Your data, in plain English

Downshift Predictions is a free prediction game run by The Downshift Podcast, PO Box 5067, Wonga Park VIC 3115. This policy covers the website, the game and our emails.

The short version: we collect what the game needs and nothing else. We don't sell your data, we don't share it for advertising, and there are no tracking or analytics scripts on this site. You can delete your account yourself at any time.

What we collect

If you join the waitlist

• Your email address, and the country you chose (optional).
• Whether you confirmed the address, and whether you asked for occasional news.
• When you joined, confirmed or unsubscribed.

If you play

• Your email address, which is how you sign in. It is never shown to other players.
• Your display name, which other players do see on ladders and in leagues.
• The country you choose to represent, if any.
• Your predictions, your scores, and the leagues you belong to.
• Whether you want reminder and results emails, and the time zone your browser reports.

Whenever you use the site

• A sign-in session, including the IP address and browser your device reports when you sign in.
• Security records: sign-ins, access changes, administrator actions and similar events, with the email address used at the time.
• A record of each email we send you: the kind, the time and whether it was delivered, bounced or reported as spam. We never store the contents, so sign-in codes are never kept.
• The country our hosting provider works out from your internet connection. We use it only to pre-select a country in a form, and it is stored only if you submit it.

There are no advertising cookies, analytics or tracking pixels. The only cookie we set keeps you signed in.

Why we collect it

• To run the game: your picks, scores, ladders and leagues.
• To let you in: sign-in codes, sessions and who is approved to play.
• To email you: sign-in codes always, and reminders, results and waitlist updates only if you asked for them.
• To keep it working and safe: rate limits, the security log, and records of which emails bounced so we stop sending to addresses that don't work.

We don't use your data for advertising or profiling, and we never sell it.

Who else sees it

Cloudflare hosts the site, stores the database and sends our email, so your data passes through their systems on our behalf. They may process and store it outside Australia.

Other players see your display name, country flag and points on ladders and in leagues, and nothing else. Your email address and your individual picks before a deadline stay private.

We otherwise share data only if the law requires it, or to protect the service and the people using it.

How long we keep it

• Your account: until you delete it. Deleting removes your profile, predictions, points, league places, email choices, access to the test, waitlist signup and support messages straight away.
• Waitlist: until you unsubscribe or ask us to remove you. An unsubscribed address is kept, marked as unsubscribed, so we don't email it again by mistake.
• Support messages: kept while we answer you and for a reasonable period afterwards, so we can follow up.
• Email records: the log of what we sent is kept without your address once your account is deleted. Addresses that bounce or report spam stay on a do-not-email list.
• Security records: our sign-in and access log cannot be edited or deleted, by design, so it stays a reliable record. Entries made before you deleted your account still contain the email address you used at the time.

Your choices

• Emails: reminder and results emails are off until you turn them on, and you can change them on your account page or from the link in any of those emails. Sign-in codes are not optional, because they are how you get in.
• Delete your account: Account → Delete account. You'll see exactly what goes before anything happens.
• See or correct your data: ask through the support form and we'll help. Your country is set once a season, so ask us if it needs changing.

Children

Downshift Predictions is not for people under 16. We don't knowingly collect their data. If you believe a child has signed up, tell us through the support form and we'll remove the account.

Keeping it safe

Sign-in is by one-time code, so there is no password to steal. Codes are encrypted while they wait to be used and are never written to our logs. Administrator access needs a second factor. No system is perfectly secure, but we take this seriously.

Questions or complaints

Use the support form and we'll reply by email, usually within 24 to 48 hours. We don't publish an email address, because published addresses attract spam.

If we can't sort it out, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au.

If we change this policy, the date at the top changes. If a change matters to you, we'll say so on the site or by email.

The Downshift Podcast, PO Box 5067, Wonga Park VIC 3115.