Privacy Policy | HostWatch

HostWatch ("us", "we", or "our") operates the HostWatch website (the "Service"). This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when you use our Service and the choices you have associated with that data.

1. Information We Collect

We collect several different types of information for various purposes to provide and improve our Service to you. This is based directly on the functionality of our website.

A. Information You Provide to Us

Account Registration: When you create an account, we collect your username, email address, and a hashed version of your password. You may also optionally provide a public display name and upload a profile picture. This information is used to create and manage your account.
Email Verification: During registration, we generate and store a temporary verification code and its expiration time to verify your email address.
Password Reset: If you request a password reset, we generate and store a temporary reset token and its expiration time.
Content Submissions: When you add a hosting company, we collect all the information you provide, such as the company name, domain, descriptions, and tags. When you post a comment, we collect the content of your comment. This content is intended to be public.
Contact Form: If you use our contact form, we collect your name, email address, subject, and the message you send so that we can respond to your inquiry.

B. Information We Collect Automatically

IP Addresses and Security Data: We automatically collect your IP address when you register and log in. We also log failed login attempts and may temporarily lock accounts or ban IP addresses to prevent fraudulent activity and protect the security of our Service.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected data for various purposes:

To provide and maintain our Service.
To manage your account and provide you with customer support.
To send you notifications about your account and submissions, such as approval or rejection notices.
To send you essential emails, such as for password resets or email verification.
To monitor the usage of the Service and prevent fraudulent activity.
To allow you to participate in interactive features of our Service, such as commenting and voting.

3. Data Security and Retention

The security of your data is important to us. We use strong hashing algorithms to protect your password. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. We will retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy.

4. Your Rights and Choices

You have the right to access, update, or delete the information we have on you. You can update your profile information, including your username, display name, and profile picture, at any time through your "Edit Profile" page. If you wish to delete your account, please contact us.

5. Children's Privacy

Our Service does not address anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under 13.

6. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page.

7. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us via our Contact Page.