Inkfathom — Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

Version 1.0 · Last updated 2026-10-25

This page applies to the mobile game Inkfathom (the "App"), wherever it is available. Part A is our Privacy Policy, Part B is our Terms of Use, and Part C is the notice for users in Türkiye.

Türkiye'deki kullanıcılar: KVKK Aydınlatma Metni bu sayfanın sonunda Türkçe olarak yer alır → Bölüm C.

Part A — Privacy Policy

A1. Who is responsible

The App is developed and published by Furkan Özcan, an individual developer, under the brand name Dalga Interactive. Dalga Interactive is a brand name; it is not a company or a separate legal entity. In this page, "we", "us" and "our" mean Furkan Özcan, who is the data controller for the processing described here.

Privacy questions and requests: support@dalgainteractive.com.

A2. Summary

• You do not create an account or sign in. We never ask for your name, email, phone number, photos, contacts or precise location, and the App does not use your microphone or camera.
• Your game progress and settings stay on your device (and in your device backup, if you use one). We do not receive them.
• The App shows ads through Google AdMob and measures how the game is used through Google Analytics for Firebase. These services use identifiers of your device and of the App installation, such as the advertising ID. This data is pseudonymous: it does not contain your name, and we cannot tell who you are from it.
• In the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, ads are personalised only if you agree in Google's consent message. In US states with privacy laws, you can opt out of personalised ads in the App. Everywhere, you can limit ad personalisation in your device's advertising ID settings.
• We do not sell personal data for money. Making data available to Google for personalised ads may count as "selling" or "sharing" under some US state laws; you can opt out (A5.2).

A3. Data stored on your device

Your progress (levels, coins, hints, statistics), discovered terms, settings (theme, sound, languages), unfinished levels and downloaded game content are saved in the App's storage on your device. The Google services described in A4 also store technical data there, such as identifiers and your consent choice. We do not receive the App's game data.

Uninstalling the App or clearing its storage in your device settings deletes this data. If Android backup is turned on, Android may copy the App's data to your Google account and restore it when you reinstall the App or set up a new device; your progress, your earlier consent choice and the technical data stored by Google's services may then come back. Backups are controlled by you and your device provider; we have no access to them.

A4. Data processed when you use the App

A4.1 Usage analytics — Google Analytics for Firebase

What:

• events about how the game is used — for example a level started or finished (with its duration and the number of hints used), a hint used, an information card viewed, a pack selected, the tutorial started or completed, a rewarded ad watched, and an ad skipped or not loaded — and events Google records automatically, such as first open, sessions, screen views, app updates, and ad impressions and clicks;
• an app-instance identifier for this installation and your device's advertising ID (see A5.3);
• the store from which the App was installed (install referrer);
• device model, operating system and version, app version and language setting;
• an approximate location (such as country, region or city) derived from your IP address.

We do not send your name, email or any account you use elsewhere to Analytics, and events never contain text you type.

Why: to understand which parts of the game people play, find problems, and improve levels and content.

Who processes it: Google, as our service provider. How Google uses information from apps that use its services: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

How long: 14 months, then deleted automatically (A9).

A4.2 Advertising — Google AdMob

What: your device's advertising ID (Android Advertising ID; on iOS the IDFA is not accessed unless you allow tracking), the app set ID and, where applicable, other identifiers related to accounts signed in on your device; your IP address (used to estimate a general location); interactions with the App and with ads (for example app launches, taps, ad impressions and video views); technical and diagnostic information about your device and the App (for example launch time and performance); where a consent or opt-out message applies, your choice, which is stored on your device as a standard consent string and sent with ad requests; and, where Android makes them available to the ad SDK, Android Privacy Sandbox signals (such as Topics and Attribution).

Each time the App starts, it also asks Google's consent service (User Messaging Platform) whether a consent or opt-out message applies in your region. This request includes your IP address and basic device and app information.

Why: to show ads, limit how often you see the same ad, measure ad performance, prevent fraud, and personalise ads to your interests — in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland only if you agree (A5.1), and in US states with privacy laws unless you opt out (A5.2). Without personalisation, Google may show non-personalised or limited ads. Ads keep the App free. Rewarded ads are optional; you choose whether to watch them.

Who processes it: Google. For advertising, Google acts as an independent controller under its own terms. How Google uses this data: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites; Google's privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.

A4.3 App configuration — Firebase

• Firebase Installations creates a random installation identifier that Remote Config and Analytics use. It is not included in backups and changes when the App is reinstalled.
• Firebase Remote Config lets us adjust the App without releasing an update — for example which content server to use, game balance and how often ads appear. Each request sends your country, language, time zone, operating-system and platform version, the App's identifiers and the installation identifier.

Who processes it: Google, as our service provider.

A4.4 Downloading game content — Cloudflare

Word packs and pictures are downloaded from our content server, which Cloudflare operates for us. Cloudflare processes your IP address and technical request data — the time, the file requested, a content version tag and the App's network software version — to deliver the files and protect the service. The App does not send cookies, advertising IDs or other identifiers with these requests, and we do not use this data to identify you.

A4.5 When you contact us

If you email us, we use your email address and message only to answer you and keep a record of the request.

A5. Your choices

A5.1 Consent message (European Economic Area, United Kingdom, Switzerland)

If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, the App shows Google's consent message when needed: the first time, after the start screen and before the App requests any ad, and again if your earlier choice expires or has to be renewed. Depending on your choice, Google serves personalised, non-personalised or limited ads. Your choice is also passed to Google Analytics; depending on it, Analytics then receives events without the app-instance identifier and the advertising ID (the installation identifier described in A4.3 is still sent). Events sent before you answer the message (for example when the App is first opened) include the identifiers described in A4.1. You can change your choice at any time in Settings → Privacy choices; this entry appears where the message applies.

A5.2 Opting out of "sale", "sharing" and targeted advertising (US states)

If you are in a US state with a consumer privacy law (such as California), you can opt out of the use of your data for personalised (targeted) advertising, which these laws may treat as "selling" or "sharing", in Settings → Privacy choices. The entry opens Google's opt-out form; after you opt out, Google limits how it uses your data for ads in the App.

In other regions, including Türkiye, the App does not show these messages; use your advertising ID settings (A5.3).

A5.3 Advertising ID

On Android you can reset or delete your advertising ID in your device settings (Settings → Privacy → Ads). Once it is deleted, apps can no longer use it to personalise ads, and new data is no longer linked to your old ID. On iOS, the App does not access the IDFA unless you allow tracking; you can review this in Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking.

A5.4 Deleting your data

Uninstalling the App or clearing its storage deletes the data on your device (see A3 for backups). Analytics data is deleted automatically after 14 months. Because the App has no accounts and the data we receive does not tell us who you are, we generally cannot find the analytics or advertising data that relates to you. Resetting or deleting your advertising ID (A5.3) stops new advertising data being linked to your old ID, and uninstalling the App or clearing its storage removes the installation identifiers (app-instance and installation IDs), so new data is not linked to them. If you still want to make a request, email us; we will tell you what we can do.

A6. Legal bases (European Economic Area, United Kingdom and Switzerland)

• Consent — personalised advertising, and storing and accessing information on your device for advertising and analytics where Google's consent message asks for it. You can withdraw consent at any time (A5.1); this does not affect processing done before.
• Legitimate interests — showing non-personalised or limited ads to keep the App free, preventing fraud and abuse, delivering downloaded content, configuring the App, and understanding and improving the game.
• Contract — providing the App you chose to use and answering your requests.

Users in Türkiye: see Part C.

A7. Who receives data

We share data only with the providers named above:

• Google (Firebase services as our service provider and processor; AdMob as an independent controller for advertising),
• Cloudflare (service provider for content delivery).

We use providers whose data-protection terms commit them to protect personal data. We may also disclose data if required by law or to protect our rights. If the App is transferred — for example to a company we set up to continue publishing it — the data described here may be transferred with it, and this page will continue to apply until it is updated.

We do not sell personal data for money. See A5.2 and A13 about personalised advertising.

A8. International transfers

Google and Cloudflare process data in several countries, including the United States and Ireland. Where data leaves your country, the transfer relies on the safeguards these providers offer in their data-protection terms, such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses or the EU–U.S. Data Privacy Framework. For transfers from Türkiye, see Part C.

A9. How long we keep data

A10. Security

Data sent by the App to Google and Cloudflare is encrypted in transit (HTTPS/TLS). We do not run our own servers that store your personal data. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we use reputable providers and keep the data we handle to a minimum.

A11. Children

The App is intended for users aged 16 and over (or the higher age required in your country). It is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13 or sell or share personal data of consumers under 16. If you believe a child has used the App, contact us and we will help with the steps available, such as removing the App's data and resetting the advertising ID.

A12. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct or delete your personal data, to restrict or object to processing, to data portability, to opt out of targeted advertising, "sale" or "sharing", and to withdraw consent. To exercise these rights, email support@dalgainteractive.com. Where the law allows, you may use an authorised agent. We will not treat you differently for exercising your rights.

Because the App has no accounts and we cannot identify players from the data we receive, we may be unable to link a request to data about you; in that case we will explain this in our answer. Data protection laws such as the GDPR (Article 11) recognise this situation.

We answer within one month — 30 days for requests under KVKK, and 45 days under US state laws (extendable where the law allows). If we decline a request, you can reply to ask us to reconsider it (an appeal). You can also complain to your data-protection authority or, in the United States, to your state Attorney General.

A13. Additional information for US residents

This section applies to residents of US states with consumer privacy laws, such as California. In the last 12 months we have collected the following categories of personal information:

We do not collect sensitive personal information, commercial information, biometric data or the contents of your communications. How long each category is kept is set out in A9. This page is our notice at collection; the App links to it from the start screen and from Settings.

A14. Changes to this page

When we change how the App processes data or these terms, we update this page and its version number and date. If a change is significant — for example, if we start collecting a new kind of data or use data for a new purpose — we will tell you in the App before it takes effect and ask for your consent where required.

Part B — Terms of Use

By installing or using the App you accept these terms. If you do not accept them, do not use the App.

B1. Who may use the App. You must be at least 16 years old, or the higher minimum age required in your country to use the App without parental consent. If you are under the age of majority, you confirm that a parent or guardian has agreed to these terms.

B2. Licence. We give you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to install and use the App on devices you own or control, for your own non-commercial entertainment. You may not copy, sell, rent, sublicense or redistribute the App or its content, or decompile or reverse-engineer it, except where the law allows this regardless of these terms. All rights not expressly granted are reserved.

B3. Game content. Word puzzles, information cards (etymology, history, usage and similar), texts, images and sounds in the App belong to us or our licensors. Information cards are written for general interest and entertainment. We try to keep them accurate, but they may be incomplete, out of date or wrong, and they are not professional, medical, legal, academic or other advice. Check important information with a reliable source.

B4. A free service, provided "as is". The App is free. It is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, express or implied — including fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, uninterrupted or error-free operation, and compatibility with your device — to the maximum extent permitted by law.

B5. Your progress and in-game items. The App has no accounts and no cloud save of its own. Your progress is stored on your device and may be lost if you uninstall the App, clear its storage, change devices, or if an update or a device problem affects it. Your device's backup may restore it, but backups are controlled by you and your device provider, not by us. We cannot restore lost progress and are not responsible for its loss. Coins, hints and other in-game items have no monetary value, cannot be bought, sold, transferred or exchanged for money or anything of value, and exist only inside the App. We may change how they are earned or used, or remove them, for example to keep the game balanced.

B6. Advertising and third-party services. The App is free because it shows ads provided by Google AdMob. Ads and any websites, apps or offers they lead to are provided by third parties. We do not control them and are not responsible for their content, products, services or practices; your dealings with advertisers are solely between you and them. The App also relies on third-party services (such as Google Firebase, Cloudflare and the app stores) whose availability and terms are outside our control.

B7. Fair use. Do not use cheats, automation or modified versions of the App; do not interfere with or overload our content server; do not try to get around technical limits; and do not use the App in a way that breaks the law or harms others. We may stop providing the App to you if you do.

B8. Changes, availability and ending. We may update, change, suspend or stop offering the App or any part of it, including downloadable content, at any time and without liability. Some content needs an internet connection to download. You may stop using the App at any time by uninstalling it. B3 to B6 and B9 to B13 continue to apply after you stop using the App.

B9. Limitation of liability. To the maximum extent permitted by law: (a) we are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential loss, or for loss of data, progress, profits or goodwill, arising from or related to the App or these terms; and (b) our total liability for all claims relating to the App is limited to the amount you paid us for the App in the 12 months before the claim — because the App is free, this amount is normally zero. Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law — including liability for intent or gross negligence, or for death or personal injury caused by negligence — or your mandatory rights as a consumer.

B10. Your responsibility. You are responsible for your device, your internet connection and its costs, and for using the App lawfully. If you breach these terms or the law while using the App and this causes a claim against us, you are responsible for that breach to the extent the law allows.

B11. App stores. If you downloaded the App from the Apple App Store, Apple's standard Licensed Application End User License Agreement (https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/) also applies, and Apple is not responsible for the App or its support. If you downloaded it from Google Play, Google Play's terms also apply to your use of Google Play. If these terms conflict with the store's terms on a point that only concerns the store, the store's terms prevail.

B12. Transfer and changes. We may transfer the App and these terms — for example to a company we set up to continue developing and publishing the App. We may update these terms as described in A14. If you keep using the App after a change takes effect, the updated terms apply.

B13. Governing law and general. These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Türkiye. If you are a consumer, you keep the protection of the mandatory consumer laws of the country where you live and may use the courts or consumer bodies that the law makes available to you; consumers in Türkiye may apply to consumer arbitration committees (tüketici hakem heyetleri) and consumer courts under Law No. 6502. If any part of these terms is found invalid, the rest stays in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. These terms and Part A are the whole agreement between you and us about the App.

Contact and support

Furkan Özcan (Dalga Interactive) · support@dalgainteractive.com

Write to us for questions, bug reports, corrections to information cards and privacy requests. To report an inappropriate or age-inappropriate ad, email us with the subject "Ad report" and, if you can, a screenshot, the time you saw it and your app version.