Kids Pretend Shop — Privacy Policy
Byron Ludwig ("I", "me", "my") built the Pretend Shop app as a free, ad-supported application. This page is used to inform visitors and users regarding my policies with the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information.
Children's Privacy
Pretend Shop is designed for children. I do not knowingly collect personal information from children or any other users. The app does not require account creation, login, or any form of registration. I comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and applicable child-safety regulations.
If I discover that personal information from a child has been inadvertently collected, I will delete it immediately. If you are a parent or guardian and you believe your child has provided personal information through this app, please contact me so I can take the necessary actions.
Information Collection and Use
Pretend Shop does not collect, store, or transmit any personal information. The app does not require you to provide any personally identifiable information to use it.
All app data (such as store name preferences, display settings, and shopping cart contents) is stored locally on your device only and is never sent to any server.
Third-Party Services
The app uses the following third-party services that may collect information:
Google AdMob
Pretend Shop displays banner advertisements provided by Google AdMob. Because the app is directed at children, ads are served in child-directed mode in accordance with COPPA. This means:
- No personalised or behavioural advertising is shown
- Only contextual, age-appropriate ads rated "G" (General audiences) are displayed
- Interest-based advertising and remarketing are disabled
Even in child-directed mode, Google may collect certain technical data such as:
- Device type and model
- Operating system version
- IP address (used for general location-based ad serving, not stored for profiling)
- Ad interaction data (e.g. whether an ad was viewed or clicked)
This data is collected and processed by Google under their own privacy policies. For more information, see the Google Privacy Policy and Google Advertising Policies.
Users may purchase an in-app option to remove all advertisements, which stops all AdMob data collection within the app.
Advertising Consent (EEA, UK and Switzerland)
The app uses Google's User Messaging Platform (UMP), a Google-certified consent management platform, to obtain consent where it is legally required.
If you are located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, a consent message is displayed before any advertisement is requested. No ad is loaded, and the Google Mobile Ads SDK is not started, until you have made a choice. If you decline, no advertisement is shown and no ad-related data is collected.
Your choice is stored locally on your device. It is not sent to me, and I have no access to it.
You can review, change, or withdraw your choice at any time from Settings → Ad Privacy Options within the app. This option is placed behind the grown-ups-only gate and appears only where a consent choice applies to you.
Regardless of the choice made, advertising in this app is always served in child-directed mode, so no personalised or interest-based ads are shown.
Google Play Billing
The app offers in-app purchases (to remove ads and to unlock additional stores) processed through Google Play Billing. The purchase transaction is handled entirely by Google Play. I do not receive, store, or have access to any payment or financial information. Google's handling of purchase data is governed by the Google Privacy Policy.
Permissions
The app requests the following device permissions:
- Internet - Required to display advertisements via Google AdMob. No personal data is sent from the app; see the "Google AdMob" section above for details on data collected by the ad service.
- NFC - Used solely for the tap-to-pay pretend play feature, which simulates contactless payment between two devices. No data is transmitted or stored via NFC beyond the in-app game interaction.
- Vibrate - Used for haptic feedback during gameplay. No data is collected.
Data Retention
Since no personal data is collected by the app, there is no personal data to retain. Local app preferences are stored on your device and can be cleared at any time by clearing the app's data or uninstalling it.
Data Security
Although no personal data is collected, I value your trust and strive to use commercially acceptable means of protecting any information within the app. Please be aware that no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure.
Links to Other Sites
This app does not contain links to other sites. However, third-party advertisements displayed by AdMob may contain links to external websites. I have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content or privacy practices of any third-party sites or services.
I encourage parents and guardians to supervise their children's use of the app.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.
Contact
If you have any questions or suggestions about this Privacy Policy, or wish to exercise any rights regarding your information, please contact me at: