Privacy Policy

General website operation

When DOSGAME.AT is accessed, technically necessary data may be processed so the website can be delivered, protected, and maintained. This may include IP address, date and time of access, requested URL, referrer, browser and operating system information, status codes, and transferred data volume.

This processing is necessary for providing the website, troubleshooting, and protecting our systems. The legal basis is our legitimate interest under Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Language setting and necessary storage

We store your selected language locally in your browser and additionally in a small cookie named dosgameLanguage. This is necessary or functionally useful so the website can open in your preferred language on later visits.

This storage is not used for advertising profiles or tracking your browsing behavior.

Contact form

If you write to us through the contact form, we process the data you enter, such as name, email address, subject, and message, in order to answer your request. Technical data such as IP address, time of submission, and browser information may also be processed to prevent abuse and spam.

The legal basis is processing your request under Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR and our legitimate interest in secure communication under Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Guestbook

If you submit a guestbook entry, we store the name you provide, your message, the selected language, and the time of submission. Entries are published only after manual approval. Once approved, the name and message are publicly visible.

To prevent spam and abuse, we also store a technical hash of the IP address, but not the raw IP address in the guestbook record. Processing is based on your consent to publication and our legitimate interest in operating a secure and moderated guestbook.

Blog comments

If you comment on a blog post, we store your name, email address, comment, selected language, the related post, and the time of submission. Comments are published only after manual review. Only the name, comment, and approval time are publicly visible; the email address is not published.

To prevent spam and abuse, we also store a hash of the IP address generated with a secret key, but not the raw IP address in the comment record. Processing is based on your consent to publication and our legitimate interest in operating a secure, moderated commenting feature.

Archive.org, YouTube, and external links

Our content links to Archive.org, YouTube, Buy Me a Coffee, MobyGames, and other external websites. YouTube videos are loaded from the embedded youtube-nocookie.com player only after an active click. This establishes a connection to YouTube and the provider's privacy terms apply.

Release images, thumbnails, or video information may be loaded from external sources or from locally cached copies. When external content is loaded, technical access data may be transmitted to the relevant provider.

Sharing features

Release pages include sharing buttons for X, Facebook, Reddit, WhatsApp, email, and the native sharing menu of your device. These features are simple links or local browser functions; we do not embed social media plugins that automatically transmit data to those providers when the page loads.

Only when you actively click a sharing button will the selected service, your email client, or your operating system's share menu open. The release page URL, a suggested title or text, and technical access data may then be transmitted to the selected provider or app. Any further processing is governed by the privacy terms of the respective service.

Release ratings

You can anonymously rate a release from one to five stars. To limit duplicate ratings and abuse, we set a technically necessary cookie containing a randomly generated identifier. We also store only cryptographically derived verification values, never your raw IP address.

The rating itself is published only as an aggregate average and vote count. Technical verification values are discarded after no more than 540 days. Processing is based on our legitimate interest in providing a reliable rating feature with limited abuse, pursuant to Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Google AdSense

We use Google AdSense, an advertising service provided by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. AdSense may use cookies, local storage, and similar technologies to serve ads, prevent fraud, measure delivery, and display personalized or non-personalized advertising depending on consent.

This may involve processing IP address, device and browser information, page views, referrer, approximate location information, and interactions with ads. Google may also combine this data with other information from Google services or advertising partners where a valid legal basis exists.

Personalized advertising and non-essential advertising cookies generally require consent in the EEA. In that case, processing is based on Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR. Where data is required for security, abuse prevention, or technical delivery, processing may be based on legitimate interests under Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

You can find more information from Google at Advertising and privacy and How Google uses information from partner sites. You can manage personalized ad settings at Google Ads Settings.

Web analytics

We use Umami Cloud, a service provided by Umami Software, Inc., for privacy-friendly audience measurement. Umami helps us understand which pages and content are used without setting analytics cookies or tracking visitors across different websites.

Data processed may include the page viewed, referrer, time, browser and device type, operating system, screen size, and an approximate geographic classification. Umami uses this information for statistical analysis; we do not store complete IP addresses as analytics data. Processing through Umami Cloud may take place outside the EU or EEA.

Processing is based on our legitimate interest in data-minimizing, cookieless audience measurement pursuant to Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. For more information, see Umami's privacy policy.

Buy Me a Coffee and shop links

If you open our shop or a keyfile link, you are redirected to Buy Me a Coffee. Payment processing and the related handling of personal data are carried out by the relevant payment or platform provider.

We receive only the information needed to provide the purchased content or to communicate about the purchase.

Retention

Technical log data is stored only for as long as required for operation, security, troubleshooting, or legal obligations. Local language settings remain in your browser until you delete or change them.

If you contact us directly, we store your message for as long as needed to handle the request and any follow-up questions.

Your rights

Under the GDPR, you have rights including access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, objection to processing based on legitimate interests, and withdrawal of consent with effect for the future.

If you believe that the processing of your data violates privacy law, you may lodge a complaint with the Austrian Data Protection Authority: Österreichische Datenschutzbehörde, Barichgasse 40-42, 1030 Vienna, Austria, dsb@dsb.gv.at.