Privacy Policy

1. Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to ToolFlock's website, accounts, tool directory, submissions, posts, comments, saved items, follows, recommendations, and related services that link to this policy (collectively, the “Services”).

Some ToolFlock features are still being introduced. A category described below is collected only when the relevant feature is available and you choose to use it. This policy does not govern third-party websites, tools, or services that ToolFlock links to.

2. Information we collect

Account and profile information

When you create or use an account, we may collect your name, email address, password credential in protected form, profile image, handle, biography, avatar preferences, interests, account role, verification status, and account creation or update dates. We do not ask you to publish your email address as part of your public profile.

Authentication, session, and security information

To sign you in and protect the Services, we process session identifiers, token records, session expiration times, IP address, browser or device user-agent, authentication attempts, and related security and rate-limit events. A normal account session may remain valid for up to 30 days unless you sign out, the session is revoked, or a security event requires earlier expiration.

Content and submissions

If you use a publishing or submission feature, we may process the material you provide, including:

• quick posts, articles, titles, summaries, comments, replies, code, links, and associated tool references;
• tool submissions, such as the tool name, public website URL, description, category, pricing information, and supporting details;
• uploaded profile images, post images, featured images, tool logos, captions, alt text, file type, file size, dimensions, storage location, and integrity information; and
• moderation status, review notes, publication dates, edit history, and reports or correspondence about the content.

Content that you submit for publication may become public, searchable, and associated with your profile. Drafts or media may remain only in your browser when a feature expressly says that it is a local preview or local draft.

Activity and preferences

Depending on the features you use, we may collect or store tools and people you follow, posts and tools you save, reactions or likes, notification status, email preference settings, declared interests, and interactions with Recommended content. Some of these preferences currently live in your browser rather than in a ToolFlock database.

Device, usage, and diagnostic information

When you visit the Services, our servers and service providers may automatically receive information such as IP address, browser and device type, operating system, language, referring page, requested URL, date and time, basic interaction or performance events, and error or security logs. We may use aggregated or de-identified measurements to understand site reliability and use.

Communications

If you contact us, we receive the information in your message, your email address, any attachments, and the records needed to respond and resolve the request.

Information from third parties

We may receive public tool information from a tool's official website, its developer, or other public sources. If we later enable sign-in, analytics, advertising, media hosting, or other integrations provided by third parties, those providers may return identifiers or service data necessary to operate the integration. We will update our notices where a material new use requires it.

3. How we use information

We use information to:

• create and administer accounts, authenticate users, and maintain sessions;
• provide the directory, profiles, publishing, discussion, submission, saving, following, notification, and recommendation features you request;
• review, moderate, organize, display, update, reject, archive, or remove content and tool submissions;
• personalize your experience using your interests and activity;
• communicate with you about your account, submissions, replies, tool updates, support requests, policy changes, or security;
• detect spam, abuse, fraud, harmful content, unauthorized access, and violations of our rules;
• debug, secure, measure, maintain, and improve the Services; and
• comply with law, enforce our terms, and establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

Where applicable law requires a legal basis, we rely as appropriate on performance of our agreement with you, our legitimate interests in operating and protecting ToolFlock, your consent, and compliance with legal obligations. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting processing that was lawful before withdrawal.

4. Recommended content

ToolFlock may use explicit interests and signals such as followed tools or people, saved posts or tools, reactions, and prior interactions to choose or order Recommended tools and content. Recommendations may also use non-personal signals such as category relevance, recency, editorial selection, or overall popularity.

Recommendations are intended to help discovery; they do not determine access to employment, credit, housing, insurance, or other similarly significant opportunities. Sponsored placements, when offered, should be identified and kept distinct from organic editorial judgment. You can influence browser-based recommendations by changing your interests, follows, saves, or reactions, or by clearing ToolFlock site data in your browser.

5. Cookies and local storage

ToolFlock uses, or may use, cookies and similar technologies necessary for account authentication, session continuity, security, fraud prevention, accessibility, and user preferences. The site also uses browser local storage for certain preferences and local features, including follows, saved items, notification and email settings, interests, profile customizations, and locally saved writing drafts.

Local storage stays on the browser and device where it was created unless you sync or transfer it yourself. Clearing browser data, changing browsers, or changing devices may remove it. Signing out does not necessarily clear non-account browser preferences.

You can control cookies and local storage through your browser. Blocking technology that is strictly necessary may prevent login or other features from working. Where required by law, we will request consent before using optional advertising or measurement technologies and provide the required choices.

6. Advertising and measurement

ToolFlock may display advertising or sponsored recommendations supplied by us or third-party advertising partners. Advertising is not necessarily active in every location or at every time. Third-party advertising partners may, where enabled and legally permitted, use cookies, pixels, device or browser identifiers, approximate location inferred from IP address, and interaction data to deliver ads, measure performance, limit repetition, and detect invalid traffic or fraud.

We do not sell personal information for money. Some privacy laws may, however, define certain disclosures for cross-context behavioral or targeted advertising as a “sale,” “sharing,” or “targeted advertising.” If ToolFlock engages in activity covered by those definitions, we will provide the notices and opt-out method required by applicable law. You may also be able to limit advertising identifiers or third-party cookies using your browser or device settings.

7. How information is shared

We may disclose information in the following circumstances:

• Public activity. Published posts, comments, tool submissions, profile details, reactions, or other features designed to be public can be viewed, copied, indexed, or shared by others.
• Service providers and processors. Vendors may process information for hosting, databases, authentication, storage, content delivery, email, support, security, analytics, or advertising under contracts or instructions appropriate to their role.
• Tool developers and business requests. If you ask us to submit, promote, claim, or contact a tool developer, we may share the information needed to fulfill that request.
• Legal and safety reasons. We may disclose information where we reasonably believe it is necessary to comply with law or legal process, protect people or the Services, investigate abuse, or enforce our agreements.
• Business transfers. Information may be disclosed as part of a financing, reorganization, acquisition, sale, or transfer of all or part of ToolFlock, subject to appropriate safeguards.
• With your direction or consent. We may share information when you ask us to or otherwise consent.

External links and remotely hosted resources

Tool listings and content may link to third-party websites or display resources, such as a tool logo, hosted on a third-party domain. When your browser requests an external resource or you follow an external link, the third party may receive technical information such as your IP address, browser information, referring page, and request time. The third party's privacy policy, not this policy, governs its own processing.

8. Data retention

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described here, including providing your account, maintaining the integrity of published content, resolving disputes, enforcing agreements, meeting legal obligations, and protecting ToolFlock and its users.

Retention depends on the data and context. Active account records are generally retained while the account exists; session records expire or are revoked; local browser data remains until you or your browser removes it; and security, moderation, transactional, support, and backup records may remain for a limited period after the related event. We may retain de-identified information that no longer reasonably identifies you.

Deleting an account does not automatically remove copies of content that others have independently copied or shared. We may also preserve or anonymize published contributions where lawful and reasonably necessary to keep discussions understandable, while removing the association with your account when appropriate.

9. Security

We use administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards intended to protect personal information, including protected authentication records, expiring sessions, access controls, rate-limiting, and operational monitoring where appropriate. No website, storage system, or transmission method is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Use a unique password, protect access to your email account, sign out on shared devices, and contact us promptly if you believe your ToolFlock account or information has been compromised.

10. International data transfers

ToolFlock and its service providers may process information in countries other than the country where you live. Privacy laws in those countries may differ. Where applicable law requires it, we use an approved transfer mechanism or other appropriate safeguards for international transfers.

11. Your choices and privacy rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to request access to, correction of, deletion of, or a portable copy of personal information; to object to or restrict certain processing; to withdraw consent; and to opt out of certain sale, sharing, targeted advertising, or profiling. You may also have the right to appeal our response and complain to a privacy regulator.

You can manage certain profile, follow, save, notification, and email preferences through available account or browser controls. To exercise a privacy right that is not available through the product, email [email protected]. Describe your request and the account or email address it concerns. We may need to verify your identity and authority before completing it. Authorized agents may submit requests where local law permits.

We will not discriminate against you for exercising an applicable privacy right. These rights may be subject to legal exceptions, including where retaining information is necessary for security, legal compliance, free expression, or the rights of others.

12. Children's privacy

ToolFlock is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If the law where you live sets a higher minimum age for using online services without parental authorization, you may use ToolFlock only if you meet that age or have valid authorization from a parent or guardian. Contact us if you believe a child has provided personal information contrary to this section.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as ToolFlock, our practices, or applicable law changes. We will post the updated policy and revise the effective date. If a change is material, we will provide additional notice when required by law, such as through the Services or by email.

14. Contact us

For questions, privacy requests, or concerns about this policy, contact ToolFlock at [email protected].