Privacy policy

Last updated: 6 September 2026

Who is responsible

This policy explains what the Holovate virtual city (holovate.online) collects and why. The service is operated by [Legal entity name — confirm], [Registered address]. We follow the Information Technology Act, 2000 and its rules, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, as they apply to us.

What the game stores

Holovate stores your username, email address, display name, password hash, profile choices, virtual-credit (CR) transactions, purchased items, plot ownership and deed records, recent account activity and support tickets you open. Passwords are hashed; plaintext passwords are not stored. For Holovate Coin (HVC) packs the server keeps an append-only ledger entry per credited pack (amount, order id, payment id, amount paid in paise and time) and a record of each INR order (product, amount, currency, Razorpay order id and payment id, status and timestamps). We do not collect date of birth, government identifiers or precise real-world location.

Optional Google sign-in

When enabled, you may sign in using Google instead of a Holovate password. We verify your Google identity and store its stable account identifier and email address to maintain your Holovate account. We do not request access to your Gmail, Drive or Contacts, and do not store Google access tokens or ID tokens. An existing account must confirm its Holovate password before linking Google. Google-only accounts have no Holovate password. The Google sign-in component connects to Google when this option is enabled.

Administrator authenticator

Platform administrators must set up an authenticator and verify a code on every sign-in, including Google sign-in. The server stores the authenticator secret encrypted, plus verification counters and attempt metadata to prevent replay and limit guessing. Setup keys are shown only during pending enrollment and are not emailed. There is no email-based authenticator bypass.

Cookies, sessions and movement data

An essential HttpOnly session cookie keeps you signed in; it is the only cookie Holovate sets. There are no advertising, analytics or tracking cookies. During checkout the browser keeps a pending payment receipt in session storage until the server has verified it. Positions are used for multiplayer presence and mission checks. Nearby players see your display name and character. Account activity history is private to your account and authorized platform administrators. Infrastructure access logs may contain network addresses and are used for security and rate limiting.

Browser storage and wallets

Device storage may retain local world preferences and exploration state. A browser-wallet connection is read-only and remains in the current page. No seed phrase or private key is requested. NFT ownership linking is not enabled.

Payments through Razorpay

INR payments for Holovate Coin packs are processed by Razorpay Software Private Limited in its own checkout. Razorpay collects the payment details you enter (card, UPI, net banking or wallet) and may ask for a contact number or email for the payment; that data is handled under Razorpay's privacy policy. Holovate never receives or stores card numbers, CVVs, UPI PINs or bank credentials. The Holovate server receives and keeps only the Razorpay order id, payment id, amount, currency, product and payment status needed to verify the payment, deliver the pack, support you and handle refunds. Razorpay's checkout loads only when INR purchases are enabled and you open the purchase panel; apart from that checkout and optional Google sign-in, the site makes no third-party requests.

Who we share data with

Razorpay (payment processing), Google (only if you choose Google sign-in) and the hosting provider that runs our servers, each as a processor for that purpose. We do not sell personal data and do not share it for advertising. We disclose data when the law requires it or to protect players and the integrity of the service.

Retention

Accounts and ownership records persist across sessions for as long as your account exists. The account journal displays a bounded recent history. Payment, ledger and entitlement records are retained after account closure for as long as Indian tax, accounting and consumer-protection rules require, and to resolve disputes; other account data is deleted or anonymised when an account is closed. Do not put sensitive personal information in your public display name or biography.

Your rights and account help

You can ask to access, correct or delete your account data, or withdraw consent for Google sign-in, by signing in and visiting the City Hall Helpdesk (the city directory marks the destination), through Profile → Support, or by writing to [Support email]. Requests receive a reply within 7 business days. Administrator access and requests require identity checks. This beta does not promise automated email verification or password recovery; keep your credentials safe.

Children and family safety

The city is designed to be family-safe and asks players for no more than a username, email and display name. Real-money (INR) purchases are for players aged 18 or over. Parents or guardians who believe a child has provided personal data or made a payment without permission can contact us through the channels above.

Security

Sessions use HttpOnly, SameSite cookies; passwords are hashed; administrator sign-in requires an authenticator; payments are verified server-side with Razorpay signatures; the HVC ledger is hash-chained so entries cannot be altered unnoticed. No system is perfectly secure, so keep your credentials private.

Grievance officer

In line with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, complaints about content, data or accounts can be sent to our grievance officer: [Grievance officer name], [Grievance officer email], [Registered address]. Complaints are acknowledged within 24 hours and resolved within 15 days of receipt.

Changes

We update this policy when the service or the law changes; the "Last updated" date shows the current version.