Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 2026

InsectDiscover ("we", "us", or "our") operates the insectdiscover.com website (the "Service"). This Privacy Policy informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of personal information when you use our Service. By using InsectDiscover, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1. Information We Collect

We are committed to collecting only the minimum information necessary to provide and improve our Service. The types of information we may collect include:

1.1 Usage Data

When you visit InsectDiscover, our servers may automatically collect standard technical information, including:

• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Referring website URLs (how you found us)
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Device type (desktop, tablet, mobile)
• Approximate geographic location (country/region level only)
• Date and time of access

This data is collected anonymously and is used solely to understand how visitors interact with our site so we can improve the experience.

1.2 Account Data

If you are granted an administrator account, we store:

• Your email address
• A username
• A securely hashed password (we never store passwords in plain text)
• Account creation date

1.3 Information We Do Not Collect

We want to be clear about what we do not do:

• We do not require registration to browse the site
• We do not collect names, phone numbers, or physical addresses
• We do not collect payment or financial information
• We do not use tracking pixels or fingerprinting technologies
• We do not build advertising profiles about our visitors

2. Cookies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your web browser. InsectDiscover uses only essential cookies:

• Session cookie: Maintains your login session if you are an authenticated administrator. This cookie is deleted when you log out or close your browser.
• Flash message cookie: Temporarily stores notification messages (such as "Settings saved") for display on the next page load. These are cleared immediately after being shown.

We do not use third-party advertising cookies, social media tracking cookies, or analytics cookies from external providers. You can configure your browser to refuse cookies, though this may affect the admin login functionality.

3. How We Use Your Information

The information we collect is used exclusively for the following purposes:

• Operating the Service: Delivering web pages, processing search queries, and maintaining site functionality
• Improving the experience: Understanding which content is most popular to prioritise future additions
• Security monitoring: Detecting and preventing unauthorised access, abuse, or attacks
• Performance optimisation: Identifying slow pages or technical issues to ensure fast, reliable access

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We take a firm stance on data sharing:

• No selling: We never sell your personal information to anyone, for any reason
• No advertising partners: We do not share data with advertising networks or data brokers
• No social media tracking: We do not embed social media trackers that report your activity to third parties
• Limited exceptions: We may disclose information only if required by law (such as a valid court order) or to protect the safety and security of our users and infrastructure

5. Data Storage and Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

• All data is transmitted over HTTPS (TLS encryption)
• Passwords are stored using secure one-way hashing algorithms (bcrypt) — they can never be reversed or read in plain text
• Our infrastructure is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), which provides enterprise-grade physical and network security
• Database access is restricted to authenticated application processes only
• We regularly review our security practices and update them as needed

While no system can guarantee absolute security, we take reasonable and appropriate measures to protect the information entrusted to us.

6. Data Retention

We retain data only for as long as necessary:

• Usage data: Server logs are retained for a limited period for security and performance analysis, then deleted
• Account data: Administrator account data is retained for the lifetime of the account. If an account is deleted, all associated data is permanently removed

7. Third-Party Services

Our site integrates with a limited number of third-party services:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS): Hosts our website and stores uploaded images. AWS has its own privacy policy
• YouTube: Embedded videos on our site are served by YouTube. When you watch an embedded video, YouTube may collect data according to Google's privacy policy
• Google Fonts: We load fonts from Google's servers. Google may collect anonymised usage data as described in their privacy policy

We carefully evaluate any third-party service before integrating it and aim to minimise external dependencies.

8. Children's Privacy

InsectDiscover is an educational resource designed to be suitable for users of all ages. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. Since browsing does not require registration or the submission of personal data, children can safely use our site for educational purposes. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

9. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of any personal data we hold about you
• Correction: Request that we correct inaccurate data
• Deletion: Request that we delete your personal data
• Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Objection: Object to specific types of data processing

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below. We will respond to valid requests within 30 days.

10. International Users

InsectDiscover is hosted in the European Union (AWS eu-central-1 region, Frankfurt). If you access the site from outside the EU, please be aware that your data may be processed in the EU. By using our Service, you consent to this transfer and processing.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. When we make changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please reach out to us: