Privacy Policy — The Open File

Last updated: July 11, 2026

This page explains what The Open File collects, why, and how it's stored. Written in plain language on purpose.

What we collect

Only what you type into a form on this site. Nothing is collected passively beyond standard analytics (see below).

If you...	We store	Where
Enter a name to start your file	The name you typed, your answers, and your result	Google Sheets (`Results` tab)
Join the community email list	Your email address	Google Sheets (`Community` tab), deduplicated
Submit "Join the Team"	Your name, what you'd help with, and any note you add	Google Sheets (`TeamInterest` tab)
Submit a sponsor/brand inquiry	Brand name, contact email, partnership type, and any note	Google Sheets (`SponsorInquiries` tab)
Submit a case idea	The case content and optional credit name	Google Sheets (`CaseSubmissions` tab)
Join or create a Crew, or use party mode	Names entered for that session	Google Sheets (`Crews` tab)
Make a guess on a Prediction Challenge link	Your guess and the result	Google Sheets (`Predictions` tab)
Use the site at all	Anonymous, non-identifying usage events (e.g. "started a diagnostic," "shared a duel link") tied to a random session ID, not to you personally	Google Sheets (`Events` tab) and Google Analytics

We do not collect passwords, payment information, physical addresses, or government ID of any kind — none of that is part of this site.

Where your data lives

Everything above is stored in a Google Sheet, accessed through a private Google Apps Script backend. It is not sold, rented, or shared with third parties for advertising. The only outside services involved are:

Google Sheets / Apps Script — the database and backend for this site
Google Analytics (GA4) — anonymized usage analytics (page views, feature usage). Google's own privacy policy governs how they process this: policies.google.com/privacy
Google Search Console — used only to see how this site appears in Google Search results; does not receive any personal data you submit on this site

Why we collect it

Name + answers — to generate and display your personalized result, and to power optional social features (duels, crews, comparisons) if you choose to share a link
Email — only if you explicitly opt in, to send occasional updates about the project
Team/sponsor/case submissions — to follow up on the specific thing you submitted
Anonymous usage events — to understand which parts of the site are actually being used, so we can improve it

Your choices

Submitting your name, email, or any form on this site is always optional — the core diagnostic works without any of it
You can request your data be removed by emailing shivamraut.tech@gmail.com with what you submitted and roughly when — we'll delete the matching row(s) from the relevant sheet
Clearing your browser's local storage removes locally-saved data (commendations, visit streaks, saved name) from your device, but does not affect anything already submitted to the backend

How long we keep it

We keep submitted data indefinitely unless you request deletion (see "Your choices" above). We don't currently run automatic deletion after a fixed period — if that changes, this section will be updated to reflect the actual retention window.

Cookies

Google Analytics sets cookies to distinguish visitors. If you're in a region requiring cookie consent (e.g. EU/UK) and this matters to your rollout, a consent banner should be added before GA4 is allowed to fire — this policy alone does not satisfy that requirement on its own.

Not medical or professional advice

This site is a reflective, entertainment-oriented diagnostic. It is not a clinical, psychological, medical, financial, or legal assessment, and nothing here should be treated as professional advice. If something you encounter here brings up a difficult topic, please talk to a qualified professional or a trusted person in your life.

Changes to this policy

If what's collected or how it's used changes meaningfully, this page will be updated and the "Last updated" date above will change accordingly.

Contact

Questions about this policy or your data: shivamraut.tech@gmail.com

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