Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy describes how Banana Land USA ("Banana Land USA," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and shares information when you visit bananalandusa.com (the "Site") and, once it launches, when you play the Banana Land USA mobile game (the "Game"). The Site and the Game are together the "Services."
The Game is currently in development. Sections of this Policy that describe the Game apply beginning when the Game becomes publicly available. Until then, the only personal information we collect is what you give us on the Site (for example, your email address when you join our waitlist).
1. Information We Collect
Information you provide to us
- Waitlist and contact information. When you join our waitlist or contact us, we collect your email address and the contents of your message.
- Account information (Game). When you create a Game account, we collect your email address, a username or display name, and your confirmation that you meet our minimum age requirement.
- Prize and winner information (Game). If you win a real-world prize, we collect the additional information needed to verify your eligibility and deliver your prize: your full legal name, mailing/shipping address, phone number, date of birth, and — for prizes valuable enough to trigger tax reporting — taxpayer information such as a completed IRS Form W-9. See Section 5.
- Support communications. Messages you send us, and our responses.
Information collected automatically
- Precise location data (Game). The Game is a location-based outdoor adventure: it uses your device's precise location (collected via GPS, Wi-Fi, and cell signals) to place virtual bananas and treasure chests near you and to verify that you actually collected them. Location is collected only while you are using the Game, with your permission, as described in Section 3.
- Device and technical data. Device model, operating system version, device identifiers, IP address, app version, language, and time zone.
- Gameplay data (Game). Your in-game progress, items collected, session times, and interactions with Game features.
- Usage and diagnostics. Crash logs, performance data, and analytics about how the Services are used, so we can fix problems and improve them.
- Push notification tokens (Game). If you enable notifications, we collect the token needed to send them. You can turn notifications off at any time in your device settings.
- Site log data. Our website host processes standard server logs (IP address, browser type, pages requested) to deliver and secure the Site.
Information from third parties
- Sign-in providers (Game). If we offer sign-in through a third-party provider (such as Sign in with Apple or Google) and you use it, we receive basic account information such as your email address, as permitted by that provider and your settings.
- App stores. If the Game offers purchases, the app store processes your payment and shares purchase receipts with us. We never receive your full payment card details.
2. How and Why We Use Information
We use the information described above to:
- Provide the Services — operate the Site and waitlist, create and manage Game accounts, and run core gameplay, including using your location to place and verify bananas and treasure chests (legal basis: performance of a contract);
- Fulfill prizes — verify winner eligibility, deliver prizes, and meet tax-reporting obligations (legal bases: performance of a contract; legal obligation);
- Communicate with you — send waitlist updates you signed up for, service announcements, and replies to your messages; marketing messages are sent only with your consent, and every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link (legal bases: consent; legitimate interests);
- Improve and secure the Services — analytics, debugging, preventing cheating, fraud, and abuse, and protecting our players (legal basis: legitimate interests);
- Comply with law — respond to lawful requests and meet record-keeping requirements (legal basis: legal obligation).
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use your location data for advertising.
3. Location Data
Location is what makes the Game work, so we want to be unusually clear about it:
- What we collect: your device's precise location while the Game is open and in use.
- Why: to place virtual bananas and treasure chests along parks, trails, and routes near you; to make them appear during their limited daily windows; and to verify collections and prize wins.
- Your control: the Game asks your permission before accessing location, and you can revoke that permission at any time in your device settings. Without location access, the core Game cannot function.
- Background collection: we do not collect your location in the background. If we ever add an optional feature that needs background location, it will be off by default, clearly explained, and enabled only with your separate consent.
- Retention: we keep raw location traces only as long as needed for gameplay, win verification, and anti-cheat purposes, after which they are deleted or aggregated so they no longer identify you.
- No sale, no ads: we never sell your location data, never share it with data brokers or advertisers, and never use it to build advertising profiles.
4. How We Share Information
We share personal information only with:
- Service providers that host and operate the Services on our behalf — for example, our website and database are hosted on Cloudflare's infrastructure, and we may use analytics and crash-reporting providers for the Game. Service providers may use your information only to provide services to us;
- Prize-fulfillment partners — shipping carriers, travel-booking providers, or sweepstakes administrators, who receive winner contact and delivery details solely to verify and deliver prizes;
- Tax authorities — where prize values require reporting (for example, on IRS Form 1099);
- Legal and safety recipients — when required by law, legal process, or to protect the rights, safety, and security of our players, the public, or Banana Land USA;
- A successor entity — if we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, in which case this Policy will continue to apply to your information.
We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under applicable U.S. state privacy laws, and we have not done so in the preceding 12 months.
5. Prizes and Treasure Chests
Some in-Game treasure chests award real-world prizes. Prize events are governed by their Official Rules, which will be available in the Game, together with this Policy. If you win:
- We collect the winner information described in Section 1 to verify your eligibility (including your age and your location at the time of the win) and to deliver your prize;
- For prizes above the IRS reporting threshold, we are required to collect taxpayer information (Form W-9) and report the prize to tax authorities. Taxpayer information is used solely for tax compliance, is protected with heightened safeguards, and is retained only for the period required by tax law;
- Winner information is never used for advertising, and any use of a winner's name or likeness for publicity will occur only as described in the Official Rules and permitted by law;
- Prize records are deleted once fulfillment and legally required retention periods have passed.
6. Data Retention
- Waitlist emails: kept until launch communications conclude or you unsubscribe, whichever comes first;
- Account data: kept while your account is active and deleted within a reasonable period after you delete your account;
- Raw location traces: shortest retention of any category — kept only as long as needed for gameplay, verification, and anti-cheat, then deleted or aggregated;
- Analytics and diagnostics: retained in identifiable form only as long as needed to analyze and improve the Services;
- Prize and tax records: retained for the period required by tax and sweepstakes law, then deleted.
7. Security
We use reasonable technical and organizational safeguards to protect your information, including encryption of data in transit. No system is perfectly secure, but if a breach affecting your personal information occurs, we will notify you and the relevant authorities as required by law.
8. Your Rights and Choices
- Access, correction, deletion, and portability: you may request a copy of, correction of, or deletion of your personal information by emailing [email protected]. We will verify your request and respond within the time required by applicable law (generally 45 days);
- Account deletion (Game): when the Game launches, you will be able to delete your account and associated data from within the Game, or from a web page on this Site without reinstalling the app. Data we must keep for legal reasons (such as tax records for prize winners or fraud-prevention records) is retained only as long as those reasons require;
- Marketing opt-out: every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link; unsubscribing does not affect service messages (like a prize notification);
- Permissions: you can revoke location and notification permissions at any time in your device settings;
- Appeals: if we decline a privacy request, you may appeal by replying to our decision, and you may contact your state Attorney General.
9. U.S. State Privacy Disclosures
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and similar state laws, the categories of personal information we collect are: identifiers (email, name, device identifiers, IP address); customer records (winner contact and tax information); internet or network activity (usage and diagnostics); precise geolocation (Game only); and inferences limited to gameplay (such as progress and achievements). We collect them from you and your device, for the purposes in Section 2, and disclose them only to the recipients in Section 4.
- No sale or sharing: we do not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising, and we do not use or disclose sensitive personal information (such as precise geolocation) for purposes other than providing the Services;
- Sensitive data consent: where state law requires it, we obtain your opt-in consent before collecting precise geolocation;
- Global Privacy Control: because we do not sell or share personal information, there is no sale or sharing for a GPC signal to opt out of; if that ever changes, we will honor GPC and update this Policy first;
- Non-discrimination: we will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights;
- Authorized agents (California): an authorized agent may submit requests on your behalf with proof of authorization.
10. International Users
The Services are operated from the United States and intended for users in the United States. If you access them from outside the U.S., your information is transferred to and processed in the U.S. If we make the Game available in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we will process personal data under the legal bases noted in Section 2, provide any additional disclosures required by the GDPR/UK GDPR (including transfer safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses), and you will have the right to lodge a complaint with your supervisory authority.
11. Children's Privacy
The Services are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. The Game will require users to confirm their age through a neutral age screen, and users under 13 will not be permitted to create an account. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us personal information, contact us at [email protected] and we will delete it promptly.
12. Third-Party Links and Services
The Services may link to third-party sites and services (for example, app stores or our social media pages). Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies, which we encourage you to read.
13. Changes to This Policy
We will update this Policy as the Services evolve — including before the Game launches. We will post the updated Policy here with a new "Last updated" date, and for material changes we will provide additional notice (such as an in-Game or email notice) before the changes take effect.
14. Contact Us
Questions or requests: [email protected]
Banana Land USA, United States