Privacy and cookies

1. Who we are

The worm has people.

Oh, Worm. (ohworm.com) is run by Interactive Enterprises Limited, a company registered in the Isle of Man with company number 137228C. We decide how the information described here is used, which makes us responsible for it under data protection law (the legal term is "data controller").

2. What we collect and why

What the Wise Old Worm knows about you: not much.

On your own device

Your browser has a small notebook called "local storage". The site uses it to remember things for you, on your device only:

• whether the sound is on or off
• your Worm Escape best score and distance, and which sayings you've already heard from the Wise Old Worm
• your leaderboard name, if you've saved one
• the date of your last visit, so you're only counted once a day in the worldwide visitor count

We can't see any of this. It stays on your device and isn't sent to us, except your leaderboard name, which goes with your scores (see "The leaderboard" below). You can wipe it at any time by clearing this site's data in your browser settings.

The worldwide counters

The page shows how many humans have visited, and how many leaves have been munched, worms have escaped and beaks have been dodged worldwide. When you visit, the page tells our server "one more human" (once a day per device) and, after a game, adds your leaves, your escape and the beaks you dodged to the totals. The totals are just numbers. They don't say who did what.

To stop anyone spamming the counters, our server turns your internet address (IP address) into a scrambled code using a secret key. It keeps that code with a count for the current minute only, and the secret key is replaced with a new random one every day. Our site doesn't store your IP address itself.

Worm Escape, the game

When you start a game, our server hands out a one-time game ticket. When the game ends, your score and some game details (distance, level, leaves, apple cores and golden apples munched, hits taken, extra hearts, best combo and how long you played) are sent back, so the server can check the score is actually possible.

To stop cheating and flooding, the server counts how many games and scores come from each visitor in the current hour, using the same kind of scrambled code (never the IP address itself, and the key is replaced daily). Used game tickets are remembered for about three hours so they can't be used twice.

The leaderboard

Every real game's score is checked and saved. Each leaderboard (Today and GOAT) keeps the top 100 scores and shows the top 10 publicly. For each entry we keep:

• the name you chose, if you gave one (otherwise it shows as "Mystery Wiggler")
• the score, distance and level
• the time it was set
• a random game number

We don't keep your IP address, email, location or anything else with it. Names can be up to 16 characters. They're checked automatically, and anything rude or that looks like a website, email address, phone number or advert is replaced with "Polite Worm".

Once you've saved a name, your browser remembers it and sends it with your later scores, so it will appear with them too. To stop that, clear this site's data in your browser.

We also keep a plain list of the day's scores, just numbers with no names, so we can tell you things like "You beat 80% of today's players".

Sharing

The share button uses your device's own share menu, or copies a message for you to paste. We don't see who you share with or where.

Server logs

Like almost every website, the web server run by our hosting company automatically keeps standard access logs. These record things like the IP address, date and time, the page asked for and the browser type. They're used to keep the site running and secure. We don't use them to track or profile anyone, and they're kept for a limited time set by our hosting company.

If you email us

We'll use your email address and message to reply and deal with your request, and keep them only as long as we need to.

3. Cookies

Cookies: none. Not even a biscuit crumb for the worm.

Oh, Worm. doesn't use any cookies, so there's no cookie banner to click. There are also no ads, no analytics, no tracking pixels, no social media buttons and no outside scripts or fonts. Everything the page needs loads from ohworm.com itself.

The only thing stored on your device is the local storage notebook described above. It works a bit like a cookie, but it isn't sent to us automatically with every visit. It's only used for features you'd expect (sound, scores, your leaderboard name, which sayings you've heard and the once-a-day visitor count). If you clear it, the worm simply forgets your scores and settings on that device.

4. Our legal reason for using your information

The worm has his reasons.

Data protection law says we need a lawful reason for using personal information. Ours is "legitimate interests": running a fun website, showing the leaderboards and counters, keeping the game fair and keeping the site safe. We only use the minimum we need, and we've made sure it doesn't override your rights. When you choose to put a name on the leaderboard, we show it because you asked us to. You can object at any time (see "Your rights").

5. Who else sees it

The worm doesn't gossip. Unlike the compost heap.

• Everyone: leaderboard names and scores are public on the site.
• Our hosting company stores the website and its files, and runs the server logs, on our behalf as our host.
• The authorities, only if the law requires us to share something.

We don't sell or rent anyone's information, and we don't share it with advertisers.

6. How long we keep things

The worm has a long body and a short memory.

7. Keeping it safe

Guarded by a worm in a very serious hard hat.

The site only works over a secure (https) connection. The files where scores and counters are kept can't be opened from the web, and the site blocks content from anywhere else. No website is perfectly secure, but we keep what we hold to a minimum, so there's very little to lose.

8. Children

Little worms welcome.

Oh, Worm. is suitable for all ages. There are no accounts and we don't ask anyone's age. Please don't put your real full name on the leaderboard. A nickname is much more fun anyway. If you're a parent or guardian and want a name removed, just email us.

9. Your rights

You're the boss of your data. The worm's just the worm.

We follow Isle of Man data protection law (the Data Protection Act 2018, the Data Protection (Application of GDPR) Order 2018, which applies the GDPR in the Isle of Man, and the GDPR and LED Implementing Regulations 2018). If you're in the UK, you also have rights under the UK GDPR, and if you're in the EU, under the EU GDPR.

Depending on the situation, you have the right to:

• ask what information we hold about you and get a copy
• have it corrected
• have it deleted, for example a leaderboard name
• ask us to limit how we use it
• object to us using it
• get it in a form you can take elsewhere, where that applies

Just email hello@interactiveenterpriseslimited.com. It's free, and we'll reply within one month. Because there are no accounts and we don't keep IP addresses, we usually can't link anything to you. To help us find a leaderboard entry, tell us the name, the score and roughly when you played.

If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, please tell us first so we can put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Isle of Man Information Commissioner. In the UK, you can contact the Information Commissioner's Office, and in the EU, your local data protection authority.

10. Changes to this page

Worms grow. Pages get updated.

If the site changes how it handles information, we'll update this page and the "Last updated" date at the top.

11. Contact us

The worm can't type. No arms. His people can.

Email hello@interactiveenterpriseslimited.com about anything on this page. See also our Terms of use.