1. Who controls your information
gaming.tools is an eenmanszaak registered in the Netherlands with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under KVK number 84672056 and VAT number NL003996838B11. gaming.tools is the controller for the processing described in this policy.
For privacy questions or requests, email privacy@gaming.tools.
2. Scope
This policy covers companion.gaming.tools, the gaming.tools Companion for Windows, web pages displayed inside the Companion, gaming.tools account services used by the Companion, and Companion cloud features. Other gaming.tools websites may provide additional notices for their own features.
Third-party services, including game publishers, authentication providers, Patreon, GitHub, and advertisers, process information under their own privacy policies.
3. Information we process
Account and authentication information
When you sign in through a supported provider such as Discord, Google, Patreon, or Twitch, we process an internal account ID, the provider and provider account identifier, linked-account status, session identifiers, entitlement information, and relevant membership status. We may store a one-way hash of the provider email address for account and service configuration. We do not receive your provider password.
Companion and device information
We process the Companion version, Windows and device or browser characteristics, selected game and workspace, feature settings, language, overlay layouts, and diagnostic information. Network requests necessarily expose an IP address to the service receiving the request.
Game and feature information
The Companion reads supported game state, processes, memory, logs, or local files to provide the features you enable. Depending on the game and feature, this can include character and account identifiers, character names, world or server identifiers, inventory and recipe state, map position, session duration and activity, progression, currencies, loot summaries, base information, event progress, and overlay state.
Some information is processed only on your device. Features described as cloud or sync features send the relevant information to gaming.tools services so it can be shown across sessions or devices.
Local files and diagnostics
The Companion stores settings, session state, caches, layouts, and rotating diagnostic logs on your device. Local diagnostic logs are not automatically uploaded to gaming.tools. They are shared only when you choose to provide them, for example when requesting support.
Support communications
When you contact us, we process your email address, message, attachments, and any diagnostic or account information you choose to include.
4. Analytics
The Companion uses a self-hosted Plausible Analytics service to understand feature usage and reliability. Events can include the app version, active page or workspace, app launches, world changes, engaged or play time, and custom feature events.
Plausible uses the IP address and User-Agent received with a request to create a daily, pseudonymous visitor identifier. The IP address and full User-Agent are not retained by Plausible as raw analytics fields, and the daily salt is replaced every 24 hours. For signed-in Companion use, the User-Agent includes a short account-derived token so daily counts can distinguish signed-in users. The analytics setting in the Companion can be used to disable these events.
Read more about the underlying approach in the Plausible data policy.
5. Advertising
Free Companion experiences may display advertising supplied by Nitro, which is operated by Overwolf. Advertising technology can process online identifiers, IP-derived approximate location, consent or preference strings, the page or app surface displaying an ad, device and browser information, and ad impressions or interactions.
Nitro and its advertising partners may use cookies, local storage, or similar technologies where the web surface permits them. Personalized advertising is used only where the required choice or consent has been obtained. Contextual advertising and limited technical processing may still occur where permitted. Accounts with an active remove-ads entitlement do not receive Companion ad placements.
See the Nitro privacy policy and our Cookie and Advertising Notice for more information.
6. Why we use information
- Provide the Companion, authentication, cloud sync, overlays, maps, and game-specific tools.
- Remember preferences and maintain account entitlements.
- Operate, secure, troubleshoot, and improve the services.
- Measure aggregate usage and feature engagement.
- Display and measure advertising for users without an ad-free entitlement.
- Respond to support requests and enforce our Terms of Use.
- Meet legal, accounting, fraud-prevention, and security obligations.
7. Legal bases
- Contract: processing needed to provide requested account, Companion, cloud, and entitlement features.
- Consent: personalized advertising, non-essential storage, and analytics where consent is legally required. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.
- Legitimate interests: service security, fraud prevention, diagnostics, support, product improvement, and proportionate aggregate measurement where permitted.
- Legal obligation: processing needed to comply with applicable law or valid legal requests.
8. Who receives information
We disclose only the information needed for the relevant service. Key recipient categories include:
- Cloudflare for network delivery, hosting, APIs, storage, security, and databases.
- Discord, Google, Patreon, Twitch, and other providers you choose for authentication or linked-account features.
- Patreon for subscription checkout, billing, and membership status.
- GitHub for Companion downloads and update delivery.
- Our self-hosted Plausible service for analytics.
- Nitro, Overwolf, and participating advertising partners for ad delivery, consent, fraud prevention, and measurement.
- Professional advisers, authorities, or other parties when required by law or necessary to protect rights and security.
We do not sell personal information for money. Disclosures used for targeted advertising may be considered a sale or sharing under some US state privacy laws. Available consent, opt-out, and Global Privacy Control signals are respected as described in the Cookie and Advertising Notice.
9. International transfers
Providers and advertising partners may process information outside the European Economic Area. Where required, transfers rely on an adequacy decision, approved contractual safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses, or another lawful transfer mechanism.
10. Retention
- Local Companion files remain on your device until removed by you, the Companion, or uninstall and cleanup processes.
- Authentication sessions normally expire within 90 days and may end earlier when you sign out or revoke access.
- Cloud settings and synced game data are kept while needed to provide the selected feature, until you delete them, close the account, or the feature is retired.
- Linked-account and entitlement records are kept while the link is active and as needed to resolve account or membership issues.
- Plausible daily visitor identifiers expire after 24 hours. Aggregate event records are retained only while needed for product measurement and service planning.
- Support, security, and operational records are retained for the shortest period reasonably needed for the request, incident, dispute, or applicable legal obligation.
Backups may retain deleted information for a limited recovery cycle before it is overwritten.
11. Your choices and rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, object to, or receive a portable copy of personal information, and to withdraw consent. You may also have the right to opt out of targeted advertising or the sale or sharing of personal information and to receive equal service after exercising a privacy right.
- Disable Companion analytics in the launcher settings.
- Use Update Cookie Preferences in the site footer to review available consent choices.
- Delete supported cloud records through the relevant feature controls.
- Sign out to remove the active local account session.
- Email privacy@gaming.tools to request account access, correction, export, or deletion.
We may need to verify that a request relates to your account. We normally respond to valid GDPR requests within one month. You may complain to your local supervisory authority, including the Dutch Data Protection Authority.
12. Security
We use technical and organizational measures intended to protect information, including encrypted transport, scoped session identifiers, access controls, and provider security controls. No system can guarantee absolute security.
13. Children
The Companion is not directed to children under 16, and we do not knowingly create accounts for or collect personal information from children under 16. Contact us if you believe a child has provided information so we can investigate and delete it where appropriate.
14. Changes and contact
We may update this policy when the Companion, providers, or legal requirements change. Material changes will be highlighted through the site, Companion, or another appropriate channel. The date at the top identifies the latest version.
Questions or privacy requests can be sent to privacy@gaming.tools.