Privacy Policy

Mad Science Software B.V. is a private limited company established in the Netherlands. We are the data controller responsible for the personal data described in this policy.

Puzzle content you write. The words, clues, titles, and messages you enter in the builder may include personal details about you or the person you are making the puzzle for. We process this content to generate and serve your crossword, including with the assistance of AI service providers.

Checkout information. Payment is handled by our payment processor, Stripe. We receive the email address you provide at checkout — used to deliver your puzzle links and to recover them if you lose them — and transaction details. We never store full card numbers.

On your device.Your in-progress puzzle draft, your access codes, and your play progress are saved in your own browser’s local storage so you can pick up where you left off. This information stays on your device and is not transmitted to us.

Technical data. Like any web server, ours receives technical data with each request, such as your Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type, and the time and page requested. We use this data only to deliver the Service, operate it, and protect it against abuse, and we retain it only for a limited period.

Advertising measurement. With your consent, we use Google Tag Manager with Google Ads conversion measurement to learn whether visitors who reach the site through our advertising go on to start a checkout or complete a purchase. See Section 5.

We use the information we collect to:

• Generate, deliver, and serve your crossword;
• Process your purchase and send your puzzle links;
• Recover your links when you ask us to;
• Respond to your questions and support requests;
• Measure the effectiveness of our advertising, with consent; and
• Maintain the security and proper functioning of the Service.

Where the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies, we rely on the following legal bases:

• Puzzle content, checkout email, and transaction data: the performance of our contract with you.
• Google Ads conversion cookies: your consent, which you may withdraw at any time via the Cookie settings link in the footer.
• Technical data received when serving the site and your puzzles: our legitimate interest in delivering, operating, and securing the Service.
• Drafts, access codes, and play progress stored on your device: this information is not transmitted to us; the storage is used solely to provide functionality you have requested.

The site uses browser storage for two kinds of purposes. The first is strictly necessary and functional: local storage that saves your puzzle draft, access codes, and play progress on your device. It is used solely to provide functionality you request and is not used to track you.

The second is optional: Google Ads conversion cookies, set through Google Tag Manager, which are only enabled after you accept them in the cookie banner. If you decline, or before you choose, these cookies are not set. You can change your choice at any time via the Cookie settings link in the footer, and you can opt out of personalized Google advertising through Google’s Ads Settings and review Google’s practices at policies.google.com/technologies/ads.

We do not sell your personal data, and we do not share it with third parties for their own marketing. We rely on a small number of service providers who process data on our behalf so the Service can function:

• Stripe, which handles payment;
• the cloud infrastructure providers that host our servers and store puzzle data;
• AI service providers whose models assist in generating puzzles and clues from the content you write;
• our email delivery provider, through which your puzzle links are sent; and
• Google, which provides the consent-gated advertising conversion measurement described above.

These providers may only process your information to provide services to us. We may also disclose information where required by law.

We retain your puzzle content, generated crossword, and checkout email for as long as your puzzle is being served, or until you ask us to delete them. Transaction records are kept as needed to comply with legal obligations such as tax law. Technical data is retained only for a limited period for security and operational purposes. Drafts, access codes, and play progress remain on your device until you clear your browser’s stored data. After these periods, we delete or anonymize information unless we are legally required to keep it.

Some of our service providers, including Google, our cloud infrastructure providers, and our AI service providers, are based in or process data in the United States, so personal data may be processed outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Where this occurs, such transfers are covered by safeguards such as the European Union (EU) Standard Contractual Clauses, the EU–US Data Privacy Framework where the provider is certified, or an applicable adequacy decision.

If you are in the EEA, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to our processing of your personal data, the right to data portability, and the right to withdraw consent at any time. To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details below.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. In the Netherlands, this is the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl).

If you are a California resident, you may have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), including the right to know, delete, and opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under California law.

The site is intended for a general audience and is not directed at children under 16. Purchases must be made by an adult. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the effective date above. Material changes will be reflected on this page.

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise your rights, contact us at:
Mad Science Software B.V.
Attn: James Youngquist
james@madsciencesoftware.dev