Privacy Policy

Last updated
March 28, 2023

WEBSITE PRIVACY POLICY

We use Google Analytics at velanstudios.com. Google Analytics is software that logs data about visitors to the site (you).

WHAT DO WE RECORD?
  • The link you clicked to get here.
  • How long you stay here.
  • What kind of computer you’re using.
  • And more.
WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE DATA?

Google Analytics helps us measure how many people visit the website, and where they come from. We do not have, use, or access personally identifying information.

WANT TO OPT OUT OF TRACKING?

You can opt out of Google’s tracking cookie or use a browser plugin to opt out of all Google Analytics tracking.

VELAN STUDIOS PRIVACY POLICY

Your privacy is important.  This Privacy Policy describes how Velan handles Personal Information (defined below) that we collect when you visit our website or use our products and services.  For purposes of this policy, our website, products, and services are described, together, as “Services”.

Personal Information is information that identifies a specific person.  Personal Information also is information that could be used to identify a specific person, or that relates to, describes, or could be linked to a specific person or household.  

This Policy does not apply to information that is not Personal Information.

1. PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

The specific Personal Information we collect depends on the Services you use and how you use them, as described below.

A. Personal Information You Give Us Directly

Velan’s games work primarily through Third-Party platforms (such as Xbox and Playstation) and online stores (such as Epic and Steam).  As a result, we generally do not receive any Personal Information directly from you unless you contact us seeking help and provide Personal Information such as your name, email address, telephone number, and information about the issue you are experiencing.  

B. Personal Information You Provide While Playing on the Internet

Our Knockout City game includes features that allow you to play or interact with other players on the Internet.  When you play Knockout City on the Internet or participate in social features within the game such as chat, Personal Information you share may be accessed by us or used by other players and may become publicly available.  

If you play Knockout City in multiplayer mode online, your in-game profile information, game play, and statistics may be visible.  We may also record your game play and replay those together with your in-game profile and statistics to other players in-game or at live events.

Currently, social features and multiplayer online modes are not available in our other games, such as Rift Rally.

C. Other Personal Information We Collect When You Use Our Services

We may collect certain Personal Information automatically when you visit our website or use our Services, such as:

  • IP address;
  • Information about your device, hardware and software, mobile device identifiers, platform type, settings, components, and presence of plugins;
  • Approximate geolocation data (inferred from IP address or device settings);
  • Browser information, including your browser type and language preference; and
  • Other information you may provide (such as your likeness or image).

We may also collect and store information locally on your device, using mechanisms like cookies, browser web storage, and application data caches.

D. Personal Information Provided to Us by Third Parties

We may receive Personal Information about you contained in third-party user accounts when you access our Services through a third-party game store (such as the Epic Game Store) or platform (such as Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch).  Your use of Velan Services through these third-parties indicates your agreement for transfer of Personal Information to us.  You should refer to the privacy policies of these third-parties for more information concerning Personal Information they collect about you and may transfer to Velan.  

We may also receive Personal Information about you from social gaming platforms you use (such as Discord and Twitch) that are linked to your Velan Account.  

We never receive credit card number or other financial information from Third-Parties.

E. Categories of Personal Information Processed

Depending on your use of our Services and other interactions with us (e.g., contacting customer support), the following categories of Personal Information may have been collected, shared, or disclosed in the preceding 12 months:

  • IP address;
  • Identifiers, such as a real name, user name, account name, email, online identifiers, device identifiers, IP address, or mobile device identifiers;
  • Commercial information, such as Services used and purchase history;
  • Approximate geolocation data, such as location inferred from IP address or other device settings;
  • Audio or electronic information, such as when you play our games, play certain multiplayer modes, or use chat features; and
  • Inferences, such as consumer preferences drawn from information you provide and other sources.

Please note that the types of Personal Information we collect and the ways in which itis used vary depending on the Service you are using.  If you have specific questions about our information collection practices as they relate to your use of our services, you may contact us via the methods described in Section 11, below.  

F. Legal Basis for Processing

Our legal basis for processing your Personal Information depends on the type of information we collect about you, the context in which we collect it, and your country of residence (as indicated by you or inferred by us based on your IP address and other information).  

We process Personal Information about you where we have your consent, where we have a legitimate interest to do so, where the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you, or where we have a legal obligation to process your Personal Information

2. HOW WE COLLECT PERSONAL INFORMATION

We and authorized third parties use technologies described below to collect Personal Information to deliver our Services.

A. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We and our third-party partners use cookies and similar tracking technologies to help us understand your interaction with our Services including when visiting our website or playing our games through a Web browser.  You can disable cookies (other than cookies necessary to deliver the Services), limit the types of cookies you allow, or set your browser to alert you when cookies are being sent. Please refer to guidance provided by your individual Web browser if you would like help in managing your cookie preferences.

We may use tracking pixels or clear GIFs (image files) to collect information about your use of our Services and your response to our marketing emails.

We do not respond to Do Not Track (DNT) signals.

You may opt out of certain types of tracking on the Web, including certain analytics and tailored advertising by changing the cookie settings in your browser or via our consent tools in our games, as applicable.

B. Analytics Technologies

We use internal and third-party analytics technologies, such as Google Analytics, to collect information about how you use our Services, your computer or device, and the health of our Services.  For information on how Google Analytics works click here and to opt-out of Google Analytics tracking please click here.

For instance, we may collect and store data from your computer or device when you use our Services. This information includes information about your computer or device and operating and/or network systems (such as IP address and device ID), information about your engagement with certain features (such as how long you are on our website or what websites you visited before accessing or leaving our website), gameplay and usage statistics, system interactions and peripheral hardware for purposes described in Section 3 below. We may also collect, use, store, transmit and publicly display your personal and/or statistical data regarding your game play (including scores, rankings, and accomplishments), or identify content that is created and shared by you with other players.

Third-Party analytics technologies integrated into our Services may combine the information collected in connection with your use of our Services with information Third-Partieshave independently collected over time and/or across different platforms.   This Policy applies to information collected independently by Third-Parties only if the combined information is provided to us.

C. Anti-Cheat and Fraud Prevention Technologies

We strive to provide a safe and fair gaming environment for all players. When you play our Knockout City game, we or third parties with whom we work may use cookies and similar technologies to collect data about your machine or device or to create a machine "fingerprint" or "hash" of your machine components.  We and our Third-Party providers use this information for fraud prevention, security, and authentication purposes. We may also monitor publicly-available information, third-party sites, or use anti-cheat technology within our Services, including automated anti-fraud and abuse algorithms.  Pursuant to the terms of our User Agreement, we may limit or block your access to the Services if we determine you are cheating or engaged in fraud.  If you believe your access to our Services was blocked by this technology in error, please contact us at http://help.knockoutcity.com for Knockout City and https://riftrally.zendesk.com/hc/en-us for Hot Wheels Rift Rally.

3. HOW WE USE PERSONAL INFORMATION

We use your personal information in the following ways:

    To operate our business and to enhance and personalize your game experience, including to:o Operate, improve, and develop our Services;
    o Undertake research and analysis to develop and demonstrate our technology, and to better understand our players;
    o Populate online leaderboards and enable online matchmaking;
    o Provide replays to you and other players via spectator modes;
    o Help you find your friends or tell your friends about our Services;
    o Facilitate sharing on social networks;
    o Manage and serve targeted and contextual advertising;
    o Measure the effectiveness and distribution of advertising, including understanding who engages with our Services and how they interact with our Services;
    o Measure the health of our Services;
    o Detect security incidents, protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent or illegal activity, and prosecute those responsible for that activity;
    o Set up and maintain accounts for which you register;
    o Provide game experiences that you may like;
    o Set up and facilitate loyalty programs;
    o Facilitate your gameplay on multiple devices and/or platforms, as applicable;
    o Identify, fix, and troubleshoot bugs or functionality errors;
    o Provide software updates;
    o Authenticate and activate your games and save game-play data, including progress;
    o Facilitate competitions and contests;
    o Perform audits, transactions, and other compliance activities;
    o Adhere to your preferences and to deliver content;
    o Help keep our Services safe and fair, resolve disputes, investigate and help curb fraud and illegal behavior, comply with the law, and to enforce our agreements and policies; and
    o Other purposes you consent to, are notified of, or are otherwise disclosed to you when you provide personal information.To provide you support, including to:o Help identify and troubleshoot problems with your account or Services;
    o Facilitate surveys or questionnaires;
    o Communicate with you and respond to your specific requests or questions; and
    o Manage and send you confirmations and important information about your account, Services, purchases, subscriptions, and warranties.To personalize our communications with you, including to:o Present offers and/or information relating to games and/or Services you might like;
    o Make game or other Service recommendations to you; and
    o Provide you with Service updates.

We retain the information we collect for as long as necessary to provide our Services, and we may retain that information beyond that period if necessary for legal, operational, or other legitimate reasons.

We may also de-identify, anonymize, or aggregate the information we collect, or collect it in a way that does not directly identify you. We may use and share such information as necessary for our business purposes and as permitted by applicable law.

4. INFORMATION WE SHARE WITH THIRD PARTIES

Velan does not sell your Personal Information.

We only share Personal Information with the Third Parties described below:

Service providers. We employ third parties to collector process Personal Information on our behalf for the purposes described in Section 3, above. These purposes include providing IT and related services, facilitating live events, sending emails, or delivering and optimizing our Services. We require that any Third-Party use the data only on our behalf and for purposes consistent with this policy.

Business partners. We may provide Personal Information to business partners with whom we jointly offer Services. These partners include the companies that provide the platform on which you play our games, such as Epic, Sony (PlayStation), Microsoft (Xbox), or others.

Disclosures to protect us or others. We may access, preserve, and disclose any Personal Information if we, in good faith, believe doing so is required or appropriate to:

  • comply with law enforcement or national security requests and legal process, such as a court order or subpoena;
  • protect your, our or others’ rights, property, or safety;
  • enforce our policies or contracts;
  • collect amounts owed to us;
  • or assist with an investigation or prosecution of suspected or actual illegal activity. In particular, if we receive a report that you have violated our policies, we may disclose that report and other relevant information to the platform on which you play our games.

Disclosure in the event of merger, sale, or other asset transfer. In the event of a reorganization, divestiture, merger, sale, or bankruptcy, we may transfer all information we collect to the relevant Third-Party.

Third-party plugins. When Third-Party technologies or social tools are integrated into our Services (“Third-Party Plugins”), the providers of those Third-Party Plugins, such as Discord, may collect information about your use of our Services. Information collected by these Third-Parties is governed by their privacy policies.

Cross-Platform Sharing. Our Knockout City game allows you to connect and play with friends and members of a game's community, regardless of what platform they play on. We call this ability to match players across platforms "Cross-Play." When Cross-Play is enabled and you play with someone on another platform, that other platform may receive your platform's ID(such as Xbox Gamertag, or Online ID of your account for PlayStation Network) along with other information necessary to enable Cross-Play. In addition, we may provide information regarding your use of Cross-Play features to the platform on which you play our games. You may also be able to continue progress on your game between platforms, as well as enable the ability for your purchases on one platform to be available on another platform. We will share your information with platforms to the extent necessary to enable these features. Other platforms receiving your information may include Sony (PlayStation), Microsoft (Xbox), Nintendo (Nintendo Switch), Google (Stadia), Valve (Steam), Epic, and additional platforms as they become available for these features. Your information received by these platforms is subject to their respective privacy notices.

5. WHERE WE HOLD YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

Personal information we collect may be stored and processed for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy in the United States or any other country in which Velan or its subcontractors and partners operate. By consenting to the transfer of your Personal Information outside of your country of residence, you acknowledge that your Personal Information maybe transferred to recipients in the United States and other countries that may not offer the same level of privacy protection as the laws in your country of residence or citizenship.

6. HOW WE PROTECT YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We take a range of technical and organizational measures to protect your Personal Information.  However, no security measures are 100%perfect, especially with respect to systems connected to the internet.  Thus, we cannot guarantee the security of your Personal Information and recommend you use care in deciding what information to share with us.

7. CHILDREN

We rely on third-party platform providers and online store providers to comply with legal requirements regarding collection of Personal Information relating to children under the age of 16.  When players identify themselves as being children, third-party platform providers and online store providers are responsible for obtaining any consents for collection of Personal Information required by applicable law.

If you are a parent or guardian and wish to revoke your previously provided consent, review Personal Information collected from your child or have that Personal Information deleted, please contact the relevant platform and online store providers.  You can also contact us at http://help.knockoutcity.com for Knockout City and https://riftrally.zendesk.com/hc/en-us for Hot Wheels Rift Rally.

If we become aware that a child has provided us with Personal Information without parental consent, we will delete any Personal Information we have collected, unless we have a legal obligation to keep it, and will terminate the child's account and/or revert them to an underage experience, if available.

8. YOUR CHOICES AND CONTROLS

If you no longer want to receive marketing emails from Velan Studios, you may click the unsubscribe link included in the footer of any marketing email we send. You can also opt out by contacting us at the addresses in Section 11,below.

To protect your account security and Personal Information, you may be asked to verify your account ownership. Once you have verified your account ownership, you may also be required to provide your confirmation authorizing an agent to exercise these rights on your behalf. If you have additional questions about exercising your privacy rights, you may contact us at the addresses in Section 11, below.

9. YOUR RIGHTS

Your right to deletion. You may deactivate your Velan account by contacting us at the addresses in Section 11, below. If you request deactivation of your account, you will no longer have access to the Services associated with your Account. Note that Velan may still retain Personal Information needed to resolve disputes, enforce our user agreements, protect our legal rights, and comply with technical and legal requirements and constraints related to the security, integrity and operation of our Services.

Your right to access. You can request access the Personal Information we hold about you by contacting us at the addresses in Section 11, below.

Your right to correction. You can request correction of your Personal Information where it is inaccurate by contacting us at the addresses in Section 11, below.

Your Right to Opt-Out. Although Velan does not sell Personal Information, you have the right to opt out or object to certain processing, including disclosing or sharing your Personal Information to Third Parties where such requests are permitted by law and where Velan does not have a legitimate basis to refuse the request (such as complying with a court order).  Please contact us at the addresses set forth in Section 11 to exercise your rights.  

No Discriminatory Treatment. You have a right not to receive discriminatory treatment for the exercise of your privacy rights.

10. CHANGES TO OUR POLICY

We may occasionally update this Privacy Policy. When we do, we will revise the "last updated" date at the bottom of the policy. If there are material changes to this policy, we will use reasonable efforts to notify you either by prominently posting a notice of such changes before they take effector by directly sending you a notification.

11. CONTACT US.

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy please contact us at:

Toll-Free Telephone: 1-(844) 612-7230

Web form: privacy@velanstudios.com

If you are in the EU/EEA or UK, you may also contact us through our Article 27 Representative:

"We have appointed EU Business Partners as our representatives in the EU for the purposes of Article 27 of the General Data Protection Regulation. You may contact our EU representative, as well as us directly, with any query that you may have in relation to your personal data. The contact details of our EU representative are as follows:

EU Business Partners,
10 Ashe Street,
Clonakilty,
Co. Cork
P85 E403,
Ireland

Point of contact: Flor McCarthy

Email: info@eubusinesspartners.com

"We have appointed UK GDPR Representatives Limited as our representatives in the UK for the purposes of Article 27 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation. You may contact our UK representative, as well as us directly, with any query that you may have in relation to your personal data. The contact details of our UK representative are as follows:

UK GDPR Representatives Limited, 7Bell Yard, London, WC2A 2JR

Email: info@ukgdprrepresentative.com

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12. RIGHT TO CONTACT DATA PROTECTION AUTHORITY

If you have a concern about how we collect and use Personal Information, please contact us. You also have the right to contact your local Data Protection Authority if you prefer. Contact details for Data Protection Authorities in the EEA are available at https://edpb.europa.eu/about-edpb/about-edpb/members_en.

To contact the Swiss authorities please visit this website at https://www.edoeb.admin.ch/edoeb/en/home/the-fdpic/contact.html.

To contact the UK authority please visit this website at https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/.

Where appropriate, your local data protection authority may also forward the matter to the US Department of Commerce or FTC for consideration.

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