Welcome to gamedrop.co (“GameDrop”, “we”, “us”). We publish a 100% free email newsletter about video-game news (what’s coming, trends, patches, indie, arcade & retro). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect personal data when you visit our website, sign up for our newsletter, interact with our emails, or contact us. It is written for readers in the GCC (United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait).

How to contact us
• Privacy & rights: privacy@gamedrop.co
• Press & submissions: tips@gamedrop.co

Who we are (data controller)
GameDrop (gamedrop.co) is the controller of your personal data. We work with carefully chosen service providers (email platform, analytics, hosting, advertising/measurement) who act as processors under our instructions.
Contact for privacy matters: privacy@gamedrop.co

Data we collect
• Subscriber data: email address; optional name/handle, country/region, platform interests (e.g., PC, Switch).
• Newsletter engagement: opens (via standard email pixel), clicks, bounces, unsubscribes, complaint signals.
• Site/device data: IP address (truncated where feasible), user agent, pages viewed, referrer, timestamps, cookie or local-storage IDs for preferences and analytics.
• Communications: messages you send us (tips, submissions, support).
• We do not seek or need government IDs, precise geolocation, payment data, or health data.

Why we use your data (purposes)
• Send the newsletter you requested; manage your subscription and preferences.
• Measure and improve content performance and site usability.
• Deliverability and security: detect spam signups, limit abuse, debug errors.
• Communications: respond to tips, submissions, and support requests.
• Legal/compliance: maintain consent and unsubscribe logs; handle rights requests.

Legal bases
We align with UAE PDPL, KSA PDPL, Bahrain PDPL, and Kuwait’s data-protection rules. Depending on context, we rely on:
• Consent — for sending our newsletter, non-essential cookies/pixels, and personalized advertising where applicable. You can withdraw consent at any time via the unsubscribe link or cookie settings.
• Legitimate interests — for essential analytics, anti-abuse, and service security, balanced against your rights and local law.
• Legal obligations — to keep necessary records or respond to lawful requests.

Cookies, pixels, and similar technologies
• Essential cookies/local storage power core site functions (e.g., remembering preferences).
• Analytics cookies help us count visits and understand what’s useful.
• Email pixels measure opens so we can keep the newsletter relevant.
Your controls: (a) use our cookie banner to disable non-essential cookies, (b) block images in your email client to disable open tracking, (c) unsubscribe at any time.

Advertising & measurement (Meta and Google)
We promote our free newsletter and measure campaign performance using Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and Google technologies. These tools may set cookies or use similar tech to record events like page views, button clicks (e.g., “Subscribe”), referrer, approximate location (from IP), device/browser details, and campaign identifiers.
• Meta (Facebook/Instagram): We use Meta Pixel and, where supported, Conversions API (server-side) to measure conversions and improve accuracy. Data Meta receives can include event details (page view, sign-up), timestamp, user agent, IP address, and campaign parameters. If you submit your email, we may send a hashed version for measurement or to avoid showing you “subscribe” ads again.
• Google (Ads; Analytics-for-Ads signals): We use Google Ads tags for conversion measurement and (if you consent) remarketing. For regions where required, we honor consent choices (e.g., by using consent-aware tag behavior).
• Customer Match (if enabled): With your explicit consent, we may upload hashed subscriber emails to Meta/Google to measure campaigns or exclude existing subscribers from prospecting. You can opt out by emailing privacy@gamedrop.co; we will remove your email from active lists.
• Your choices: Manage non-essential cookies via our banner; adjust ad personalization in your Meta and Google account settings; contact us to opt out of audience matching. We aim to action requests within a reasonable time.

How we share data
We do not sell personal data. We share limited data only with:
• Service providers (email platform, cloud hosting, analytics, error logging, CDN, ad/measurement) bound by contracts restricting use to our instructions.
• Legal or safety recipients when required by applicable law or to protect rights, safety, or our services.
• Successors in a business transition (e.g., merger); if this happens, we’ll notify you and honor your choices.

International transfers
Our providers may process data outside your country (e.g., EU/UK/US). When transferring data across borders, we use safeguards recognized by applicable law (such as contractual protections or consent where permitted) and require comparable protection from our processors.

Retention
• Subscriber data: kept until you unsubscribe or your address hard-bounces.
• Consent/unsubscribe logs: typically 24 months after last change (or longer if needed to meet legal obligations).
• Event-level analytics: typically 18 months; aggregated stats may be kept longer.
• Support emails: retained as long as needed to resolve your request, then archived or deleted.

Your rights and how to exercise them
Subject to local law, you may have the right to access, correct, erase, restrict or object to processing, withdraw consent, and (where applicable) data portability. We will respond within the timelines required by your country’s law.
How to exercise: email privacy@gamedrop.co from the address you used to subscribe. We may ask for information to verify your identity.

Regional notes (GCC)
• United Arab Emirates (UAE): We honor PDPL rights (e.g., access, correction/erasure, restriction/stop processing) and applicable cross-border transfer conditions.
• Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA): We follow PDPL and its Implementing Regulations regarding data-subject rights and international data-transfer requirements.
• Kingdom of Bahrain: We honor PDPL rights and applicable transfer conditions (including adequacy-based transfers where relevant).
• State of Kuwait: We align with CITRA data-protection regulations (e.g., rights to access, rectification, erasure, and withdrawal of consent).
If local law sets stricter rules than this Policy, we will apply the stricter rule.

Children’s privacy
GameDrop is for a general audience. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13 (or a higher minimum age if required in your country). If you believe a child subscribed, contact us and we will remove the address.

Security
We use reasonable technical and organizational measures (encryption in transit, access controls, least-privilege, processor due diligence).

Your choices (quick list)
• Unsubscribe: one click in any email (immediate effect).
• Change preferences: link in the email footer lets you adjust topics/frequency.
• Cookies: manage non-essential cookies via our banner; you can also block or delete cookies in your browser.
• Email tracking: block images in your email client to disable open pixels.
• Ads: adjust personalization in Meta and Google settings; email us to opt out of audience matching.

Third-party links
We link to official publisher sites, stores, developer blogs, trailers, and reputable media. Their privacy practices are their own—please review their policies.

Changes to this Policy
We may update this Policy to reflect legal or operational changes. We will post the update date at the top and, where changes are material, notify subscribers by email and request consent where required.