Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

The Retro Database (TRDB) ("we", "us", or "our") operates the website at theretrodb.com. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights in relation to it. By using TRDB, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information:

Account Information

When you register for an account, we collect your username, email address, and password (stored as a secure hash). We do not store plain-text passwords.

Usage Data

We automatically collect information about your interactions with the site, including IP addresses, browser type, pages visited, and timestamps. This is used to maintain security, diagnose issues, and improve the service.

Payment Information

If you purchase a Premium subscription, payments are processed by our third-party payment provider (Plisio). We do not store your payment card details. We retain a record of the transaction amount, duration, and status for account management purposes.

User-Submitted Content

If you submit content links through the site, we store the submitted URL, title, and the username associated with the submission.

3. How We Use Your Information

• To create and manage your account
• To process Premium subscriptions and payments
• To operate and improve the TRDB platform
• To maintain site security and prevent abuse
• To respond to copyright removal requests submitted to us
• To send transactional emails (e.g. copyright acknowledgment emails) where necessary

4. Cookies & Sessions

TRDB uses essential session cookies to keep you logged in between page visits, and browser local storage for preferences such as theme settings. We and our advertising partners also use cookies and similar technologies for advertising, as described in section 5 below. Where required by law, advertising and analytics cookies are only set after you provide consent through our cookie consent banner.

5. Advertising

TRDB is supported by advertising. We use Google AdSense, a third-party advertising service provided by Google LLC, to display ads on the site.

Cookies used for advertising

• Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to TRDB and other websites.
• Google's use of advertising cookies (including the DoubleClick cookie) enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to TRDB and/or other sites on the Internet.
• Other third-party vendors and ad networks may use cookies, web beacons or similar technologies to collect information about your interactions with ads.

Personalised vs. non-personalised ads

Depending on your consent choices and location, the ads you see may be personalised (based on your interests and prior activity) or non-personalised (based only on the content of the page and general context, such as your approximate location).

Your choices & consent

If you are located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, we present a Google-certified consent banner that lets you accept or reject personalised advertising before any advertising cookies are set. You can change your choice at any time using the consent options on the site. You may also:

• Manage or opt out of personalised Google advertising at Google Ads Settings.
• Opt out of third-party vendor cookies for personalised advertising at aboutads.info/choices (US) or youronlinechoices.eu (EU).
• Read how Google uses information from sites that use its services at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

6. Third-Party Content

TRDB embeds and links to content hosted on third-party platforms including YouTube, Archive.org, Dailymotion, Twitch, TikTok, and others. When you view embedded content from these platforms, those services may collect data about you in accordance with their own privacy policies. TRDB has no control over the data practices of third-party platforms.

7. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We do not share your personal data with third parties except:

• With our payment processor (Plisio) for the purpose of processing Premium transactions
• With our advertising partner (Google) and its certified vendors, which may process limited data such as cookie identifiers and IP address to deliver and measure ads, subject to your consent where required (see section 5)
• Where required to do so by law or by a valid legal process

8. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. If you wish to delete your account and associated data, please contact us. Payment records may be retained for a longer period to comply with accounting and legal obligations.

9. Security

We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data. Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text. However, no system is completely secure and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your data.

10. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your data
• Object to or restrict certain processing activities

11. Children's Privacy

TRDB is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that a child has provided us with personal data, we will delete it.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify users of significant changes by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

13. Contact

For privacy-related queries or data requests, please use our Contact page. Rights holders should use the Copyright Removal page.