1. Who we are
SurnameGuessr is a daily geography game available at surnameguessr.com. When this policy says “we”, “us”, or “our”, it refers to the operator of this site.
2. What data we collect
Account data. If you create an account, we store your email address and a hashed version of your password (we never store your password in plain text). If you sign in with Google, we receive your name and email address from Google.
Game data. We store your daily scores, streak count, and game history to power your stats dashboard and the leaderboard. This data is linked to your account if you are signed in, or discarded at the end of the session if you play as a guest.
Payment data. If you subscribe to premium, your payment is processed by Stripe. We do not store your card number or payment details — Stripe handles all of that. We store only your subscription status and renewal date.
Usage data. Like most websites, our server logs standard request information (IP address, browser type, pages visited, timestamps). This data is used for security and performance monitoring and is not linked to your account.
3. Cookies and advertising
We display ads via Google AdSense. AdSense may use cookies and similar technologies to show you personalised advertisements based on your browsing history. You can opt out of personalised ads through Google’s Ad Settings.
Premium subscribers do not see ads and are exempt from AdSense cookie usage on this site.
Analytics. We set a single first-party cookie to measure aggregate traffic — how many unique visitors arrive, which site or link referred them, and how many start and finish a game. This is used only for anonymous, aggregate statistics and is not linked to your account or shared with third parties.
4. Third-party services
We use the following third-party services:
- Google OAuth — optional sign-in via Google account
- Stripe — payment processing for premium subscriptions
- Google AdSense — advertising for non-premium users
- NamSor — surname origin analysis (no personal data is sent; only surname strings are processed)
Each of these services has its own privacy policy. We do not sell your personal data to any third party.
5. How long we keep your data
Your account data and game history are retained for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, your personal data is deleted within 30 days. Anonymised aggregate statistics (e.g. total games played, average scores) may be retained indefinitely.
6. Your rights
You have the right to access, correct, or delete the personal data we hold about you. To make a request, email us at surnameguessr@gmail.com.
If you are in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom, you also have the right to data portability and to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
7. Children
SurnameGuessr is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please email surnameguessr@gmail.com and we will delete it.
8. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of the site after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
9. Contact
For privacy-related questions or data requests, email surnameguessr@gmail.com. We aim to respond within 30 days.