Privacy Policy

Personal Data collected through this website is controlled by Hyperfiction, a privately owned UK business in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

What data is collected from you?

Hyperfiction collects data in several ways:

Registration: When you register for the site or during the course of your use of the site, Hyperfiction allows you to enter an email address, a user name and a number of other items of information. All this information is recorded by Hyperfiction. Note that you are not required and we recommend you do not use your real name when creating a user account user name.

Game Scores: Elements of your usage history of certain games may be recorded by Hyperfiction in the form of high score lists and game rankings in your account profile.

Submissions: When you submit a piece of work to a Hyperfiction site via email, the email address from which that story was sent and any other email addresses volunteered in the body or attachments of the email are recorded by Hyperfiction. In addition, any other personal data volunteered in the body or attachments of the email or the submission itself may be recorded by Hyperfiction.

Comments and Multiplayer Game Chat: When you add a comment to the site or submit a comment in the chat element of a multiplayer game, any personal data volunteered may be recorded by Hyperfiction. Hyperfiction recommends that you take care not to transmit personal information via these channels.

Web Logs: Hyperfiction also records information sent by your browser such as your computer's IP address, referring HTTP location, search string, time of the access, browser's time and other statistics for each page accessed. This data may be used anonymously, in an aggregated form to provide statistical information on web page usage.

Tracking Services: Hyperfiction may employ tracking services such as Quantcast or Google Analytics which also record web log information that is used anonymously, in an aggregated form to provide statistical information on web page usage. Note that this data is collected and stored by the third party.

Other: Hyperfiction may ask you for personal data at other times including, but not limited to, competitions, surveys and correspondence with Hyperfiction of which we may keep a record.

How does Hyperfiction use my personal data?

Hyperfiction primarily uses your personal data to administer, moderate and maintain the website and the services available through or in connection with the website. Any of the data collected including but not limited to an individual's or aggregate data about Hyperfiction services, private messages, comments or multiplayer chat may be

used for the purpose of moderation of the site, regardless of the original purpose of the data.

Hyperfiction may also hold personal data for internal record-keeping and, where needed, may use personal data to protect or enforce its legal rights, and to comply with its legal obligations.

More detail on Hyperfiction's use of specific categories of data is as follows:

Anonymous, Aggregated Data: Hyperfiction may use aggregated and statistical data to analyse web site usage. Hyperfiction may disclose anonymous, aggregate data about its services - for instance '80,000 unique users in June' - to prospective partners, advertisers and other third parties.

Author Data: Where users submitting work to a Hyperfiction website volunteer biographical data about themselves in emails relating to submissions, Hyperfiction will make this data available to the users of its sites by publishing it on a relevant site page. Should the submitter request that this biographical data be removed or withheld, Hyperfiction will make every reasonable attempt to comply with the submitter's wishes. Submitters should note that, although data published on the website can be removed from the website itself, Hyperfiction has no control over data that has been downloaded and stored locally by users of the site.

Email Data: Where users transmit their email address to Hyperfiction though, for instance, registering at the site or by submitting a story, Hyperfiction may send the user, at the submitted address, occasional information regarding, for instance, changes to the site. Users may make a request to stop receiving this information at any time by emailing Hyperfiction.

Registration Data: Any of the information users provide when registering for or using the site (with the exception of their email address and password) will be viewable by anyone visiting the site. In addition, some information about a user's usage of the site (such as game scores and ranks) is viewable to other users of the site.

Comments and Multiplayer Chat: Where users transmit comments to the site, Hyperfiction makes this data available to the users of its sites by publishing it on a relevant site page. In addition, information provided in the chat elements of the multiplayer games is also displayed publicly on the site for a period of time and Hyperfiction may store this data for the purposes of moderation. Hyperfiction recommends that you take care not to transmit personal information via these channels.

Should the submitter request that any personal data transmitted via these channels be removed or withheld, Hyperfiction will make every reasonable attempt to comply with the submitter's wishes. Submitters should note that, although data published on the website can be removed from the website itself, Hyperfiction has no control over data that has been downloaded and stored locally by users of the site.

How are cookies used?

Hyperfiction uses 'cookies' - a small piece of information stored by your web browser on your computer's hard drive - in order to provide a customizable, personalized experience on its websites. In addition, Hyperfiction may use cookies to obtain information, in an anonymous form, about your use of our websites.

Currently, cookies are used to:

Track titles that you designate - using facilities available on the site - as 'read' or 'marked' and authors or titles that you designate as 'favorite'.

Monitor whether or not you are logged on to the site. Monitor the state of certain other elements of your site profile. Where advertising appears on Hyperfiction pages, the advertiser may choose

to use their own cookies. Note that this data is collected and stored by the third party.

Please note that most web browsers allow you to choose not to accept cookies. This will not prevent you from using the other facilities provided by Hyperfiction's sites.

Where does Hyperfiction hold my personal data and how is the security of the data protected?

Hyperfiction is committed to maintaining the security of all data that it collects. Our security policies require that critical passwords are only made available to trusted personnel.

Your data may be recorded, processed and stored by or on behalf of Hyperfiction on secure servers and computers in the UK, the US or other countries outside of your local area, county, state or country.  The laws of the countries where your data is held may not give the same level of protection to personal data as within the UK, but Hyperfiction will take steps to protect your data from loss or misuse.

In addition, any data posted on the website as described above (such as author data, games data or information submitted for publication), will be viewable by any member of the public worldwide who accesses the website via the internet.

You should not send us any personal data if you object to it being held outside of your country.

Will Hyperfiction disclose my data to third parties?

Hyperfiction may make any of the data collected available to:

The Hyperfiction business (including employees and other staff members of Hyperfiction), any businesses belonging to Hyperfiction and any future successors.

Professional firms, persons or companies providing their services or advice to Hyperfiction for legal, tax, IT, e-commerce or financial matters where reasonably necessary.

Other persons as required by law, or as may be needed to protect or enforce Hyperfiction's legal rights.

In addition, any data posted on the website as described above (such as author data, games data or information submitted for publication), will be viewable by any member of the public worldwide who accesses the website via the internet.

Hyperfiction may also provide anonymised data to prospective partners, advertisers and other third parties, as described above.

Children’s personal information

Children under 13 may not create user accounts and Hyperfiction does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If a parent or guardian becomes aware that his or her child has provided Hyperfiction with personal information, they should contact us using the electronic form at the location given in the section below headed Contact form location. If Hyperfiction becomes aware that a child under 13 has provided personal information, we will promptly delete such information.

Changes to and access to your data

You should notify us of any changes to your email address or other personal details, by using the electronic form at at the location given in the section below headed Contact form location. If you wish to access a copy of the personal data which Hyperfiction holds about you, or if you have any queries about this privacy policy, please contact us using the electronic form at the location given in the section below headed Contact form location.