Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 10, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how anthology group ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and shares information when you use the Rare Aardvarks mobile app (the "App") and the rareaardvarks.com website (the "Site," together the "Services"). Rare Aardvarks is a creature-collecting card game. By using the Services, you agree to the practices described here.

1. Information We Collect

Account information

Online features (cross-device sync, online duels, trading, the leaderboard, and the referral program) require an account, which you create with Sign in with Apple. Apple provides us with a unique account identifier and, depending on your choice, your name. We do not request your email address and we do not receive your Apple password. You can play the single-player parts of the App without signing in. You can delete your account at any time in the App's Settings, which permanently removes your account data.

Launch-notification email signup (Site only)

If you enter your email address in the "notify me" form on our download page, it is sent to Web3Forms, a form-delivery service, solely so we can email you about the App's availability. This is optional, separate from your game account, and we use it for no other purpose.

Profile and gameplay data

We store the following so your progress is saved and can sync across your devices:

Information visible to other players

Some information is public or shared with other players by design: your username and online win count appear on the public leaderboard (including a public feed used by the Site), your username is shown to opponents during online matches, and your username appears on any public trade offers you post. Please do not include personal information in your username.

Push notification tokens

If you enable notifications, we store a push token (via Apple Push Notification service and Firebase Cloud Messaging) so we can notify you when it is your turn or your opponent has played a move. You can turn notifications off at any time in your device settings.

Device integrity and anti-cheat

To keep online play fair and block tampered or jailbroken devices, the App uses Apple's App Attest / DeviceCheck through Firebase App Check to verify requests come from a genuine build of the App, and performs an on-device integrity check. This produces hardware-backed attestation tokens; it does not access your files or personal content.

Purchases

In-app purchases (such as removing ads or buying booster packs) are processed by Apple through the App Store. Apple handles your payment; we receive the transaction result needed to deliver your purchase, not your payment card details.

Contests and prize fulfillment

We run promotional contests (see our Contest Rules). If you enter, your username and your qualifying-referral count may appear in the public contest standings on this Site, and contest winners are announced by username on this Site and the in-game leaderboard. To determine eligibility we use your existing server-side game records (referrals, verified matches, and un-refunded purchases) — no extra data is collected from most entrants.

Prizes are paid in Ethereum (ETH). If you win, we will collect the additional information needed to deliver the prize and meet legal/tax requirements — typically an Ethereum wallet address, and, where required, identity and tax documentation (for example a name and tax form). We use this information solely to pay and report the prize, share it only with the service providers, tax authorities, or advisors needed for that purpose, and retain it as required by law. We do not take custody of your wallet or its keys. Ethereum transactions are recorded on a public blockchain, which is outside our control.

The live ETH price shown on the Contest page is fetched by your browser directly from CoinGecko; that request sends your IP address to CoinGecko, subject to their privacy policy. It is not used for advertising and runs regardless of analytics-cookie consent because it is a functional part of that page.

Advertising data

The App shows ads through Google AdMob unless you have removed ads via purchase. Ad providers may collect device identifiers and similar data to serve and measure ads. For users in the EEA and the UK we present a consent message (Google's User Messaging Platform) before any personalized ads are served, and on all devices we respect your Apple App Tracking Transparency choice — declining tracking means you see only non-personalized ads. You can change your ad-consent choice anytime under Settings → Privacy & Ads in the App.

Analytics and usage data

We use Firebase Analytics in the App and Google Analytics on the Site to understand usage and improve the Services. These tools, and the underlying Google and Apple infrastructure, may automatically collect technical data such as device and app version, IP address (and approximate, IP-based region), and interaction events. The Site uses cookies for analytics. For visitors in the EEA and the UK, Site analytics cookies are disabled by default and are only set after you accept them through the cookie consent banner. We use Google Consent Mode so that no analytics cookies are stored until you opt in. You can change or withdraw your choice at any time using Manage cookie choice.

2. How We Use Information

3. How Information Is Shared

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only as follows:

4. Third-Party Services

The Services rely on the following providers, whose privacy policies govern their handling of data:

5. Advertising and Your Choices

You can remove ads via in-app purchase. You can manage ad personalization through your device's settings (e.g., iOS "Allow Apps to Request to Track" and ad settings), and through the consent prompt shown in the App where applicable.

6. Data Retention

We keep account, profile, and collection data for as long as your account exists. Some online data is short-lived by design — matchmaking entries and finished or abandoned matches are cleaned up automatically, and public trade offers expire. Abuse-prevention and cooldown records are retained as needed to keep the game fair.

7. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have rights to access, correct, or delete your personal information, or to object to or restrict certain processing. You can sign out at any time, control notifications in your device settings, and manage ad/tracking preferences as above. To request access to or deletion of your account data, contact us using the details below and we will respond as required by applicable law.

8. Children's Privacy

The Services are not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age required in your jurisdiction), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

9. Security

We use industry-standard safeguards, including encryption of data in transit, device attestation, and a server-authoritative design that keeps sensitive game state and accounts on our servers rather than trusting the client. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. International Users

We and our service providers (Apple and Google) operate globally, so your information may be processed in countries other than your own, including the United States. By using the Services, you consent to such processing.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date above, and material changes may be highlighted in the App or on the Site. Your continued use of the Services after an update means you accept the revised Policy.

12. Contact Us

Questions or requests about this Policy or your data? Contact us at privacy@rareaardvarks.com, or via anthology group.