Who we are
Neon Knuckles ("we", "us") runs the website at neonknuckles.com and the fighting game on it, and is the controller of the personal data described here. The game is made and run by the 8Baller team. For any privacy question, or to use your rights below, email support@neonknuckles.com.
What we collect
If you play as a guest. Playing against the computer needs no account. The game stores data only in your own browser: your sound settings, your last chosen fighter and CPU level. These stay on your device in local storage and are not sent to us.
If you create an account (when accounts open). Online play needs a verified account. We will then process your username and email address, your password (stored only as a salted hash, never in readable form), your match history, results and rating, friends and block lists, any chat messages, reports you make or that are made about you, and security and anti-cheat records.
Server logs. Our web server keeps standard technical logs (IP address, time, page requested, browser type). We use them for security and to keep the service running.
Page views. We count visits to our own pages ourselves, without any third-party analytics tool. For each page you open we record the time, the page address (without any search part), the website you came from, whether you are on a phone, tablet or computer, and your browser family. We do this without cookies and without storing anything on your device. We tell visitors apart only with an anonymous code made from your IP address and browser details mixed with a secret that changes every day; the IP address and full browser details are not stored, and the code cannot be linked from one day to the next. If you are signed in, administrators can see which page you are on at that moment and which account you are using, but that is not stored with the page-view record.
Where you came from. If you arrive from a Neon Knuckles or 8Baller promotion, a post, or another website, our server notes the campaign details in the link (the utm_ tags), the website you came from, and a few anonymous steps that day (arriving, leaving quickly, starting a single-player fight). If you then create an account, we attach the campaign details of that same visit to your account record, and note when you verify your email, play your first multiplayer fight and your first rated fight, and come back the day after signing up, so that we can see which promotions bring real players. This uses no cookie and nothing stored in your browser: it relies on the same anonymous daily code, so it only links activity on the same day. It is used only to count and compare campaigns.
Advertising. Neon Knuckles is free. We show promotions for our own games (Neon Knuckles and 8Baller). These are our own images and links, load from our own site and use no third-party cookies. If you click one for 8Baller, you go to 8Baller's site, which receives the usual browser details and a note that you came from Neon Knuckles. We may also show ads from Google AdSense (Google Ireland Limited for visitors in the UK and European Economic Area). Google ads are not shown unless and until we switch them on. When they are, Google's consent message asks for your choice first, and Google and its partners may then set or read cookies and similar identifiers on your device and receive your IP address, browser details and the page you are on, so they can pick, deliver and measure the ad and prevent fraud. We do not give Google your name, email address or anything from your account. We do not use any other advertising network and we do not use third-party analytics.
Your choice about ads. Our own promotions need no consent because they set no third-party cookies. When Google ads are on, and you are in the UK or the European Economic Area, Google's own consent message (the Privacy and messaging tool in Google AdSense) asks for your choice the first time you visit. You can accept personalised ads, or choose non-personalised or limited ads, and you can change your mind at any time with the "Privacy choices" link at the bottom of every page (the link appears once Google ads are on). No ads or promotions are shown during a fight. Short "quick break" cards can appear between fights, for example after an arcade fight or before a rematch, and each has a Continue button.
Personalised and non-personalised ads. This applies only when Google ads are shown. Personalised ads use cookies and identifiers to show ads based on your interests and browsing. Non-personalised ads are based on the page you are on and your rough location, not your browsing history. You can also manage Google ad settings at adssettings.google.com and read how Google uses data from sites that use its services at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.
Why we use data and our legal basis
| Purpose | Data | Lawful basis (UK GDPR) |
|---|---|---|
| Run the game and website | Server logs, essential local storage | Legitimate interests (providing and securing the service) |
| Show and measure Google ads (AdSense), only when Google ads are shown | Cookies and identifiers, IP address, browser and page details, handled by Google | Consent, given or refused in Google's consent message and changeable under "Privacy choices" |
| Count visits and see which promotions bring players (page views, campaign source) | Page, referrer and campaign tags, device type, browser family, anonymous daily visitor code; account only while you are signed in and for the sign-up record | Legitimate interests (understanding how the site is used and which promotions work) |
| Accounts, online fights, ratings and leaderboards | Account, match and chat data | Contract (providing the service you asked for) |
| Safety, moderation and anti-cheat | Reports, chat, input and security records | Legitimate interests (keeping the game fair and safe) |
Automated moderation
To keep Neon Knuckles safe we may use an automated AI moderator once chat and online play are open. Ordinary chat is checked by simple automatic rules on our own servers and is not sent to the AI. Only chat messages that are reported or flagged as possibly breaking the community rules, ban disputes and messages you send to our support address may be read by the AI, together with a little surrounding context. The AI moderator is provided by Anthropic, which processes that text on our behalf. Staff can also review it. The AI can warn, mute or briefly suspend an account and can lift or shorten a penalty on appeal, but permanent bans, and anything about legal matters or deleting your data, are always decided by a person. You can dispute a ban or suspension at any time and you can ask us to review any automated decision.
Sharing your data
We do not sell personal data. We share it only with service providers who help us run Neon Knuckles (such as hosting, email delivery and AI moderation), with Google if and when Google ads are shown (as described above), and where the law requires. Other players see only what you choose to show on your public profile and in the lobby (your username, rating, results and chat).
How long we keep it
Server logs are kept for a short, fixed period for security. Page-view records are kept for 90 days and campaign records for 400 days. Data in your browser stays until you clear it. Account data is kept while your account is open and deleted when you ask us to delete it, subject to legal duties and the need to keep records needed for safety and anti-cheat.
Your rights
Under UK GDPR you may ask for access to your data, correction, deletion, restriction, a portable copy, and you may object to processing or withdraw consent at any time. Email us and we will respond within one month. You may also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk).
Children
Neon Knuckles is intended for people aged 13 and over. If you believe a child has given us personal data, please contact us and we will remove it.
Security
We use HTTPS, restrict access to servers, and design online fights so the server, not your browser, decides the result of every match.
Changes
We will update this page when what we do changes, and show the date above. Our cookie policy lists what we store on your device.