Effective Date: 5/12/2026  |  Last Updated: 5/12/2026

catholicgamereviews.com

This Privacy Policy covers your rights under GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, CalOPPA, and applicable U.S. state privacy laws.

1. Introduction

Welcome to Catholic Game Reviews (“we,” “us,” or “our”). We operate the website located at www.catholicgamereviews.com (the “Site”). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our Site or use our services. Please read this policy carefully. If you disagree with any of the terms, please discontinue use of our Site.

This policy complies with applicable privacy laws including, but not limited to:

  • General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) — European Union
  • UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
  • California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)
  • California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA)
  • Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
  • CAN-SPAM Act
  • Applicable U.S. state privacy laws (Virginia CDPA, Colorado CPA, Texas TDPSA, etc.)

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect information you voluntarily provide, including:

  • Contact information (name, email address, phone number, mailing address)
  • Account registration information (username, password)
  • Communications you send us (support requests, feedback, inquiries)
  • Payment information (processed securely via third-party payment processors; we do not store full card numbers)
  • Newsletter or subscription preferences
  • User-generated content (comments, forum posts, reviews)

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Site, we automatically collect certain technical and behavioral information, including:

  • Device identifiers (IP address, browser type, operating system, device type)
  • Usage data (pages visited, links clicked, time spent on pages, referring URLs)
  • Log files (access logs, error logs, server-side records)
  • Cookie identifiers and similar tracking technologies (see Section 8 – Cookie Policy)
  • General geolocation data (country, region — derived from IP address; not precise GPS)

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third-party sources, including:

  • Social media platforms (if you connect via OAuth login)
  • Advertising partners and analytics providers
  • Data brokers and marketing partners (where lawful)
  • Business partners and co-registrants

2.4 Sensitive Personal Information

We generally do not request or intentionally collect sensitive personal information such as Social Security numbers, health information, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, biometric data, or precise geolocation. If we ever need to collect such information, we will seek your explicit opt-in consent in advance.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following business and operational purposes:

3.1 Service Delivery & Operations

  • To provide, operate, and maintain our Site and services
  • To create and manage user accounts
  • To process transactions and send related notices
  • To respond to comments, questions, and support requests

3.2 Improvement & Analytics

  • To understand how visitors use our Site (via analytics tools such as Google Analytics)
  • To monitor and analyze usage trends and improve user experience
  • To develop new products, features, and services
  • To detect and prevent fraud, security incidents, and technical errors

3.3 Communications & Marketing

  • To send promotional communications, newsletters, and offers (where you have consented or an existing relationship exists)
  • To send administrative notices (privacy policy updates, security alerts, service announcements)
  • To conduct surveys and gather feedback

3.4 Legal & Compliance

  • To comply with applicable laws and regulations
  • To enforce our Terms of Service and other agreements
  • To protect the rights, safety, and property of our users and the public
  • To respond to legal requests and prevent harm

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR & UK GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, we process your personal data only when we have a valid legal basis under the GDPR:

  • We process your data with your explicit consent (e.g., newsletter sign-up, cookie consent). You may withdraw consent at any time.
  • Processing is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations to you (e.g., providing a service you requested).
  • We process data for our legitimate business interests (e.g., fraud prevention, site security, analytics), except where those interests are overridden by your fundamental rights. 
  • Processing is required to comply with a legal obligation (e.g., tax, accounting, court orders). 
  • Processing is necessary to protect the vital interests of you or another person (rare emergency circumstances).

Note: Where we rely on legitimate interests, you have the right to object. See Section 10 for how to exercise your rights.

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

5.1 Service Providers

We engage third-party vendors who process data on our behalf under written data processing agreements (DPAs). These include hosting providers, email delivery services, payment processors, analytics providers, customer support tools, and CRM software. These parties are contractually restricted from using your data for any purpose other than providing services to us.

5.2 Advertising & Analytics Partners

We may share limited data (such as cookie identifiers) with advertising networks and analytics providers to deliver targeted advertisements and measure campaign performance. California residents may opt out of the “sharing” of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising (see Section 11).

5.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you prior to any such transfer and the resulting change in privacy practices.

5.4 Legal Compliance & Protection

We may disclose your information when required by law (subpoenas, court orders, regulatory investigations), to enforce our Terms, or to protect the rights, property, and safety of us, our users, or the public.

5.5 With Your Consent

We will share your information with third parties in other circumstances only when you have given explicit consent.

6. International Data Transfers

Our Site is operated in the United States. If you are located outside the U.S., please be aware that your information may be transferred to and processed in the U.S., where data protection laws may differ from those of your country.

For users in the EEA or UK, we implement appropriate safeguards for international transfers, including:

  • Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission
  • Adequacy decisions where applicable
  • Other legal transfer mechanisms as permitted by applicable law

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including:

  • Transaction records: Retained for 5–7 years to meet legal and accounting obligations
  • Email marketing data: Retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent
  • Analytics data: Retained for 24 months, then aggregated or deleted
  • Legal hold data: Retained as required by applicable law or litigation hold

When retention periods expire, we securely delete or anonymize your data so it can no longer be associated with you.

8. Cookie Policy & Consent

8.1 What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device by a website when you visit. They allow the website to remember information about your visit, such as your preferences and login status. Similar technologies include web beacons, pixel tags, local storage, and session storage.

8.2 Types of Cookies We Use

  • Essential for core website functionality (session management, authentication, security). These do not require consent and cannot be disabled without breaking the Site.
  • Remember your preferences and settings (language, region, display choices). Require consent under GDPR.
  • Collect aggregated data on how users interact with our Site (Google Analytics, Hotjar). Require consent under GDPR. California residents may opt out.
  • Deliver personalized advertisements based on your browsing behavior. Set by advertising partners such as Google Ads, Meta Pixel, and others. Require opt-in consent under GDPR; opt-out rights apply under CCPA/CPRA. 
  • Placed by social media networks (Facebook, X, LinkedIn) when you interact with embedded content or share buttons.

8.3 Cookie Consent Banner

When you first visit our Site, we display a cookie consent banner that allows you to:

  • Accept all cookies
  • Reject all non-essential cookies
  • Customize your preferences by cookie category

Your consent preferences are recorded with a timestamp and associated session identifier. You may update your preferences at any time by clicking the “Cookie Settings” link in our website footer.

8.4 Consent Records

We maintain records of all cookie consent decisions, including the version of the policy presented, the choices made, date and time, and identifiers used. These records are retained for 5 years as required by applicable law.

8.5 How to Manage Cookies

In addition to our consent banner, you can manage cookies through your browser settings:

  • Google Chrome: Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and other site data
  • Mozilla Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
  • Apple Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data
  • Microsoft Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions

You may also opt out of interest-based advertising via the Digital Advertising Alliance (www.aboutads.info), the Network Advertising Initiative (www.optout.networkadvertising.org), or Your Online Choices (www.youronlinechoices.eu) for EU users.

Global Privacy Control (GPC): We honor GPC browser signals as valid opt-out requests for the sale and sharing of personal information under applicable law.

8.6 Third-Party Cookies

We use third-party advertising services to help support this site. These services may use non-personally identifiable information (such as your IP address or browser headers) to serve advertisements and measure their performance.

9. Children’s Privacy (COPPA)

Our Site is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or under 16 for users in the EEA/UK). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us immediately at cathgamereviews@gmail.com.

Upon receiving such a request, we will promptly delete the relevant information. If we discover that we have inadvertently collected data from a child, we will delete it as soon as possible.

10. Your Privacy Rights (All Users)

Regardless of your location, you have the right to:

  • Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Request deletion of your personal information (subject to lawful retention obligations)
  • Opt out of marketing communications at any time
  • Lodge a complaint with your applicable data protection authority

11. Rights Under GDPR & UK GDPR (EEA and UK Residents)

If you reside in the EEA or UK, you have the following additional rights under the GDPR:

  • Request a copy of your data and how it is being used. Right to Access (Article 15)
  • Correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data. Right to Rectification (Article 16)
  • Request deletion of your data where no lawful basis for retention exists. Right to Erasure — ‘Right to be Forgotten’ (Article 17)
  • Request that we pause processing your data in certain circumstances. Right to Restriction of Processing (Article 18)
  • Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format and transfer it to another controller. Right to Data Portability (Article 20)
  • Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes. Right to Object (Article 21)
  • Withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing. (Right to Withdraw Consent)
  • Not to be subject to decisions made solely by automated processing if those decisions significantly affect you. Right Not to Be Subject to Automated Decision-Making (Article 22)

To exercise any of these rights, please submit a request to: cathgamereviews@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days (or 45 days in complex cases, with notice). We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. In the EU, you may contact your national data protection authority. In the UK, the relevant authority is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): www.ico.org.uk.

12. California Privacy Rights (CCPA / CPRA)

This section applies to California residents. Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), you have the following rights:

12.1 Categories of Personal Information Collected

In the past 12 months, we have collected the following categories of personal information:

  • Identifiers (name, email, IP address, cookie identifiers)
  • Personal records (account and transaction history)
  • Internet or network activity (browsing behavior, page views)
  • Geolocation data (general location via IP)
  • Inferences drawn from the above to create a profile of your interests

12.2 Your Rights Under CCPA/CPRA

  • Request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources, purposes, and third parties with whom we share it.
  • Request deletion of personal information we have collected, subject to certain exceptions.
  • Request correction of inaccurate personal information.
  • Opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. See the “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link in our website footer.
  • Restrict our use of sensitive personal information to permitted purposes.
  • We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.

12.3 Submitting a CCPA Request

To exercise your rights, you may email us at: cathgamereviews@gmail.com

We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within 45 days (with one 45-day extension if needed). We will respond free of charge up to twice per 12-month period.

You may designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. Authorized agents must provide written authorization or a power of attorney.

12.4 Financial Incentives

We do not offer financial incentives in exchange for the collection or retention of your personal information. If this changes, we will update this section and provide notice as required.

13. Additional U.S. State Privacy Rights

Residents of the following states have similar privacy rights to those described in Section 12:

  • Virginia (CDPA)
  • Colorado (CPA)
  • Connecticut (CTDPA)
  • Texas (TDPSA)
  • Oregon, Montana, Indiana, Iowa, Tennessee, and other states with enacted privacy laws

These rights generally include the right to access, correct, delete, and opt out of targeted advertising and profiling. To exercise your rights under applicable state law, contact us at cathgamereviews@gmail.com. We will respond within the timeframe required by your state’s law.

14. Third-Party Links and Services

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites, plug-ins, and applications. Clicking on those links may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy practices. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any third-party website you visit.

15. Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers transmit Do Not Track (DNT) signals to websites. Because there is currently no uniform standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals, we do not currently respond to them. However, we do honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals as required under California law. You can enable GPC in supported browsers (Firefox, Brave, DuckDuckGo) to automatically signal your opt-out preferences.

16. Email Communications & CAN-SPAM Compliance

If you subscribe to our newsletter or marketing emails, we will send you periodic communications. Each email will include:

  • Our business name and physical mailing address
  • A clear and conspicuous unsubscribe link
  • Accurate subject lines that are not misleading

You may opt out of marketing emails at any time by clicking “Unsubscribe” in any email or by contacting us at cathgamereviews@gmail.com. Please allow up to 10 business days for opt-out requests to take effect. Note: even if you opt out of marketing emails, we may still send you transactional or administrative communications.

17. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will:

  • Update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy
  • Send an email notification to registered users (where required by law)

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of the Site following any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. We will maintain prior versions for reference upon request.

18. How to Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Catholic Game Reviews  — Privacy / Data Protection Team

  • Email: cathgamereviews@gmail.com (preferred for data subject requests)

For EU/UK residents — Data Protection Officer (DPO):

  • Our appointed DPO
  • Email: cathgamereviews@gmail.com

For EU residents, you may also contact your national supervisory authority. For UK residents, the ICO: www.ico.org.uk | 0303 123 1113.