Twitter’s new ‘Data Dash Game’ aims to help users understand its privacy policy

Social media platform Twitter has released a free browser game to draw attention to its revised privacy policy.

Called Twitter Data Dash, the pixel art platformer by Momo Pixel requires users to jump through four short levels, collecting bones and avoiding enemies.

The game takes place in the streets of PrivaCity and a dog, named ‘Data’ (supposedly the user’s), wants to go for a walk. There are four different characters who then accompany him.

"Welcome to PrivaCity! Get your dog, Data, safely to the park. Dodge cat ads, swim through a sea of DMs, battle trolls, and learn how to take control of your Twitter experience along the way," Twitter writes on the game's website.

The game offers 'prompts' across a number of levels on practices that will keep him and his data safe, all while collecting bones for some unknown reason. At the end of each level there is a pop up that tells player what Twitter is doing to keep their data safe. The first level teaches players how to avoid unwanted ads, while the second tells players they can control who sends them a DM on Twitter. There’s also a level about the precise location feature and another on avoiding trolls.

The browser game is simple enough, with a premise that's easy to understand. Twitter said, “The Twitterverse can be tricky to navigate if you don't know your way around. So, we made a game to help you understand our privacy policy a little better."

“We’ve emphasized clear language and moved away from legal jargon,” wrote the official Twitter Safety account. "Beginning today, you can see the updates to our privacy policy and terms of service in the app via settings and on our redesigned privacy policy site."

While Twitter aims to explain, “how you can take control of your experience on Twitter” with this new game, it could do more to “help users understand the more complex parts of our privacy policy“, it said. For instance, how Twitter collects data, how it is used to “make Twitter better”, or how affiliate services can have their own policies.

Twitter may witness several changes in the coming months under the leadership of Elon Musk, who struck a $44 billion deal to own the platform last month. While Musk did not say anything specific about Twitter’s privacy settings, the billionaire has mentioned plans to transform the platform.