Privacy Policy

Last Updated: April 18, 2025

Thank you for choosing LingoCrush! This Privacy Policy explains how Viralinx, LLC ("we," "us" or "our") collects, uses, discloses, and protects your information when you use the LingoCrush mobile application (the "App" or "Service"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency about our data practices. By using LingoCrush, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our practices, please do not use the App.

1. Information We Collect

We collect several types of information from and about LingoCrush users, including:

1.1. Account Information:

When you create a LingoCrush account, we collect the information you provide, such as:

Email Address: An email is required for account registration (unless you use a third-party login as described below). We use your email to create your account, and for account-related communications (e.g. verification, password resets, important notifications).
Authentication Data: If you sign up via a third-party identity provider (e.g. Sign in with Google or Sign in with Apple), we receive basic account information from that provider such as your name and email address (depending on your settings with them). Apple's service may allow you to hide your email; in such cases we receive an anonymized relay email from Apple. We store an authentication token or user ID from these providers to recognize your account.
Username (Nickname): You have the option to set a public username or nickname within LingoCrush. If you do not set one, we may generate a default username or use part of your email (before the "@") as your display name. This username may be visible to others in certain contexts (e.g. on leaderboards or multiplayer modes, if those exist). You can change your username in the app settings.
Profile Photo: You may also choose to upload a profile picture or avatar. This is optional. If provided, the image will be associated with your account and may be displayed within the app (for example, next to your name on leaderboards or in friend lists). If you use a third-party login, with your permission we might import your profile photo from that account (e.g. your Google profile image or Apple avatar). You can update or remove your profile photo at any time.

1.2. Gameplay and Usage Data:

As you use LingoCrush, we automatically collect certain information about your gameplay and how you interact with the App. This includes:

Gameplay Progress: Data on your game rounds, scores, achievements, vocabulary progress, and other game metrics. For example, we track which language(s) you're learning, how many words you've collected, your high scores, levels completed, etc. This allows us to provide features like progress tracking, adaptive difficulty (the game adjusts to your skill level), and achievement badges.
Game Actions: We may log in-game events (e.g. when you start or finish a round, words you struggled with, time taken for answers) to analyze and improve game design and difficulty balancing. This data is typically aggregated and not linked to your identity when used for analytics.
App Preferences: Any settings or preferences you set in the App, such as language selection, volume levels, notification preferences, or opt-outs (e.g. if you opt out of certain data collection or notifications, we record that preference).
Device Information: We collect certain technical information about the device and app environment to ensure the game works properly. This may include your device model, operating system version, unique device identifiers (such as the Advertising ID for ads or an Instance ID for push notifications), the version of LingoCrush installed, and device language/region settings.
Log Information: Like most apps, our systems automatically record some information about how you access LingoCrush. This can include your device's IP address at the time of connection (which may infer general location at the city or region level), timestamps of access, App features used, and referral source (what brought you to install or open the app, if known). We use IP addresses primarily for server log diagnostics, abuse prevention, and to infer approximate location solely to route you to the nearest server (for performance) or to understand where our user base is generally located (e.g. to decide on adding language content or servers in a region). We do not store or use IP addresses to pinpoint your exact location and we do not collect GPS or precise location data.

1.3. Analytics and Performance Data:

We utilize analytics tools to better understand how users engage with LingoCrush and to monitor the app's technical performance. Specifically:

Firebase Analytics / Google Analytics for Firebase: LingoCrush uses Google's Firebase Analytics to collect event data about user engagement. This tells us things like which screens or features are most used, how long sessions last, and aggregate information about our user base (for example, total number of daily users, devices, demographics if available). This helps us make informed decisions on improving the game. The information collected by Firebase Analytics may include device identifiers and usage data, but is provided to us in aggregate form. Google may also use this information as described in their Privacy Policy.
Crashlytics: We integrate Firebase Crashlytics to automatically collect crash reports if the App crashes or encounters certain errors on your device. Crash reports include technical data about the state of the app and device at the time of the crash (such as device model, OS version, app version, and a stack trace of the code). This does not intentionally collect personal user content, but may incidentally include something like a user ID or email if it was in memory during a crash (we strive to avoid that). Crashlytics helps us quickly identify and fix bugs to improve app stability.
Performance Monitoring: We use Firebase Performance Monitoring to gauge app performance metrics such as app launch time, screen load times, and network request latency. It collects data like timing traces and network metrics (URL patterns, response times) to alert us to any performance issues in different scenarios or regions. This data is aggregated and does not usually contain personal info, aside from device and technical identifiers.
Opt-Out: You have options to opt out of Firebase Analytics, Crashlytics, and Performance Monitoring if you prefer (see Section 5, Your Choices). We respect such preferences and will cease or reduce data collection from these tools accordingly when opted out.

1.4. Advertising Data (for Free Users):

If you use the free version of LingoCrush, we show advertisements provided by Google AdMob. AdMob may collect its own information about your device and app interaction to serve ads, including:

Advertising ID: A resettable identifier (Google Advertising ID on Android, or Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) on iOS) that is used by advertising networks to uniquely (but anonymously) identify your device for ad tracking and personalization purposes.
Ad Metrics: Ad networks collect data about which ads are shown, clicked, or viewed within LingoCrush, and may use that to measure campaign effectiveness and to avoid showing you the same ad too frequently.
Personalized Ads: AdMob might use data collected from your device or other apps (with your consent, where required) to infer your interests and show targeted ads (e.g. if you often use apps about travel, you might see language-learning or travel-related ads). If you have opted out of personalized advertising on your device or given/refused consent via applicable consent dialogs (such as the EU GDPR consent for ad personalization), AdMob will serve non-personalized ads.

We do not receive personal data from AdMob directly that identifies you; however, we can see aggregated ad performance reports (e.g. how many users clicked ads, general categories of ads shown). All ad targeting is handled by Google according to their policies. See Section 3.3 for more on third-party services.

1.5. Payment and Subscription Data:

When you subscribe to LingoCrush Premium, the transaction is processed by the platform provider (Apple or Google). We do not collect or store your full payment information (such as credit card numbers). We do receive and store some information related to your subscription status via our integration with RevenueCat and the app stores, including:

Confirmation that you made a purchase and the type of subscription (e.g. monthly or annual).
Start and end dates of your subscription term, and whether it is set to auto-renew.
Any trial period status, and cancellation or renewal status (for instance, if you cancel auto-renew, we get a flag of that).
A non-personal transaction identifier or receipt number that is associated with your purchase (this comes from Apple/Google to verify the purchase validity).
Refund status (if the app store notifies us that a refund was granted and the subscription is revoked).

This data is used to unlock Premium features for your account and manage your subscription benefits. Note: Your Apple or Google account may share your name or email with us during the subscription process for receipt and notification purposes. We treat this as Account Information and do not store any financial account numbers. RevenueCat itself typically uses an anonymous app user ID to track subscriptions and does not receive your personal info beyond what is needed for verification. (See Section 3 for more on third parties.)

1.6. Support and Contact Data:

If you contact us for support or feedback (for example, via email or an in-app support feature), we will collect the information you choose to provide in that correspondence. This might include your name, email, and the contents of your message. If reporting a problem, you might also provide additional data like screenshots or diagnostic info. We use this information solely to assist you and improve our services. We may keep records of such communications for quality control and future reference.

1.7. Information We Do Not Collect:

We do not collect certain categories of data that are not necessary for LingoCrush's functionality:

Sensitive Personal Data: We do not ask for or intentionally collect any sensitive information such as your government ID numbers, social security number, race or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union memberships, genetic or biometric data, health information, or precise geolocation data. LingoCrush does not require access to your contacts, photos (beyond an optional profile photo), or other personal files on your device outside the app's scope.
Camera/Microphone: The app's core functionality does not involve recording audio or video of the user. We will not access your camera or microphone unless you explicitly use a feature that requires it (for example, if in the future we introduce an AR feature or voice chat, which is not present as of the last update, it will ask permission and be clearly optional).
Location: We do not request or track your precise GPS location. The only location-related data is the coarse location derived from your IP address (for network routing and analytics as described), which is not precise and can be disabled by using a VPN or similar if desired.

2. How We Use Your Information

Viralinx, LLC uses the collected information for various purposes in operating and improving LingoCrush, including:

2.1. Providing and Personalizing the Service:

We use your Account Information to create and maintain your account, allow you to log in, and identify you within the App (for example, showing your username on a leaderboard). Your email may be used to send important account notices (such as verification emails, password reset links, or notifications of changes to terms).
Gameplay and progress data are used to deliver core game features: remembering your progress, adjusting difficulty (our AI-powered adaptive learning tailors word difficulty based on your past performance), and providing you with an engaging learning experience. For instance, if the game sees you consistently know certain words, it will introduce new vocabulary; if you struggle, it will repeat words or lower difficulty.
We may use your data to personalize the content you see, such as recommending certain language packs or lessons based on your activity, or tailoring daily challenges to your skill level. Personalization improves your learning efficiency and enjoyment.
If you are a Premium subscriber, we use subscription status to ensure you have access to premium features (e.g., unlimited rounds, no ads). Conversely, if you are a free user, we use that status to determine when to show ads or enforce limits.
We might also use your information to respond to your inquiries or support requests, and provide customer service. For example, if you report a problem with your account, we might look at your account data and logs to troubleshoot.

2.2. Improving and Developing the App:

We analyze aggregated usage data and analytics to understand how LingoCrush is performing and where improvements can be made. For example, we might look at analytics to see if a particular language course has a high drop-off rate at a certain level, indicating it might be too hard or not engaging, and then adjust the content.
Crash and performance reports (via Crashlytics and Performance Monitoring) are used to identify bugs, crashes, and slowdowns. This technical data allows us to fix issues and optimize the app for a smoother experience.
Feedback you provide (either directly via contact or through in-app surveys) may be used to make feature decisions, fix problems, or enhance user satisfaction. We greatly value user input in guiding our development roadmap.
We may use data on what devices or OS versions are most common to prioritize compatibility and testing for those environments, and to plan when to deprecate support for older OS versions (ensuring the majority of users are on supported systems).
In summary, just about everything we collect helps us iterate on LingoCrush – whether it's adding new languages, tweaking game balance, improving user interface, or scaling our infrastructure as the user base grows.

2.3. Advertising and Marketing (Limited):

For free users, we use data to facilitate advertising in the app. This includes sharing certain device identifiers and contextual information with AdMob to show ads. We might also use in-app behavior to decide when to show an ad (for example, after a round ends). We do not use your personal data to directly send you marketing, but the ad network might target ads based on your profile (if you allowed).
Viralinx, LLC itself does not run a marketing campaign using your data (e.g. we won't sell your email to advertisers or send you promotional emails unrelated to the app's function without consent). We may send you in-app notifications or emails about new LingoCrush features, updates, or offers only if they are relevant to using the Service or if you have opted in to such communications. You can opt out of promotional communications at any time. Account or legal notices, however, may still be sent as needed.
We may generate aggregated insights (non-identifiable) about our user base to inform our marketing strategies. For instance, "X% of our users play Spanish and average Y minutes per day" – this kind of statistic might be used in presentations or to attract funding/partnerships, but it contains no personal details.

2.4. Subscription Management and Transactions:

We use your subscription and purchase information to manage your Premium access. For example, we'll check your subscription status (via RevenueCat) when you log in to ensure premium features are active if you're paid, or restricted if your subscription expired.
We may send you transactional communications about your subscription: e.g., confirmation of purchase, reminders of an upcoming renewal, or confirmation of cancellation (some of these may also be handled by Apple/Google directly).
If there are any issues with billing (like a payment failure), we might notify you that your subscription could not be renewed. However, most billing issues are handled by the app store providers.
We use purchase history in aggregate to understand our revenue and to plan our business strategies (e.g., which subscription term is more popular, how changes in pricing or free trial conversion rates are performing).

2.5. Ensuring Legal Compliance and Preventing Misuse:

We may use your information to enforce our Terms and Conditions and prevent misuse of LingoCrush. For example, we might use logs and user reports to detect if someone is cheating, using bots, or infringing content. If so, we would use the data (like account ID, device ID, and behavior patterns) to investigate and take appropriate action (such as warning or banning the user).
If required, we use data to comply with legal obligations. For instance, keeping records of financial transactions for accounting and tax purposes; or retaining information if needed for complying with a law enforcement request or regulatory requirement.
We also use data to protect the security and integrity of our systems. For example, IP addresses and device identifiers can help us recognize and block malicious actors (like a hacker trying to brute-force accounts or someone scraping our content). Unusual usage patterns might trigger security processes.
In rare cases, if needed for dispute resolution or to address legal issues (like handling a copyright complaint or a user dispute), we will use relevant data (e.g., communications logs, content, account info) to resolve the issue.

2.6. Other Purposes (with Notice or Consent):

If we intend to use your information for any purpose not covered in this Privacy Policy, we will update this Policy and/or ask for your consent as required by law. For example, if in the future we wanted to use your email to send newsletters about language learning topics, we would provide an opt-in for that. Any new purpose will be communicated to you via an updated Privacy Policy or in-app notification so you can review it.

We understand that your information is important, and we only share it in limited situations, primarily to operate the Service or when required by law. We do not sell your personal information to third-party marketers. Below are the categories of recipients with whom we may share data:

3.1. Service Providers (Subprocessors):

We use trusted third-party companies to perform certain functions on our behalf, as outlined earlier. These "service providers" process data only as necessary to provide their services to us. The key service providers for LingoCrush include:

Firebase (Google Cloud): Hosts our user database and authentication system, and processes analytics, crash, and performance data. Google, as our processor, may have access to personal data stored in Firebase (like your email, user ID, gameplay data, etc.) but only to the extent needed to run the cloud services. Google is bound by confidentiality and we have configured data retention and access in Firebase with security best practices. (See Google's Privacy Policy for details on their handling.)
RevenueCat: Receives information from the App and app stores to validate and manage subscriptions. RevenueCat primarily stores subscription status information linked to an anonymous user ID. It may store your email if provided in the course of purchase verification. RevenueCat does not use this data except to provide the service to us. (See RevenueCat's privacy disclosures on their site.)
AdMob (Google): As an ad network, AdMob receives device info (like Advertising ID, IP address, etc.) directly from the App when an ad request is made. AdMob uses this to return relevant ads. We do not send them your name, email, or other direct identifiers, but ads might be targeted based on your device's profile and usage. AdMob may share data with advertisers in aggregate or for fraud prevention. Google's AdMob policy governs what data is used for ads.
Cloudflare: Handles domain name resolution, and may act as a proxy that sits between your device and our servers to improve speed and security. In doing so, Cloudflare sees your IP address and could see data packets as they pass (though much of our data is encrypted in transit). Cloudflare's services help in caching content and blocking malicious traffic. Cloudflare maintains its own strict privacy and security practices and only processes data to provide its CDN/security services.
Wasabi and Other Cloud Storage: If we store profile photos or media on Wasabi's servers, that content is hosted there. Wasabi would technically have access to the files stored on their infrastructure, but they do not access or use them except for storage and retrieval as instructed by us. Any other cloud (AWS/Azure) similarly might host backups or data and only process it for storage.
Upstash: If we use Upstash for caching game data (like real-time scores), it processes that data (which could include user IDs or scores) in memory or fast storage so that the app experience is smooth. Upstash as a provider doesn't have independent rights to use that data beyond providing caching.
Twilio (SendGrid or SMS): If we send verification emails or SMS through a service like Twilio SendGrid or Twilio SMS, that provider will receive the contact info (email address or phone number) and the content of the message (like verification code) in order to deliver it. They may log that they sent you a message, for compliance and troubleshooting. They do not use your contact for any purpose beyond sending our communications.

All these third parties are bound by contractual agreements to protect your data and use it only for the services they provide us. We pick reputable companies with strong security track records. However, note that these providers may be located in various countries (primarily the United States). Your data may be transferred to or processed in the country where each provider operates (see Section 6 on International Transfers).

3.2. Within Viralinx, LLC and Affiliates:

Viralinx, LLC is a small company, but if we have any affiliate companies or subsidiaries in the future (under common ownership), we may share your information with them as needed to help operate and improve the Service, in accordance with this Policy. For example, if Viralinx, LLC establishes a branch or hires contractors in California to work on LingoCrush, they may have access to data under Viralinx, LLC's control and instructions. All such intra-company sharing would still be bound by the same privacy and security obligations. (As of the last update, Viralinx, LLC primarily operates from California, even though it is a Wyoming LLC.)

3.3. Legal Compliance and Protection:

We may disclose your information when we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to:

Comply with the law: If we receive a valid legal request such as a subpoena, court order, or other governmental demand, we may be required to disclose certain data. We will review each request carefully and only provide information to the extent required by law. If allowed, we may attempt to notify you of such requests.
Enforce our rights: We might disclose data as needed to enforce our Terms and Conditions or other agreements, or to investigate potential violations (e.g., cheating, hacking, or misuse of our intellectual property). For instance, if necessary in a legal dispute, we might produce logs showing a user's actions that violated the terms.
Protect safety: If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of Viralinx, LLC, our users, or others, we may share information. This includes exchanging information with other companies or organizations for fraud protection and credit risk reduction (though we currently do not handle credit directly) or to prevent imminent harm. For example, if we detect someone attempting a cyber attack on our systems, we might share information with law enforcement or security researchers.

3.4. Business Transfers:

If Viralinx, LLC is involved in a merger, acquisition, investment, restructuring, reorganization, or sale of assets, or in the unlikely event of bankruptcy, your information could be transferred as part of that transaction. We would ensure that any acquiring entity or new combined entity honors the commitments we have made in this Privacy Policy regarding your personal data. We would also notify you (for example, via email or a prominent notice in the App) of any change in ownership or transfer of your personal information, as well as any choices you may have regarding your information as a result.

3.5. Aggregated or De-Identified Data:

We may share data that has been aggregated or anonymized in such a way that it cannot reasonably be used to identify you. For instance, we might publish or share statistics like "LingoCrush has 100,000 monthly active users" or "50% of users play more than 3 times a week" or "top 3 languages studied are Spanish, French, Japanese." This information will not include anything that could be linked back to any individual person and is used for industry analysis, research, marketing, and other business purposes.

3.6. With Your Consent:

Apart from the scenarios listed above, we will only share your personal information with third parties when we have your consent to do so. For example, if we ever want to participate in a program with a partner (like a language proficiency certification program, or a collaboration with a school) where they would require some of your data, we would present you with a request and you could choose whether to consent to that sharing. If you do not consent, we will not share. Also, if you choose to use certain optional features that involve sharing data (for example, linking LingoCrush with another app or service), we will explain what information will be shared and ask your permission before doing so.

4. Data Retention and Deletion

Retention Period:

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. In general:

Account Data: We keep your account information (email, profile, game progress, etc.) for as long as your account is active. If you have not logged in for an extended period, we may consider the account inactive but typically we will keep the data in case you return, unless storage becomes an issue. Inactive accounts may eventually be deleted after a very long period (e.g. a few years) of non-use, but we will attempt to notify you (if contact info is available) before deletion.
Subscription Records: We retain records of your subscription purchases and transactions as needed for our financial records and to comply with legal obligations (tax, accounting). Typically, transaction data is kept for at least 7 years as required by law, but this is mostly stored in our secure records and not accessible through the app.
Analytics & Logs: Analytics data in Firebase is retained according to our configured settings. We may set certain analytics data to auto-delete after a certain time (for example, 14 months) unless it's still being used. Crash logs and performance data are usually kept for a shorter time, often 180 days, just to track recent issues. Server logs that contain IP addresses and usage info are typically rotated and deleted within a few months at most.
Communications: If you contacted support, we may retain that correspondence for a period (which could be a year or more) in case you reach out again or for reference in improving our support services. If it contains sensitive info and you request deletion, we will of course delete it if not required for legal reasons.
Backups: Our systems may produce backup copies of data (for reliability) which are stored separately and securely. These backups might retain your information for additional time even after it's deleted from our main systems. However, we have procedures to eventually purge or overwrite old backups. Typically, backups are rotated and retained for a limited time (e.g., 30-90 days), unless they are needed for investigation of an incident.

Deletion of Data:

You have the right to request deletion of your personal information (see Section 5 for how to exercise rights). Additionally, you can delete your LingoCrush account via the app settings or by contacting us, as described below:

Account Deletion: If you request account deletion, we will remove or anonymize personal data associated with your account from our active databases. This includes your profile information, email, and any gameplay data linked to your account, so that it is no longer tied to your identity. Once deleted, you will lose access to any progress or purchases, and the action is generally irreversible (if you change your mind later, we likely cannot recover the data).
Timeline: After a deletion request, we will strive to fulfill it promptly, typically within 30 days (and often much sooner). Some data might persist in system caches or backups for a short period. If so, it will be purged according to our normal backup retention schedule (as mentioned, usually within 1-3 months). We will also communicate to our key service providers (Firebase, etc.) to ensure data is removed from their storage as well, in line with our data processing agreements.
Exceptions: We may retain certain information even after account deletion if necessary for legal obligations or legitimate business interests. For example, we might keep a record of that account's transactions for financial reporting, or retain information if we believe it's needed for a dispute or legal enforcement (like if the account was banned for misuse, we might keep evidence of what happened). In such cases, the data kept will be limited to the specific need, and we will continue to protect it and only use it for that purpose. Data kept for legal reasons will be retained only as long as required (e.g., statutes of limitations).
In-App Content: If your user content (like a username or profile photo) was displayed or shared publicly in the app (e.g., on a leaderboard that others saw), that content might persist in the context it was shared (others might still have a screenshot, or the username might appear generically as text in a cached leaderboard). But once your account is deleted, we will typically either remove your content from public areas or anonymize it (for example, by renaming the username to something generic).

5. Your Rights and Choices

We want you to have control over your personal information. Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have certain legal rights regarding your data, and we provide ways for you to exercise those, regardless of where you live, as described below.

5.1. Access and Correction:

Accessing Your Data: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you. For LingoCrush, much of your basic data (profile, progress, etc.) can be viewed directly in the app (e.g., you can see your email in settings, your scores in your profile, etc.). If you require a full export, you can contact us (see Section 8, Contact Us) and we will provide you with a summary of your data in a commonly used format.
Updating Your Data: We encourage you to keep your account information up-to-date. You can edit your profile details (like username or photo) in the app. If you need to change the email associated with your account, there may be an option in-app or you can contact support for assistance (we may require verification to change account email for security). If any other personal information we have is inaccurate or has changed, please let us know and we will correct it.

5.2. Deletion (Right to Erasure):

As noted in Section 4, you can delete your account via the app or by contacting us to request deletion of all personal data we have about you. We will honor such requests in accordance with applicable law, with the caveats mentioned (keeping minimal data if needed for legal reasons). Once processed, your account will be gone from our primary systems. If you simply delete the app from your device without deleting your account, your data will remain on our servers; so if your intention is to fully remove your data, please ensure you follow the account deletion process.

5.3. Opt-Out of Analytics and Crash Reporting:

We provide options for you to opt out of certain data collection:

Analytics: If you do not want Firebase/Google Analytics to track your usage within LingoCrush, you can opt out. In the app's settings menu, there is a toggle for "Analytics" or "Usage Data" which you can turn off. If you disable analytics, we will stop logging analytical events from your app usage (aside from essential information needed to run the service). Note: If you ever reinstall or clear app data, you may need to set this preference again.
Crashlytics & Performance: Similarly, you can opt out of sharing crash reports and performance data. In settings, look for options like "Share Crash Reports" or "Performance Tracking" and disable them. If off, the app will not send crash diagnostics or performance metrics to us. Keep in mind that if these are off, we might have less ability to troubleshoot issues you encounter, but it's your choice.
Device-Level Opt-Out: On Android devices, you can opt out of personalization features by enabling "Opt out of Ads Personalization" in Google settings, which also signals apps not to use the Advertising ID for personalized ads or analytics. On iOS, if you select "Limit Ad Tracking" or in iOS 14+ "Allow Apps to Request to Track" and deny tracking, our app will comply with those settings.

5.4. Opt-Out of Personalized Ads:

If you prefer not to receive targeted ads in LingoCrush, you have a couple of options. As mentioned, use your device settings to limit ad tracking (which will inform AdMob to serve non-personalized ads). Additionally, if you are in a region like the EU, you may see a consent prompt when first using the app asking if you consent to personalized ads. You can choose No (or withdraw consent later in settings), and you will receive non-personalized ads (still see ads, but not tailored to you).
If for any reason you want to opt out of ads entirely, consider upgrading to LingoCrush Premium which removes all third-party ads. We do not currently have an in-app mechanism to hide ads for free users beyond the above preferences, since ads support the free service.

5.5. Do Not Sell or Share (for California Residents):

California's CCPA/CPRA gives residents the right to opt out of the "sale" or certain "sharing" of personal information. We do not sell personal data for money. The only potential "sharing" (as defined under CPRA for cross-context advertising) is the use of AdMob which could be considered sharing for targeted advertising. If you are a California resident and do not want your data to be used for targeted advertising, you can treat the steps in 5.4 (opt out of personalized ads) as your opt-out of sharing. Additionally, you can contact us to explicitly record an opt-out preference. We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals (if applicable) as an opt-out of sale/sharing as well.

5.6. Objection/Restriction (EU/UK Users):

If you are in the European Union, United Kingdom, or similar jurisdictions, you have rights to object to or restrict certain processing:

You can object to processing that is based on our legitimate interests (under GDPR) if you feel it impacts your rights. For example, if you object to us using your data for analytics or improvement purposes, let us know. In practice, providing the opt-outs above achieves much of this.
You can also ask us to restrict processing while a complaint is being resolved, for example, if you contest the accuracy of data or have lodged an objection. We will then only store it but not actively process until resolved (except for vital needs).

5.7. Data Portability:

Also under GDPR-like laws, you have the right to request your data in a portable format. We can provide you with a JSON or CSV file of key personal data (account info, game progress, etc.) upon request, which you could potentially import into another service if there were a standard for it (though for game data, there might not be a direct equivalent). We will work with you to provide the data in a reasonable format.

5.8. Withdraw Consent:

Where any processing is based on your consent (for instance, if in the future we ask for consent to collect new types of data or to send marketing), you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing already performed, but we will stop the future processing. For example, if you consented to receive promotional emails and then withdraw consent, we will stop sending them. Withdrawing consent for data collection (like for personalized ads via a consent prompt) can be done through the app settings or contacting support.

5.9. Non-Discrimination:

We will never discriminate against you for exercising any of these privacy rights. The free vs premium features are not a retaliation; they are separate service tiers. If you exercise privacy rights, we will continue to provide you with the LingoCrush experience to the fullest extent possible. However, note that some functionality relies on certain data; for example, if you opt out of data collection that's essential (like we can't run an account without an email), we might not be able to provide the service unless you provide the minimal required data. But we'll inform you if that's the case.

To exercise any of your rights, you can use in-app options (where available) or reach out to us at privacy@viralinx.com. We may need to verify your identity (for example, by having you email us from the address associated with your account or provide some identifying info) before fulfilling certain requests, to ensure we don't modify or release data to the wrong person. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe, typically within 30 days. If for some reason we cannot fulfill your request (e.g., it's unduly burdensome or conflicts with legal obligations), we will explain the reason to you.

6. International Users and Data Transfers

LingoCrush is a global service, and your information will likely be transferred to and processed in the United States (where our company and primary servers are located) and possibly other countries where our service providers operate. This means your information may be stored on servers outside of your home country, which could have different data protection laws than your jurisdiction.

6.1. Users from the European Economic Area (EEA), UK, Switzerland:

If you are accessing the App from Europe or other regions with laws governing data collection and use, please note:

Legal Basis: We process your information under lawful bases as per the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Typically, your data is processed because it is necessary to fulfill our contract with you (providing the service when you sign up), or because we have a legitimate interest in things like improving our app, securing it, and providing ads (balanced with your rights). In some cases, we rely on consent (e.g., for personalized ads or certain analytics cookies if applicable, or if you're under 16 in some countries for certain features). Where we rely on legitimate interests, we ensure that our interests are not overridden by your privacy rights; you have the right to object as noted in Section 5.6.
Data Transfer Mechanisms: When transferring data out of Europe, we take steps to ensure adequate protection. Our primary data storage is in the U.S., which does not have an adequacy decision from the EU. However, our service providers like Google and others have committed to frameworks like the EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) to ensure your data is protected according to EU standards. Viralinx, LLC as a data controller also commits to SCCs for any direct transfers. In some cases, providers may rely on certification to programs like Privacy Shield (though invalidated for EU, still used in Swiss context) or other approved mechanisms until new agreements (like the EU-US Data Privacy Framework) are in full effect. We monitor these developments and ensure compliance.
Your Rights: We extend GDPR rights to you as described in Section 5. If you have concerns about our data practices, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local Data Protection Authority (DPA). We would appreciate the chance to address your concerns first, so please consider reaching out to us.

6.2. Users from Other Regions:

Regardless of where you live, we apply the same standards of privacy protection described in this Policy. However, if local laws provide additional safeguards, we will comply with those. For example:

California Residents: As noted, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) gives rights which we honor. In summary, we do not sell personal info; you can request access or deletion; and you can opt out of certain data sharing. We have detailed these in Sections 3 and 5. We also provide a Notice at Collection: basically, we collect the identifiers (like email, device IDs), user content (profile), usage data, and inferences for personalized ads as described. This is used for providing the service, analytics, and ads. More details can be seen in the categories listed in Section 1 and their use in Section 2. If you need a more formal mapping to CCPA categories, we can provide that on request.
Other US States: Some states (like Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah starting in 2023-2025) have new privacy laws. We aim to comply similarly: we don't sell data, you have access and deletion rights, etc. This single Privacy Policy is intended to cover those requirements too.
Canada: We comply with Canada's PIPEDA and anti-spam laws (CASL). We would only send marketing emails with consent (opt-in), and data may be transferred to the US under comparable protection as described. You may contact us for any access requests or complaints.
Australia/New Zealand: Your personal info is handled in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and NZ Privacy Act as applicable. We would obtain consent for any new use beyond original purpose. Overseas recipients (like our US servers) are subject to similar obligations as per our contracts.
Other Countries: We strive to respect privacy globally. If you are in a country not explicitly listed, and you have any questions or requests regarding your personal data, please reach out. If any provision of this Policy conflicts with your local laws, we will adjust our practices accordingly to the extent required.

6.3. China Exclusion:

Currently, LingoCrush is not offered in the People's Republic of China (PRC). We do not market or distribute the App in China, and our services are not intended for use by residents of mainland China. This is partly because some of our third-party services (Google, Firebase, etc.) are not permitted or functional in China, and we have not set up compliance with China's personal information laws (PIPL) or local hosting. If you are located in China, we kindly ask that you do not use LingoCrush. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals in China, and we reserve the right to restrict access if we detect usage from that region. If you traveled to another country and downloaded LingoCrush, then went to China, certain features may not work due to network restrictions. We recommend not using the App in that territory. If we ever decide to launch in China, we will provide a separate compliant privacy policy and obtain necessary consents.

6.4. Cross-Border Communication:

Because the Internet is a global environment, sending us data (or us sending you data) can involve transmissions across country borders. By using LingoCrush, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and potentially other countries, as explained, with the understanding that we will protect it as described in this Policy. We employ industry-standard security and contract measures (Section 7 talks about security) to safeguard cross-border data.

7. Data Security

Viralinx, LLC takes the security of your personal information seriously. We implement a combination of technical, administrative, and physical security measures to protect the information we collect against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, please understand that no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Security Measures we employ include:

Encryption in Transit: All communication between the LingoCrush app and our servers (or third-party services) is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS. This means that data such as your login credentials, gameplay data, and any personal info transmitted is protected from eavesdropping while it travels over the internet.
Encryption at Rest: Our databases (like Firebase Firestore) and storage buckets are encrypted at rest. This means if someone somehow accessed the raw storage without authorization, the data would not be easily readable. For particularly sensitive data (like passwords), we apply additional hashing. Passwords are never stored in plain text; they are salted and hashed (using strong algorithms like bcrypt or equivalent) so that even we cannot see your original password.
Access Controls: We restrict access to personal data to authorized personnel and service providers who need it to operate, develop, or improve our App. Within Viralinx, LLC, only a small number of team members have access to user data, and they are trained on confidentiality. Access to backend systems is protected by strong authentication (e.g., SSH keys, 2-factor authentication) and is logged.
Cloud Security: We utilize reputable cloud services that have robust security certifications (e.g., Google Cloud's Firebase is ISO and SOC compliant, etc.). We configure security rules in Firebase such that users can only access their own data (and not others' data) where applicable. We regularly update our servers and dependencies to patch security vulnerabilities.
Testing and Audit: From time to time, we conduct security assessments of our systems. We may employ techniques like penetration testing or use code analysis tools to find and fix potential weaknesses. We monitor our systems for suspicious activity and have alerting in place for anomalies that could indicate a security issue.
Data Minimization: We try to collect only what we need. By minimizing the personal data we store, we reduce the impact if a breach ever occurred. For example, we do not collect sensitive info like addresses or ID numbers, so such data can't be compromised.
Backup and Recovery: We maintain backups as noted, but those are also stored securely. In case of any data incident or corruption, we have the ability to restore data to maintain integrity, which also contributes to security (availability is a part of security).
Employee Practices: All Viralinx, LLC team members and contractors who might handle user data are bound by confidentiality agreements. We also restrict use of production data for testing—whenever possible, we use anonymized or dummy data in development.

User Responsibilities:

Despite our efforts, the security of your data also depends on you. We urge you to:

Use a strong, unique password for your LingoCrush account (if using email login) and do not share it. Avoid reusing the same password on multiple services to reduce risk if another service is compromised.
Keep your devices secure. Use a PIN or biometric to lock your phone, and only install apps from trusted sources. Since LingoCrush is on app stores, ensure your store apps are up-to-date (they often include security improvements).
Be aware of phishing attempts. Viralinx, LLC will never ask you for your password via email. If you receive suspicious communications pretending to be us, let us know. Always verify you're interacting with our official channels.
Log out or secure your account if you're using LingoCrush on a shared device. While we don't have a web login currently, these are general good practices.

Incident Response:

In the unlikely event that we experience a security breach that affects your personal information, we will act promptly to contain and investigate the incident. We will notify affected users and appropriate authorities as required by law. Our incident response plan involves steps like: identify and eliminate the cause of the breach, assess the extent of data affected, notify users with details of what happened and what we're doing, and take measures to prevent future incidents. We sincerely hope never to have to deal with such a scenario, but we are prepared nonetheless.

By using LingoCrush, you acknowledge that you understand the inherent risks of providing data online and agree that Viralinx, LLC is not liable for unauthorized access to data, to the extent permitted by law, especially if arising from factors outside our control (such as vulnerabilities in other software, your own device security being compromised, etc.). That said, we will do everything we reasonably can to protect your information.

8. Children's Privacy

LingoCrush is not intended for children under the age of 13 without parental consent. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 unless a parent or legal guardian has provided verifiable consent for the child to use the App. If you are under 13, please do not attempt to register for LingoCrush or send any personal information about yourself to us unless your parent has provided consent. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child under 13 without proper consent, we will take steps to delete that information as soon as possible.

Parental Consent:

We encourage parents/guardians to be involved in their children's online activities. If you are a parent or guardian and you wish to allow your child (under 13) to use LingoCrush, please contact us at privacy@viralinx.com for instructions on providing verifiable parental consent. The process may involve providing a consent form, proof of identity or relationship, and an explanation of what data will be collected from the child. At a minimum, for a child user we might collect an email address of the parent (for consent and oversight) and the child's first name or nickname (to personalize the experience), plus of course game progress data. We will not collect more information from the child than is necessary for them to participate in the App. Parents have the right to review and delete their child's personal information and can withdraw consent at any time.

Teens:

As noted in our Terms, users between 13 and 17 are allowed to use the App but we advise that they do so with parental permission and guidance. While our content is generally family-friendly (it's a learning game), a parent should be aware of their teen's usage, especially if any social features are introduced. If you are a minor in your jurisdiction (e.g., under 16 in some countries for certain data laws), some privacy laws (like GDPR) may require consent from a parent to process your data. By using the App, we presume that if such consent is required, you have obtained it.

California Minors:

If you are under 18 and a registered user of LingoCrush in California, you have the right to request removal of content or information you have publicly posted in the App. Although at present LingoCrush doesn't have public posting features beyond maybe a profile or leaderboard, if that applies, you can contact us to request removal of such content. We will then make the content invisible to other users or try to delete it (though complete or comprehensive removal (e.g., from backups or if someone else reposted it) cannot be guaranteed).

No Targeted Ads to Kids:

If we do become aware that a user is under 13 (with parental consent on file), we will treat that account as a "child account." Child accounts will receive a more privacy-protective experience: for example, we would disable personalized ads and certain analytics by default, and limit features that involve sharing personal data. This is to comply with laws like COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act in the US) and similar. We might still show contextual ads or no ads at all for child users. Also, certain social or community features may be disabled or limited for under-13 users for safety.

If you have questions about your child's use of LingoCrush or want to exercise parental rights (access, correction, deletion of the child's data), please contact us at privacy@viralinx.com. We are committed to protecting children's privacy and safety online.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update or modify this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our business, legal requirements, or how we process your information. We will post any updated Privacy Policy on our website (and/or within the App) with a new "Last Updated" date. If the changes are significant, we will provide a more prominent notice — for example, by sending you an email notification (to the address associated with your account) or by displaying an in-app alert — prior to the change becoming effective, where required by applicable law.

Your continued use of LingoCrush after an update signifies your acceptance of the revised Policy. However, if we plan to use your personal data for a new purpose not originally collected for and that requires your consent, we will obtain your consent for that new purpose (for example, if in the future we decide to collect biometric data — unlikely, just a hypothetical — we wouldn't just start doing it, we'd ask first).

We encourage you to periodically review this Privacy Policy to stay informed about our data practices and the ways you can protect your privacy. If you do not agree with any updates to the Policy, you may need to stop using the Service or request deletion of your data.

For any material changes, we will also keep an archive or change log if required, so you can see what's different. If you have questions about a specific change, feel free to reach out to us.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us. We are here to help and will respond as promptly as we can.

Contact Information:

Email (Privacy Inquiries): privacy@viralinx.com
Email (General Support): support@lingocrush.com
Mailing Address: Viralinx, LLC – Privacy Department, 30 N Gould St. Ste. 47078, Sheridan, WY 82801, USA

When contacting us with a privacy request, please include sufficient detail (for example, the email associated with your account, and what action you want us to take) so we can effectively assist you. For your security, we may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests, as mentioned.

If you feel that we have not addressed your privacy question or concern satisfactorily, and you are entitled to do so under applicable law, you may also lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority (for instance, a DPA in Europe or a privacy commissioner in your country). We would appreciate the chance to directly resolve any issue with you first.

Thank you for entrusting LingoCrush with your language learning journey. We value your privacy and are dedicated to protecting it. Happy learning and game on!