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Privacy policy

Pokémon GO

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Score43.0
Reviewed
Policy typePrivacy policy
Concern findings11
Protections0
Source supportStrong

Source provenance

Verified official source
Retrieved
Published

Snapshot hash 14fe52b41699929d0797d7ea9cda8eb58cd1afac66cabc950fac0e64b3836a25

Snapshot of the source text at fetch time, not a live mirror of the policy page.

Plain-English summary

The policy reveals several areas of concern. Your personal data may be shared publicly when using competitive features or contributing content (risk_flags-1), and it could be transferred to a third-party acquirer if the company is involved in a business transaction like a merger or bankruptcy (risk_flags-2). If you import contacts, their information will be periodically synced to the company's servers, requiring you to ensure legal compliance (risk_flags-3, gotchas-1). Additionally, your data may be transferred and stored internationally where data protection laws may differ (risk_flags-4). Location data is collected extensively, including background tracking, for core game functionality (data_use-1), and your in-game actions are used for personalized marketing and targeted ads (data_use-2). The service does not honor 'Do Not Track' signals (data_use-3). When participating in live events, certain in-game profile elements become publicly visible (risk_flags-5). Any content you contribute may be used to improve products and services (gotchas-2) and is subject to automated and manual moderation (gotchas-3).

89% confidence

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Risk Flags

Critical issues that represent material, hard-to-reverse harm to the user. These include loss of money, privacy exposure, account access risk, or weakened legal rights.

high90% confidence

Public Sharing of Personal Data

When you use the Services, and in particular when you play games, use competitive features, contribute content, or participate in forums, certain personal data may be shared on web pages accessible to the public and become publicly available.

Why it matters: Your username, in-game or in-app profile, achievements, groups, meetups, and public messages may become publicly accessible on web pages when using competitive features or contributing content.

Personal Data **Shared Publicly**: When you use the Services, and in particular when you play our games, use competitive features, contribute content or participate in our forums, the following Personal Data about you may be shared on web pages accessible to the public and therefore become publicly available: your username, in-game or in-app profile, achievements, groups, meetups, and public messages.

* provide payment attribution;, paragraph 5 · Citation strength: strong

high95% confidence

Data Disclosure in Business Transactions

If the company is acquired, goes out of business, or enters bankruptcy, all or some of its assets, including user Personal Data, may be disclosed or transferred to a third-party acquirer.

Why it matters: Your personal data may be transferred to a third party if the company undergoes a merger, acquisition, asset sale, or bankruptcy, potentially subjecting it to new data handling practices.

Information that we collect from our users, including Personal Data, is a business asset. If we are acquired by a third party as a result of a transaction such as a merger, acquisition, or asset sale or if our assets are acquired by a third party in the event we go out of business or enter bankruptcy, some or all of our assets, including your Personal Data, will be disclosed or transferred to a third-party acquirer in connection with the transaction.

* provide payment attribution;, paragraph 8 · Citation strength: strong

medium90% confidence

Contact Information Sync

If you elect to import your device's address book contacts, your contacts' information, including phone number and email, will be periodically synced to the company's servers.

Why it matters: Your contacts' phone numbers and email addresses will be periodically synced to the company's servers if you choose to import your address book contacts, requiring you to ensure compliance with applicable laws, potentially including obtaining consents.

If you elect to import your device’s address book contacts to find out which of your contacts uses our Services and to send them Friend requests, or invite them to join you in our games, apps or other aspects of our Services, we will periodically sync your contacts’ information, including phone number, and email, to our servers. You are responsible for ensuring your collection and sharing with us of your contacts’ information is compliant with applicable laws. This may require you to obtain your contacts’ permission.

**2. The Personal Data we collect about you and how we use it**, paragraph 11 · Citation strength: strong

medium90% confidence

International Data Transfer Risks

Personal Data will likely be transferred and stored in countries outside of your home country, including the USA, where data protection laws may differ.

Why it matters: Your personal data may be stored and processed in countries with different data protection laws than your home country, which may offer varying levels of privacy protection.

Your Personal Data will likely be transferred and stored in a country outside of your home country, including in the USA, for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy to the extent permitted by applicable laws. The data protection laws in these countries may not be the same as in your home country.

**4. How your Personal Data is transferred**, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong

low90% confidence

Sensitive data visible during live events

When participating in live events, in-game actions, achievements, username, avatar, team, and other profile components will be visible to other participants and the public.

Why it matters: Your in-game identity and progress, including your username, avatar, and achievements, will be publicly visible during live events, potentially revealing aspects of your gaming activity to a broad audience.

Note that when you participate in live events your in-game actions and achievements, in-game username and your avatar, team, and other components of your in-game profile will be visible to other event participants and to the public (for example on leaderboards displayed at the event and online).

**2. The Personal Data we collect about you and how we use it**, paragraph 6 · Citation strength: strong

Data Use

Disclosures about how your data is collected, used, and shared. These practices are standard but can have privacy implications depending on your preferences.

medium90% confidence

Location Data Collection for Core Functionality

The service collects and uses device location information, including background tracking, to operate location-based games and plan in-game resources, using technologies like GPS, WiFi points, and mobile/cell tower triangulation.

Why it matters: Your precise location is continuously collected, even in the background, to enable core game functionality and determine in-game resources, potentially compromising locational privacy.

Our Services include location based games whose core feature is to provide an experience tied to your real world location, so we need to know where you are to operate these apps and games for you, and to plan the location of in-game or in-app resources (for example PokéStops within Pokémon GO). We identify your location using a variety of technologies, including GPS, the WiFi points you are accessing the Service through and mobile/cell tower triangulation.

**2. The Personal Data we collect about you and how we use it**, paragraph 4 · Citation strength: strong

medium90% confidence

Targeted Marketing and Advertising

The company analyzes in-game actions and achievements to show tailored rewards, promotions, or offers, and displays targeted ads on other websites and services outside the United States, as well as non-targeted sponsored gifts in-app.

Why it matters: Your in-game activities are used to personalize promotional content and deliver targeted advertisements on other platforms, meaning your gameplay influences the marketing you receive.

Analyzing your in-game actions and achievements to show you rewards, promotions, or other offers about our Services that are tailored to your personal user experience. You can choose to opt out of this and certain other processing of your Personal Data by following the steps described in Section 7 (“Your rights and choices”). * To show advertising to our users, including advertising promoting Scopely Explore apps shown on other websites and online services (including targeted ads only outside the United States), and non-targeted ads (typically in the form of sponsored gifts) in our apps.

**2. The Personal Data we collect about you and how we use it**, paragraph 6 · Citation strength: strong

low90% confidence

Non-Response to Do Not Track Signals

The company does not respond to "Do Not Track" signals from browsers or mobile applications due to the lack of an industry standard for interpretation.

Why it matters: Your preference to not be tracked, communicated via a 'Do Not Track' signal, is not honored by the service, meaning your tracking preferences may be disregarded.

While you may disable the usage of cookies through your browser settings, Scopely Explore currently does not respond to a “Do Not Track” signal in the HTTP header from your browser or mobile application due to the lack of industry standard on how to interpret that signal.

**2. The Personal Data we collect about you and how we use it**, paragraph 15 · Citation strength: strong

Cancellation & Renewal

Details on how subscriptions or services renew and the process for cancellation.

Looking good

No billing surprises spotted

Verbaterm only flags concerns it can cite. No cancellation, auto-renewal, or refund terms needed attention here.

Gotchas

Potentially overlooked clauses that could have surprising or unexpected implications for users.

medium90% confidence

Periodic Contact Sync for Connection

If you grant permission, the service will periodically sync your device's address book contacts, including phone number and email, to its servers to help you and your contacts connect.

Why it matters: Your contacts' phone numbers and email addresses will be periodically synced to the company's servers if you choose to import your address book contacts, requiring you to ensure compliance with applicable laws, potentially including obtaining consents.

If you elect to import your device’s address book contacts to find out which of your contacts uses our Services and to send them Friend requests, or invite them to join you in our games, apps or other aspects of our Services, we will periodically sync your contacts’ information, including phone number, and email, to our servers. You are responsible for ensuring your collection and sharing with us of your contacts’ information is compliant with applicable laws. This may require you to obtain your contacts’ permission.

**2. The Personal Data we collect about you and how we use it**, paragraph 11 · Citation strength: strong

low85% confidence

Use of Content for Product Improvement

If you choose to contribute routes or share images of real-world public places with associated location information, the company may use that information to improve its products and services.

Why it matters: Any routes you contribute or images of public places you share with location data may be used by the company to enhance their products and services, potentially incorporating your user-generated content into their offerings.

If you elect to contribute routes, or share images of real world public places on our services with associated location information, we may use that information to improve our products and services.

**2. The Personal Data we collect about you and how we use it**, paragraph 6 · Citation strength: strong

low90% confidence

Automated and Manual Content Moderation

The company employs a mix of automated and manual review to detect and moderate content you contribute to its services.

Why it matters: Content you submit to the service is subject to both automated and human review processes for moderation purposes.

We use a mix of automated and manual review to detect and moderate content you contribute to our Services to protect Scopely Explore, or to protect the rights and safety of others.

**2. The Personal Data we collect about you and how we use it**, paragraph 6 · Citation strength: strong

Protections

Commitments and features that benefit and protect users.

Not clearly stated: There were no protections found explicitly stated in the provided clauses.

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