Cargo Empires Privacy Policy

Effective Date: October 1, 2024

This policy describes how Cargo Empires uses information that it collects from you to play the Cargo Empires game. Cargo Empires aims to keep your information secure and to comply with U.S. privacy laws as well as the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Section 1: Information We Collect

When you visit this site, we automatically collect the following information:

  • Email Address: Your email address is required to sign up for the game. It is considered personally identifiable information (PII) and is treated as private data.
  • IP Address: This is captured when you connect to the site. An IP address does not uniquely identify you but may indicate your general geographic area and, when combined with other information, could be used to identify you more specifically.
  • Browser’s User Agent: This is a short summary of the type and version of your web browser and device operating system. It is automatically transmitted unless you disable it in your browser settings.
  • Login Cookie: A login cookie is used to remember your username on the login screen for the next time you visit the site.
  • Payment Information: If you make a purchase in the game, we will collect information such as your name and email address. Cargo Empires does not store any credit card, bank, or other financial information. All such data is securely stored and processed by PayPal.

Section 2: How This Information Is Used

We use the information collected from you to:

  • Provide basic site functionality, such as logging into the game.
  • Process payments for account upgrades and to screen purchases for potential risk or fraud.
  • Enable site moderators to manage the site, resolve account ownership disputes, investigate suspected cheating, and enforce game rules by banning violators.
  • Perform basic analytics through Google Analytics to report on user numbers, geographic locations, device types, and browser usage.
  • Allow advertisements via Google AdSense. Although Cargo Empires does not share your information with ad networks, they may independently record your IP address and use cookies to track how often you view their ads. For more information about how targeted advertising works, you can visit the Network Advertising Initiative's educational page. You can also opt out of Google's targeted advertising here and other services through the Digital Advertising Alliance's opt-out portal.
  • Provide backups of the game data, including emails and IP addresses associated with accounts, to protect against data loss. These backups are not accessible by moderators and are purged after two years.

Section 3: Who Can See This Information

  • Site moderators can view IP addresses, UserAgents, and email addresses associated with an account.
  • The site employs SSL (HTTPS) encryption to secure all communication between your device and our servers. User passwords are also encrypted and never stored in plain text.
  • Cargo Empires does not share your information with third parties, except as required to comply with legal obligations such as subpoenas, search warrants, or other lawful requests for information.

Section 4: Your Rights

You have the right to request that we erase all information we have collected from you. Upon such a request, we will delete your account, and you will no longer be able to play the game. You may also request access to view the information we hold about you by contacting the site administrator (see the "Contact Us" section below). Requests may take a few days to process. We may refuse deletion requests in certain cases, such as when information is necessary for the essential operation of the site (e.g., to prevent banned users from returning).

Section 5: COPPA and CalOPPA

This site is not intended for individuals under the age of 13.

COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act)

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) gives parents control over the collection of personal information from children under 13. Cargo Empires does not specifically market to children under 13, and per our Terms and Conditions, users must be 13 years or older to play the game. By registering, users agree that they are at least 13 years old.

CalOPPA (California Online Privacy Protection Act)

CalOPPA requires commercial websites to post a privacy policy that discloses what information is collected and shared. In compliance with CalOPPA:

  • Users can visit the site anonymously.
  • A link to this Privacy Policy is available on the homepage.
  • The link includes the word "Privacy" and is easily visible.
  • Changes to this Privacy Policy will be posted and timestamped at the top of this page.

Users can generally change their personal information by logging into their account, but users with banned accounts cannot do so. All information may be retained in system backups.

Section 6: Fair Information Practices

The Fair Information Practice Principles form the basis of U.S. privacy law and are critical for compliance with global data protection laws. In line with these principles:

  • If a data breach occurs, Cargo Empires will notify affected users via a message on the site within seven business days.
  • We also agree to the Individual Redress Principle, which ensures individuals can pursue legally enforceable rights against data processors that fail to comply with the law. Individuals have recourse to courts or government agencies to investigate and/or prosecute non-compliance.

Section 7: CAN-SPAM Act

The CAN-SPAM Act sets the rules for commercial emails and gives recipients the right to stop unwanted emails. Cargo Empires complies with the CAN-SPAM Act by ensuring that:

  • We do not use false or misleading subjects or email addresses.
  • We do not send unsolicited advertising emails.
  • We collect email addresses to:
    • Allow you to log into the game.
    • Notify you of important in-game activity, such as when your account is about to or has gone inactive.

Section 8: Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other legal or regulatory reasons. Any updates will include the date of the change at the top of this page.

Section 9: Contact Us

For more information about our privacy practices, if you have questions, or if you would like to make a privacy-related request, please contact us via email at webmaster@cargoempires.com.




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