Sandbattle Studios & Third-Party Privacy Policy

Sandbattle Studios, LTD. (“Sandbattle Studios,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of our users’ personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you access or use our services — including the Sandbattle Network Minecraft server, our website at sandbattle.com, and all other related platforms (collectively, the “Services”). By using our Services, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, you may not enter any website or use any Sandbattle-owned property, and may request to decline upcoming privacy changes and blacklist your IP and IGN at any point when new policy is announced.

This policy also governs data practices for our third-party and social integrations, internal websites, public websites, help websites, statistics leaderboards, and discussion forums, and Minecraft chats, which may feature content from both staff and user contributions (including user questions and staff help articles). Users are advised to independently verify the accuracy and authority of any information provided by other users. Sandbattle Studios is not responsible for any loss of in‐game items, trading scams, phishing incidents, or user errors, at any case.

1. Introduction & Definitions

This Privacy Policy outlines what personal data we collect and from what sources, how we use and share that data, the legal bases for processing data (including your rights under GDPR, COPPA, and CCPA), the security measures we employ, including industry‐standard encryption, as well as disclaimers and limitations of liability regarding our Services and user-generated content, (including territory-based notes and minor data safety contact information.)

Definitions

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy:

• “Personal Data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.
• “Sensitive Personal Data” means personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, health information, or other data that may require additional safeguards.
• “Minors” means individuals under the age of 13 (for COPPA compliance) and, where applicable, under the age defined by local law.
• “Data Controller” means Sandbattle Studios, LTD., which determines the purposes and means of processing Personal Data.
• “Third Parties” include service providers, partners, and other entities with whom we share Personal Data for business purposes.
• “Cookies and Tracking Technologies” refer to tools such as cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies used to collect data on user activity.

2. Company Information & Contact Details

Our company can be contacted through any of the channels below. For California residents, please see Section 14 below for additional rights and details.

Sandbattle Studios, LTD.
URL: https://sandbattle.com/contact-us
Email: [email protected]
COPPA & Legal: [email protected]

3. Data Collection

We collect Personal Data from you in several ways:

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you create an account, make a purchase, submit feedback, or otherwise interact with our Services, you may provide:

• Account Information: Name, email address, username, date of birth, and contact details.
• Payment Information: Credit/debit card numbers, billing address, and transaction details.
• Content Contributions: User posts, forum entries, chat messages, and support inquiries.
• Survey & Contest Entries: Data submitted for promotional offers or contests.

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you use our Services, we automatically collect certain technical and usage information, including:

• Device & Connection Data: IP address, device identifiers, operating system, browser type, and screen resolution.
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent, click streams, gameplay statistics, crash reports, and in-game performance.
• Location Data: Precise and approximate location data (collected to operate and improve game services).
  (Note: We use location data solely to enhance your gameplay experience and ensure optimal service delivery; see Section 9 below for our security measures.)

3.3 Information Collected from Third Parties

We may obtain additional information about you from:

• Social Media Platforms: If you link your account with platforms such as Facebook or Google.
• Service Providers & Analytics Vendors: To help us understand usage patterns and improve our Services.
• Public Sources: When legally permissible, we may aggregate information from public databases.

3.4 Special Note for Minors (COPPA Compliance)

If you are under 13, please note that we require verifiable parental consent before collecting Personal Data from children. Our Services are designed with additional safeguards to protect minors. Parents may review, request correction, or request deletion of their child’s data by contacting us at the email provided above. (For further details, please refer to our COPPA-compliant sections below.)

4. Use of Your Personal Data

We use your Personal Data to do any or some of the following, including special use cases listed below.

• Account Management: Create, manage, and secure your account.
• Service Delivery: Process transactions, deliver game content, and resolve technical issues.
• Personalization: Tailor content, features, and game experiences based on your preferences.
• Transactional Communications: Send account-related notices, receipts, and service updates.
• Marketing: With your consent, send promotional offers, newsletters, and updates about new features.
• User Support: Respond to inquiries and provide assistance through our customer support channels.

4.1 Analytics & Research

We may analyze how users interact with our Services to enhance functionality and performance. This can include monitoring and detecting potential fraud, unauthorized activity, or breaches. We also may research and test new game features, conduct surveys, and run beta tests.

4.2 Legal and Contractual Purposes

Our compliance is adhere to legal obligations, regulatory requirements, and industry standards. Our dispute resolutions can use data to investigate and resolve disputes, enforce our terms, and defend legal claims. (Our processing is based on your consent where required, our legitimate interests, and contractual or legal obligations, as further explained in Section 6 below.)

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We share your Personal Data only in accordance with this policy and applicable laws:

5.1 With Service Providers and Affiliates

For payment processing, data storage, customer support, and analytics and/or within our corporate group to help deliver our Services.

5.2 With Third Parties

For non-personalized advertising (we do not sell your data; see Section 7 for California-specific rights). When required to comply with legal obligations or respond to lawful requests.

5.3 International Data Transfers

Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your residence. We use appropriate safeguards—including Standard Contractual Clauses—to ensure your data remains protected in accordance with GDPR and other applicable laws.

6. Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR Compliance)

For users located in the European Economic Area (EEA), we process your Personal Data on the following legal bases:

• Consent: Where you have given explicit permission.
• Contractual Necessity: To fulfill our contract with you.
• Legal Obligation: To comply with legal requirements.
• Legitimate Interests: To protect our interests, secure our Services, and improve user experience, provided your rights do not override these interests.

You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

7. User Rights and Controls

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have additional rights regarding your Personal Data.

7.1 Under GDPR (European Residents)

• Access: Request copies of your Personal Data.
• Correction: Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Erasure: Request deletion of your Personal Data, subject to certain exceptions.
• Restriction: Request a restriction on our processing of your data.
• Data Portability: Request to transfer your data to another controller.
• Objection: Object to our processing of your data.
• Withdrawal of Consent: Withdraw your consent for data processing at any time.

7.2 Under CCPA/CPRA (California Residents)

For California residents, we comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and its amendment, the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). In addition to the rights provided under GDPR, California residents have the following rights:

• Right to Know: You have the right to request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of Personal Data we have collected about you, the sources from which this data is collected, the business or commercial purpose for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share your data.
• Right to Delete: You have the right to request that we delete your Personal Data, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., data necessary to complete a transaction or comply with legal obligations).
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale: You have the right to opt out of the “sale” or sharing of your Personal Data with third parties for targeted advertising purposes. Although we do not sell your data, we ensure that any sharing for marketing purposes is compliant with applicable California law.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: You have the right not to be discriminated against for exercising your privacy rights. This means that if you exercise any of your rights, we will not deny you access to or charge you differently for our Services.
• How to Exercise These Rights: To exercise your rights, please contact us at the email address provided in Section 14. When you submit a request, please include sufficient information to verify your identity. We will respond to your request in accordance with applicable law.

For further details on your California rights, please refer to this section of our Privacy Policy. No separate pages are maintained for different states; all applicable regulations for California residents are included here.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to collect information automatically about your usage of our Services. These help us:

• Authenticate and Secure: Ensure you remain logged in and protect against unauthorized access.
• Enhance User Experience: Personalize content and remember your preferences.
• Analyze Trends: Understand how our Services are used and improve performance.

Please note, we use Google Analytics to manage and cipher web traffic. Please review third-parties terms and conditions, privacy policies, and additional compliances. We remain GDPR compliant with our cookie use.

For more information on how to manage or disable cookies, please refer to your browser settings or visit trusted resources such as AboutCookies.org.

9. Data Security

Sandbattle Studios employs industry‐standard encryption technologies and security measures to protect your Personal Data from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include:

• Encryption: Data is encrypted both in transit (via SSL/TLS) and at rest.
• Access Controls: Strict internal controls and authentication measures to restrict access.
• Regular Audits: Ongoing security assessments and updates to safeguard our infrastructure.

Despite these measures, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.

10. Retention of Data

We retain your Personal Data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Retention periods may vary depending on the nature of the data and applicable law.

11. COPPA Compliance (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act)

For users under the age of 13, we require verifiable parental consent before collecting Personal Data from children. We only collect data essential to operate our Services and enhance security. Parents have the right to review, correct, or request deletion of their child’s Personal Data. We provide clear notice on our website regarding our practices for children.

If you are a parent or guardian, please contact us at [email protected] with any requests or concerns regarding your child’s data.

12. Limitations of Liability & Disclaimers

12.1 Sales & Transactions

All sales are final unless the order is placed by a minor without parental consent or using locked or falsified banking information.

12.2 Liability Disclaimers

Sandbattle Studios, LTD. is not liable for any of the following:

• Refunds or returns;
• Service downtime or interruptions;
• Account security breaches;
• Loss of access to game services;
• Enforcement actions (including suspensions or bans);
• In-game bugs or technical issues;
• Phishing scams or fraudulent activity;
• User-inflicted harm (e.g., through chat or posts);
• Any other incidental “disnovelties” (unexpected issues arising from use of the Services).

By using our Services, you acknowledge and accept these terms. Users are strongly encouraged to independently verify the accuracy of any user-generated content and exercise caution when relying on such information.

12.3 Third-Party and User-Generated Content

Our help website contains content from both our staff and user contributions. Sandbattle Studios does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of user-generated content and is not liable for any losses arising from reliance on it.

12.4 Independent Disclaimer

Sandbattle® is an independent Minecraft server and is not affiliated with Mojang AB or Microsoft. Minecraft® is a trademark of Mojang AB. We adhere to the Minecraft® EULA strictly at all times.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to modify or update this Privacy Policy at any time. Any material changes will be posted on our website with an updated “Last Updated” date and, when required by law, appropriate notice (e.g., via email). Your continued use of our Services after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Sandbattle Studios, LTD.
URL: https://sandbattle.com/contact-us
Email: [email protected]

For California residents, this section also serves as the point of contact to exercise your rights under the CCPA/CPRA as detailed in Section 7.2.