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Privacy Evaluation for Nitro Type

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Overview

Nitro Type is a web-based game service that provides students with the opportunity to improve their typing skills while competing in races with people from around the world. The terms of Nitro Type state that any individual can create an account with the service, and an email address is not required. However, Nitro Type displays advertisements to all users (even those under 13 years of age) and the only way to remove advertisements is to upgrade a user's account to a paid, Gold Membership account. It is not clear if the upgraded account also removes the advertisement trackers present on the website. While users are not required to enter an age or an email during signup, a full name can be added to a free account after a user has joined the site.

Nitro Type can be accessed through its website. The Privacy Policy and Terms of Use accessed for this evaluation can be found on Nitro Type’s website. This evaluation only considers policies that have been made publicly available prior to an individual using the application or service.

Safety

The terms of Nitro Type state that any individual can create an account with the service, and an email address is not required. Friend requests are allowed within the website, and the default setting (configurable via a user's profile) is to allow friend requests.

The terms state there are no interactions with adults or other students (of the same classroom or school). In addition, Nitro Type's terms state they do not routinely monitor a user's account, or disclose information about a user's communications to anyone. Lastly, the terms do not provide significant details about the tools and processes that support safe and appropriate social interactions. However, within the application a user can report other users for abusive behavior.

Privacy

The terms of Nitro Type state they engage in data minimization practices but do not disclose what third-party services are used to support the operation of the website or application. However, Nitro Type's terms say they may use third-party advertising companies to serve ads and to target advertisements to the user on other websites, or on other applications or services. In addition, it is not clear whether the content of advertisements is filtered or reviewed to eliminate age inappropriate content. Also, it is not clear from the terms what information, if any, is shared with third-parties. The website also makes extensive use of third-party ad trackers.

The terms state Nitro Type supports social login, and it is not clear what data are collected from social or federated login providers (Google, Clever, and Facebook), because the providers use personal information in accordance with their own terms of service and privacy policies. In addition, Nitro Type terms state they use customer contact information from the registration form (email, zip code, age, or occupation) to send a user information about Nitro Type and, if the user chooses, promotional material from some of their partners. Lastly, the service offers an upgrade to a "Gold" account which removes the display of advertisements, but it is not clear if this upgrade also removes the numerous third party trackers used as well.

Security

The terms of Nitro Type state it has security measures in place to protect against the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under its control. The terms specify passwords are never stored as clear text at any point, but rather are hashed thousands of times using unique randomized salts and the best available, reasonable encryption. In addition, the terms of Nitro Type state they request users to contact them in the event of a security breach, however, no other security measures are described in the policies.

Compliance

The terms of Nitro Type state the service appeals to users under 13 years of age, but users are not required to enter their birth year or date in order to register or maintain an account. However, users under 13 years of age that register for the service are required to obtain parental consent. The terms say Nitro Type displays advertisements to all users (even those under 13 years of age) and the only way to remove advertisements is to upgrade a user's account to a paid, Gold Membership account. Lastly, the terms say users can access, edit, modify, and export their personal information at any time through the service.

Rating

This product received a Warning rating based on the following details:
  • Unclear whether personal information is sold or rented to third parties.
  • Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
  • Personalised advertising is displayed.
  • Data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • User's information is used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Data profiles are not created and used for personalised advertisements.
Data Collection
SCORE: 40%

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.
  • Unclear whether this product collects geolocation data.
  • Unclear whether this product collects biometric or health data.
  • Unclear whether this product collects interactions, behaviors, or usage analytics data.
  • Unclear whether this product collects sensitive data.
  • Data is automatically collected.
  • Opt-in consent is requested from users at the time personal information is collected.
  • Unclear whether personal information of users is collected by a third party.
Data Sharing
SCORE: 10%

What data does it share?

  • Collected information is shared with third parties.
  • Unclear whether the categories of information shared with third parties are indicated.
  • Unclear whether the purpose for sharing a user's personal information with third parties is indicated.
  • Unclear whether the categories of third parties that receive data are indicated.
  • Unclear whether data are shared for analytics.
  • Unclear whether data are shared for research and/or product improvement.
  • Unclear whether third-party services are used to support the product.
  • Unclear what the roles of third-party service providers are.
  • Unclear whether this product supports third-party 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 managed accounts are available.
  • Unclear whether multi-factor account protection is available.
  • Unclear whether third-parties with access to information are required to provide the same security protections as the company.
  • Reasonable security practices are used to protect data.
  • Unclear whether this product limits employee or physical access to user information.
  • Unclear whether this product encrypts all data in transit.
  • All data are stored in an encrypted format.
  • Unclear whether this product provides notice in the event of a data breach.
Data Rights
SCORE: 55%

What rights do I have to the data?

  • Users can create or upload content.
  • Users retain ownership of their data.
  • Processes to access or review user data are available.
  • Processes to modify data are available for authorized users.
  • Unclear whether the product provides a data-retention policy.
  • Unclear whether authorzied users can delete data.
  • Unclear whether a user's data are deleted upon account cancellation or termination.
  • Unclear whether this product deletes data when no longer necessary.
  • Methods are available to restrict who has access to data.
  • Processes to download user data are available.
Data Sold
SCORE: 10%

Is the data sold?

  • Unclear whether personal information is sold or rented to third parties.
  • Users can opt out from the disclosure or sale of their data to a third party.
  • Unclear whether user information can be transferred to a third party in the event of a merge, acquisition, or bankruptcy.
  • 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 that is shared is shared in an anonymous or de-identified format.
  • Unclear whether the company describes their de-identification process of user information.
  • Unclear whether data are shared for research and/or product improvement.
  • Unclear whether contractual limits prohibit third parties from reidentifying or de-identified information.
Data Safety
SCORE: 25%

How safe is this product?

  • Unclear whether this product supports interactions between trusted users.
  • Users cannot interact with untrusted users, including strangers and/or adults.
  • Unclear whether profile information must be shared for social interactions.
  • Personal information can be not displayed publicly.
  • Unclear whether this product allows users to control how their data are displayed to others.
  • User-created content is not reviewed, screened, or monitored by the company.
  • Unclear whether user-created content is filtered for personal information before being made publicly visible.
  • Unclear whether social interactions between users are moderated.
  • Unclear whether social interactions of users are logged.
  • Unclear whether users can report abuse or cyberbullying.
Ads & Tracking
SCORE: 40%

Are there advertisements or tracking?

  • Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
  • Unclear whether this product displays traditional or contextual advertisements.
  • Personalised advertising is displayed.
  • Data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • User's information is used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Data profiles are not created and used for personalised advertisements.
  • Unclear whether this company can send marketing messages.
  • Unclear whether this company provides promotional sweepstakes, contests, or surveys.
  • Unclear whether this product provides users the ability to opt-out of contextual, or personalised advertising.
  • Users can opt out or unsubscribe from marketing communications.
Parental Consent
SCORE: 55%

Can I provide parental consent?

  • Intended for children under 13.
  • Personal information from children under 13 years of age is collected.
  • Unclear whether intended for parents or guardians.
  • Company does not have actual knowledge that personal information from users under 13 years of age is collected.
  • The company does provide a section, heading, or separate policy for children in their policies.
  • Parental consent is required before personal information is collected or disclosed.
  • 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: 13%

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.
  • Processes to enter education records into the product are described.
  • Unclear whether additional rights or protections may be provided with an additional school contract.
  • Unclear whether the company is designated as a school official.
  • Unclear whether this product transfers parental consent obligations to the school or district.
Individual Control
SCORE: 30%

Can I control the use of my data?

  • Users can control the use of their information through privacy settings.
  • Unclear whether use of information is limited to the purpose for which it was collected.
  • The context or purpose for which data are collected is indicated.
  • Unclear whether company may combine data with additional data from third-party sources.
  • Unclear whether this product treats combined information as personally identifiable information (PII).
  • Unclear whether notice is provided if the context in which data are collected changes.
  • Unclear whether consent is obtained if the practices in which data are collected change.
  • A grievance or remedy mechanism is available for users to file a complaint.
  • Unclear whether users can request to know what personal information has been shared with third parties.
  • Unclear whether notice is provided in the event the company receives a government or legal request for a user's 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.