Privacy Policy — OpenWeedLocator Forum
This policy explains how personal data is collected and used at https://community.openweedlocator.org.
The OpenWeedLocator project operates this forum until a legal entity is established, at which point responsibility for data protection will transfer.
What information do we collect?
We collect information you provide directly when you use the forum, including:
- Email address (when you register)
- Account details such as username and profile information you choose to provide
- Posts, messages, uploaded content, votes, and discussion activity
When you visit or use the forum, we also automatically collect technical data, including:
- IP address
- Browser type and version
- Device and log data
- Pages visited and actions taken
Your email may be verified by sending a message with a unique link. Following that link confirms that you control the email address.
You may browse the forum without registering, but posting or receiving notifications requires an account.
Why do we collect this information?
We collect and process your information to operate and improve the forum, including:
- Managing user accounts and permissions
- Providing access to the forum and its features
- Security, moderation, spam prevention, and abuse prevention
- Sending notifications that you request (e.g. replies, mentions, watched topics)
- Improving site performance and usage experience
- Complying with legal obligations, including safety, data protection, and security laws
We do not use your data for advertising or commercial profiling.
Legal basis for processing
Under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we process personal data on the following bases:
- Legitimate interest (to operate and secure the forum)
- Consent (when you voluntarily register, post, or subscribe to notifications)
- Legal obligation (such as responding to valid law enforcement requests)
How do we protect your information?
We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including HTTPS encryption, access controls, software updates, and server security. No online system is perfectly secure, but protections are maintained in good faith and updated as necessary.
Data retention
We retain personal data for as long as it is needed to operate the forum. Where possible, we minimise and regularly purge data. In particular:
- Server logs containing IP addresses will be retained no longer than 90 days, unless required for security, investigation, abuse prevention, or legal compliance.
- Forum posts, usernames, and public content remain until removed by you or the project, as they form part of the discussion history.
You may request deletion of your account. We will remove personal profile data and email, but may retain your posts to preserve discussion integrity.
Cookies
This forum uses cookies to:
- recognise your login
- maintain sessions and security features
- store preferences
- provide basic analytics for site improvement
You may block cookies via your browser, but many forum features will not function correctly without them.
No third-party advertising cookies are used.
Do we share your data?
We do not sell or trade your personal information.
We may share data only with:
- trusted service providers who host or support the forum, only for technical operation and under confidentiality obligations
- law enforcement authorities if legally required
- backups, security services, and spam protection tools when needed to prevent abuse
Non-personal or aggregated data may be shared for research, community reports, or site statistics.
Third-party links
Links to other sites may appear in user content. We do not control those websites and are not responsible for their policies or actions. You should review their privacy policies separately.
Children’s privacy
This forum is intended for users aged 13 or older. If you are under 13, do not create an account. Users must follow applicable age rules in their country of residence.
Your rights under GDPR
If you are in the EU/EEA, you have the right to:
- access your personal data
- correct inaccurate data
- request deletion of your account or profile data
- restrict or object to certain processing
- request export of your personal data
To exercise these rights, contact: community@openweedlocator.org
Your consent
By using this forum, you agree to the processing described in this policy. If you do not agree, you should discontinue use of the site or request account deletion.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy. Changes will be posted on this page. If updates significantly affect your rights or how your data is used, we will notify registered users via email or forum notice.
This policy is CC-BY-SA.
Last updated: 8 December 2025