Privacy Policy
Last updated: 2 August 2026
RIDBUSTERS respects the privacy of its visitors, including younger users and their families. This Privacy Policy explains how information may be processed when you use the RIDBUSTERS website, the password-protected HQ and the AI character chat.
1. Who is responsible for the website?
The RIDBUSTERS website and RIDBUSTERS™ project are operated by:
Pavlo Hurskyi — creator and author of the RIDBUSTERS universe The Netherlands Email: contact@ridbusters.com
For questions about privacy or the use of personal data, please email contact@ridbusters.com and include “Privacy” in the subject line.
For purposes of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), Pavlo Hurskyi is the controller of personal data processed directly through the RIDBUSTERS website, unless a particular service is independently responsible for its own processing.
2. Who is the website for?
RIDBUSTERS is an adventure and educational project for a general audience, including young readers.
The current website does not require visitors to create an account, personal profile or public identity.
You do not need to provide your real name in order to use the ordinary website, enter HQ with the shared access method, or talk to an AI character.
Please do not share unnecessary personal information in AI chat.
3. What information may be processed?
3.1 Technical and security information
When you visit the website, the hosting and security infrastructure may process technical information needed to deliver and protect the service, such as:
- IP address;
- browser and device information;
- operating system;
- date and time of requests;
- requested pages or resources;
- security, error and server-log information.
RIDBUSTERS does not use this information to build advertising profiles.
3.2 HQ access
RIDBUSTERS HQ is protected by a password. This is an access-control feature, not a personal account.
A necessary session cookie called AUTH_SESSION is used to remember successful HQ access. It does not contain a personal profile and is configured to expire after 7 days.
3.3 Language and interface preferences
The website may store limited information in the browser to remember settings or avoid unnecessarily repeating interface elements, for example:
- selected language;
- whether the intro has already been shown;
- whether the AI disclosure has already been displayed;
- temporary navigation or animation state.
These values are used to provide the requested website experience and are not used for advertising.
3.4 AI character conversations
Inside HQ, visitors may talk to AI versions of fictional RIDBUSTERS characters.
When you send a message:
- the text you enter is sent through the RIDBUSTERS server to the OpenAI API so that a reply can be generated;
- recent conversation context and a locally generated conversation summary may also be sent so that the character can follow the conversation;
- text used for a character’s spoken reply may be sent for AI speech generation.
RIDBUSTERS does not operate a database containing personal chat profiles.
Conversation history and conversation summaries are stored locally in the visitor’s browser on that device to provide conversation continuity.
Local chat history is designed to expire 30 days after the last activity in that specific character conversation. Visitors can also clear a conversation manually at any time.
The OpenAI API is configured with store: false for the chat application state. OpenAI states that API inputs and outputs are not used to train its models by default unless the customer has opted in. Certain API data may nevertheless be retained for a limited period for safety or abuse-monitoring purposes in accordance with the provider’s applicable API data controls.
Do not enter your home address, school, phone number, passwords, precise location, financial information or other highly private information in AI chat.
3.5 Direct email
The website may provide direct email links such as contact@ridbusters.com.
If you choose to email RIDBUSTERS, the information you send will be processed in order to read and respond to your message and, where relevant, maintain necessary correspondence.
The website itself does not currently operate a feedback-form database.
4. Why do we process information?
RIDBUSTERS processes personal data only when there is a lawful basis under the GDPR.
For the current website, the principal purposes and bases are:
- providing requested website functionality, including HQ access, language preferences and AI conversation features;
- legitimate interests in operating, securing and maintaining the website, preventing abuse, diagnosing faults and responding to genuine enquiries, provided those interests do not override the rights and interests of visitors;
- legal obligations, where processing is required by applicable law.
RIDBUSTERS does not rely on a general “consent to the Privacy Policy” as a basis for ordinary website operation.
If a future feature requires consent as its legal basis, the visitor will be asked separately and clearly before that processing begins.
5. Children’s privacy
RIDBUSTERS is designed with younger visitors in mind.
For the current website:
- no personal account is required;
- no public child profile is created;
- a real name is not required to enter HQ;
- no behavioural advertising is used;
- AI chat should not request unnecessary identifying information;
- chat history is kept locally on the visitor’s device rather than in a RIDBUSTERS user database;
- users can clear their conversation history;
- local chat history is designed to expire after 30 days of inactivity.
Parents and guardians can contact contact@ridbusters.com if they believe a child has provided personal information that should be reviewed or deleted where RIDBUSTERS is able to do so.
6. AI transparency
RIDBUSTERS characters available through AI chat are fictional characters presented through artificial intelligence. They are not real people.
AI-generated replies can be inaccurate, incomplete or fictional.
The website identifies the interaction as AI before or at the start of the conversation and keeps an AI identification visible in the chat interface.
AI replies must not be treated as professional medical, legal, financial, emergency or other high-stakes advice.
7. Cookies and local browser storage
RIDBUSTERS currently uses only technologies needed to provide the website and features requested by the visitor, such as HQ access, language choice, interface preferences and local AI conversation continuity.
RIDBUSTERS currently does not use advertising cookies, marketing pixels or cross-site behavioural tracking.
For more information, see Cookies & Local Storage.
8. Service providers and international data transfers
RIDBUSTERS uses trusted technology providers to operate the website and provide its interactive features.
Vercel provides website hosting and may process technical information needed to deliver and secure the website.
OpenAI provides the artificial-intelligence technology used for character conversations and voice features. When you chat with a RIDBUSTERS character, the text you send is transmitted to OpenAI in order to generate the character’s response.
We do not sell personal data or use chat conversations for advertising.
Some service providers may process data outside the European Economic Area. Where required, appropriate safeguards under applicable data-protection law are used.
For more information about what information is processed and how long it is kept, see the relevant sections of this Privacy Policy.
9. How long is information kept?
RIDBUSTERS follows a data-minimisation approach and does not intentionally keep personal data longer than necessary.
Current principles include:
- HQ session cookie: up to 7 days;
- local AI chat history and summaries: 30 days after the last activity in that character chat, unless cleared earlier by the visitor;
- session-only interface/navigation data: until the browser session ends;
- direct email correspondence: only for as long as reasonably necessary to handle the communication and any legitimate related record-keeping;
- hosting/security logs: according to the applicable hosting configuration and only as required for operation, security and troubleshooting;
- OpenAI API data: subject to the applicable API data-control and abuse-monitoring rules described above.
10. Selling data, advertising and profiling
RIDBUSTERS does not sell personal data.
RIDBUSTERS does not use AI conversations for targeted advertising and does not create advertising profiles from children’s conversations.
The current website does not contain behavioural advertising or marketing-tracking technology.
11. Your GDPR rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:
- obtain information about whether personal data concerning you is processed;
- request access;
- request correction of inaccurate data;
- request deletion;
- request restriction of processing;
- object to certain processing;
- receive certain data in a portable format where applicable;
- withdraw consent where a particular future processing activity is based on consent;
- lodge a complaint with a data-protection authority.
In the Netherlands, the supervisory authority is the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens.
To make a privacy request, email:
Subject: Privacy Request
RIDBUSTERS will request only the information reasonably necessary to understand and verify the request.
12. Security
RIDBUSTERS uses reasonable technical and organisational measures intended to protect the website and information processed through it.
The HQ access mechanism uses a server-side password check and a signed session mechanism. AI provider credentials are kept server-side.
No internet service can guarantee absolute security.
Where a personal-data breach creates a legal notification obligation, the applicable GDPR requirements will be followed.
13. External links
RIDBUSTERS may link to third-party websites, booksellers, media platforms or other external services.
Those services operate under their own terms and privacy practices. RIDBUSTERS is not responsible for the independent privacy practices of third-party websites.
14. Changes to this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy may be updated when the website, technology or legal requirements change.
The revision date at the top of this page identifies the current version.
Material changes affecting how personal data is used will be communicated appropriately where required.
15. Contact
Pavlo Hurskyi — creator and author of the RIDBUSTERS universe RIDBUSTERS™ The Netherlands contact@ridbusters.com