Walk Places

1. Overview

Walk Places (“the App”, “we”, “us”) is an independent spatial exploration mobile game. We respect your privacy and believe in minimal, transparent data practices. This Privacy Policy explains what information the App collects, how it is used, and how your data is protected when you download and play Walk Places on Android or visit walkplaces.org.

We manage personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (“APPs”), alongside applicable mobile app store policies.

2. Location Data (Foreground Only)

Walk Places is a location-based game built around real-world movement. To participate in gameplay, the App requests permission to access your device’s precise and approximate location (GPS):

• Foreground Operation Only: The App only accesses your location while the application is actively open and running in the foreground on your screen. Walk Places does not request background location access, nor does it track your movement when the App is closed or minimized.
• Purpose of Location: Your coordinates are used in real-time to position your avatar on the exploration grid, detect nearby landmarks, discover in-game items and boutique spots, and verify proximity to hidden geocaches.
• No Continuous Location Tracking or Sale: Your real-time movements and geographic tracks are processed directly on your device to update your grid coordinates. We do not maintain a historical location log of your routes, and we never sell or rent your location information to third parties.
• Community Geocaches: If you intentionally create and hide a geocache for other players to discover, the static geographic coordinates of that specific cache location are saved to our database and made visible to other players in the game.

3. Account & Gameplay Data

In accordance with Australian Privacy Principle 2 (“Anonymity and Pseudonymity”), we design Walk Places so that you can interact with the game without revealing your true identity:

• Anonymous / Guest Play: You can play Walk Places completely anonymously without creating an account. In guest mode, an anonymous authentication identifier is generated via Firebase to keep your save data linked to your device without collecting any personal details.
• Pseudonymous Accounts: If you choose to create a player profile, you only need to choose a pseudonym (username) and password. We do not require your real name, physical address, or phone number to play.
• Cloud Save Data: Your gameplay progress (including collected artifacts, player level, in-game balance, visit history, and statistics) is saved locally on your device and backed up securely to our cloud database to prevent progress loss.

4. Third-Party Services & Overseas Disclosure (Principle 8)

We rely on select industry-standard cloud infrastructure to provide backend functionality:

• Google Firebase: We utilize Firebase Authentication and Cloud Firestore (provided by Google LLC) for secure account authentication, cloud save synchronization, and community geocache sharing. Firebase manages data under Google’s rigorous security and privacy standards. For details on Google’s data practices, visit the Google Privacy Policy.
• Map Services: Open-source mapping tiles may be fetched to display spatial map data within the game.

Overseas Transfer of Data: In accordance with Australian Privacy Principle 8 (“Cross-border disclosure of personal information”), please be aware that our cloud service provider, Google LLC, may store and process data on secure servers located outside of Australia, including in the United States and other global Google Cloud regions. By using the App, you acknowledge and consent to this cross-border storage and processing.

5. Access, Correction & Account Deletion (Principles 12 & 13)

We retain your gameplay and account data for as long as your account remains active.

Access and Correction: Under Australian Privacy Principles 12 and 13, you have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and to request corrections if you believe any information is inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, or misleading. You may submit an access or correction request by emailing alex@walkplaces.org. We will respond to your request within 30 calendar days at no charge.

Account & Data Deletion: You have the right to delete your account and all associated data at any time. You can delete your account directly inside the App via the in-game Settings menu, or by emailing a deletion request to alex@walkplaces.org. Upon deletion, your authentication record and all associated cloud save data stored in Cloud Firestore are permanently and irreversibly removed.

6. Children’s Privacy

Walk Places is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided personal information to us, please contact us at alex@walkplaces.org so that we can promptly delete such information.

7. Security

We implement technical and organizational measures to safeguard your information, including encrypted transmission over HTTPS/TLS and strict database security rules. While no digital service can guarantee absolute security, we strive to minimize data collection and use trusted enterprise infrastructure.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy periodically to reflect enhancements to Walk Places or evolving legal requirements. Any modifications will be posted on this page with an updated “Effective Date”.

9. Privacy Complaints & Australian Privacy Commissioner

If you have a concern or complaint regarding how your personal information is handled or believe there has been a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles, please contact us in writing at alex@walkplaces.org with the details of your inquiry. We will promptly investigate and provide a written response within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response or how your complaint was handled, you have the right to escalate your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

• Website: www.oaic.gov.au
• Phone: 1300 363 992
• Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
• Post: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001

10. Contact Us

If you have questions, feedback, or privacy-related requests concerning this Privacy Policy or Walk Places, please contact:

Walk Places Privacy
Email: alex@walkplaces.org
Website: walkplaces.org