Zynga Designs PrivacyVille 'Game,' with Virtual Rewards
Trust Zynga to make even privacy a game.
Meet "PrivacyVille," a combination of a Zynga privacy tutorial that incents users to click through it, if only to receive 200 zPoints in RewardVille, Zynga's online shop.
Zynga maintains a list of frequently-accessed questions about privacy, although the FAQ is just that: text.
"As part of our commitment to user privacy we strive to make it easier for players to learn more about the types of information we collect, how it is used and what their choices are for that information," the company said in a blog post. How? Make it a game, with real rewards.
PrivacyVille is modeled after CityVille, which Zynga launched in Nov. 2010 and became the company's most popular game shortly thereafter.
On June 15, Zynga announced "CityVille Hometown," its first mobile spinoff of the CityVille game. Although a separate game, Hometown uses the user's network of Facebook friends, and allows them to create an in-game town.
Users don't need to belong to either Facebook or play Zynga's games to participate. But if they do, Zynga will offer 200 zPoints in RewardVille to those who finish it. "Finishing" simply requires users to click through items like "communications features," "management," "storage," ad "email," where Zynga explains its policies for each.
Pay attention, however - there will be a quiz. At the end of the tour, Zynga requires each user to answer five questions to show that they didn't just blindly click through. On the other hand, the questions are far from challenging: "Where is Zynga data stored and processed?" asks one. Answers include "At the Casino," "On the Farm," "The United States," and "In the City".
Still, the goal appears to get privacy information in front of the user.
"While PrivacyVille is not intended to be a substitute for our Privacy Policy or Privacy Center (which we hope you will review), our goal is to provide you with a fun and rewarding way to learn about our key practices, and information and resources that will assist you with general online privacy," Zynga said.
