Privacy Policy — Scuba Squad

Developer: Simon Ellershaw · Effective date: July 4, 2026

This policy describes how the Scuba Squad Android app handles information. Scuba Squad is rated for players aged 9 and over, so this policy pays particular attention to children's privacy. It is written to be accurate to what the app actually does; it is not a substitute for legal advice, and Simon Ellershaw should have it reviewed against Google Play's Families Policy and applicable children's privacy law (e.g. COPPA, UK GDPR / Age Appropriate Design Code) before relying on it for a live store listing.

Overview

Scuba Squad does not require an account, does not ask players to enter their name, email address, or any other personal details, and does not collect personal information directly. The app is a single-player arcade game; a small number of optional features rely on Google services, described below.

Information We Do Not Collect

Scuba Squad does not:

  • ask for or store your name, email address, date of birth, or physical location;
  • include any in-app chat, messaging, or way for players to contact one another;
  • use any analytics, crash-reporting, or tracking SDK;
  • allow the game's on-screen content to open external web pages — the game runs in a restricted view that cannot browse to outside websites.

Services Provided by Google

Scuba Squad uses a small number of Google services to provide optional online features and to show ads. Each is described below along with what it's used for and what it sends to Google. Simon Ellershaw (the developer) does not receive or store the data described in this section — it is collected and processed by Google under Google's own privacy policy, available at policies.google.com/privacy.

Optional

Google Play Games Services

Used for online leaderboards. On launch, the app attempts a silent sign-in with your Google Play Games account; if you're not signed in, or decline, the game is fully playable using an offline, on-device leaderboard instead. If signed in, your score, dive level, and the date (for daily-challenge boards) are submitted to Google Play Games Services and associated with your Google Play Games profile.

Background, no personal data to Simon Ellershaw

Google Play Integrity API

Used to check that the app hasn't been tampered with, so that leaderboard scores stay fair. This sends a device integrity signal to Google; it does not identify you personally, and Simon Ellershaw does not receive the raw result — a failed check simply turns off online score submission for that session without affecting gameplay.

Ads — configured for children

Google AdMob

Scuba Squad shows an interstitial ad after every 4th dive, and an optional rewarded ad players can choose to watch for an in-game bonus ("double starfish"). Because the app is directed at children, ad requests are explicitly flagged to Google as child-directed and under the age of consent, and are capped at Google's "G" content rating. In practice this means:

  • ads are not personalised or based on your browsing/ad history;
  • the app does not request or have access to your device's advertising ID at all — it is deliberately excluded from the app;
  • ad content is restricted to Google's general-audience ("G") rating.

In the UK/EEA, Google's User Messaging Platform (UMP) shows a consent notice before any ad is requested; if consent is declined, no ads are requested and the game continues ad-free.

Information Stored Only on Your Device

Your starfish (in-game currency), unlocked characters, and offline high scores are saved locally on your device only — they are not sent anywhere. To stop players from copying or hand-editing a save file, the app derives a check value from your device's built-in Android ID; this check value never leaves your device and is not shared with Simon Ellershaw, Google, or anyone else. Automatic cloud backup of app data is switched off, so this local save data is not copied to Google's backup service either.

Children's Privacy

Scuba Squad is rated 9+ and built with that audience in mind:

  • No personal information is collected directly by the app or by Simon Ellershaw.
  • Ads are configured as child-directed with Google, disabling personalised advertising (see "Google AdMob" above).
  • Signing in to Google Play Games Services to use online leaderboards is entirely optional and is governed by Google's own account and Family Link protections — a parent/guardian can review or manage this through their Google Family Link settings if the player uses a supervised account.
  • The game is fully playable, including all levels and characters unlocked through normal play, without ever signing in to any Google service.

If you are a parent or guardian and have questions about your child's use of Scuba Squad or believe your child has provided personal information that shouldn't have been collected, please contact Simon Ellershaw using the details below.

Data Retention

Simon Ellershaw does not hold a server or database of player data, so there is nothing for Simon Ellershaw to retain or delete on request. Leaderboard scores and Google account sign-in state are held by Google under Google's own retention rules; you can manage or delete this through your Google Account settings. On-device data (starfish, unlocks, offline scores) is deleted when you uninstall the app or clear its storage from your device settings.

Changes to This Policy

If Scuba Squad's data practices change — for example, if a new service or ad network is added — this page will be updated and the effective date at the top will change accordingly.

Contact

Scuba Squad

Developer: Simon Ellershaw

Email: simonellershaw@gmail.com