Privacy Policy
Last updated: June 2026
HOODAT ("we", "us", "our") is operated by HOODAT Ltd. We are committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights in relation to it.
1. Who We Are
HOODAT is a free-to-play online game available at playhoodat.com. The data controller for this website is John Caroll.
2. What Data We Collect
We collect two categories of data:
Anonymous gameplay data — stored on our servers:
- Number of guesses taken to complete a daily puzzle
- Whether a daily puzzle was won or lost
- The date a game was played
- Time taken to complete a game (in seconds)
- Whether a player profile link was clicked
This data is entirely anonymous. We do not collect your name, email address, IP address (beyond what is logged automatically by our hosting provider for security purposes), or any other personally identifying information.
Local device data — stored only on your device:
- Your game statistics (streak, win percentage, guess distribution)
- Today's game result (to prevent replaying the same puzzle)
- Player thumbnail images cached for faster loading
- Your language preference
This data never leaves your device and is not accessible to us. It is stored in your browser's localStorage and IndexedDB. You can clear it at any time by clearing your browser's site data.
3. Cookies and Advertising
HOODAT displays advertisements provided by Google AdSense. Google uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to serve personalised ads based on your browsing history and interests. This is subject to Google's own privacy policy.
We also use Google Analytics to understand how users interact with the game. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect anonymous usage data such as pages visited, session duration, and device type.
When you first visit HOODAT, you will be asked to consent to these cookies. You can change your cookie preferences at any time using the cookie settings button at the bottom of the page.
If you decline advertising cookies, you will still be able to play the game but you may see non-personalised ads or no ads at all.
For more information on how Google uses your data, please visit: policies.google.com/privacy
You can opt out of personalised advertising via: adssettings.google.com
4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
If you are based in the UK or EU, our legal basis for processing data is:
- Legitimate interests — for anonymous gameplay statistics that help us improve the game
- Consent — for advertising and analytics cookies, which you can accept or decline
5. Data Retention
- Anonymous game results are retained indefinitely for statistical purposes
- Server logs (including IP addresses) are retained for up to 30 days by our hosting provider (Render)
- Local device data is retained until you clear your browser's site data
6. Data Sharing
We do not sell your data. We share data only with:
- Render — our hosting provider, who processes server requests and stores our database
- Google — for advertising (AdSense) and analytics (Google Analytics)
Both providers are bound by their own privacy policies and data processing agreements.
7. Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your data
- Object to processing of your data
- Withdraw consent for cookies at any time
Since we collect no personally identifying information, we are unable to link any stored data to a specific individual. Your local game data can be deleted by clearing your browser's site data.
To exercise any of your rights or to make a complaint, please contact us at privacy_enquiries@hoodat.com. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) .
8. Children
HOODAT is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us at privacy_enquiries@hoodat.com.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.