1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains what information Xenous ("the Site") collects when you use the forum, and how that information is used.

2. Information We Collect

• Account information: the username, email address, and password (stored securely, never in plain text) you provide when registering.
• Profile information: anything optional you choose to add, such as a profile picture or cover picture.
• Country: automatically detected from your IP address when you log in, used to show a flag next to your name.
• Activity data: your posts, replies, likes, chat messages, and last-active timestamp.
• Technical data: basic information needed to keep you logged in, such as an authentication cookie.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information above to:

• Create and manage your account, and keep you signed in.
• Display your posts, profile, and activity to other members as expected on a public forum.
• Show relevant statistics (member count, most liked users, who's online, etc.).
• Protect the Site against spam and abuse.
• Enforce our Terms and Conditions.

4. Cookies

The Site uses a cookie to keep you signed in between visits. We do not use cookies for third-party advertising or tracking outside the Site.

5. Third-Party Services

We share the minimum data necessary with the following service providers to operate the Site:

• Cloudinary — hosts images you upload (profile pictures, cover pictures, post images).
• Google reCAPTCHA — helps confirm you're not a bot when registering or logging in.

We do not sell your personal information to anyone.

6. Data Retention

We keep your account information for as long as your account exists. If you request your account be deleted, we will remove your personal information within a reasonable time, though some content (like replies within other members' threads) may be retained in an anonymized form to preserve conversation context.

7. Your Rights

You can update most of your account information yourself from your profile settings. To request a copy of your data, or to request that your account and personal data be deleted, contact staff through our Discord server.

8. Children's Privacy

The Site is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

9. Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your information, including storing passwords in hashed form. No method of storage or transmission over the internet is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Significant changes will be announced on the forum.

11. Contact

Questions about this Privacy Policy can be directed to the staff team through our Discord server.