Privacy Policy
Last updated: 29 August 2026
This policy explains what information The Tarnished Circle collects when you use the site, why, and what choices you have. This is a general-purpose template intended as a starting point and has not been reviewed by a solicitor - please have it checked before relying on it for a live, public site handling real user data.
What we collect
- Account information: your email address, and a username/bio you choose. We don't use passwords - sign-in works by emailing you a one-time code.
- Content you post: forum threads, replies, poll votes, uploaded avatars/images, and any other content you submit.
- Technical information: IP address (used for rate-limiting sign-in codes and basic abuse prevention), browser/session information, and standard web server logs.
- Cookies: see our Cookie Policy for details.
How we use it
- To operate your account and let you sign in without a password.
- To display your posts, profile, and activity to other members as part of normal forum operation.
- To send you sign-in codes and, where you've opted in, reply/mention notifications or digest emails.
- To moderate the community (investigating reports, enforcing our Community Guidelines).
- To keep the site secure and prevent abuse (e.g. rate-limiting, spam prevention).
What we don't do
We don't sell your personal information. We don't store passwords, because the site doesn't use them.
Your choices
- You can edit your profile, username, and bio at any time from Settings.
- You can unsubscribe from non-essential emails (replies, mentions, digests, news alerts) from your notification settings or the link in any such email.
- You can ask us to delete your account and associated personal data by contacting us (see below); some content (like posts you've made) may be retained in anonymised form to keep discussions readable for other members.
Data retention & security
We keep account data for as long as your account is active, plus a reasonable period afterward. Sign-in codes are deleted or expire automatically after a short period regardless of use. We take reasonable technical measures to protect stored data, but no online service can guarantee absolute security.
Third parties
We use your web hosting provider to run this site and send email. If a Marketplace link is present, it leads to a separately operated site with its own privacy policy - we don't share your The Tarnished Circle account data with it.
Children
This site is not directed at children and is not intended for users below the minimum age required by their local law to consent to data processing.
Contact
Questions about this policy or your data can be sent via the Off Topic board or the site's contact details, once published.