Australian Privacy Policy
Effective 5 November 2026 • For residents of Australia • Read alongside our general Privacy Policy
In plain English
- To pre-register we need a display name, email address and your state or territory. That's it.
- We don't collect payment details, ID documents or sensitive information.
- We only email you if you've said yes, and every email has a working unsubscribe.
- You can see, fix or delete your information at any time: contact@playvelvetember.com.
1. About this policy
This policy explains how the operator of playvelvetember.com (“Velvet Ember”, “we”) manages the personal information of people who live in Australia, consistently with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). Operator details are in our Imprint.
2. What personal information we collect and hold
- Pre-registration details: display name, email address, state or territory of residence, the time you pre-registered, your language and whether you agreed to receive emails.
- Technical information: IP address, browser and device type, pages requested and times, recorded in our host's server logs.
- Messages: your email address and whatever you choose to tell us when you write to us.
- Advertising measurement (only if you accept cookies): cookie identifiers and the fact that you pre-registered, processed by Google.
Your password, 21+ confirmation and login status stay in your own browser and are never sent to us. We don't collect sensitive information as defined in the Privacy Act.
3. How we collect and hold it
We collect information directly from you through our forms and emails, and automatically through server logs. Advertising cookies are only set after you click Accept in our cookie banner. Pre-registration records are stored on our hosting provider's servers in a folder that can't be reached from the internet.
4. Why we collect, hold, use and disclose it
To manage your pre-registration and check that you live in an eligible region; to tell you when games open in Australia and send occasional news, if you agreed; to answer your questions; to keep the site secure; and, with your consent, to measure which of our ads bring people to Velvet Ember. We don't sell personal information or use it for any purpose you wouldn't reasonably expect.
5. Emails and the Spam Act
We only send commercial emails to people who have expressly agreed to receive them. Every email we send will identify Velvet Ember, tell you how to contact us and include a functional unsubscribe option. We act on unsubscribe requests within 5 working days. You can also simply email us to opt out of direct marketing at any time.
6. Age verification (coming before launch)
Before games open in Australia we will introduce an age-verification step through a specialist provider. We will update this policy before it goes live to explain the method, what information the provider receives, how long anything is kept and who holds it. Information collected for age verification will be used only to confirm your age.
7. Who we disclose it to, including overseas
We disclose personal information only to service providers who help us run Velvet Ember, and some of them are located outside Australia:
| Recipient | What for | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Hostinger International Ltd. | Website hosting and storage of pre-registration records | Cyprus (company), with servers in the data-centre locations Hostinger operates |
| Google Ireland Limited / Google LLC | Advertising measurement — only if you accept cookies | Ireland and the United States |
We take reasonable steps to ensure these recipients handle your information consistently with the APPs.
8. Anonymity and pseudonyms
You can read our website without telling us who you are, and your display name can be a nickname. We do need a working email address to hold your pre-registration.
9. Keeping it secure
The site runs only over HTTPS, records are kept out of public reach, and we collect as little as possible. If a data breach is likely to result in serious harm to you, we will tell you promptly and notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) where required.
10. Accessing and correcting your information
Email contact@playvelvetember.com to ask for a copy of the information we hold about you, or to have it corrected or deleted. It's free; we may ask you to confirm the request from your registered email address, and we'll respond within 30 days.
11. Complaints
If you think we've mishandled your personal information, write to us at contact@playvelvetember.com. We'll acknowledge your complaint within 7 days and aim to resolve it within 30 days. If you're not satisfied with our response, you can complain in writing to the OAIC through the online form at oaic.gov.au; for general enquiries, the OAIC can be reached on 1300 363 992.
12. Changes to this policy
We'll update this page, and its effective date, whenever our practices change — including before age verification is introduced.