Privacy Policy
Last updated: April 2026
1. Who we are
Tethered is a browser-based space strategy game. This policy describes what personal data we collect, how we use it and your rights regarding that data.
2. What data we collect
- Account data: your chosen username and planet name.
- Authentication data: a hashed copy of your password and, if you enable two-factor authentication, a TOTP secret.
- Messages: direct messages you send to or receive from other players, and messages posted in system chat (forum posts).
- Game activity: battle reports, fleet movements, construction queues, research progress, leaderboard scores and scan logs.
- Notifications: in-game notifications generated by game events.
We do not collect your real name, email address or any payment information.
3. Infrastructure and IP addresses
Tethered is served through a reverse proxy. The proxy records the IP address of each request in its access logs. These logs are retained for 30 days and are used solely for security monitoring, abuse prevention and diagnosing technical issues. IP addresses are not linked to your in-game identity in the application database.
4. How long we keep your data
| Data type | Retention period |
|---|---|
| In-game notifications | 90 days, then automatically deleted |
| Direct messages | 1 year, then automatically deleted |
| System chat (forum posts) | For the lifetime of the game |
| Battle reports | For the lifetime of the game |
| Account and planet data | Until you delete your account |
| Reverse proxy access logs | 30 days |
For full details including deletion methods, see the Data Retention Schedule.
5. Who can access your data
Game administrators can read all direct messages, system chat messages and forum posts through the admin panel. This capability exists for moderation purposes. Administrator access is restricted to accounts that have been granted the admin role.
We do not sell, share or transfer your data to third parties.
6. Your rights
- Right to deletion: you may request that your account be deleted. Rather than removing records entirely — which would break battle reports and chat history for other players — your username will be replaced with "Deleted User" and your planet will be disowned. Message content and game history are preserved in anonymised form.
- Right to export: you may request a copy of all data associated with your account, including your profile, sent and received messages, forum posts, battle reports and notifications.
To exercise either right, contact the game administrator directly through the in-game direct message system.
7. Cookies and local storage
Tethered stores your authentication token in your browser's localStorage.
No tracking cookies are used. The token expires after 24 hours (or 90 days if you
chose "Remember me" at login) and is removed when you log out.
8. Changes to this policy
If we make material changes to this policy, the "Last updated" date at the top of this page will be revised. Continued use of the game after changes are posted constitutes acknowledgment of the updated policy.