1. Who we are

Stop@5 is a desktop timing game operated by the Stop@5 team ("we", "us", "our"). The game asks you to stop a timer as close to five seconds as you can by pressing the space bar. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you create an account and play, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, how long we keep it, and the choices you have. By creating an account you confirm that you have read this policy. If you do not agree with it, please do not create an account. You can contact us at any time through the Help section of the game about anything written here.

2. Information you give us directly

When you create an account we ask for an email address, a username and a password. Your username is shown on leaderboards, so please do not use your real name or any other personal detail if you would prefer not to be identified. Your email address is used to verify your account, to help you recover access, and to send service messages. Your password is stored only in a hashed form that we cannot read. If you contact support we also keep the messages you send us and any information you choose to include in them.

3. Information we collect when you play

Each time you play we record when you start and stop the timer, the result in milliseconds, the difference from five seconds, the date and time, and the length of the session. We also record that a space bar press happened, but we do not record any other key you press and we do not log text you type outside of the sign up form. We use these results to build your personal history, calculate averages and streaks, and rank you on the leaderboard.

4. Technical information

Like most online services, we automatically receive technical details such as your operating system, screen size, game version, language setting, approximate region based on your IP address, and diagnostic data such as crash reports and error messages. We use this information to keep the game working, to understand which devices we need to support, and to detect problems. We do not use your IP address to determine your precise location, and we do not collect location data from your device.

5. How we use your information

We use the information described above to create and manage your account, to run the game and show your scores, to maintain leaderboards, to detect cheating and automated play, to fix bugs, to measure and improve timing accuracy, to answer your questions, to keep the service secure, and to meet our legal obligations. With your permission we may also send you updates about new features and events. You can turn these messages off at any time and we will still send you essential account messages.

6. Fair play and anti-cheating

To keep the leaderboard fair we compare results against patterns that suggest automation, such as impossibly consistent timings or inputs that do not come from a keyboard. If our systems flag your account we may hide your scores, remove them from the leaderboard, or suspend the account. Before taking a lasting action we review the evidence, and you can ask us to look at the decision again by contacting support. We do not make decisions with legal or similarly significant effects about you using automated means alone.

7. Leaderboards and what other players can see

Your username, best result and rank may be visible to other players. Your email address, password, device details and full play history are never shown to other players. You can choose to appear as anonymous on leaderboards in Settings. If you do, your scores still count toward your own history but your username is replaced with a generic label for other players.

8. When we share information

We do not sell your personal information and we do not share it for third party advertising. We share information only with service providers who help us run the game, such as hosting, email delivery, analytics and crash reporting. These providers may use the information only to provide services to us and are required to protect it. We may also disclose information if the law requires it, to protect the safety of players or the service, or as part of a merger, acquisition or sale of the business, in which case we will tell you first.

9. Cookies and similar technologies

The desktop game stores a small amount of data on your device, such as your login session, your chosen settings and cached results, so that the game loads quickly and remembers you. Our website uses a limited number of cookies that are necessary for sign in and security. We use basic analytics to count visits and see which pages are used. You can clear this data or block cookies in your system or browser settings, although some parts of the game may then stop working.

10. How long we keep information

We keep your account information for as long as your account is open. We keep detailed play data for up to 24 months and then reduce it to summary statistics such as your best result and averages. If you delete your account we remove your personal information within 30 days, except where we must keep certain records to meet legal, tax or security requirements. Backups are overwritten on a regular cycle and deleted information disappears from them within 90 days.

11. How we protect your information

We use industry standard safeguards including encryption in transit, hashed passwords, access controls, logging and regular security reviews. No system is perfectly secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we learn of a breach that is likely to affect you, we will notify you and the relevant authorities as required by law and explain what we are doing about it and what steps you can take.

12. Your choices and rights

Depending on where you live you may have the right to access the information we hold about you, correct it, download a copy, delete it, object to or restrict certain uses, withdraw consent you previously gave, and complain to your local data protection authority. You can do most of these things yourself in Settings under Privacy. You can also contact us and we will respond within the time required by law. We will not treat you differently for using these rights.

13. Children

Stop@5 is intended for people aged 13 and over, or the minimum age of digital consent where you live if it is higher. We do not knowingly collect information from younger children. If you believe a child has created an account without a parent or guardian's permission, please contact us and we will delete the account and the related information promptly.

14. International transfers

We may process and store information in countries other than the one where you live, including countries whose data protection laws differ from yours. When we transfer information we use approved safeguards such as standard contractual clauses, and we require our providers to protect it to the same standard that we do.

15. Terms of play

By playing you agree to use the game fairly and lawfully. You agree not to use scripts, macros, bots or other tools to press the space bar for you, not to interfere with the service or other players, not to attempt to access accounts or systems that are not yours, and not to choose a username that is offensive or impersonates someone else. We may update the game and these terms from time to time. If we make a material change we will tell you in the game before it takes effect, and continuing to play after that means you accept the updated terms.

16. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes to the game, our practices or the law. We will post the new version here with a new date at the top, and if the changes are important we will notify you by email or inside the game. We encourage you to review this policy from time to time.

17. Analytics and improving the game

We use aggregated and, where possible, de-identified information to understand how players use Stop@5. For example, we look at how many people finish their first round, how quickly players improve, which screens cause confusion and how often the game closes unexpectedly. We may run experiments in which different groups of players see slightly different versions of a screen so that we can learn which version is clearer. These experiments never involve changing the price of anything, and they never change how your timing result is measured. We publish only statistics that cannot reasonably be linked back to you, and we do not use your play data to build advertising profiles.

18. Third party links and integrations

The game and website may contain links to other websites, such as our help center, social media pages or the stores through which you download the game. Those services have their own privacy policies and practices, which we do not control and are not responsible for. If you sign in using a platform account, that platform shares with us only the basic details you allow, such as your email address and display name, and we handle those details under this policy. We recommend reading the privacy policy of any service you use alongside ours.

19. Communications

We send service messages that are necessary to run your account, such as email verification, password resets, security alerts and notices of changes to these terms. You cannot opt out of those while your account is open. With your permission, we may also send product news, tips and invitations to events. Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link, and you can change your preferences in Settings. If you reply to us, we keep the conversation so that we can help you and improve our support.

20. Accessibility and your experience

We want Stop@5 to be playable by as many people as possible. The game can be played with the space bar alone, shows results as text as well as color, and supports system level settings such as reduced motion and larger text. If you tell us about accessibility needs, we use that information only to improve the game and to respond to you. You are never required to tell us about a disability or health condition, and we do not ask for it during sign up.

21. Contact us

If you have questions, requests or concerns about this policy or about how your information is handled, contact our privacy team through the Help section of the game, or write to privacy@stopat5.example. Please include your username so that we can find your account quickly. We will do our best to resolve your question and to respond as quickly as we can.