Greetings!

 

Your email has reached the data protection team at Blizzard Entertainment.

 

We = take your privacy very seriously.

 

The following answers your questions and addresses your request for a copy of = the data we hold which is connected to you.

Who is processing your data?

Blizzard Entertainment Inc., and/or one of its subsidiaries. Is the data controller = for the processing of your personal data

 

What information do we collect, and how long do we keep it?

We collect information from or about you in the following ways:

 

Information provided by you. = Information provided by you when you create or update your account(s); when you are an esports player; while you use our social features and channels to = communicate with others; when you use any of our services for purchases or financial transactions such as store purchases, in-game purchases, and/or prize processing; and while you are receiving customer service = support.

 

Information we get or generate from your use = of our games or services. We collect data = related to: your game play and in-game activity, the services that you use and how you use = them, and your devices and activities when you install or access our = services.

 

Information collected from external sources. We may receive information about you and your activities from third parties when = you link to external accounts (such as Facebook, PlayStation, XBOX or Twitch) = and from advertisers or service providers about your experiences or = interactions with them. We might also obtain information from public sites on the = internet, such as Twitch, Instagram and YouTube, to mention a few.

 

We treat all = information associated with your account to be personal information. Blizzard collects the following = categories of data depending on which product(s) or service(s) you are interested in = or interacting with. We usually retain data for only as long as necessary to provide you with = products, services and an immersive entertainment experience. Exceptions are noted = below.

 

ACCOUNT DATA - = Player Account Data refers to information that is provided and = generated when a player creates his or her account. Most of this data is available to the = player by logging into his or her account and can be updated by the player in the account settings section.

Examples: Account name, BattleTag, name, email address, preferred language, date of birth, SMS number, home address, shipping address (on file), account = balance, beta opt-in(s) and account links.

Who has access to this type of data? Operations, Game Teams, esports (if applicable), Customer Service, Publishing and Security.

 

CUSTOMER SERVICE - We also use the information we collect while assisting players through our customer support services to investigate and address players=92 concerns and monitor and improve our services. Information gathered or = produced during support of our players is retained for up to 2 years to ensure that = we address concerns and issues in the best way possible.

Examples: Issues raised, case history, restrictions history, contact details, = customer service communications and account notes.

Who has access to this type of data? Most of the time, it=92s just Customer Service and Security, but occasionally Operations, Game Teams and Legal = access this data.

 

SOCIAL DATA - Blizzard uses the information we collect from players=92 actions to enable communications between our players in multiple ways, such as chat, Forums and on-line gaming (e.g. Fireside Gatherings in Hearthstone). =

Examples: Forum content (version, allocation, locale, time zone, access groups, game accounts, posts), Fireside Gatherings details, chat groups, chat logs, = friend lists and profile information

Who has access to this type of data? Operations, Customer Service, Game Teams, Publishing and Security.

 

TRANSACTIONS - We collect transaction details related to the licensing and purchasing = of our products and services, and also the contests and competitions we sponsor=2E Transaction data may be retained for up to 7 years (primarily for audit purposes).

Examples: Order details/history, subscriptions, chargebacks, refunds, gifts, payment = detail, shipping details, prize awards and competition accreditation details. =

Who has access to this type of data? Operations, Consumer Products (as = applicable), Customer Service, Publishing and Security.

 

ACTIVITY DATA - When a player interacts with our services, we collect server logs=2E Server logs are routinely retained for 30=9690 days.

Examples: IP address, access dates and times, crash records, cookies, activity region = and internet service provider.

Who has access to this type of data? Operations, Game Teams, Customer Service = and Security.

 

DEVICE DATA - We may collect information about the devices used to access our = services.

Examples: Device ID, hardware models, operating systems and versions, software, file names = and versions and unique device identifiers.

Who has access to this type of data? Operations, Game Teams and = Security.

 

COMMUNICATIONS - Blizzard may use the information we collect from players or partners to communicate with our players about our current and upcoming products, = services, promotions, studies, surveys, news, updates and events. Blizzard may also = use this information to promote and process contests and sweepstakes, fulfill = any related awards and serve you relevant ads and content about our = services.

Examples: Name, email address, survey details, purchase/license history, activity history, email activity and phone device token.

Who has access to this type of data? Operations and Publishing.

 

ESPORTS PLAYER RECORDS/TOURNAMENT DATA - We gather information related to personal details, rankings, performance stats and team details to follow up on the career and performance of our competitors.

Examples: Contact method, legal guardian details, experience, rate history, rankings, = performance stats, team details and player handle.

Who has access to this type of data? Esports and Operations.

 

ESPORTS REFERENCES/MISC. INFORMATION - We collect information from players who = participate in our esports events to provide personalized care and assistance during competitions.

Examples: Dietary restrictions, food allergies and clothing sizes.

Who has access to this type of data? Operations and esports.

 

ESPORTS TRAVEL DATA - Our tournaments and competitions are hosted all over the = world=2E Therefore, we collect pro-players=92 information needed for travel arrangements and assistance.

Examples: Passport and visa details, default airports and nationalities.

Who has access to this type of data? Operations and esports.

 

COLLEGIATE EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE INFORMATION. - This type of information is collected primarily from collegiate esports players to better manage our = tournaments.

Examples: School name, transcript, collage major, GPA, company name, job title, Tespa = Chapter and associated information.

Who has access to this type of data? Operations and esports.

 

LEGAL RECORDS - We keep records as support for any actual or anticipated legal matter.

Examples: Pro-Players' contract agreements and case files.

Who has access to this type of data? Operations and Security.

 

MEDIA INFORMATION =96 Media presence details of journalists and players that have an impact on our community.

Examples: Discord handle, Reddit handle, Twitch cheer, Twitch handle and Twitter = handle.

Who has access to this type of data? Operations, esports and = Publishing.

 

GAME DATA - Game data are generated while a player plays our games. We keep records of players=92 game licenses, progress, history, stats, in-game purchases and interactions with other players.

Who has access to this type of data? Operations, Game Teams, Customer Service, Publishing and Security.

 

Why do we process your data?

Blizzard collects and uses your data for the = following purposes:

 

Gameplay = Experience. Creating the well-designed, = highly enjoyable entertainment experiences you can find within our epic games! This = includes:

Progress and History

Examples of data used: =

GAME DATA: = Char stats, match history, quest in progress, etc.

In-game Social

Examples of data used: =

GAME DATA: = Guild information, in-game email, friends list, etc.

Unlocks

Examples of data used: =

GAME DATA: = Inventory items: collection of cards, gold, dust, armory, skills, etc.

Game Currency

Examples of data used: =

GAME DATA: = Earnings history, items a player can/has purchase(d): portraits, skins, heroes, = cards, etc.

 

Esports Pro-Gaming Competitions = and Broadcasting. We bring to = you an official network of professional competitive gaming in many of our franchises. The production of these tournaments often required = travel, lodging and nutrition. Many of these tournaments are broadcasted and = require player-background information to facilitate a great viewer experience. = Examples include:

Broadcasting & = Production

Examples of data used: =

PLAYER RECORDS/STATS: BattleTag, = age, country, gender, name, nationality, player handle, professional team name, = professional teammate name(s), tournament team name, tournament teammate name(s), = tournament rank, tournament performance stats, tournament team rank

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE INFORMATION: = College major, GPA, school name, Tespa chapter, job title

INFLUENCER INFO: Facebook handle, = Instagram handle, Twitch Channel, Twitter handle

Event Travel and = Logistics

Examples of data used: =

ACCOUNT DATA: Name, email address, = age, parental information (if applicable), BattleTag, phone number, photo

REFERENCES/MISC. = INFORMATION:  Allergies, disabilities, medications and dietary restrictions

TRAVEL DATA: Passport details, = visa details

PLAYER RECORDS/STATS: Rankings, = performance stats, team details, player handle

Tournament = Administration

Examples of data used: =

ACCOUNT DATA: Name, email address, = age, parental information (if applicable), BattleTag, phone number, photo

Media Information: Tespa ID, PSN = account

 

Collegiate = Esports. Whether your goal is to start a = Tespa chapter on your campus or join an established gaming community, Tespa=92s support will level up your gaming experience.

Tespa Students

Examples of data used: =

TESPA ACCOUNT: Chapter = applications, chapters events, chapter meta data, username and password

ACCOUNT DATA: Name, email address, = age, parental information (if applicable), BattleTag, phone number, photo

 

Player=92s Account, Parental = Controls and Security. Players of = most of our games use a Battle.net account to house assets, communicate with friends = and learn about our games and services. Parents of our younger players may set parental controls to monitor and control their children=92s gaming. =

Player's Account

Examples of data used: =

ACCOUNT DATA: Name, email address, = age, BattleTag

ACTIVITY DATA: IP address, login = information

Parental Control

Examples of data used: =

ACCOUNT DATA: Parental control = email, child=92s account information

 

Business optimization and service = development. = We conduct troubleshooting, research, analysis and product and service development to provide you with the best gameplay experiences and services. This = includes:

Analytics & Data Segmentation =

Examples of data used: =

ACCOUNT DATA: Blizzard account, = country, third parties=92 IDs

ACTIVITY DATA: IP = address

GAME DATA: Related players, chat = records

Training & = Development

Examples of data used: =

ACCOUNT DATA: Name, phone number, = country, home address

ACTIVITY DATA: IP = address

GAME DATA: Character = name

CUSTOMER SERVICE: Ticket issue = description, account notes, Customer Service chat log

Reporting

Examples of data used: =

ACCOUNT DATA: Account region, = BattleTag

ACTIVITY DATA: IP address, = preferred language

TRANSACTIONS: Game Consumable = licenses

 

Global Customer = Service. We provide you with personalized = support to investigate and address any possible difficulty you might experience with = our games, your account or your purchases. This includes:

Customer Service

Examples of data used: =

ACCOUNT DATA: BattleTag, country, = language, phone number/SMS number

ACTIVITY DATA: IP address, region, = timestamp

GAME DATA: Game account, guild = name, character name

CUSTOMER SERVICE: Account notes, = chat records and case history

Forum Moderation

Examples of data used: =

SOCIAL DATA: Forum posts

 

Business Operations. = We process orders for our = products, tournaments and services. This includes:

Store Purchase

Examples of data used: =

ACCOUNT DATA: Email address, = BattleTag, country, language, phone number, home address

ACTIVITY DATA: IP = address

TRANSACTIONS: Invoices, refund = details, subscriptions, licenses, payment details

Events Ticketing

Examples of data used: =

ACCOUNT DATA: Email address, = BattleTag, name, phone number, home address, phone number

Tournament Hosting

Examples of data used: =

ACCOUNT DATA: Name, email address, = phone number, address

ESPORTS DATA: Tournament Information, Tournament Organizer = details

 

Social Features. We enable communications and = experience sharing between our players. This includes:

Fireside Gathering = Event

Examples of data used:

SOCIAL DATA: Tavern Meetup Details =

ACTIVITY DATA: Activity = region

Chat Applications

Examples of data used:

ACCOUNT DATA: BattleTag

SOCIAL DATA: About me text, chat = records, list of groups you are in

Forums

Examples of data used:

ACCOUNT DATA: BattleTag, account = name

GAME DATA: Character = name

SOCIAL DATA: Forum = content

 

Communications with our = players. We communicate with our players = about products, services, promotions, studies, surveys, news, updates and = events=2E Blizzard may also use the information to promote and process contests and sweepstakes, fulfill any related awards and serve you relevant ads and = content about our products and games.

Specifically, we use your data for the following Publishing purposes:

Surveys

Examples of data used:

COMMUNICATIONS: Age, country, = gender, IP address

Mobile Push = Notifications

Example of data used:

DEVICE DATA: Phone Device = Token

Analytics & Data = Segmentation

Examples of data used:

ACCOUNT DATA: Such as: BattleTag, = country, state, postcode or city of residence

GAME DATA: Related = players

DEVICE DATA: Device ID

ACTIVITY DATA: IP = address

Ad Targeting via =93Paid Media=94 = and =93Custom Audience=94 (Your unencrypted personal data are never shared with third parties without your consent.)

Examples of data used:

ACCOUNT DATA: Such as: BattleTag, = name, country, state, postcode or city of residence, email address, account = region

Transactional and Publishing = Campaigns and Promotions

Examples of data used:

ACCOUNT DATA: BattleTag, name = country, state, postcode or city of residence, email address, account = region

 

Unethical Behavior = Prevention. One of our core values is: Play = Nice; Play Fair. We devote resources to minimize fraud, cheating and abusive behavior. This includes:

Abuse and Cheat = Detention

Examples of data used: =

ACCOUNT DATA: Account name, = country

ACTIVITY DATA: IP address, = region

DEVICE DATA: Device ID

SOCIAL DATA: Related = players

GAME DATA: Chat records

Account Compromise = Prevention

Examples of data used: =

ACCOUNT DATA: Account name, = country, BattleTag, date of birth, external account IDs

ACTIVITY DATA: IP = address

DEVICE DATA: Device ID

TRANSACTIONS: Payment = method

Account Restrictions and = Penalties

Examples of data used: =

ACCOUNT DATA: Account name, = BattleTag

ACTIVITY DATA: Region

CUSTOMER SERVICE: Account = restrictions history, penalty history, chat records

 

Legal proceedings and = requirements. = We may use the information we collect to investigate or address claims or disputes = relating to your use of Blizzard=92s services or as otherwise allowed or required by applicable law. This includes:

Litigation or = Pre-litigation

Examples of data used: =

ACCOUNT DATA: Name, home = address

CUSTOMER SERVICE: Account = notes

LEGAL DATA: Case file

Security Monitoring and = Investigations

Examples of data used: =

ACCOUNT DATA: Age, name, address, = BattleTag, email address, country

ACTIVITY DATA: IP = address

DEVICE DATA: Device ID

SOCIAL DATA: Related = players

GAME DATA: Chat records

Legal Compliance

Examples of data used: =

ACCOUNT DATA: Age, name

With whom may we share your data?

Some of Blizzard=92s products, services and features require that we share information with other users, our partners and service providers, or for = legal reasons or in the event of a dispute.

 

1. = With partners and service providers. Blizzard may provide information to its vendors, consultants, marketing partners, research firms and other service providers or business partners. For example, we may provide information to = such parties to help facilitate event ticket sales, conduct surveys on our = behalf and process payments for our products and/or games.

2. With other players and/or the general public. = Information may be viewable by your friends, people in games, or the public in general = if you play our games, use certain features in our games, use certain = features on our platforms (such as chat applications in game or on the Battle.net = platform) or make posts in the forums.

3. = With subsidiaries and affiliates. We share information with our = subsidiaries and affiliates to help us provide our services or conduct data processing on = our behalf. For example, Blizzard processes and stores information at Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in the United States and may store or process data at Blizzard Entertainment SAS in France.

4. = For legal reasons or in the event of a dispute. = Blizzard may share your information if we believe it is required by applicable law, regulation, operating agreement, legal process or governmental request. = This includes sharing your information with law enforcement officials, = government authorities or other third parties as necessary to enforce our Terms of Service, user agreements or other policies to protect Blizzard=92s rights or property or the rights or property of others, or in the event of a = claim or dispute relating to your use of our services.

What are tracking technologies, and how are they used?

Blizzard and our partners, such as marketing partners, may use tracking technologies = like cookies, beacons, tags and scripts. These technologies are used in = analyzing trends, administering the websites, tracking users=92 movements around the websites and gathering demographic information about our user base as a = whole=2E We may receive reports based on the use of these technologies by these companies on an individual, as well as an aggregated, basis.

We = use cookies for various purposes, including our shopping cart, maintenance of = user settings (e.g. language preference) and authentication. Users can control = the use of cookies at the individual browser level. If you reject cookies, you = may still use our websites, but your ability to use some of the features or = areas of our websites may be limited.

We = may also use clear gifs in our HTML-based emails to let us know which emails have = been opened by recipients. This allows us to gauge the effectiveness of certain communications and the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. For this reason, these types of clear gifs are tied to personal data.

We, and third parties with whom we partner to provide certain features on our = websites or to display advertising based on your web browsing activity, use Local = Shared Objects such as Flash cookies and Local Storage such as HTML5 to store = content information and preferences. Various browsers may offer their own = management tools for removing HTML5. To manage Flash cookies, please click = here. http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/s= ettings_manager07.html

 

What level of security is applied to your personal information?

To = help protect the privacy of the data and personally identifiable information you provide to us and that we learn from you, we maintain physical, technical = and administrative safeguards. We update and test our security technology on an ongoing basis. We restrict access to your personal data to those employees indicated above. In addition, we train our employees about the importance = of confidentiality and maintaining the privacy and security of your = information.

 

You also requested a copy of the data Blizzard holds about you. We=92re very happy to provide this to you, but we can=92t do so based upon the minimal information you provided. Indeed, you shouldn=92t want us to provide your data based on such information, which other people may know about you. The = data we hold has quite a bit of information that many of our players feel is confidential, such as your account information, chat, the dates and times = you have played, your purchase history, etc.  The good news is that we=92ve built an automated system to get you your information quickly, and more importantly in a secure manner (rather than sending it to you via = email as you requested). One more thing before we send you to our portal: Blizzard = has developed a system to try to verify you are who you should be without = requiring you to provide us a copy of your identification. You will have a better = chance of getting your data without having to provide a copy of your = identification if you have one or more of Blizzard=92s free account-protection systems in place, such as SMS Protect. 

If = you click the following link, you may promptly obtain a copy of your data: https://battle.net/support/help/product/services/1327

 

We = wish you a good day.

 

Sincerely,

The = Blizzard Data Protection Team