Interlocut – Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 14, 2025

This policy outlines what data we collect and how we use it. Interlocut™ is a non-commercial, intentionally moderated discussion forum focused on comparative civic and historical inquiry. It is hosted in the United States and open to users worldwide.

1. What We Collect

When you create an account or use the forum, we may collect:

  • Your email address and username
  • Your IP address
  • Content you post or upload (including images/files)
  • Basic session and activity data (for forum operation and moderation)

If you log in using Discord, we receive your Discord username and ID to authenticate your account.
If you log in using Google, we receive your name, email address, and Google user ID for the same purpose.

We do not access your private messages, contacts, browsing history, or other unrelated Discord/Google data.

We collect only the data necessary to operate the forum safely and responsibly. We do not track users beyond our platform and do not serve ads.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use your data to:

  • Authenticate and manage user accounts
  • Support forum operations and moderation
  • Prevent abuse and spam
  • Communicate with you (e.g., reply notifications)

We do not sell or share your data with third parties. We use only the data necessary to keep the forum functioning and safe.

3. Cookies

This site uses cookies to maintain login sessions and basic preferences. We do not use tracking cookies or serve third-party ads.

4. File Uploads and Private Messages

If you upload files or attachments, they are stored securely for display within forum content.
Private messages between users are not publicly visible. In cases of abuse or system alerts, moderators may be granted access, depending on platform permissions.

5. Donations

Interlocut does not currently accept donations and does not collect any financial information from users. Should we add an optional donation system in the future to support site upkeep, it will be handled via a secure third-party platform, and never in exchange for perks, visibility, or status.

At this time, there is no donation mechanism, and we do not request or expect any contributions.

6. Children & Age Restrictions

Interlocut is for users aged 16 and up.
We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under the age of 16, and will remove accounts found to be operated by users below that age.

7. Data Retention and Deletion

You may request account deletion by contacting admin@interlocut.org.
Full data removal will be honored whenever feasible, especially in cases involving privacy concerns, security risks, or user well-being.

8. International Users

We welcome users from the EU and beyond. If you are subject to GDPR or similar data laws, we will make good-faith efforts to comply with data access and deletion requests.

We do not transfer your third-party login data outside the platform, and only use it for secure sign-in and user identification purposes.

9. Liability

We are not responsible for user-generated content or interactions between members. You participate at your own discretion.

10. Policy Changes

We may revise this policy as needed. Major changes will be announced on the forum.