1. Who we are and what this covers
This Privacy Policy explains how HistorySim3D, LLC ("HistorySim3D", "we", "us") collects, uses and shares information when you use historysim3d.com and its Sims, Games and community features (the "Service"). We are the "controller" of this information. It is written to satisfy the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), the EU/UK GDPR and similar laws, but it applies to everyone who uses the Service.
2. What we collect
Information you give us
- Account details — name, email address, password (stored hashed), and the creator name you choose to publish under.
- Purchase details — the pass you bought, price, date and order number. Your card number is entered on our payment processor's secure form and never reaches our servers; we receive only a token, the card brand and its last four digits.
- Submissions — the Sims, Games, source lists, and descriptions you upload; requests for new Sims; votes; emails you send us.
- Newsletter and notify-me sign-ups — your email address.
Information collected automatically
- Usage data — which Sims and Games you open, how long you watch, saved viewpoints and collections, search terms, votes, and whether a glimpse timer ran out. We use this to run the Service, rank Sims and improve them.
- Device and log data — IP address, browser type and version, operating system, screen size and WebGL capability (needed to render 3D), referring page, and timestamps. Our hosting provider keeps standard server logs.
- Cookies and similar technologies — see section 4.
We do not collect precise geolocation, biometric data, or information about your health, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or political views, and we ask you not to include such information in submissions or messages.
3. How we use it and our legal bases
| Purpose | Data | Legal basis (GDPR) |
|---|---|---|
| Providing the Service: rendering Sims, enforcing the glimpse and member gates, remembering your pass, saved viewpoints and settings | Account, purchase, usage, device | Performance of a contract |
| Processing payments, refunds and receipts; fraud prevention; tax records | Account, purchase, device | Contract; legal obligation |
| Reviewing, publishing and crediting community submissions; handling copyright notices | Submissions, account | Contract; legal obligation; legitimate interest |
| Showing our own HistorySim3D promotional tiles on free pages (never to pass holders) — no third-party ad network | Usage | Legitimate interest |
| Ranking Sims, measuring what works, fixing bugs, securing the Service | Usage, device | Legitimate interest |
| Sending receipts, security and service notices | Account | Contract; legal obligation |
| Sending newsletters and "notify me" emails | Consent — every email has an unsubscribe link |
We do not sell your personal information for money, and we do not use it for automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on you.
4. Cookies, local storage and advertising
Strictly necessary. We use a session cookie or local-storage entry to keep you signed in, to remember an active Day Pass in this browser, and to remember your consent choices. These cannot be switched off.
Preferences. Local storage remembers things like your last filter, collapsed sections and the timeline position. These stay in your browser and are never sent to us.
Advertising. Free pages show HistorySim3D’s own promotional tiles only. No third-party advertising network is used, no advertising cookies are set, and nothing about your visit is shared with an advertising company. Pass holders see no promotional tiles at all. If we ever adopt an advertising network we will update this policy first and show any legally required consent banner before an advertising cookie is set.
Analytics. We do not currently use a third-party analytics service. If that changes, this policy will be updated first.
Do Not Track / Global Privacy Control. We honour the Global Privacy Control signal as an opt-out of targeted advertising and of any "sale" or "sharing" of personal information under state law.
5. Who we share it with
We share personal information only with:
- Service providers who process it for us under contract: web hosting (Render), payment processing (Stripe), and email delivery (Resend). Community submissions are collected by email; there is no separate file-storage provider.
- Other users — if you submit a Sim or Game, your creator name, the content, and its source list are public. Approved Sim requests show your first name only. Votes are anonymous.
- Third-party payment pages — we do not ship unapproved donation or “Support” links. If an explicitly approved outside link ever appears and you follow it, that service’s privacy policy applies and we receive nothing about the transaction.
- Law and safety — where required by law, subpoena or court order, to respond to a copyright notice, to enforce our Terms, or to protect the rights, property or safety of HistorySim3D, our users or the public.
- Business transfers — if HistorySim3D is sold or merged, your information may transfer to the new owner under this policy.
6. How long we keep it
Account data: while your account is open and for 30 days after you close it (then deleted, except as below). Purchase and tax records: 7 years, as required by law. Server logs: 90 days. Submissions: for as long as they are published plus a short period to clear caches and backups; a copy of the source list and your warranties is kept for 3 years after removal in case of a dispute. Copyright notices and counter-notices: 5 years. Newsletter emails: until you unsubscribe.
7. Your rights
Depending on where you live you may have the right to: access the personal information we hold about you; correct it; delete it; receive a portable copy; object to or restrict certain processing; opt out of targeted advertising and of any sale or sharing; withdraw consent; and not be discriminated against for exercising these rights. Texas, California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut and other US state residents, and everyone in the EU, UK and Switzerland, can exercise these rights by emailing info@historysim3d.com or from the Settings page of your account. We will respond within 45 days (30 days in the EU/UK) and may ask you to verify your identity. If we refuse a request you may appeal by replying to our response, and you may lodge a complaint with your state attorney general or, in Europe, your data-protection authority.
California notice at collection. The categories of personal information we collect are identifiers, commercial information, internet activity and, for creators, the content you submit. We do not sell personal information. Advertising cookies may constitute "sharing" for cross-context behavioural advertising; you can opt out via the cookie settings link or Global Privacy Control.
8. Children
The Service is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. Accounts require users to be at least 13, and under-18s need a parent or guardian’s permission (see the Terms). Some Sims depict violent historical events and are labelled accordingly. If you believe a child has given us personal information, email info@historysim3d.com and we will delete it.
9. Security
All traffic to the Service is encrypted with HTTPS. Passwords are stored as salted hashes. Card data is handled entirely by our payment processor, which is PCI-DSS Level 1 certified. Access to personal information is limited to people who need it to run the Service. No system is perfectly secure; if we discover a breach that affects you we will notify you and any regulator as the law requires.
10. International visitors
We are based in the United States and process information here. If you visit from the EU, UK or elsewhere, your information is transferred to the US. For transfers from the EU/UK we rely on the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses with our providers and, where applicable, the EU–US Data Privacy Framework.
11. Changes to this policy
We will post any changes here with a new effective date and, for material changes, email account holders before they take effect.
12. Contact
HistorySim3D, LLC
Privacy questions and rights requests: info@historysim3d.com
Everything else: info@historysim3d.com