Privacy Policy_ □ ×

Privacy Policy

Effective date: October 1, 2026

The short version (for kids) RetroPuter doesn't have accounts, and we never ask for your name, email or where you live. Your games, money, drawings and notes are saved only on the computer or phone you're using. The chat buddies are computer characters, not real people. Never type your real name, address or phone number anywhere online (RetroPuter hides numbers that look like phone numbers anyway).

This policy explains what information RetroPuter ("we", "the site") handles when you visit RetroPuter, a website that lets you use pretend computers from 1985 to 2000. We wrote it in plain language. If anything is unclear, contact us (see the end of this page).

1. We don't collect personal information

There are no accounts, logins or sign-ups.
We don't ask for your name, email, age, address, phone number or photo.
We don't run analytics, tracking pixels or fingerprinting, and we don't sell or share information about visitors. If that ever changes, we'll update this page first.
The "user name" inside the pretend computer (like kidsurfer) is just for fun and stays on your device.

2. What's saved, and where

Everything you do on RetroPuter is saved in your own web browser's storage (called "localStorage") on your device. It is not sent to us, and we can't see it. This includes:

play money, games you've "bought", coupon unlocks and settings
notes, letters, spreadsheets, drawings, photos taken in Photo Studio, movies, banners and home pages
high scores, Time Passport stamps, Work Center progress
what you've told the pretend chat buddies (so they "remember" you). Text that looks like a phone number, email or address is hidden and not saved.

To delete it: use Control Panel → Erase hard drive inside RetroPuter, or clear this site's data in your browser settings. Private or incognito windows delete it automatically when closed.

Backups and sharing are up to you. A save file or backup code you create contains your saved progress, and it only goes where you send it. Links you share for movies or home pages contain that movie or page inside the link itself, so anyone you give the link to can see it.

3. Things that do reach other companies

Service	What it's for	What it can see
Our web host (Vercel and/or GitHub Pages)	Delivering the website's files to your browser	Standard web request details, like your IP address, browser type and the time of the request, which hosts keep in short-term server logs for security and reliability.
Google Fonts	The retro pixel font	Your IP address and browser details when the font file is downloaded. See Google's Privacy Policy.
Google AdSense (only if ads from Google are turned on, and only if you allow it)	Showing ads in the banner above the pretend computer	Google may use cookies and your IP address to show and measure ads. We request non-personalized ads and treat the site as child-directed, so ads aren't based on your interests or browsing. See how Google uses information from sites that use its services.

Other ads on RetroPuter (the startup sponsor screen, the desk banner and the desktop pop-up ads) are simple pictures and links we host ourselves. They don't use cookies or track you. Clicking one takes you to the advertiser's own page, which has its own privacy policy.

4. Microphone and speech

Sound Recorder (1995 and 2000) asks your browser for permission before using the microphone. Recordings stay in memory while the program is open, are never uploaded or saved, and disappear when you close it.
"Read aloud" features use your device's built-in speech voice. The text is not sent to us.
Photo Studio never uses your real camera. Its pictures are of pretend places.

5. Children's privacy

RetroPuter is made for everyone, including children. We don't knowingly collect personal information from anyone, including children under 13, and there's no way to create an account or send us information through the site. The pretend chat, mail and games room contain only computer characters, and there is no way to talk to real people through RetroPuter.

Parents: you can review everything saved by opening the pretend computer, and erase it any time (see section 2). If you believe your child has sent us personal information another way, contact us and we'll delete it.

6. Cookies and your choices

RetroPuter itself doesn't use cookies. It uses your browser's storage only to save your progress, which the site needs in order to work. If ads from Google are turned on, Google may set advertising cookies, and we'll ask first with the banner at the bottom of the screen. You can change your choice here:

7. Changes

If we change this policy, we'll update the effective date at the top. Big changes will also be announced on the site.

8. Contact

Questions or requests about privacy: [add a contact email address]

This page describes how the RetroPuter website works today. It is a plain-language policy, not legal advice.

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