Children's Privacy & COPPA

1. Overview

GlitchRealm is committed to protecting the privacy of children under 13 years of age in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and other applicable laws. This policy supplements the Privacy Policy and describes how we handle personal information from children.

2. Age Restrictions

Users must confirm they are 13+ when creating an account. If we discover that a user is under 13 without parental consent, we will:

• Immediately suspend the account
• Delete all personal information associated with the account
• Notify parents/guardians (if contact information is available)

3. Parental Consent

If you are a parent/guardian and wish to allow your child under 13 to use GlitchRealm, you must provide verifiable parental consent. We will:

• Request your name, email address, and relationship to the child
• Send a consent form via email explaining what data we collect and how it's used
• Verify your identity through one of the following methods:
  • Signed consent form (via email or postal mail)
  • Video conference verification
  • Government-issued ID verification (redacted for privacy)

To request parental consent, email privacy@glitchrealm.ca with subject line "COPPA Parental Consent Request."

4. Information Collected from Children

If parental consent is obtained, we may collect the following information from children under 13:

Required Information

• Email address (parental email or child's email with parental approval)
• Username/display name (no real names required)
• Parent/guardian contact information (for consent and communication)

Optional Information

• Avatar or profile picture (Gravatar or Supabase avatar upload)
• Playtime data (game ID, session duration, timestamps)
• User-generated content (game submissions require parental approval and co-ownership)

Prohibited Data Collection

We do NOT collect the following from children under 13:

• Full name, postal address, or phone number (unless required for legal compliance)
• Geolocation data (GPS, precise location tracking)
• Social Security numbers or government IDs
• Credit card information or payment details
• Photos, videos, or audio recordings (except approved avatars)

5. How We Use Children's Information

Information collected from children under 13 (with parental consent) is used solely for:

• Providing access to games and platform features
• Authentication and account management
• Tracking playtime for progress and achievements
• Communicating with parents/guardians about the account
• Ensuring compliance with Terms of Service and Code of Conduct

We do NOT use children's data for:

• Targeted advertising or behavioral tracking
• Selling or sharing data with third parties (except required service providers like Firebase/Supabase)
• Public display of personal information (usernames/avatars are anonymized)

6. Parental Rights

Parents/guardians have the following rights regarding their child's account:

• Right to Review: Request a copy of all personal information collected from your child
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of your child's account and all associated data
• Right to Revoke Consent: Withdraw consent at any time (account will be terminated)
• Right to Restrict Collection: Limit the types of data collected (e.g., disable playtime tracking)
• Right to Notification: Receive updates on material changes to this policy

To exercise these rights, email privacy@glitchrealm.ca with proof of parental relationship.

7. Third-Party Services and Children's Data

We use third-party services that may process children's data (with parental consent):

• Firebase (Google): Authentication, Firestore database, Analytics (aggregated only for children's accounts)
• Supabase: Avatar storage (parental approval required for uploads)
• Netlify: Web hosting and CDN (no personal data stored)

All third-party services are contractually required to comply with COPPA and protect children's privacy.

8. Data Retention for Children

Children's data is retained as follows:

• Account Data: Retained until account deletion or parent revokes consent
• Playtime Data: Anonymized after 90 days (no longer linked to child's identity)
• User-Generated Content: Deleted immediately upon parental request
• Logs and Analytics: Aggregated only; no individual tracking for children under 13

9. Community Features and Children

Children under 13 with parental consent have limited access to community features:

• Allowed: Playing games, viewing leaderboards, tracking playtime
• Restricted: Posting reviews, comments, or community discussions (requires parental approval for each post)
• Prohibited: Private messaging, direct contact with other users, sharing personal information

All content posted by children is subject to enhanced moderation (see Moderation Policy).

10. Reporting Violations

If you believe a child under 13 is using GlitchRealm without parental consent, or if you suspect misuse of children's data, please report it immediately:

• Email: privacy@glitchrealm.ca (subject: "COPPA Violation Report")
• Include the username, account ID (if known), and description of the concern

We will investigate within 24 hours and take appropriate action.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Children's Privacy Policy to reflect changes in COPPA regulations or our practices. Material changes will be communicated to parents/guardians via email at least 30 days before taking effect.

12. Contact Information

For COPPA-related questions or parental consent requests:

• Privacy Officer: privacy@glitchrealm.ca
• Parental Consent: Subject line "COPPA Parental Consent Request"
• Privacy Policy: Full Privacy Policy
• Legal Contact: Legal Contact Information