Privacy Policy
1. Controller
Mathys IT, owner: Tizian Mathys, c/o Adressgeber #2105, An der Alten Ziegelei 38, 48157 Münster, Germany. Email: info@countryrush.app
2. Hosting (website)
This website is hosted by IONOS SE, Elgendorfer Str. 57, 56410 Montabaur, Germany. When you access the pages, IONOS processes technically necessary data (IP address, date and time, page requested, user agent) in server log files. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in secure and stable operation). IONOS deletes these log files automatically after eight weeks at the latest. A data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR is in place with IONOS.
3. Cookies and tracking
This website sets no cookies and uses no analytics or tracking services.
4. Fonts (self-hosted)
This website uses the Baloo 2 typeface, hosted locally on our server. Loading the font establishes no connection to Google or other third parties, and no data is transmitted to third parties in the process.
5. Data processing in the app
This section covers the CountryRush mobile app. It describes which data the app processes, to whom it is transmitted and on what legal basis.
5.1 Locally on your device
The app stores game progress, statistics, collected countries, tickets and settings on your device. As soon as an internet connection is available, it signs you in automatically and anonymously and syncs game progress, statistics, collected countries and tickets with our server (see 5.2). You do not have to sign in or enter anything for this. Without a connection the data stays on the device and is sent once the app is back online.
5.2 Account and online features (Supabase)
For leaderboards, air races, the friends list and cross-device backup, the app signs you in automatically and anonymously at startup (an anonymous user ID, without you entering any data). Through our backend provider Supabase we process: the anonymous user ID, your display name, game results (score, mode, correct and wrong answers, longest streak, timestamp and your local calendar day), your overall statistics (games, answers, play time, best streak, score, tickets used), your ticket balance, collected countries and the flags, outlines and cities you have already seen, air races and their results, friendships, blocks and reports, and redeemed promo codes. You do not type the display name yourself: the app draws it at random from fixed word lists (e.g. "SwiftFalcon417"), and you can only pick between drawn suggestions. If you additionally sign in with Google or Apple, Supabase stores the details the provider sends during sign-in so that your account can be restored on a new device. For Google these are your email address, your name, the URL of your profile picture and your Google ID. For Apple on iPhone the app requests only your email address (or Apple's private relay address if you choose), plus your Apple ID. On Android, Apple sign-in runs in the browser; there Supabase also requests your name, which Apple only sends on the first sign-in. The app does not use the name or profile picture from these accounts and shows them to no one. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (providing the features you use). Your display name and results are visible to other users in leaderboards, air races and the friends list. Reports and blocks of other users are processed for moderation and safety (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).
5.3 Push notifications (Firebase Cloud Messaging)
If you enable notifications (e.g. for air races, friend requests or the Daily Trip reminder), we process a device-specific push token together with platform (Android or iOS), app language and time zone (e.g. "Europe/Berlin") through Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google). We need the time zone so that reminders arrive at your local time and not in the middle of the night. The app itself asks whether you want notifications, with two equal answers ("No" and "Yes, please"); you can change your answer at any time under "Options" > "Notifications". Only after your yes does your device ask for its own permission, where it has a prompt for that (Android 13 and later, and iOS; older Android versions have none, there your yes in the app is the only prompt). The app only creates the push token once you have agreed in the app and your device allows notifications. Before that, Firebase creates no token on your device and nothing is sent to our server. If you say no in the app, switch notifications off there or revoke the permission in your device's system settings, the app deletes the token on the device and on our server: immediately in the app, and after a revocation in the system settings the next time you open the app. If your device is offline at that moment, the app deletes the entry on our server the next time you open it with a connection. The legal basis is your consent given through the question in the app (Section 25(1) TDDDG for creating and storing the token on the device, Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR for the processing).
5.4 Advertising (Google AdMob)
In the free version the app shows advertising via Google AdMob. Google is an independent controller for ad serving, not our processor. With every ad request Google processes device information (e.g. model, operating system, language), the IP address, impressions and clicks and, where you allow it, your device's advertising ID (Android: Google advertising ID, iOS: IDFA).
Consent in the EEA, the UK and Switzerland. Before the first ad, the app asks for your choice there through Google's certified consent tool (UMP, based on the IAB TCF standard). With consent, Google may serve personalized ads and build and use an interest profile across apps and websites for this. If you decline, the app still shows ads: depending on your choice, Google then serves non-personalized ads or limited ads. Limited ads do without any personalization and without device identifiers; Google uses on-device storage at most to detect fraud and invalid clicks. If the consent tool allows no ads at all after your choice, the app offers you the choice of allowing ads or buying the ad-free mode. You can change your choice at any time in the app under "Options" > "Privacy settings".
Tracking request on iOS (App Tracking Transparency). On iPhone, after the consent tool, the app uses Apple's system dialog to ask whether it may track you across apps and websites owned by other companies. Only if you agree can AdMob read the IDFA and use it for personalized ads and ad measurement. If you decline, iOS gives the app zeros instead of the IDFA. You can withdraw this permission at any time in the iOS settings under "Privacy & Security" > "Tracking". In the EEA, the UK and Switzerland, personalized ads on iOS need both: your consent in the consent tool and the tracking permission.
Rewarded videos. If you choose to watch a video to earn a ticket, the app also passes your anonymous user ID and the ticket type (skip or time) to Google. After the video, Google sends both to our server in a signed confirmation so that we can credit the ticket to you. The legal basis for this is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.
The legal basis for personalized ads is your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). For non-personalized and limited ads we rely on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in financing the free version through ads). Storing information on your device and reading the advertising ID take place only with your consent under Section 25(1) TDDDG, which we obtain through the consent tool and, on iOS, additionally through Apple's tracking request. How Google processes data in its advertising network is explained at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites. If you would rather not see ads, you can buy the ad-free mode as an in-app purchase.
5.5 In-app purchases (RevenueCat, app stores)
Purchases (ad-free, ticket packs) are handled by the respective app store (Google Play or Apple App Store); we receive no payment data. To attribute and restore your purchases we use the service RevenueCat. At startup the app signs in there with your anonymous user ID so that a purchase follows your account to another device; when you buy something, the purchase receipt is added. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (processing the purchase).
5.6 Crash reports (Firebase Crashlytics)
The app only sends crash reports if you agree. It asks you on first launch, and both answers carry equal weight. Without your consent Firebase Crashlytics (Google) stays switched off, and any reports the Crashlytics module still writes to the device during a crash are deleted unsent on every launch. If you agree, the app first deletes all reports stored up to that point, so only crashes after your consent are transmitted.
A report contains the stack trace including the error message, for sign-in errors also the error text returned by the sign-in service; in addition device model, operating system and app version, the time and two random identifiers: the Crashlytics installation UUID and the Firebase installation ID. We do not link these identifiers to your account. The reports let us find and fix crashes. Firebase Crashlytics keeps reports and identifiers for 90 days and then deletes them.
The legal basis is your consent: Section 25(1) TDDDG for storing and reading information on your device, Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR for processing the reports. You can withdraw it at any time in the app under "Options" > "Send crash reports"; the app then switches Crashlytics off and deletes reports not yet sent. Google processes the data as our processor under the Firebase Data Processing and Security Terms. For transfers to the USA see 5.8.
5.7 Direct requests to Wikimedia and Google
If you tap a discovered country in the statistics, the app first loads its fact sheet from our server. If there is none yet, it fetches the key facts directly from Wikidata and the short description from Wikipedia (both Wikimedia Foundation, USA). Before some online actions (fact sheet, sign-in, ticket shop, consent prompt) the app also checks with an empty request to www.gstatic.com (Google) whether an internet connection is available. In both cases the recipient sees your IP address, the time and the requested address, but no user ID and no game data. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR for the fact sheet you tapped and Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR for the connection check (legitimate interest in showing a clear offline message instead of a stalled screen).
5.8 Processors and transfers to third countries
We use the following processors: Supabase (backend, authentication, database), Google (Firebase Cloud Messaging, Firebase Crashlytics) and RevenueCat (purchase attribution). Independent controllers are Google for AdMob and Google Play, Apple for the App Store, the tracking request and Sign in with Apple, and the Wikimedia Foundation for Wikidata and Wikipedia. In doing so, data may be transferred to third countries outside the EU/EEA, in particular to the USA. Such transfers are based on the EU Standard Contractual Clauses (Art. 46 GDPR) or, where available, an adequacy decision. The app contains no analytics tool of its own (such as Firebase Analytics). Google AdMob does, however, collect usage and device data itself when serving ads, measures impressions and clicks and, with your consent or tracking permission, builds advertising profiles (see 5.4).
5.9 Deleting your account and data
You can delete your account together with all data stored on the server at any time directly in the app: "Options" > "Delete account". This irreversibly removes your account and all associated data (profile, game results, collected countries, air races, friendships, blocks, push tokens) from the server. Alternatively you can request deletion by email to info@countryrush.app; we will then delete your account promptly.
5.10 Retention
Local data stays on your device until you reset it in the app or uninstall the app. Server-side account and game data is stored for as long as your account exists and is deleted when you delete your account (see 5.9). Push tokens are removed as soon as you decline or switch off notifications in the app, revoke the permission in the system settings (effective the next time you open the app) or delete your account. Server log files of our backend provider are kept briefly for abuse and error analysis and deleted regularly.
5.11 Minimum age
The app is not directed at children under 16. Users under 16 need the consent of a parent or guardian to use the online features.
6. Contacting us
If you contact us by email, we process the information you provide (name, email address, subject and content of the message) solely to handle your enquiry. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR where your enquiry relates to a contract, and otherwise Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in responding to enquiries). Providing your data is voluntary, but without it we cannot answer your enquiry. The data is deleted once it is no longer needed to handle your request and no statutory retention obligations apply.
7. Third-country transfers and profiling
No transfer of your data to countries outside the EU/EEA takes place via this website. For data processing in the app, section 5.8 applies (transfer to processors, including in the USA, on the basis of the EU Standard Contractual Clauses). No automated decision within the meaning of Art. 22 GDPR that produces legal effects for you takes place. Personalized advertising does involve profiling, however: if you have consented, Google builds interest profiles and selects ads based on them (see 5.4). Without your consent this does not happen.
8. Your rights
You have the right to access (Art. 15 GDPR), rectification (Art. 16), erasure (Art. 17), restriction of processing (Art. 18), data portability (Art. 20) and to object to processing based on legitimate interests (Art. 21 GDPR). Where processing is based on your consent (e.g. push notifications, crash reports, personalized advertising), you can withdraw it at any time with effect for the future (Art. 7(3) GDPR), without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out until then. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority (Art. 77 GDPR).
9. Status
1 October 2026. This policy is updated when the app or website changes. This English translation is provided for convenience; in case of doubt the German version applies.