Cookie Policy

Discover how PlayTide Social uses cookies and similar technologies to power your gaming experience while maintaining transparency and giving you control over your digital footprint.

Last Updated: July 12, 2025
Effective Date: January 1, 2025
Cookie Categories: 4 Types

Understanding Digital Cookies

Cookies are small data files that help us provide you with a seamless and personalized gaming experience on PlayTide Social. This policy explains how we use cookies, what types we employ, and how you can control them.

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Privacy First: We use cookies responsibly and transparently
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Full Control: You decide which cookies to accept or reject
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Enhanced Gaming: Cookies improve your gaming experience

1. What Are Cookies

Definition and Purpose

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit websites. They contain information that helps websites remember your preferences, improve performance, and provide personalized experiences.

How Cookies Work

When you visit PlayTide Social, our servers send cookies to your browser, which stores them on your device. These cookies are then sent back to our servers on subsequent visits, allowing us to recognize you and customize your experience.

Cookie Characteristics

  • Duration: Session cookies (temporary) or persistent cookies (stored longer)
  • Scope: First-party (from PlayTide Social) or third-party (from partners)
  • Purpose: Essential functionality, performance, or analytics
  • Security: Secure transmission and storage protocols

Alternative Technologies

In addition to cookies, we may use similar technologies such as:

  • Local Storage (HTML5)
  • Session Storage
  • Web Beacons (Pixels)
  • Browser Fingerprinting (limited use)

3. Essential Cookies

Purpose and Necessity

Essential cookies are strictly necessary for PlayTide Social to function properly. These cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You cannot opt out of essential cookies.

Essential Cookie Types

Session Management

Maintain your session state as you navigate through our platform.

Duration: Session only Data: Session ID, temporary identifiers

Security Cookies

Protect against cross-site request forgery and other security threats.

Duration: Session only Data: Security tokens, authentication state

Age Verification

Remember your age verification status to comply with legal requirements.

Duration: 30 days Data: Verification timestamp (no specific age stored)

Load Balancing

Ensure optimal performance by routing requests to appropriate servers.

Duration: Session only Data: Server routing information

Legal Basis

Essential cookies are exempt from consent requirements under privacy laws as they are strictly necessary for the provision of services you have requested.

4. Performance Cookies

Performance Optimization

Performance cookies help us understand how our platform performs for different users and identify areas for improvement. These cookies collect technical data about your interaction with our site.

Performance Data Collection

Page Load Metrics

Monitor how quickly pages and games load for optimization purposes.

Duration: 7 days Data: Load times, resource timing data

Error Tracking

Identify and fix technical issues that affect user experience.

Duration: 30 days Data: Error messages, browser information

Browser Compatibility

Ensure our platform works correctly across different browsers and devices.

Duration: 90 days Data: Browser type, version, capabilities

Feature Usage

Track which platform features are most popular to guide development priorities.

Duration: 30 days Data: Feature interaction counts, usage patterns

Data Processing

Performance data is typically anonymized or pseudonymized and used in aggregate form. Individual user identification is not the purpose of performance cookies.

5. Functional Cookies

Enhanced User Experience

Functional cookies enable enhanced features and personalization based on your preferences. While not essential, they significantly improve your gaming experience on PlayTide Social.

Functional Features

Game Preferences

Remember your favorite games, recently played games, and gaming preferences.

Duration: 1 year Data: Game IDs, preference settings, favorites list

Interface Customization

Store your preferred interface settings, themes, and layout options.

Duration: 1 year Data: Theme preferences, layout settings, accessibility options

Language and Region

Remember your language preference and regional settings for localized content.

Duration: 1 year Data: Language code, timezone, regional preferences

Social Features

Enable social gaming features like sharing and community interactions.

Duration: 6 months Data: Social preferences, sharing settings

Impact of Disabling

If you disable functional cookies, you may lose access to enhanced features, and the platform may not remember your preferences between visits.

6. Analytics Cookies

Understanding User Behavior

Analytics cookies help us understand how users interact with PlayTide Social, which content is most engaging, and how we can improve the overall user experience.

Analytics Data Collection

User Journey Tracking

Understand how users navigate through our platform and where they spend time.

Duration: 2 years Data: Page views, session duration, navigation paths

Game Popularity Metrics

Track which games are most popular and how users engage with different game types.

Duration: 1 year Data: Game play frequency, session lengths, game categories

Conversion Analytics

Measure the effectiveness of different features and user engagement levels.

Duration: 90 days Data: Goal completions, engagement metrics, retention data

A/B Testing

Test different versions of features to determine what works best for users.

Duration: 30 days Data: Test group assignments, variant preferences

Privacy Protection

Analytics data is aggregated and anonymized whenever possible. We use privacy-preserving analytics methods and do not create detailed individual profiles for marketing purposes.

7. Third-Party Cookies

External Service Integration

Some features on PlayTide Social rely on third-party services that may set their own cookies. We carefully select partners who share our commitment to privacy and user control.

Third-Party Cookie Sources

Game Providers

External game developers may use cookies for game functionality and analytics.

Purpose: Game operation, player statistics Control: Managed through game settings or browser controls

Content Delivery Networks (CDN)

CDN services may set cookies to optimize content delivery and performance.

Purpose: Performance optimization, content caching Control: Essential for platform functionality

Analytics Services

Privacy-focused analytics providers help us understand platform usage.

Purpose: Anonymous usage analytics Control: Can be disabled through cookie preferences

Security Services

Security providers may use cookies to protect against threats and abuse.

Purpose: Fraud prevention, security monitoring Control: Essential for platform security

Third-Party Privacy Policies

Third-party cookies are governed by the privacy policies of their respective providers. We recommend reviewing these policies for detailed information about their data practices.

8. Local Storage Technologies

Beyond Cookies

In addition to cookies, PlayTide Social uses HTML5 local storage and other browser storage technologies to enhance functionality and performance while maintaining user privacy.

Local Storage Types

HTML5 Local Storage

Stores larger amounts of data locally on your device for improved performance.

  • Game assets and resources for faster loading
  • User preferences and customization settings
  • Offline functionality data
  • Cache for frequently accessed content

Session Storage

Temporary storage that exists only for the duration of your browsing session.

  • Current session state and navigation
  • Temporary game progress (if applicable)
  • Form data and user inputs
  • Session-specific preferences

IndexedDB

Advanced browser database for storing structured data locally.

  • Complex application data
  • Offline game functionality
  • Performance optimization data
  • User-generated content cache

Storage Management

You can manage local storage through your browser settings. Clearing storage may affect platform functionality and require you to reconfigure preferences.

11. Cookie Policy Updates

Staying Current

We may update this Cookie Policy to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. We're committed to keeping you informed about how we use cookies.

Update Notifications

When we make significant changes to this policy, we will:

  • Display prominent notifications on our platform
  • Update the "Last Modified" date at the top of this policy
  • Re-request consent for any new cookie categories
  • Provide clear explanations of changes made

Version History

We maintain records of policy changes and can provide previous versions upon request for transparency and accountability purposes.

12. Contact Information

Cookie Questions

If you have questions about our use of cookies or need assistance with your preferences, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Email: cookies@playtidesocial.com
Privacy Team: privacy@playtidesocial.com
Technical Support: support@playtidesocial.com
Mailing Address:
PlayTide Social - Cookie Policy Team
[Company Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]

Response Commitment

We strive to respond to cookie-related inquiries within 3-5 business days and provide clear, helpful guidance on managing your preferences.

Transparency in Every Byte

At PlayTide Social, we believe that understanding how cookies work empowers you to make informed decisions about your digital privacy. We're committed to using cookies responsibly and giving you complete control over your data.

Your privacy preferences matter to us, and we've built our platform to respect your choices while providing the best possible gaming experience in our cyberpunk universe.

PlayTide Social Cookie Policy Team

Last Updated: July 12, 2025