Privacy Policy

Effective June 9, 2026

Grow a Plant ("we", "us") is a free daily virtual plant game operated by Grow a Plant. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your rights. Questions go to [email protected].

TL;DR: We collect the minimum data needed to run the game, show ads via Google AdSense, and let you sign in with Google. We don't sell your data. You can delete your account anytime.

1. Information we collect

  • From Google Sign-In: your name, email address, Google profile picture URL, and Google account ID.
  • From gameplay: your plant height, growth history, and leaderboard position.
  • From your browser: IP address, user agent string, and basic device info captured in server logs.
  • Guest mode: a cookie containing your plant height — no identifying information.
  • Push notifications: if you grant browser permission, we store your push endpoint and encryption keys.

2. How we use your information

  • Operate the game and save your progress.
  • Display you on the public leaderboard (name and avatar).
  • Send the three notification types described below.
  • Show ads via Google AdSense.
  • Detect abuse, debug errors, and prevent cheating.
  • Comply with legal requirements.

3. Public leaderboard display

By signing in with Google, you understand that your Google display name and profile picture may appear on the public leaderboard, which is indexed by search engines. You can hide yourself from the leaderboard at any time in Settings; hidden users appear as "Anonymous Gardener" with a generic icon.

4. Cookies and local storage

Strictly necessary (first-party):

  • laravel_session — keeps you signed in.
  • XSRF-TOKEN — prevents cross-site request forgery.
  • guest_plant — stores your plant if you play without an account.

Local storage: Livewire stores temporary UI state in your browser's localStorage. Clearing site data resets it.

Sign-In with Google: Google sets cookies on accounts.google.com. Governed by Google's Privacy Policy.

Advertising (Google AdSense): AdSense sets third-party cookies (e.g., IDE, ANID) to serve and measure ads. See How Google uses advertising cookies.

PWA service worker: caches game assets so the site loads faster and works briefly offline. No identifying data.

5. Advertising

Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on prior visits to this site or other sites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visits to this site and other sites on the internet.

You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or aboutads.info. We honor the Global Privacy Control (GPC) browser signal: when your browser sends it, we serve non-personalized ads.

See How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services for more on the data Google receives.

6. How we share your information

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information for marketing purposes. We share data with the following service providers:

  • Google — sign-in and AdSense.
  • Resend — sends our transactional email.
  • Cloudflare — DNS and email routing.
  • Our hosting provider — runs the application servers.
  • Legal compliance — disclosure required by law (subpoena, fraud investigation).
  • Business transfer — in the event of a sale, merger, or acquisition, your information may transfer to the new owner under this same policy.

7. Email communications

We send the following emails to registered users:

  1. Overtaken — when another player passes you on the leaderboard.
  2. Inactivity day 1 — gentle nudge after one day away.
  3. Inactivity day 2 — second reminder if you still haven't returned.

Every email includes a one-click unsubscribe link and our physical postal address. You can also enable or disable each type in Settings → Notifications. We honor unsubscribe requests within 10 business days (in practice, immediately).

8. Your California privacy rights

If you reside in California, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

  • Categories of personal information collected: identifiers (name, email, IP), internet activity (logs, cookies), inferences (gameplay data).
  • Sources: directly from you, Google OAuth, cookies.
  • Business purposes: authentication, gameplay, email delivery, advertising.
  • Shared with: Google (for advertising), Resend (for email), Cloudflare (for DNS).
  • Your rights: Know, Delete, Correct, Opt-out of Sale or Sharing, Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information, Non-discrimination.
  • We do not collect sensitive personal information.
  • We honor Global Privacy Control browser signals as opt-out requests.

To exercise these rights, email [email protected]. You may also use our Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information link.

9. Other US state privacy rights

If you reside in Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Montana, Florida, Delaware, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Iowa, Tennessee, Nebraska, Maryland, Minnesota, Indiana, or Kentucky, you may have similar rights to access, delete, or correct your data. Contact us at [email protected].

10. Children's privacy

Grow a Plant is intended for users 13 and older and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn we have collected such information, we will delete it promptly. Parents or guardians who believe their child has created an account may contact [email protected] to request deletion, which we will complete within 30 days.

11. Data retention

  • Account data: kept while your account is active.
  • Server logs: 30 days.
  • Leaderboard entries: kept while your account is active; removed when you delete.
  • Push subscriptions: kept until you revoke or delete your account.
  • Backups: up to 90 days after deletion.

12. Security

We use HTTPS, encrypted storage, and standard security practices. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We will notify you of data breaches as required by applicable law.

13. Account deletion

You can request deletion at any time in Settings or by emailing [email protected]. We delete account data within 30 days. What persists: anonymous aggregate stats and backup copies (up to 90 days).

14. International users

Grow a Plant is intended for users in the United States. If you access the service from outside the US, you do so at your own risk.

15. Changes

We may update this policy. Material changes will be posted with a new effective date and announced via email to your last known address. Continued use of the service after changes take effect means you accept the updated policy.

16. Contact

[email protected]

Grow a Plant
7810 87TH AVE NE
Marysville, WA 98270-7413
USA

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