Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy describes how private-server.net (hereinafter the “Website”) collects, uses, retains and protects its users' personal data, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU Regulation 2016/679, hereinafter “GDPR”) and the applicable Bulgarian data protection legislation.
It is the reference document for all matters relating to the processing of personal data on the Website. The Terms of Use and the Terms of Sale refer to this policy for these matters.
1. Data collected
The Website collects only the data necessary to operate its services. Depending on your use, the following data may be collected:
| Category | Data concerned | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Account and identification | Email address, username, password (stored as a hash) | Provided by you |
| Profile | Profile picture, biography and information you choose to add | Provided by you |
| Connection and browsing | IP address, connection data, logs, technical information about your browser and device | Collected automatically |
| Community activity | Comments, ratings, server descriptions, voting data | Provided by you |
| Billing (paid services) | Name or company name, address, intra-community VAT number where applicable | Provided by you |
| Cookies and trackers | Functional, analytics and advertising cookies | Collected according to your consent (see section 5) |
The Website does not collect banking details: payments are processed by the service provider Stripe (see section 3). The Website does not collect sensitive data within the meaning of Article 9 of the GDPR (origin, opinions, health, etc.); please do not provide such information in free-text fields (comments, biography).
2. Purposes and legal bases
In accordance with Article 6 of the GDPR, each processing activity relies on a legal basis:
| Purpose | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| Account management and authentication | Performance of a contract |
| Display and administration of rankings and the voting system | Performance of a contract |
| Publication and moderation of content | Performance of a contract |
| Order processing and invoice issuance | Performance of a contract / Legal obligation |
| Detection of fraud and multiple or automated votes (using the IP address) | Legitimate interest |
| Website security and internal statistics | Legitimate interest |
| Marketing communications (new features, news) | Consent |
| Non-essential cookies (advertising, analytics) | Consent |
Where processing relies on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before that withdrawal.
3. Payments and service provider
The Website's paid services (First Place, Sponsored, EasyVote+) are paid for online by bank card through Stripe (Stripe Payments Europe, Ltd.), a secure payment provider.
The Website does not store any banking details: transactions are processed and secured entirely by Stripe in accordance with the PCI-DSS standard. The Website retains only the billing information you enter in your customer account (name or company name, address, VAT number).
The commercial terms of these offers (prices, VAT, performance, withdrawal, refunds) are detailed in the Terms of Sale.
4. Retention periods
- Account data: retained for the lifetime of the account, then deleted or anonymised within 30 days of its deletion;
- Billing data: retained for 10 years, in accordance with statutory accounting obligations;
- Connection data and logs: retained for as long as necessary for security and fraud prevention, in compliance with statutory time limits;
- Cookies: for the periods specified in the consent management tool (a maximum of 13 months for trackers).
Public content that you have voluntarily published (comments, ratings, descriptions) may remain visible after your account is deleted, provided it has been anonymised or disassociated from your identity.
5. Cookies and consent
The Website uses cookies to operate, facilitate browsing, measure its audience and display advertising. Certain affiliated partners may also place cookies.
The Website complies with the IAB Europe Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF). You may give, change or withdraw your consent at any time using the cookie management tool available on the Website. The following categories are distinguished:
- Essential cookies: required for operation (session, authentication, security), with no consent required;
- Analytics cookies: placed subject to your consent;
- Advertising cookies: placed by the Website and its partners subject to your consent.
Please note: an EasyVote+ subscription disables the display of advertising spaces for the subscriber throughout the Website.
6. Recipients and data sharing
The Website does not sell, rent or disclose any personally identifiable data to unaffiliated companies or organisations for commercial purposes.
Your data may be disclosed to:
- Technical service providers acting as processors within the meaning of the GDPR (hosting, analytics, payments through Stripe), contractually bound to confidentiality and security;
- Advertising partners that may place cookies, within the scope of consent collected through the IAB Europe TCF;
- Administrative or judicial authorities, where required by law.
7. Transfers outside the European Union
Some service providers or partners may be located outside the European Union. When data is transferred outside the European Economic Area, the Website ensures that the transfer is subject to appropriate safeguards within the meaning of Article 44 et seq. of the GDPR: an adequacy decision by the European Commission, standard contractual clauses, or any other legally recognised mechanism.
8. Your rights
Under the GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
- Right of access: to obtain confirmation that processing takes place and receive a copy of the data;
- Right to rectification: to correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
- Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”);
- Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interest or to direct marketing;
- Right to restriction of processing;
- Right to data portability: to retrieve your data in a structured, machine-readable format;
- Right to withdraw your consent at any time;
- Right to give instructions concerning what happens to your data after your death.
You may exercise these rights through the contact page. You will receive a response within the time limits set by the regulations (normally one month, which may be extended by two months for complex requests). Proof of identity may be requested where there is reasonable doubt about the requester's identity.
If you believe your rights are not being respected, you may lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority, the Commission for Personal Data Protection (CPDP) in Bulgaria — www.cpdp.bg. As a resident of the European Union, you may also contact the supervisory authority in your country of residence.
9. Voting system and automated processing
The Website uses automated systems designed to ensure reliable rankings and combat fraud, including the detection of multiple or automated votes using IP addresses and anti-bot mechanisms (CAPTCHA).
These systems may invalidate a vote or restrict access to certain features. They do not produce a significant legal effect within the meaning of Article 22 of the GDPR. To dispute a decision, you may contact us through the contact page.
10. Data security
The Website implements appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration or disclosure: password hashing, secure connections (HTTPS), payment processing outsourced to Stripe (PCI-DSS standard), access controls and prior content moderation.
You remain responsible for keeping your login credentials confidential and for activities carried out through your account. Any fraudulent use must be reported to the Website's administration without delay.
11. Minors
Age requirements (accounts available from age 15, paid services restricted to adults) are defined in the Terms of Use and the Terms of Sale.
The Website does not knowingly collect data concerning children below the required age. If such data comes to its attention, it will be deleted as soon as possible.
12. Changes to this policy
The Website reserves the right to amend this policy at any time. If it is amended, a notice will be published on the homepage and on key pages of the Website. If there is a significant change in how your personal data is used, the users concerned will be informed by email. You are advised to check this page regularly.
This policy is governed by Bulgarian law, without prejudice to the mandatory protective provisions available to consumers in their country of residence within the European Union.
If you have any questions about this policy or the processing of your personal data, please contact us through the contact page.