The short version
Maplingo is free to play and there's no account. Your progress is saved in your own browser, not on a server of ours.
We don't use analytics, advertising or tracking cookies, and Maplingo doesn't use AI models. Nothing reports back to us about what you tap or where you look on the map.
A few things do leave your browser: requests for map tiles and road data, and the ordinary requests any website gets. Each one is described below.
What stays in your browser
Maplingo saves these with your browser's local storage, on your device:
- your progress: XP, level, streak, runs completed, accuracy by skill, how well you know each road, landmark and intersection, and the badges you've earned
- the city you picked, and your settings
None of it is sent to us. You can erase it any time by using Start over in Progress, where available, or by clearing this site's data in your browser. Because we don't hold a copy, clearing it can't be undone.
The map
The map is drawn in your browser by MapLibre, an open-source map library. The background map comes from OpenFreeMap, a free map tile service, and the map data is from OpenStreetMap, made by volunteers. Maplingo's own roads, landmarks and lessons are built into the site.
To draw the map, your browser downloads map tiles and fonts from OpenFreeMap. Those requests say which part of the map is on screen and, like any web request, carry your IP address and browser details. They contain no account or progress information. OpenFreeMap's terms and privacy information are at openfreemap.org.
Where Maplingo loads road data for an area outside its built-in cities, it downloads small pieces of a road file we host with Cloudflare, Inc. Each request names the square of map it wants and carries your IP address, but no identifier for you. We don't keep a log of these requests; Cloudflare's privacy policy is at www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/.
Maplingo on the web doesn't ask for or use your device's location.
Hosting
The site is hosted by Netlify, Inc. Like any web host, Netlify processes the requests your browser makes, including your IP address, browser type and the pages requested, to serve the site and protect it from abuse. Netlify's privacy policy is at www.netlify.com/privacy/.
Accounts and purchases
Maplingo is free to play. Today there's no sign-in and nothing to buy, so we don't collect an email address, a name or payment details.
If we add accounts or a paid plan later, they'll be optional, and we'll update this policy before they go live to name the providers involved and what each one receives. We'd never see or store your full card number.
What we don't do
- we don't sell your personal information, or share it except with the providers named here, who use it only to provide their service
- we don't show ads or use your data for advertising
- we don't track you across other websites or apps
- we don't use analytics or session-recording tools
- we don't send marketing email
How long it's kept
- In your browser: until you clear it.
- Map and road data requests: we keep no record; OpenFreeMap, Cloudflare and Netlify handle their own technical logs under their policies.
- Anything you email us: as long as we need it to help you. Ask and we'll delete it.
Security
Everything Maplingo sends travels over encrypted connections. No system is perfectly secure, but we keep as little about you as we can: no progress, no location and no payment details on any server of ours.
Children
Maplingo is a general-audience game about learning a city's roads. It isn't directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, write to us and we'll delete it.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to know what personal information is held about you, to get a copy, to correct or delete it, to object to or restrict its use, and to withdraw consent. For progress, your browser is the whole record: clearing it deletes it. For anything else, such as an email you sent us, write to us and we'll handle it. We won't treat you differently for using these rights, and we'll respond within the time the law requires (usually 30 to 45 days).
If you're in the EEA, the UK or Switzerland
Garded LLC is the controller for the personal data described here. We rely on our legitimate interests (serving the map and site securely, preventing fraud) and your consent where the law requires it. Our providers may process data in the United States and elsewhere under safeguards such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses or the EU–US Data Privacy Framework. You can also complain to your local data protection authority.
If you're in California or another US state with a privacy law
The categories of personal information connected with Maplingo are identifiers (IP address, and your email address if you write to us) and the approximate area of the map you view, sent with map requests. They're used only for the purposes above. We don't sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising, and we don't use sensitive personal information to infer anything about you. You or an authorized agent can make a request by emailing us; we may need to confirm it came from you.
Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control
Maplingo doesn't track you, so there's nothing for these signals to switch off. We honor them anyway.
Changes
If this policy changes, the new version will be posted here with a new date at the top. We'll flag material changes on the site.
Contact
Questions or requests about your data: Garded LLC, thisdudestartedsomething@gmail.com. We read everything.