Q: Is my phone number stored in Hive Mechanic? A: Yes – this is part of all text messaging services, since any reply requires knowing the sender. If you would like greater anonymity, consider using a third-party texting service like Google Voice to send messages rather than your own cell phone.

Q: Who has access to my phone number? A: Most likely, library staff and patrons do NOT have access to your number. We only give game creators the last four digits to help them debug games. However, the software administrators at American University who host the servers for Hive Mechanic in this program do have access to your phone number. Per the terms and conditions, American University will not share your phone number with anyone. 

Q: What will you do with my phone number? A: We only use your number to reply to your text messages. We will not sign you up for any subscription services, phone campaigns, or any other service. We will not give your number to anyone else. Full phone numbers are only used for  internal monitoring of software functionality.

Q: Is there a way to remove my phone number from your system? A: Not easily, but if there is a strong need please contact us and we can explore how to delete your number from our databases with our software developer. 

Q: What happens to the text messages or images I submit? A: Some Libraries might store some messages or images as a part of their activity. As per our terms and conditions, you should only submit materials that you have the legal right to submit (for example, do not violate copyright). In general, we also recommend that you only submit images and materials that you wish to have shared with library staff and the public. We strongly discourage libraries and game/story creators from using any submitted images and materials for commercial purposes.