Privacy Policy
Last updated 22 September 2026
Plates is a licence plate game for Android published by arpcentral.net (referred to below as "we").
This policy explains what information the app collects, why, who it is shared with, and how to delete it.
It applies to the Plates Android app (package net.arpcentral.tectonics) and the game
service it talks to at tectonic-api.arpcentral.net.
What we collect
Account information
Plates uses Google Sign-In. When you sign in, Google gives us your email address, your first and last name, and the URL of your Google profile picture. We store these on our server so your games sync across devices and so your teammates can see who is in a game. We do not receive your Google password.
Location
Plates asks for precise location permission. Location is used in two ways:
- Scoring. When you log a plate, the app records your location at that moment. Points are calculated from the distance between that point and the plate's home state. Location is only read while a game screen is open in the foreground. The app does not track your location in the background.
- Map trail. The latitude and longitude of each find is saved with the find so the Map tab can show where each plate was spotted. Everyone seated in that game can see the trail.
To calculate driving distance, our server sends the coordinates of a find, without your name or email, to the Google Distance Matrix API. The map itself is drawn by the Google Maps SDK, which is subject to Google's privacy policy.
Game data
We store the games and trips you create or join, their titles, the plates you find, points, timestamps, bonus plates, and a timeline of finds. This is the content of the game and is visible to the other players seated in it.
Invitations
When you invite someone by email, we store that address and send them a one-time invitation email from a no-reply address. If they never sign in, the address is kept only so the invitation can be accepted.
Voice input
Tapping the microphone opens the speech recognition dialog built into Android, provided by your device's speech service (usually Google). Plates does not hold the microphone permission and never records audio. It receives only the recognised text, matches it against the list of states, and discards it. Spoken responses use your device's text-to-speech engine on the device.
Analytics
Plates uses Google Analytics for Firebase to understand how the app is used. It reports which screens are opened, along with device model, operating system version, app version, country, and a random installation identifier. Analytics does not receive your name, email, location, or game content. See Firebase's privacy information for how Google handles this data.
What we do not collect
Plates has no advertising, no in-app purchases, and no third-party ad or tracking SDKs. We do not collect contacts, photos, files, messages, or health data. We do not sell personal information.
Summary of data and purposes
| Data | Why | Shared with |
|---|---|---|
| Email, name, profile picture | Sign-in, syncing, showing players in a game | Other players in your games |
| Precise location at each find | Scoring and the map trail | Other players in your games; coordinates only to Google Distance Matrix |
| Games, finds, points, timeline | Running the game | Other players in your games |
| Invitee email addresses | Sending invitations | Our email delivery provider (Amazon SES) |
| Screen views, device and app version | Analytics | Google Analytics for Firebase |
Where data is stored
Game data is stored on our server, hosted on Amazon Web Services in the United States. The app also keeps a local copy of your games on your device so you can play offline, and stores your sign-in token in encrypted app storage. The connection between the app and the server uses HTTPS.
How long we keep it
Games and finds are kept until you delete the game or your account. Finished games keep their results and map so you can look back at a trip. Sign-in tokens are removed when you sign out. Analytics data is retained by Google according to Firebase's default settings.
Deleting your data
- Delete a game. Game owners can delete a game from the games list. This removes its finds, locations, and timeline for every player.
- Sign out. Signing out in Settings removes the sign-in token and clears the local copy of your games from the device.
- Delete your account. Email privacy@arpcentral.net from the Google account you signed in with, with the subject "Delete my Plates account". We will delete your account, your profile details, the games and trips you own, and the finds and locations you logged in other players' games, within 30 days. Games owned by other players continue without you.
Children
Plates is intended for families on road trips but is not directed at children under 13, and it requires a Google account to sign in. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we will delete it.
Security
Access to a game is limited to the players seated in it. Sign-in tokens are stored on the server only as cryptographic digests, and all traffic between the app and the server is encrypted in transit.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy we will update the date at the top of this page. Material changes will also be noted in the app's Play Store listing.
Contact
Questions about privacy or your data: privacy@arpcentral.net.