Privacy policy

CookingBites' Privacy Policy

CookingBites is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. Any information provided by you, by which you can be identified, will only be used in accordance with this privacy policy.

This policy may be updated from time to time. It is your responsibility to review this policy periodically to ensure you agree with any changes.

Privacy Policy – Plain English Summary

In short:

• We collect basic account information and technical data (such as IP addresses) so the forum can function, remain secure, and be protected from spam and abuse.
• Your IP address and technical data are used for security and moderation and are never visible to the public.
• We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.
• You control what personal information is publicly visible in your profile.
• If you leave the site, your account can be anonymised on request.

This summary is provided for convenience only. Full details are set out below.

What Information We Collect

When registering for and using CookingBites, we may collect some or all of the following information:

• name (if provided)
• username
• encrypted password
• email address
• date of birth (required for legal compliance)
• website or social media identity (if provided)
• information relating to any financial transactions carried out via the site (no payment card or financial details are stored on CookingBites)

In addition, when you access or use the site, including registering, logging in, posting content, or interacting with site features, we automatically collect certain technical and usage information, including:

• Internet Protocol (IP) address
• approximate geographic location derived from IP address
• connection type
• browser type, version, language(s), and time zone
• operating system
• referral source
• date and time of access
• length of visit, page views, navigation patterns, and related activity

This information is collected as part of normal website operation and forum moderation.

Why We Collect This Information

The information we collect is used for legitimate operational purposes, including but not limited to:

• validating email addresses during registration
• providing access to the website and associated services
• account administration and security
• preventing spam, fraud, abuse, and automated registrations
• moderation and enforcement of site rules
• diagnosing technical issues
• maintaining internal records
• account recovery, password resets, and security notifications

Technical information such as IP addresses, browser details, and connection metadata may also be used to detect suspicious behaviour, enforce access restrictions, and comply with legal or regulatory obligations.

Lawful Basis for Processing

CookingBites processes personal data on the basis of legitimate interests, including the operation of a community forum, account administration, security, moderation, fraud and abuse prevention, and compliance with applicable legal obligations, in accordance with relevant data protection laws.

Moderation, Security, and Abuse Prevention

CookingBites uses automated and manual moderation tools to protect the site and its members from spam, abuse, and malicious activity. As part of this process, registration and activity logs may record:

• IP address and network information (including ASN)
• country and region inferred from IP
• browser and system characteristics
• timing and behavioural indicators

These logs are used solely for security, moderation, and operational purposes. They are not shared publicly and are not used for advertising or profiling.

Cookies and IP Addresses

CookingBites uses cookies to manage user sessions, store preferences, and support essential site functionality. Cookies may store session identifiers and technical information required for site operation.

You may configure your browser to refuse cookies; however, doing so may limit your ability to use certain site features.

IP addresses are stored when you register, log in, post content, send messages, or otherwise interact with the site. IP addresses are never visible to the public.

Data Sharing and Sale of Information

CookingBites does not sell, lease, or trade personal information.

We will not disclose your personal information to third parties except where:

• you have given explicit consent
• disclosure is required by law
• disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, safety, or integrity of the site or its members

Service providers used for hosting, security, or spam prevention may process limited technical data as part of their function, under appropriate safeguards.

Links to Other Websites

CookingBites may contain links to external websites. Once you leave our site, this privacy policy no longer applies. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external sites.

Controlling Your Personal Information

You may control the visibility of certain personal information through your account privacy settings.

If you believe information we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete and you are unable to update it yourself, please contact us so corrections can be made.

Account Deletion and Anonymisation

Due to the nature of forum discussions, accounts that have posted content cannot be fully deleted without disrupting community discussions. However, accounts may be anonymised on request.

When an account is anonymised:

• the username is removed or replaced
• profile information is deleted
• email address and other identifying account data are removed

Public posts remain as part of the discussion record.

If you wish to have Personally Identifying Information (PII) removed from your posts, you must identify and report each instance to the moderators prior to anonymisation. After anonymisation, requests must be submitted via the site contact form using the email address previously associated with the account, and must include direct links to the content in question.

This process is necessary to verify identity and prevent unauthorised data removal.

Last reviewed: 23 December 2025

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