Privacy Policy - THCAIndex

Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your username, email address, and password (stored as a secure hash).
Profile Information: Optional profile data you choose to provide, such as bio, location, or social links.
Contact Information: When you contact us via email, we collect your email address and any information you choose to provide in your message.
Voluntary Information: Any other information you voluntarily provide when communicating with us.

Product Review Data

When you submit product reviews, we collect and store:

Review Content: Your written review text, star ratings (overall and category-specific), and any comments you provide
Review Images: Photos you upload with your review (stored as WebP files on our servers)
Video Links: YouTube URLs you include in your reviews (we only store the URL, not the video itself)
Product Information: Product IDs, vendor names, and product names associated with your reviews
Review Metadata: Creation date, edit history, moderation status, and visibility settings
Account Association: Your user ID and username linked to each review

Information Collected Automatically

Usage Data: Information about how you use our website, including pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation patterns.
Device Information: Information about your device, including IP address, browser type, operating system, and device identifiers.
Cookies and Tracking: We may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and analyze website usage.

Matrix Chat Service (chat.thcaindex.com)

We operate an unfederated Matrix server at chat.thcaindex.com. Your data on our Matrix server stays only on our server and is not shared with other Matrix servers.

Data We Collect on Matrix Server

Account Information: Username, email address (optional), password hash, and profile information
Message Content: All chat messages and content unless end-to-end encrypted
Technical Data: IP addresses, device IDs, timestamps, and encryption keys
Media Files: All files, images, and media uploaded to the chat service

Matrix Data Retention

We keep Matrix chat data indefinitely until you manually delete it or request deletion from us. There is no automatic deletion of chat messages or account data.

Your Matrix Privacy Rights

Data Export: Request a copy of your Matrix data by contacting [email protected]
Account Deletion: Request account and data deletion with 30-day processing time
Encryption Limitation: End-to-end encrypted content cannot be recovered if you lose your encryption keys

Matrix Legal Compliance

We comply with valid subpoenas and court orders. We can only provide unencrypted data that is stored on our server. End-to-end encrypted messages cannot be accessed by us even under legal compulsion.

Matrix Chat Age Requirement: You must be 21 years or older to create an account on our Matrix chat service.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Provide and maintain our website and services, including user accounts and review system
Display your published reviews publicly on product pages and user landing pages
Moderate and approve user-submitted reviews for quality and compliance
Calculate and display review statistics and ratings
Manage your affiliate relationships and vendor endorsements
Respond to your inquiries and customer service requests
Improve our website functionality and user experience
Analyze website usage and performance
Detect and prevent spam, fake reviews, and abuse
Comply with legal obligations
Protect against fraudulent or illegal activity

Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties except in the following circumstances:

Affiliate Partners

When you click on affiliate links and visit vendor websites, those vendors may collect information about your visit according to their own privacy policies. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party vendors.

Service Providers

We may share information with trusted service providers who assist in operating our website, conducting our business, or serving our users, provided they agree to keep this information confidential.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or government regulation, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, safety, or the rights and safety of others.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:

Remember your preferences and settings
Analyze website traffic and usage patterns
Track affiliate referrals for commission purposes
Improve website functionality and user experience

You can control cookies through your browser settings, but disabling cookies may affect website functionality.

Third-Party Analytics

We may use third-party analytics services (such as Google Analytics) to help understand how our website is used. These services may collect information about your use of our site and other websites. These analytics providers have their own privacy policies addressing how they use such information.

Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Data Retention

We retain your information only as long as necessary to provide our services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

Account and Review Data Retention

Account Information: Retained while your account is active, and for up to 90 days after account deletion for legal compliance
Published Reviews: Review content and images are retained indefinitely, even after account deletion, as they have been publicly published. You retain the license rights described in our Terms of Service.
Draft/Rejected Reviews: Deleted reviews, drafts, and rejected reviews are permanently deleted within 30 days
Review Images: Image files are stored on our servers and follow the same retention as their associated reviews
Moderation Records: Admin moderation records (approval/rejection) are retained for 2 years for abuse prevention

When we no longer need your information, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:

Access: The right to know what personal information we have about you, including all reviews and data
Correction: The right to correct inaccurate personal information or edit your reviews
Deletion: The right to request deletion of your personal information (subject to review retention as described above)
Opt-out: The right to opt out of certain uses of your information
Data Portability: The right to receive a copy of your review data in a structured, machine-readable format

Review-Specific Rights

Edit Reviews: You can edit your reviews at any time through your account dashboard
Delete Reviews: You can delete your reviews, which removes them from public display
Hide Reviews: You can toggle visibility on published reviews without deleting them
Export Reviews: You can request a JSON export of all your review data

Note: Published reviews that have been distributed or shared cannot be recalled after deletion. The license you granted in our Terms of Service continues even after deletion.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at [email protected].

Children's Privacy

Our website is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 21. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 21. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 21, we will delete that information immediately.

California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including:

The right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used
The right to delete personal information we have collected
The right to opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

International Users

Our website is operated from the United States. If you are accessing our website from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States where our servers are located and our central database is operated.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at:

Email: [email protected]