Privacy Policy

The Secret Sceptic (secretsceptic.com) is a community for readers of the book. We keep things simple: we collect as little personal data as we can, we never sell it, and you can ask us about it — or ask us to delete it — at any time.

What we collect

• Account details — your username, email address, password (stored as a secure hash, never in plain text), and anything you choose to add to your profile such as a display name, bio, location, or avatar.
• Content you post — forum threads, replies, and reactions are public and associated with your username.
• Technical basics — like most websites, our server logs record IP addresses and pages visited, which we use for security and to keep the site running properly.

Cookies

We use cookies only for essential purposes: keeping you logged in to your account (session cookies) and, if you tick "remember me", keeping you logged in between visits. We don't use advertising or third-party tracking cookies.

Emails

We email you only for account purposes (verification, password resets) and for notifications you've opted into, such as replies to threads you're watching or the community digest. You can switch these off in your account settings, and every non-essential email includes an unsubscribe link. We do not send marketing on behalf of anyone else.

What we don't do

• We never sell or rent your personal data.
• We don't share your email address with other members or third parties, except for the technical providers who host the site and deliver our email.

How long we keep your data

Your account data is kept while your account is active. If you delete your account, your personal details are removed or anonymised; your forum posts remain but are shown as "Deleted Member". Server logs are kept only for a short period for security purposes.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law (UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018), you have the right to access the personal data we hold about you, to correct it, to have it deleted, and to object to or restrict its processing. To exercise any of these rights, email us at admin@secretsceptic.com and we'll get back to you as soon as we can — and in any case within one month.

If you're not happy with how we've handled your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk).

Contact

Questions about this policy or your data? Email admin@secretsceptic.com.