Privacy Evaluation for Angry Birds
57%
Overview
Angry Birds is a well known consumer based game with multi-colored birds who try to save their eggs from green-colored pigs. Angry Birds is also used in some classrooms to introduce a range of academic subjects. The terms of Angry Birds state they provide social interactions between users through in-game chats and messages with other players. The terms of Angry Birds state they may collect personal information and non-personal analytics information from its users. The terms of Angry Birds state they follow generally accepted industry security standards and maintain reasonable safeguards to ensure the security, integrity, and privacy of users' information. Lastly, the terms of Angry Birds state they do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age, and its third-party partners do not collect non-personally identifiable data from children.
Angry Birds can be accessed through its website, and is available for download at the iOS App Store, and the Google Play Store. The Privacy Policy and Terms of Use accessed for this evaluation can be found on Angry Birds’ website, iOS App Store, and the Google Play Store. This evaluation only considers policies that have been made publicly available prior to an individual using the application or service.
Safety
The terms of Angry Birds state they provide social interactions between users through in-game chats and messages with other players. Also, the terms state Angry Birds allows users to make personal information visible to others in forums, blogs, or chats. Parents should be aware that any data a user discloses in any forum, blog, or chat may become public information, and the terms state users should have no expectation of privacy or confidentiality with their social interactions when using the service.
Privacy
The terms of Angry Birds state they may collect personal information and non-personal analytics information from its users. Angry Birds' terms also state they may collect mobile geo-location information from users to provide location related services and advertisements. The service may also share a user’s de-identified and anonymous mobile geo-location with third parties. In addition, the terms state the service may supplement a user’s data with information received from third parties in connection with demographic, advertisement, market, or other analytics based surveys or services.
The terms state the service may also combine information collected from its users with information obtained through social networking sites and third-party ad serving technologies. The terms do not state whether they may sell a user's data. However, the terms do state that the service or third parties may display behaviorally targeted advertising to users and use demographic and geo-location information as well as information collected from a user's hardware or device to track users to ensure that relevant advertising is displayed.
Security
The terms of Angry Birds state they follow generally accepted industry security standards and maintain reasonable safeguards to ensure the security, integrity, and privacy of users' information. The measures the service adopts are designed to provide a level of security appropriate for the degree of risk involved with processing users' personal information. In addition, the terms state a user's personal information is encrypted while in transit or while at rest. However, the terms do not disclose if users are notified in the event of a data breach.
Compliance
The terms of Angry Birds state they do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age, and its third-party partners do not collect non-personally identifiable data from children. The terms state that features and services such as social networking plug-ins, behaviorally targeted advertising, and collection of data for the purpose of building user profiles are not available to users under 13.
Angry Birds's terms state they do not directly target children under 13 years of age, but the service would likely still appeal to children under 13 years of age due to the type of game play provided and cartoon based content. In addition, Angry Birds's terms state they do not provide an age-gate or other age verification method beyond Facebook integration, and therefore the service does not obtain actual knowledge if children under 13 are using the service. The terms also state that if the service learns it has inadvertently gathered personal data from children under 13 years of age, they will take reasonable measures to promptly delete that personal information. Lastly, the terms state the service provides users the ability to review, update, or correct their personal data.
Rating
- Unclear whether data are sold or rented to third parties.
- Data are shared for third-party advertising and/or marketing.
- Behavioral or targeted advertising is displayed.
- Data are collected by third-party advertising or tracking services.
- Data are used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
- Data profiles are created and used for data enhancement, and/or targeted advertisements.
Data Collection
SCORE: 60%
What data does it collect?
- Personally identifiable information (PII) is collected.
- The categories of collected personally identifiable information are indicated.
- Collection or use of data is limited to product requirements.
- Geolocation data are collected.
- Unclear whether this product collects biometric or health data.
- Behavioral data are collected.
- Sensitive data are not collected.
- Non-personally identifiable information is collected.
- Unclear whether this product treats combined information as personally identifiable information (PII).
- Personal information from children under 13 years of age is not collected online.
Data Sharing
SCORE: 55%
What data does it share?
- Collected information is shared with third parties.
- The categories of information shared with third parties are indicated.
- The purpose for sharing a user's personal information with third parties is indicated.
- Unclear whether use of information is limited to the purpose for which it was collected.
- Data are shared for analytics.
- Unclear whether data are shared for research and/or product improvement.
- Data are shared with third-party service providers.
- The roles of third-party service providers are indicated.
- Unclear whether this product supports social or federated login.
- Unclear whether contractual limits are placed on third-party data use.
Data Security
SCORE: 30%
How does it secure data?
- Unclear whether a user's identity is verified with additional personal information.
- Account creation is required.
- Unclear whether parental controls or managed accounts are available.
- Unclear whether two-factor account protection is available.
- Unclear whether third-party contractual security protections are required.
- Industry best practices are used to protect data.
- Unclear whether this product limits employee or physical access to user information.
- All data in transit are encrypted.
- Unclear whether this product encrypts all data at rest.
- Unclear whether this product provides notice in the event of a data breach.
Data Rights
SCORE: 65%
What rights do I have to the data?
- Unclear whether opt-in consent is requested from users at the time personal information is collected.
- Users can control their information through privacy settings.
- Users can create or upload content.
- Users retain ownership of their data.
- Processes to access and review user data are available.
- Processes to modify inaccurate data are available.
- Unclear whether the product provides a data-retention policy.
- Processes for the school, parents, or students to delete data are available.
- Processes to delete user data are available.
- Unclear whether this product provides users the ability to download their data.
Data Sold
SCORE: 15%
Is the data sold?
- Unclear whether data are sold or rented to third parties.
- Users can opt out from the disclosure or sale of their data to a third party.
- User information can be transferred to a third party.
- Unclear whether users are notified if their information is transferred to a third party.
- Unclear whether user information can be deleted prior to its transfer to a third party.
- Unclear whether third-party transfers are contractually required to use the same privacy practices.
- Unclear whether user information is shared in an anonymous or deidentified format.
- Unclear whether the vendor describes their deidentification process of user information.
- Unclear whether data are shared for research and/or product improvement.
- Unclear whether contractual limits prohibit third parties from reidentifying deidentified information.
Data Safety
SCORE: 70%
How safe is this product?
- Users can interact with trusted users and/or students.
- Users can interact with untrusted users, including strangers and/or adults.
- Profile information is shared for social interactions.
- Personal information is displayed publicly.
- Users can control how their data are displayed.
- User-created content is reviewed, screened, or monitored by the vendor.
- User-created content is not filtered for personal information before being made publicly visible.
- Social interactions between users are moderated.
- Social interactions of users are logged.
- Unclear whether users can report abuse or cyberbullying.
Ads & Tracking
SCORE: 60%
Are there advertisements or tracking?
- Data are shared for third-party advertising and/or marketing.
- Traditional or contextual advertisements are displayed.
- Behavioral or targeted advertising is displayed.
- Data are collected by third-party advertising or tracking services.
- Data are used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
- Data profiles are created and used for data enhancement, and/or targeted advertisements.
- The vendor can send marketing messages.
- The vendor does provide promotional sweepstakes, contests, or surveys.
- Users can opt out of traditional, contextual, or behavioral advertising.
- Users can opt out or unsubscribe from marketing communications.
Parental Consent
SCORE: 40%
Can I provide parental consent?
- Not intended for children under 13.
- Unclear whether intended for parents or guardians.
- Vendor does not have actual knowledge that personal information from users under 13 years of age is collected.
- Unclear whether children's privacy is applicable.
- Unclear whether this product indicates COPPA parental consent exceptions.
- Parental consent is required.
- Unclear whether this product limits parental consent with respect to third parties.
- Unclear whether this product allows parents to withdraw consent for the further collection of their child's information.
- Children's personal information is deleted if collected without parental consent.
- Unclear whether this product provides parental consent notice and method for submission.
School Purpose
SCORE: 0%
Is the product intended for school?
- Unclear whether intended for students.
- Unclear whether personal information or education records are collected from preK-12 students.
- Unclear whether intended for teachers.
- Unclear whether this product is primarily used by, designed for, and marketed toward students in grades preK–12.
- Unclear whether the product creates education records.
- Unclear whether this product provides notification of a contract or additional rights.
- Unclear whether this product designates the vendor as a school official.
- Unclear whether this product transfers parental consent obligations to the school or district.
- Unclear whether the vendor indicates FERPA parental consent exceptions.
- Unclear whether this product discloses directory information.
Common Sense Standard Privacy Report (SPR)
The standard privacy report (SPR) displays all the privacy practices from a product's policies in a single, easy-to-read outline. The report shows a green check mark for better privacy practices and an orange alert for risky or unclear practices. This alert indicates that more time should be focused on these particular details prior to use.
About Privacy Evaluations
The privacy evaluations have been designed with the help and support of a consortium of schools and districts across the United States. These evaluations are designed to help educators make informed decisions about the potential privacy implications of educational technology used to support teaching and learning.
Our core evaluation criteria will always be freely available. People are encouraged to read the questions we use and our information security primer. Vendors are encouraged to use our questions and the information security primer to self-evaluate. You can also learn more about our evaluation process. Please be in touch with any questions or feedback.