CriticalPixel ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and use our services.

// 1. Information We Collect

<1.1/> Information You Provide

When you create an account or use our services, you may provide:

• Account Information: Email address, username, display name, and password
• Profile Information: Avatar image, banner image, biography, preferred genres, favorite gaming platforms
• Gaming Profiles: Links to your Steam, Discord, and other gaming platform accounts
• Social Profiles: Links to Twitch, YouTube, Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, GitHub, LinkedIn, Reddit, TikTok
• User-Generated Content: Game reviews, articles, guides, forum posts, comments, and performance surveys
• Hardware Information: CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage specifications (when submitting performance surveys)

<1.2/> Information Collected Automatically

When you access our services, we automatically collect:

• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)
• Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on pages, click patterns
• IP Address: Used for security and rate limiting, analytics, approximate geographic location, anonymous review and game view tracking, banner impression/click analytics, and AI feature rate limiting
• Referrer Information: The website or source that directed you to our platform
• Session Information: Login times, activity timestamps, and online status
• Device Fingerprint: A unique identifier generated from browser characteristics (via FingerprintJS) used for abuse prevention, AI rate limiting, and security. A fallback identifier may be stored in localStorage.New

<1.3/> Information from Third Parties

We may receive information from third-party services:

• OAuth Providers: When you sign in with Google or Discord, we receive your email, name, and profile picture
• Gaming APIs: Game metadata, artwork, and pricing information from IGDB, Steam, and SteamGridDB

// 2. How We Use Your Information

<2.1/> Provide and Improve Services

• Create and manage your account
• Display your profile and content to other users
• Enable you to write reviews, articles, and forum posts
• Process your performance survey submissions
• Personalize your experience based on preferences

<2.2/> Communication

• Send notifications about activity on your content
• Alert you to replies, mentions, and interactions
• Provide important service updates and announcements

<2.3/> Security and Moderation

• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security threats
• Enforce our Terms of Service and community guidelines
• Moderate content and handle reports

<2.4/> Analytics and Advertising

• Analyze usage patterns to improve our services
• Display relevant advertisements and sponsored content
• Track ad performance (impressions and clicks)

<2.5/> Monetization and Commercial Use

Important: By using CriticalPixel, you acknowledge that aggregated, anonymized, or de-identified profile data and usage statistics may be used for commercial purposes, including market research, trend analysis, and partnership opportunities. This does not include the sale of your personal contact information to third parties.

<2.6/> AI-Powered FeaturesNew

We use artificial intelligence to enhance your experience with the following features:

• Sprite AI Assistant: Our gaming chatbot that provides game recommendations, answers gaming-related questions, and helps discover titles based on your preferences
• Semantic Game Search: Vector embeddings that enable finding games by describing what you want (e.g., "cozy farming games like Stardew Valley")
• Query Understanding: AI analyzes your search queries to extract intent, preferences, and filters for better results
• Personalized Recommendations: When logged in, AI considers your library's genre preferences to tailor suggestions

<2.7/> AI DisclaimerNew

• Third-Party AI Providers: AI features are powered by external services including Z.AI, DeepSeek, TogetherAI (Llama, Qwen, Gemma models), and OpenAI. Your queries are sent to these providers for processing.
• Data Sent to AI: When using AI features, we send your search query, browser language, and (if logged in) your library's genre preferences. We do not send your email, password, or other personal account information.
• No Long-Term Storage: AI queries are not permanently stored by CriticalPixel. Responses may be briefly cached (up to 30 minutes) to improve performance.
• AI Limitations: AI responses are generated based on training data and may contain inaccuracies. Game release dates, availability, and pricing should be verified. Do not rely solely on AI for purchasing decisions.
• Training Data Cutoff: AI models have knowledge cutoffs and may not be aware of very recent game releases or updates.
• Content Filtering: AI is configured to only discuss gaming-related topics and will decline inappropriate requests.

// 3. Data Sharing and Third Parties

<3.1/> Public Information

The following is publicly visible by default (subject to your privacy settings):

• Your username and display name
• Your profile picture and banner
• Your published reviews, articles, and forum posts
• Your performance survey submissions

<3.2/> Third-Party Service Providers

• Supabase: Database hosting, authentication, and file storage
• Upstash: Redis caching for performance optimization
• Cloudflare: CDN, security, and DDoS protection
• Backblaze B2: Image and file storage
• Google Analytics: Website analytics and usage tracking
• Google AdSense: Display advertising and ad personalization
• Z.AI: AI chatbot and game recommendation engineNew
• DeepSeek: AI conversational chat processingNew
• TogetherAI: AI query routing and classificationNew
• OpenAI: Vector embeddings for semantic game searchNew
• Qdrant: Vector database for AI-powered searchNew
• Meta (Facebook): Advertising analytics and conversion tracking via Meta Pixel, including page views, searches, deal clicks, registrations, and custom eventsNew
• Google Funding Choices: Consent management platform for Google advertising servicesNew
• Resend: Transactional email delivery service for account notificationsNew

<3.3/> Gaming Data APIs

• IGDB (Twitch): Game metadata, descriptions, and media
• Steam API: Game pricing and store information
• SteamGridDB: Game artwork and visual assets
• Price Aggregators: Instant Gaming, Gamivo, Yuplay, Kinguin for price comparison

<3.4/> Affiliate Partners

Game purchase links may contain affiliate codes. When you click these links, the destination site may know you came from CriticalPixel. We may earn commissions from purchases.

// 4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, local storage, and similar technologies to enhance your experience. You can manage your cookie preferences through our cookie consent banner or the footer link.

<4.1/> Essential Cookies (Required)

These cookies are required for the website to function and cannot be disabled.

<4.2/> Analytics & Advertising Cookies

Help us understand how visitors use our site and display relevant ads. Includes Google Analytics, Google AdSense, and Meta (Facebook) Pixel cookies.

<4.3/> Price Comparison Cookies

We aggregate prices from multiple stores to help you find the best deals.

<4.4/> User Preference Cookies

Remember your settings and personalization choices.

<4.5/> Editor & Content Creation Cookies

Support the review and article writing experience.

<4.6/> Caching & Performance Cookies

Speed up loading times by caching frequently accessed data.

<4.7/> AI-Powered Features CookiesNew

Support the Sprite AI assistant and semantic search, including cached responses (up to 30 minutes), search embeddings (up to 1 hour), and temporary conversation history (session only).

// 5. Data Storage and Security

<5.1/> Where We Store Your Data

• Supabase databases: cloud-hosted instance (US) for authentication and user data, and a self-hosted instance (EU-based VPS) for game content, reviews, rankings, and pricing data — both using PostgreSQL with Row Level Security
• Upstash Redis (encrypted caching layer)
• Backblaze B2 (encrypted file storage)
• Cloudflare edge network (cached content)

<5.2/> Security Measures

• HTTPS encryption for all data transmission
• JWT-based authentication with secure token handling
• Row Level Security (RLS) policies in our database
• Rate limiting to prevent abuse and attacks
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for administrator accounts
• Audit logging for administrative actions

<5.3/> Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you via email and/or a prominent notice on our website within 72 hours of becoming aware.

// 6. Your Rights and Choices

<6.1/> Access and Control

• Access: View and download your personal data
• Correct: Update inaccurate information in your profile
• Delete: Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format
• Object: Opt out of certain data processing activities

<6.2/> Privacy Settings

You can control your privacy through your account settings:

• Profile visibility (public or private)
• Show/hide reviews, activity, and favorites
• Show/hide performance data and gaming profiles
• Online status visibility
• Notification preferences

<6.3/> GDPR Rights (EU Users)

If you are in the European Economic Area, you have additional rights including the right to restrict processing, withdraw consent, and lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

<6.4/> CCPA Rights (California Users)

California residents have the right to know what personal information is collected, request deletion, and opt out of the sale of personal information.

// 7. Data Retention

• Account Data: Retained while your account is active
• User Content: Retained until you delete it or your account
• Analytics Data: Aggregated and anonymized after 26 months
• Security Logs: Retained for up to 12 months
• Deleted Content: Soft-deleted content may be retained up to 30 days for recovery

// 8. Children's Privacy

CriticalPixel is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

// 9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. Our service providers are located in various regions including:

• United States (Supabase Cloud, Cloudflare, Backblaze, OpenAI, TogetherAI, Upstash, Meta/Facebook)
• European Union (self-hosted Supabase VPS for content data, Qdrant vector database in Germany, Cloudflare edge locations)
• China (Z.AI/Zhipu for game recommendations, DeepSeek for conversational AI processing)New
• Other regions where our CDN has presence

AI queries sent to providers in China are subject to Chinese data protection laws. We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of Z.AI and DeepSeek for details on their data handling practices.

// 10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Posting the new policy on this page with a new "Last Updated" date
• Sending you an email notification (for significant changes)
• Displaying a prominent notice on our website

// 11. Contact Us

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

• Email: [email protected]
• Subject Line: Privacy Inquiry

We will respond to your request within 30 days.