Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to atdev.blog. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard information when you visit our website.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

• First-party analytics (only if you accept cookies): If you choose Accept on the cookie banner, we record page views, referrer URLs, and browser User-Agent. This data is stored in our own internal database (not Google Analytics). Each hit is associated with a SHA-256 hash of IP + User-Agent + date, so we can count sessions without tying them to your identity. Data older than 6 months is auto-purged.
• Comment Information (only if you submit it): When you leave a comment on blog posts, we collect your name and optionally your phone number. This data is stored in our database and not shared with third parties.
• Local Storage (strictly necessary, no consent required): We use browser localStorage to remember: your cookie consent choice, language, light/dark mode, and comment display name. This data stays on your device and is never sent to our servers.
• Server logs (strictly necessary for security): Our servers automatically log IP addresses, browser type, and access times — used only for security monitoring, attack detection, and troubleshooting. Logs are rotated and expired on a schedule.

3. Google AdSense & Advertising Cookies

The Google AdSense script is only loaded after you choose Accept on the cookie banner. If you choose Reject, no request is sent to Google servers and no advertising cookies are set. When you Accept, Google AdSense and its partners may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website or other websites.

• Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website or other websites.
• Google uses the DoubleClick cookie to serve ads to you based on your visit to this site and other sites on the internet.
• These cookies do not identify you personally. They are used to deliver advertisements that are more relevant to you and your interests.

EEA, UK and Swiss users: In accordance with GDPR and Google's EU User Consent Policy, a consent banner (provided by Google via Funding Choices) will appear before personalized ads are loaded. You may accept, reject, or customize your choices. If you decline, we still show ads but they will not be personalized.

Opt-out options:

• You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings.
• You can also visit www.aboutads.info/choices to opt out of third-party advertising cookies.
• You may configure your browser to block cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent.

4. How We Use Your Information

• To provide and maintain our website and services
• To analyze usage patterns and improve user experience
• To display relevant advertisements through Google AdSense
• To moderate and manage user comments
• To detect and prevent security threats

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share anonymized, aggregated data for analytics purposes. Google AdSense may collect data as described in their Privacy Policy.

6. Data Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your information. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. Our developer tools process data entirely in your browser — no data is sent to our servers when using tools like Hash Generator, Image Resizer, or Color Picker.

7. Children's Privacy

Our brain games (every page under atdev.blog/games, including Secret Squares) are made for children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, and the games never ask children for any: no sign-up, no name, no email, no phone number. The only exception is an optional box for parents (see below).

• No advertising: the game pages show no ads, and the Google AdSense script is never loaded on them, whatever you choose on the cookie banner.
• Progress stays on your device: unlocked levels, puzzle times and similar settings are saved in your browser's localStorage and are not sent to us. Clearing your browser data removes them.
• Answer checks are anonymous: when Check is pressed, the game sends the arrangement of the 9 pieces to our server to see whether it is right. We keep a record of each check — which puzzle, the arrangement, whether it was correct, which boxes were wrong, and the time — with no name, account, or other player identifier attached.
• Rating form: the optional rating form asks only for a star rating and, if you like, a short comment. It has no contact fields, and we ask players not to write names, phone numbers or addresses in the comment.
• For parents & guardians, optional: the game pages have no field for this, only a link at the bottom to a separate page for grown-ups (atdev.blog/parents). There, a parent can leave an email to hear about new puzzles or games, after ticking a box to confirm they are a parent or guardian aged 18 or over. We store only that email, the page language, and when consent was given; we use it for nothing else, never share it, and delete it on request (write to the address below).
• Page-view counting: works as on the rest of the site — only if you accept cookies, and only as described in section 2 (a hash that changes daily, not tied to anyone's identity).

Parents and guardians with any question about children's privacy, who would like us to delete something their child wrote in the rating form, or who want their sign-up email removed, can contact us at anhtran0724@gmail.com.

8. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party websites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Your continued use of the website after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at anhtran0724@gmail.com.