Terms of Service
1. Acceptance of Terms
Welcome to Hinties ("we," "us," or "our"), accessible at hinties.com. By accessing or using our website and game (collectively, the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms") and the Privacy Policy outlined below. If you do not agree to these Terms or the Privacy Policy, please do not use the Service.
2. Description of Service
Hinties is a daily country guessing game where users guess a country based on cultural hints. The Service includes interactive maps, leaderboards, and advertisements provided by third-party ad networks and partners.
3. Eligibility
You must be at least 13 years old to use the Service. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet this age requirement and have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms.
4. User Conduct
You agree to use the Service in compliance with all applicable laws and these Terms. You will not:
- Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in a way that violates these Terms.
- Attempt to manipulate game outcomes, including through automated means or cheating.
- Engage in any activity that interferes with or disrupts the Service, including introducing viruses or malicious code.
- Attempt to access or collect data from the Service through unauthorized means, such as scraping.
- Post or transmit any content that is offensive, defamatory, or infringes on the rights of others.
5. Intellectual Property
All content, trademarks, and other intellectual property on the Service, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, and software, are owned by or licensed to Hinties. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works from any part of the Service without our prior written consent.
6. Advertisements and Third-Party Services
The Service includes advertisements provided by third-party ad networks and partners. These ads may collect data as described in the Privacy Policy below. By using the Service, you agree to the following:
- Ad Compliance: We comply with the policies of our advertising partners, including those prohibiting invalid click activity. You agree not to engage in invalid click activity, such as repeatedly clicking ads, using automated tools to generate clicks, or encouraging others to click ads for incentives.
- Third-Party Links: The Service may contain links to third-party websites or services, such as affiliate banners. We are not responsible for the content, privacy policies, or practices of these third parties.
- Ad Content: We strive to ensure ads are appropriate, but we are not liable for the content or accuracy of third-party advertisements.
7. User Data and Local Storage
The Service uses local storage to save game progress, such as daily stats and play restrictions. You acknowledge that clearing your browser's local storage may reset your game progress. We do not guarantee the retention of user data stored locally on your device.
8. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Hinties and its affiliates, officers, directors, and employees will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Service. The Service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied.
9. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold Hinties harmless from any claims, losses, or damages, including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising from your violation of these Terms or your use of the Service.
10. Termination
We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at our sole discretion, with or without notice, for any reason, including if we believe you have violated these Terms. Upon termination, your right to use the Service will cease immediately.
11. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, USA, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising from these Terms or the Service will be resolved through binding arbitration in California, in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except that either party may seek injunctive relief in a court of competent jurisdiction.
12. Changes to Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Terms on the Service or through other reasonable means. Your continued use of the Service after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.
13. Contact Us
If you have questions about these Terms or the Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
Email: support@hinties.com
Address: Hinties, 123 Culture Lane, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
14. Compliance with Advertising Policies
In compliance with the policies of our advertising partners, we ensure the following:
- Content Restrictions: The Service does not host or promote content that is illegal, promotes violence, contains adult material, or violates intellectual property rights.
- Ad Placement: Ads are placed in a manner that does not mislead users or interfere with navigation. We do not place ads in pop-ups, interstitials, or other intrusive formats prohibited by our advertising partners.
- User Interaction: We do not encourage users to click ads or engage in behavior that generates invalid traffic, such as incentivized clicks or automated click generation.
- Transparency: The Privacy Policy below discloses the use of third-party ad networks and their use of cookies and tracking technologies for personalized ads.
15. General Provisions
These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Hinties regarding the Service. If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect. Our failure to enforce any right or provision will not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.
Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
At Hinties, we value your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you use the Service. By using the Service, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
2. Information We Collect
We collect the following types of information:
- Non-Personal Information: We use local storage to save game progress, such as daily stats, play restrictions, and a randomly generated identifier for tracking daily play limits. This data is stored on your device and is not sent to our servers.
- Automatically Collected Information: When you use the Service, we may collect non-personal information such as your browser type, device type, operating system, IP address, and pages visited. This information is collected via cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies, including those used by our advertising partners.
- Advertising Data: Our advertising partners may collect information about your interactions with ads, such as ad impressions, clicks, and browsing behavior, to provide personalized ads. This may include the use of cookies, device identifiers, or other tracking technologies.
We do not collect personally identifiable information (e.g., name, email address) unless you voluntarily provide it, such as by contacting us.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the collected information to:
- Operate and improve the Service, including saving game progress and enforcing daily play limits.
- Analyze usage trends to enhance user experience and Service functionality.
- Deliver advertisements through our advertising partners, including personalized ads based on your interests.
- Comply with legal obligations and protect our rights.
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell or share your personally identifiable information. Non-personal information may be shared as follows:
- Advertising Partners: Our advertising partners may collect and process non-personal information to serve personalized ads. These partners have their own privacy policies governing their data practices.
- Service Providers: We may share non-personal information with third-party service providers who assist with hosting, analytics, or ad serving.
- Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, such as in response to a court order, or to protect our rights, safety, or property.
5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
The Service and our advertising partners use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to enhance functionality and deliver personalized ads. Cookies are small files stored on your device that track your interactions with the Service. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings, but disabling cookies may affect the functionality of the Service.
Our advertising partners may use cookies and tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing behavior across websites to serve personalized ads. You can opt out of personalized ads through your browser settings, ad network opt-out tools (e.g., the Network Advertising Initiative at optout.networkadvertising.org), or by adjusting settings on your device.
6. Data Security
We take reasonable measures to protect the information we collect, including using secure protocols and limiting access to authorized personnel. However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. Data Retention
Information stored in local storage remains on your device until you clear it or it expires based on browser settings. Non-personal information collected by us or our advertising partners is retained only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law.
8. Children’s Privacy
The Service is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected such information, we will take steps to delete it promptly. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us at support@hinties.com.
9. International Users
The Service is hosted in the United States. If you access the Service from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction. By using the Service, you consent to this transfer and processing.
10. Your Choices
You can:
- Manage cookie preferences through your browser settings.
- Opt out of personalized ads through ad network opt-out tools or device settings.
- Clear local storage to reset game progress, understanding that this may affect your experience.
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Privacy Policy on the Service or through other reasonable means. Your continued use of the Service after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.
12. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
Email: support@hinties.com
Address: Hinties, 123 Culture Lane, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA