Privacy Policy
Effective 1 June 2026 · The Rants Network Ltd · ICO registration ZB[pending registration]
1. Who controls your data
The Rants Network Ltd is the data controller for personal data processed through the Rants Network. We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office under registration number ZB[pending registration]. If you have questions about how we use your data, or wish to exercise any of your rights, contact us at dpo@rantsnetwork.com or by post at our registered address above.
2. What data we collect
We collect data in three ways: Data you give us directly: your email address, username, display name, bio, profile photo, location (optional), and any content you post (rants, ratings, comments, collection names). Data generated by your use: your IP address, browser type, pages visited, search queries, ratings given, follows made, and timestamps of activity. We use this to operate and improve the platform. Data from third parties: if you sign in via Google, we receive your name and email address from Google as part of the OAuth flow. We receive payment processing information from Stripe when you make or receive a purchase — we do not store card numbers ourselves.
3. Legal basis for processing
We process your data on the following legal bases under UK GDPR: Contract: processing your account data, rants and ratings is necessary to provide the service you've signed up for. Legitimate interests: we process usage and analytics data to operate and improve the platform. Our interest in doing so does not override your rights. Legal obligation: we retain moderation records and may share data with law enforcement where required by UK law. Consent: we send marketing emails only with your consent, obtained at sign-up. You can withdraw consent at any time by clicking "unsubscribe" in any marketing email or by updating your notification settings.
4. How we use your data
We use your data to: operate your account; display your rants and ratings to other users; personalise your feed and recommendations; send transactional emails (password resets, purchase confirmations); send marketing emails if you have consented; detect and prevent abuse and spam; comply with legal obligations. We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your data to train AI models. We do not serve targeted advertising based on your personal data.
5. Who we share data with
We share data with a limited set of service providers who process it on our behalf: Supabase Inc. (database and authentication hosting, EU region — Frankfurt) Vercel Inc. (web hosting and CDN) Stripe Inc. (payment processing — PCI DSS compliant) Resend Inc. (transactional email delivery) All providers are contractually bound to process data only on our instructions and to maintain appropriate security standards. We carry out due diligence on all processors. We may disclose your data to law enforcement or regulatory bodies where required by UK law, or where necessary to prevent serious harm.
6. How long we keep your data
Active account data: retained for as long as your account exists. Deleted account data: your profile, rants and ratings are deleted within 30 days of an account deletion request. Anonymised aggregate data (e.g. "412 rants about Fountain") is retained indefinitely. Moderation records: retained for 7 years as required for Online Safety Act compliance. Payment records: retained for 7 years as required by HMRC. Analytics data: retained for 24 months in aggregate form.
7. Your rights
Under UK GDPR you have the right to: Access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you. Correction: ask us to correct inaccurate data. Erasure: ask us to delete your data (subject to our legal retention obligations). Portability: receive your data in a machine-readable format. Objection: object to processing based on legitimate interests. Restriction: ask us to limit how we use your data while a complaint is resolved. Withdraw consent: for any processing based on consent (e.g. marketing emails). To exercise any of these rights, email dpo@rantsnetwork.com. We will respond within one calendar month. You also have the right to complain to the ICO at ico.org.uk.
8. Cookies
We use the following cookies: Strictly necessary: a session cookie (rants_dev during development; a named session cookie in production) that keeps you logged in. This cookie is essential to the service and cannot be disabled. Analytics: we use privacy-preserving analytics (no third-party tracking pixels, no cross-site data sharing) to understand page performance. You can opt out of analytics in your account settings. We do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking cookies. A cookie consent banner is displayed on first visit; your preference is stored for 12 months. For full details, see our Cookie Policy.
9. Children
The Rants Network is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 16. If you believe a child under 16 has created an account, please contact us at legal@rantsnetwork.com and we will delete the account and associated data promptly. We comply with the ICO's Age Appropriate Design Code (Children's Code) and do not use profiling, nudge techniques, or targeted push notifications for users who indicate they are under 18.