We have our first third party integration with a provider of HTML5 games. GamePix is a marketplace and provider of html5 games on the web.
Since yesterday there’s a post on the GamePix blog outlining why it may be a good idea for a games site to provide a privacy policy for their users and for AdSense, for example.
The short version is that there are 3 players that might want to see a privacy policy provided by these sites:
- the law: privacy laws require privacy notices when personal data is processed or/and when those sites are commercial. That is mostly given with (html5) games websites because of monetization through ads.
- the game providers: the companies that provide (in our case GamePix) may require their users (websites) to have a privacy policy. The reason for this is that if the websites don’t have a privacy policy they may get penalized by the ads providers like AdSense. This is bad for business.
- the monetizers: here enters AdSense as our example. AdSense requires a privacy policy to be in place in their terms of use.
We had written about AdSense and their privacy policy requirement before here. Because the privacy notice for AdSense is so beautifully vocal I’m repeating it here as well:
8. Privacy
(…)
You will ensure that at all times you use the Services, the Properties have a clearly labeled and easily accessible privacy policy that provides end users with clear and comprehensive information about cookies, device-specific information, location information and other information stored on, accessed on, or collected from end users’ devices in connection with the Services, including, as applicable, information about end users’ options for cookie management. You will use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that an end user gives consent to the storing and accessing of cookies, device-specific information, location information or other information on the end user’s device in connection with the Services where such consent is required by law.
How do I write a privacy policy if I am embedding games like the ones provided by GamePix?
If you happen to run a gaming site and embed games from providers you’ll need to look out for two things.
1) you are embedding content from another site which allows them to measure certain things happening on your site.
2) be careful to disclose all the info required by the ads provider.
In the case of GamePix it may be adviseable to disclose the fact that you use GamePix and maybe you are monetizing with AdSense?
- Publishers of GamePix’ games: since GamePix provides HTML5 games as a third party for your site, you should include GamePix inside your privacy policy as a third party service, linking back to the GamePix privacy policy, so the user understands what’s happening when they’re playing games on your website or blog.
- Displaying ads provided by AdSense: state the fact that you use AdSense and describe what it does for you exactly. Link to their site and privacy policy. Also, you should tell people how they can opt-out from the DoubleClick cookie. The same is true for other advertising networks, a general opt-out can be found at this link: http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp.
Since we’ve integrated both GamePix and AdSense into our privacy policy generator, we may be able to help you getting started.
