Introduction

Chibitomo is operated by Sharematter, Inc., a Delaware corporation. Sharematter, Inc. and its affiliates (“Chibitomo,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) value the privacy of the people who play our game. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and share information from or about you and your device when you use the Chibitomo website, the Chibitomo iOS app, and related services (together, the “Services”).

By using the Services you agree to the collection, use, disclosure, and procedures described here. Your use of the Services is also subject to our Terms of Service.

Information We Collect

We collect information from a few sources, described below. If you do not provide the information a feature requires, you may not be able to use part or all of the Services.

A. Information You Give Us

Account Information

When you create an account we collect your display name and, if you provide one, your email address. Chibitomo does not use passwords: we sign you in with a one-time code sent to your email address, and we store the verification codes and sign-in sessions needed to do that.

You may also start playing as a guest, without an email address. A guest account is tied to the device that created it until you attach an email address to it.

Profile and Gameplay Choices

Your chosen character sprite, starter Chibitomo, companion settings, garden layout, and other in-game selections are stored with your account.

Communications

When you email us, report a bug, or contact us for support, we receive your email address, the contents of your message, and anything you attach.

Invite, Referral, and Promotional Codes

If you sign up through an invite code, a referral link, or an advertising campaign, we record which code or campaign brought you in so the reward can be granted and the campaign measured.

Payment Information

If you buy anything, payment card details are collected and processed by a third-party payment processor, or by Apple for purchases made inside the iOS app. We do not receive or store your full payment card number. We do keep a record of the transaction and what it granted your account.

B. Information We Collect Automatically

Device and Connection Information

We collect your IP address, browser type, operating system, app version, device model, and device identifiers generated by the app. On iOS we may also use Apple's App Attest service to confirm that a request came from a genuine, unmodified copy of our app. These are used for account recovery, abuse prevention, and to enforce signup limits.

General Location

We may infer an approximate location (such as country or region) from your IP address. We do not collect precise GPS location.

Gameplay and Usage Information

Because Chibitomo is a persistent online world, we record what happens in it: where your companion is, what it catches, battles, trades, bids, buys and sells, which areas you have visited, your play sessions and session lengths, rest and energy events, and which screens and features you use. Some of this is the game state itself; some of it is how we understand whether the game is working.

Push Notification Tokens

If you allow notifications in the iOS app, we store the push token Apple issues for your device so we can send you the notifications you enabled.

Cookies and Local Storage

We use cookies and browser local storage to keep you signed in and to measure use of the Services. See Cookies & Similar Technologies.

C. Information We Receive from Third Parties

We receive limited information from providers who work with us - for example, confirmation from Apple that a purchase completed, and privacy-preserving, aggregated install reports from Apple's SKAdNetwork if you arrived from an advertisement. SKAdNetwork reports do not identify you, and Chibitomo does not use the advertising identifier (IDFA) or ask for tracking permission.

How We Use It

We use the information we collect to:

• Run, maintain, and improve the Services;
• Create your account, sign you in, and keep your progress;
• Operate the shared world - other players' companions, trades, battles, auctions, and gardens;
• Send you sign-in codes, service announcements, and notifications you have enabled;
• Respond to your support requests;
• Process purchases and grant what they unlock;
• Measure how campaigns, features, and updates perform;
• Detect and prevent cheating, fraud, abuse, and duplicate or automated accounts;
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service.

De-identified and aggregated information. We may aggregate or de-identify information so it can no longer reasonably be linked to you or your device - for example, world-wide catch rates or balance statistics. Once de-identified, we may use and share it for any purpose, and this Policy no longer applies to it.

How We Share It

Other Players

Chibitomo is a multiplayer world, and parts of your account are visible to other players by design: your display name, your companion's appearance and position, the Chibitomo on your team, your leaderboard standing, your auction listings and bids, your trade activity, and your garden if you open it to visitors.

Service Providers

We share information with vendors who perform services on our behalf and are permitted to use it only for that purpose. These currently include our hosting provider, our transactional email provider (for sign-in codes and account email), Apple (for push notifications, app distribution, and in-app purchases), our product analytics provider (Mixpanel), and any payment processor we use.

Legal and Safety

We may access, preserve, and disclose information to comply with law or legal process, to enforce our Terms of Service, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Chibitomo, our players, or the public.

Affiliates

We may share information with corporate affiliates under common ownership or control with Sharematter, Inc., for the purposes described in this Policy.

Business Transfers

If Sharematter, Inc. is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

With Your Consent

We may share information for other purposes with your permission.

What We Do Not Do

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising, as those terms are defined under U.S. state privacy laws.

Cookies & Similar Technologies

Cookies are small files stored by your browser. We use a small number of them, plus browser local storage:

• Strictly necessary: the session cookie that keeps you signed in. Without it, the Services do not work.
• Functional: local storage that remembers your preferences and, in the iOS app, your saved sign-in on that device.
• Analytics: our analytics provider stores an identifier so repeat visits from the same browser can be counted as one player rather than many.

We do not use advertising cookies or third-party ad trackers on the Services. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, but blocking the necessary cookie will sign you out and keep you from playing.

Your Rights and Choices

Access, Correction, and Deletion

You can update your display name and account details in Settings, and you can delete your account yourself from Settings → Delete my account on the web client or in the iOS app. To request a copy of your data or ask us to correct it, email humans@chibitomo.com from the address on the account.

Email

You can unsubscribe from promotional email using the link in those messages. We will still send you the email needed to operate your account, such as sign-in codes and important service notices.

Push Notifications

You can turn notifications off at any time in the app or in your device's system settings.

Cookies

See Cookies & Similar Technologies.

Notice at Collection

The table below summarizes the categories of personal information we collect, why we use them, and the categories of third parties we disclose them to for a business purpose.

Additional Information for U.S. State Residents

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to request access to the personal information we have collected about you, to request its correction or deletion, to receive a portable copy, to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (we do neither), and to not be discriminated against for exercising these rights. Some states also give you a right to appeal a decision we make on your request.

These rights are provided by, among others, the California Consumer Privacy Act (as amended by the CPRA), and comparable laws in Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Montana, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.

To exercise any of them, email humans@chibitomo.com from the address on your account, or contact us from the account itself so we can verify the request. An authorized agent may submit a request on your behalf with proof of authorization.

European & UK Users

If you are in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom, you have the right to access, correct, delete, and port your personal data, to object to or restrict certain processing, and to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

We process your personal data to perform our contract with you (to provide the game you signed up for), on the basis of our legitimate interests (to keep the Services secure, prevent cheating, and improve the game), to comply with legal obligations, and, where required, with your consent - for example, for push notifications and marketing email, which you can withdraw at any time.

Email humans@chibitomo.com to exercise any of these rights.

Retention

We keep your account information for as long as your account exists. When you delete your account, we delete or de-identify the personal information associated with it within 30 days, except where we are required to keep something longer by law or need it to resolve a dispute, prevent abuse, or enforce our agreements.

Records that no longer identify you - aggregate gameplay and balance statistics, and the world's history of anonymous events - may be retained indefinitely.

Security

We use technical and organizational safeguards designed to protect your information, including encrypted connections, sign-in without stored passwords, and access controls on our systems. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Children's Privacy

The Services are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. By using the Services you confirm you meet the minimum age in our Terms of Service.

If you believe a child under 13 has given us personal information, contact humans@chibitomo.com and we will delete the account and the information.

Third-Party Links

The Services link to places we do not run - our Discord community, Apple's App Store, and others. This Policy does not cover them. Review their privacy policies before giving them information.

International Visitors

The Services are hosted in the United States. If you use them from elsewhere, you understand that your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those in your country.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. We will post the revised version on this page with a new “last updated” date, and it takes effect when posted. If we make a material change to how we handle your information, we will give notice in the game or by email as required by law.

Contact

Chibitomo is operated by Sharematter, Inc., a Delaware corporation. Questions, comments, or concerns about this Policy or your data go to humans@chibitomo.com. For anything else, start at Help & Support.