Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains what information the Trade War Lab trade negotiation simulation (the “Platform”) collects, how it is used, and the choices you have. By creating an account or using the Platform, you agree to the practices described here.

Who we are

The Platform is operated by the Trade War Lab research group to run educational U.S.–China trade negotiation simulations. It is currently used as part of a supervised research internship and may later be used in university courses.

Information we collect

• Account information you provide when signing up: your name and email address. Your password is handled by our authentication provider and stored only in hashed form: we never see it.
• Simulation activity you generate while using the Platform: your team and interest-group assignment, chat messages, trade item valuations, proposals, votes, and resulting scores.
• Basic technical data needed to operate the site, such as session cookies for keeping you logged in.

How we use your information

• To run the simulation and provide your account and team experience.
• To allow instructors and program supervisors to monitor and facilitate the exercise.
• For educational and research analysis of negotiation behavior by the Trade War Lab.

Who can see your information

Instructors and authorized Trade War Lab staff can see the data you generate. Within the simulation itself, some information (for example, chat messages and items placed on the shared deal board) is visible to your teammates and the opposing team as part of gameplay. We do not sell your personal information.

Where data is stored and how long we keep it

Data is stored using third-party cloud infrastructure (including Supabase and Vercel), which may process and store data on servers located in the United States. We currently retain simulation and account data indefinitely so it can be used for ongoing educational and research purposes, unless you request deletion (see below).

Your choices

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information by contacting us at raacke@ku.edu. Note that deleting your account may remove your contributions from a simulation record.

Minors

The Platform may be used by high-school-aged participants. If you are under 18, please review this policy with a parent or guardian before creating an account. Do not share sensitive personal information (such as government IDs, financial information, or health information) anywhere on the Platform.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the program evolves - for example, when the Platform is adopted into university courses. Material changes will be reflected by updating the “Last updated” date above.

Contact

Questions about this policy can be directed to raacke@ku.edu.