Last updated: 29 September 2026
This policy covers iftekhar.xyz (the portfolio) and iftekhar.xyz/playground (the Playfield arcade), both run by Iftekhar Sheikh. It explains what is collected, why, and the choices you have. Questions or requests: irmiftekhar@gmail.com.
In short: the sites keep basic visit statistics, save your game scores if you sign in, and show ads served by Google. Google and its partners may use cookies to show ads based on your earlier visits, and you can turn that off (see "Advertising").
These sites use Google AdSense to show ads. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your previous visits to this site and other sites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to these sites and/or other sites on the internet.
The sites themselves store small items in your browser's local storage: a random visitor ID (used for the visit statistics below), your game progress and settings, and your sign-in session if you sign in. Google and its advertising partners may set their own cookies when ads load. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings; the games still work, but ads may be less relevant.
When you open the portfolio, it records: the page visited, the referring site or tag on the link you followed, your browser and device type, screen size, language, time zone, the approximate location (city, region, country) and network provider that your IP address maps to, how long you stayed, how far you scrolled, which sections you viewed, and whether you downloaded the resume. Your IP address itself is not saved. To work out the approximate location, your browser sends a request to the lookup services ipapi.co and geojs.io, which necessarily receive your IP address. This data is stored in Google Firebase and is used only to understand how the portfolio is being used.
If you send a message or use the chat widget, the name, email address and message you enter are stored in Firebase and delivered to the site owner by email through EmailJS. They are used only to reply to you.
Playing the games needs no account. If you choose to sign in (with Google or a phone number, through Firebase Authentication), the arcade stores your player name, chosen avatar and your best scores, so they can be shown to you. Game progress such as coins, upgrades and unlocked levels is kept in your browser.
Pages show how many times they, and the site as a whole, have been visited. These counters store only a running total per page. Nothing about you is attached to them. Your browser remembers for the current session that it has already been counted, so a reload is not counted twice.
Service providers process data on the sites' behalf: Google (Firebase hosting and database, Authentication, AdSense), Vercel (website hosting), EmailJS (email delivery), and the IP-location services named above. Nothing is sold.
Visit statistics, messages and scores are kept until they are no longer useful or you ask for them to be removed. To ask what is held about you, or to have it deleted, email irmiftekhar@gmail.com. You can clear the data stored in your own browser at any time through your browser settings.
The sites are not aimed at children under 13 and do not knowingly collect their personal information.
If this policy changes, the new version and its date will appear on this page.