Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 27, 2026

Gerald of Trivia (“Gerald,” “we,” “us”) is a trivia bot for Discord. This policy explains what data we collect when you or your server use Gerald, how we use it, and the choices you have. Gerald is currently a free, private-beta product funded out of pocket — we do not sell your data or run ads.

1. Information we collect

Discord identifiers

When Gerald operates in a server, Discord provides us with identifiers needed to run the game and keep score:

• Your Discord user ID and public display name (username / global name).
• The server (guild) IDs and names and channel IDs where Gerald is used.

Gameplay data

• Messages you send in a trivia channel while a round is active — Gerald reads them to judge whether they answer the current question.
• Your scores, answer timing, standings, and leaderboard history.
• Settings and playlists that a server administrator configures for Gerald.

Sign-in with Discord (server settings)

If you sign in with Discord to manage your server’s settings, we ask Discord for your identity and your list of servers so we can show you only the servers where you have Manage Server permission and Gerald is present. The access token Discord returns is used once to read that information and is then discarded — we do not store it. We keep a short-lived session so you stay signed in.

Support / tips

If you choose to support Gerald with a tip, payment is handled entirely by Ko-fi. We never receive or store your payment card details. A tip is voluntary and unlocks nothing.

2. How we use information

• To run trivia rounds, judge answers, keep score, and produce leaderboards, champions, and score-race replays.
• To generate Gerald’s in-character reactions (“banter”) and to organize and improve the question library. To do this, some gameplay text — such as the current question, answers, and player messages in the round — may be sent to a third-party AI provider (Anthropic) for processing. This text is used to produce Gerald’s responses; it is not used by us to identify you.
• To operate, secure, and troubleshoot the service, and to prevent abuse.

3. When we share information

We do not sell your personal data. We share information only with the service providers that make Gerald work, and only as needed:

• Discord — the platform Gerald runs on.
• Anthropic — the AI provider that processes gameplay text to generate Gerald’s responses.
• DigitalOcean — the hosting provider where Gerald and its data run.
• Ko-fi — if you choose to tip.

We may also disclose information if required by law, or to protect the rights, safety, and security of Gerald, our users, or the public.

4. Data retention & storage

Gerald’s data is stored on servers hosted by DigitalOcean and is included in encrypted backups.

• Gameplay records are kept indefinitely. Scores, standings, champions, and similar records are what power leaderboards and history, so we do not automatically delete them over time.
• Your in-round messages are not stored. Gerald reads them only to judge your answer; only the result (such as points earned) is saved.
• Removing Gerald stops further collection but does not, by itself, delete data already stored. To remove existing data, use the deletion request described below.
• Backups. Encrypted daily copies are kept on a rolling basis of about 30 days, and periodic (monthly) snapshots are retained long-term. Data you ask us to delete may therefore persist in backups until those copies cycle out.

You can ask us to delete your data as described below.

5. Your choices

• Remove Gerald. A server administrator can remove Gerald from a server at any time, which stops further data collection for that server.
• Request deletion. You may request deletion of your gameplay data by contacting us at the address below. Because removing Gerald does not by itself erase stored data, a deletion request is how existing data is removed. Note that copies may persist in encrypted backups until those backups cycle out (see above).

6. Children

Gerald is not directed to children. You must meet Discord’s minimum age requirement to use Discord and Gerald. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone below that age; if you believe we have, contact us and we will delete it.

7. Security

We take reasonable measures to protect data — including HTTPS in transit, restricted server access, and encrypted backups. No method of storage or transmission is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as Gerald evolves. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date above. Material changes will be reflected here; continued use of Gerald after a change means you accept the updated policy.

9. Contact

Questions about this policy or a request about your data? Email contact@geraldoftrivia.com.