Privacy Policy

Who we are

Gaemboy is a browser-based emulator for Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color and Game Boy that runs entirely in your browser. This site (gaemboy.com) is operated by the Gaemboy Developer Team. This policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, and the rights you have over your data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR — Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and comparable laws.

What data we process, and why

Gaemboy is designed to keep as much data as possible on your device. Below is the complete list of data we handle, split by the reason we process it.

1. Account & sign-in

If you choose Continue with Google, Gaemboy requests only the three basic OAuth scopes — openid, email and profile — and therefore receives your email address, your display name and your profile picture. We request no other scope: the app has no access to your Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Contacts or any other Google service or content.

Your email address is held in our authentication backend (Firebase Authentication by Google LLC) and is used exclusively to identify your Gaemboy account, keep you signed in and let you retrieve your cloud save states.

Your display name and profile picture are used locally only. They are never copied into our database and we never read them server-side: they stay inside the Google authentication record and are rendered by your browser to show who is signed in — the picture is loaded straight from Google's servers, not from ours. Your name is even shown partially masked in the app. The only exception is if you voluntarily apply to become a Creator, where the creator name you type into the form is saved with your application.

We do not share any of this data with advertisers, and we never sell it. You can revoke Gaemboy's access at any time from your Google Account permissions page. You can also use Continue as guest, which creates a temporary account without any personal identifier.

2. Cloud save states

When you are signed in, the emulator can upload your save states (the game progress files) to a private area of Cloud Firestore (also operated by Google LLC). Save states are linked to your account and are never shared. You can delete them at any time from the in-app Settings.

3. ROMs and game files

The ROMs you load into Gaemboy are stored in your browser's local storage (IndexedDB) and never leave your device. We do not upload, host, distribute or index ROMs. You are responsible for owning a legal copy of any ROM you use.

4. Analytics and diagnostics

We use Google Analytics 4 and Firebase Analytics to understand aggregate usage patterns (visits, page views, session length, rough geographical area, device type). These tools use cookies and similar technologies. Analytics data is aggregated and does not identify you personally. If you do not consent to analytics cookies, we skip this collection entirely.

5. Push notifications (optional)

If you enable push notifications, we register your browser with Firebase Cloud Messaging so that we can deliver in-app notifications (for example, a save-sync reminder). You can disable notifications at any time from your browser or from the in-app Settings.

Cookies and similar technologies

Gaemboy uses cookies, local storage and IndexedDB. Broadly:

• Necessary — session cookies, authentication tokens, save states in IndexedDB. Always active because the app cannot work without them.
• Analytics — Google Analytics 4 and Firebase Analytics cookies. Loaded only if you consent.

You can change your choices at any time from the browser's site settings or by clearing your cookies for gaemboy.com.

Where your data is stored

Gaemboy uses Google Cloud infrastructure. Data is stored in Google's multi-region storage in Europe when available (Firestore europe-west) and may be replicated to the United States for service delivery. Google LLC provides Standard Contractual Clauses under Article 46 GDPR and is certified under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework; both of these mechanisms cover the transfer of personal data outside the European Economic Area.

How long we keep your data

• Account — until you delete it (contact us below).
• Cloud save states — until you delete the specific save or the entire account.
• Analytics — up to 14 months, aggregated.

Your rights (GDPR & comparable laws)

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data and receive a copy;
• Ask us to correct data you believe is inaccurate;
• Ask us to delete your data (right to erasure);
• Restrict or object to certain processing;
• Request the portability of your data in a machine-readable format;
• Withdraw consent at any time (which does not affect processing already carried out);
• Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (in Italy: Garante per la protezione dei dati personali).

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the address below.

Children's privacy

Gaemboy is not directed to children under 16 (or under 13 where different local age thresholds apply). We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, contact us and we will remove it.

Changes to this policy

We may update this document to reflect changes in our services, partners or applicable law. When we make material changes, we will update the Last updated date at the top and, when required, ask for your consent again through the CMP banner.