reporting);
• show advertising in our free apps and games and measure its performance (see section 5);
• respond to support requests and communicate about updates, security notices and changes to our terms;
• prevent fraud, cheating, abuse and violations of our Terms of Service;
• comply with legal obligations and enforce our rights.

We do not sell personal information in exchange for money. Some advertising and analytics practices may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" under certain US state laws; you can opt out as described in section 9.

4. Legal bases (EEA, UK and similar jurisdictions)

Where the GDPR or UK GDPR applies, we rely on: performance of a contract (providing the Services you asked for); legitimate interests (analytics, security, fraud prevention, improving our products, and contextual advertising, balanced against your rights); consent (personalised advertising, optional cookies, marketing emails, and any use of the advertising identifier); and legal obligation (tax, accounting and lawful requests). You can withdraw consent at any time without affecting processing that happened before.

5. Advertising, analytics and third-party SDKs

Our free apps and games may include software development kits (SDKs) from third parties. These partners may collect device identifiers, IP address, and usage events directly from your device under their own privacy policies. Depending on the product, they may include:

• Analytics and crash reporting – for example Google Firebase (Analytics, Crashlytics), Unity Analytics, Sentry.
• Advertising networks and mediation – for example Google AdMob, Unity Ads, AppLovin, ironSource.
• Attribution – tools that tell us which campaign led to an install.

We list the specific partners used by each app in that app's store listing or in-app privacy screen. You can limit personalised ads through your device settings (iOS: Settings → Privacy → Tracking / Apple Advertising; Android: Settings → Google → Ads) and by declining tracking when we ask.

6. Purchases and subscriptions

Purchases inside our apps and games are processed by the platform you bought them on (Apple, Google, Steam or others). The platform handles your payment details; we receive a receipt or transaction identifier so we can deliver what you bought and handle support. Subscriptions renew through the platform and can be managed or cancelled in your platform account settings. Refunds follow the platform's policy unless the law gives you additional rights.

7. How we share information

We share personal information only with:

• Service providers that host, store, analyse, or help us support the Services (cloud hosting, databases, email delivery, customer support tools), under contracts that restrict how they use it;
• Advertising and analytics partners described in section 5;
• App stores, platforms and sign-in providers as needed to deliver the Services;
• Other players, where a feature is designed to be social (for example leaderboards or multiplayer), limited to your display name, avatar and in-game activity;
• Professional advisers, authorities and courts when required by law, to protect safety, or to enforce our agreements;
• A successor if we merge with, are acquired by, or sell assets to another company, in which case this policy continues to apply to your information.

8. Cookies on our website

northsyntax.com uses only the cookies and local storage needed for the site to work, plus, where enabled, privacy-respecting analytics. We do not run advertising cookies on the website. If we add analytics that require consent, we will ask you first. Most browsers let you block or delete cookies; the site will still work.

9. Your choices and rights

Everyone

• Access, correct or delete your account information from within the app, or by emailing us.
• Delete your account and associated data: use the in-app delete option where available, or email us from the address on the account.
• Opt out of personalised advertising through your device settings (section 5).
• Unsubscribe from marketing email using the link in any message. We will still send service messages.

Canada (PIPEDA and provincial laws, including Quebec Law 25)

You may request access to, and correction of, the personal information we hold about you, withdraw consent subject to legal or contractual restrictions, and ask questions or make complaints to our privacy officer (contact in section 14). You also have the right to complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or your provincial commissioner.

European Economic Area, United Kingdom and Switzerland

You have the rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability and objection, and the right to withdraw consent. You may lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

California and other US states

You may have the right to know what personal information we collect, to delete it, to correct it, to opt out of "sale" or "sharing" for cross-context behavioural advertising, and not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights. To opt out, use the device settings in section 5 or email us with "Do not sell or share" in the subject. We honour Global Privacy Control signals on our website where technically feasible.

We may ask you to verify your identity before acting on a request. We respond within the time the applicable law requires.

10. Data retention

We keep account data while your account is active and for up to 12 months after it is closed, unless a longer period is required for legal, tax or dispute reasons. Analytics and crash data are kept in aggregated or pseudonymised form and deleted or anonymised on a rolling basis, typically within 14 months. Support correspondence is kept for up to 3 years. Backups are overwritten on a fixed schedule.

11. Security

We protect personal information with technical and organisational measures appropriate to its sensitivity, including encryption in transit, access controls, hashed passwords and monitoring. No system is completely secure; if we learn of a breach that creates a real risk of significant harm, we will notify affected people and regulators as the law requires.

12. International transfers

We are based in Canada and use service providers in Canada, the United States and the European Union. When information leaves your country, we rely on safeguards such as standard contractual clauses, adequacy decisions, or the recipient's certification under recognised frameworks, and we require providers to protect it to a comparable standard.

13. Children

Our Services are intended for people aged 13 and older (or the higher minimum age in your country, such as 16 in parts of the EEA). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children below that age. If you believe a child has given us personal information, contact us and we will delete it. Games with a rating suitable for younger players do not include personalised advertising or account creation unless the platform's family-safe requirements are met.

14. Changes and contact

We may update this policy as our Services or the law change. We will post the new version here with a new "last updated" date and, for material changes, notify you in-app or by email before they take effect.