Effective Date: July 16, 2025
Welcome to HS Warriors (https://hswarriors.com).
Your privacy matters to us — and we’re committed to protecting your personal information and your right to anonymity and confidentiality.
This policy explains what we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and what your rights are.
📌 1. Who We Are
HS Warriors is a community-driven forum built to support individuals living with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). We are not a medical provider, and we do not offer professional healthcare services.
Our website address is: https://hswarriors.com
📥 2. What Information We Collect
a. Information You Provide Directly:
- When you create an account: username, email address, and optional profile details
- When you post or comment: any content you voluntarily share (text, images, files)
- When you contact us: via forms or email
b. Automatic Data Collection:
- IP address
- Browser type and device information
- Cookies (used for login, preferences, session management)
- Pages visited, links clicked, time spent on the site (via analytics)
📌 3. How We Use Your Information
We use your data to:
- Operate the forum and deliver content
- Moderate discussions and protect users from abuse
- Improve the user experience and site performance
- Communicate with you (e.g., password resets, updates)
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. Ever.
❌ 4. Public vs Private Information
Public:
- Posts, comments, and usernames (unless posting anonymously)
- Profile bio or avatar if filled out
Private:
- Your email, IP address, and any data entered in private messages or account settings
You control what you share. If in doubt, post anonymously or skip sensitive details.
🔄 5. Cookies & Tracking
We use cookies for:
- Remembering login sessions
- Saving user preferences
- Site analytics (via privacy-focused tools like Plausible or Google Analytics)
You can disable cookies in your browser at any time, but some features may not work properly.
🛡️ 6. Data Protection & Security
We use HTTPS encryption, secure servers, and strong password hashing to protect your data.
However, no site is 100% secure — so we advise not sharing medical records, real names, or personal identifiers in public posts.
🌍 7. Your Rights (GDPR / CCPA Friendly)
You have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request deletion of your account and content
- Correct or update inaccurate information
- Withdraw consent or object to certain uses
To request any of the above, email us at privacy@hswarriors.com.
🔁 8. Third-Party Services
We may use third-party services for:
- Email delivery (e.g. MailerLite or SendGrid)
- Site hosting (e.g. SiteGround, Cloudflare)
- Analytics (Google Analytics or similar)
These services only receive minimal information as needed and must comply with privacy standards.
👶 9. Children’s Privacy
This site is intended for users 16 and older. If you are under 16, please do not register or share any personal information.
📬 10. Contact Us
Have questions about your data or this policy?
Email us at: privacy@hswarriors.com
🔄 11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. If we do, we’ll post the updated version here and update the “Effective Date” above.
Please check this page occasionally to stay informed.