Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

ToolsBrief is an independent software review publication operated at toolsbrief.com. For privacy enquiries, contact us at [email protected].

2. What data we collect and why

2.1 Data you provide directly

If you contact us via email or a contact form, we receive your email address and any information you include in the message. We use this solely to respond to your enquiry. We do not add you to any mailing list without your explicit consent.

2.2 Automatically collected data

Like most websites, ToolsBrief collects certain information automatically when you visit:

• IP address (truncated/anonymised where possible)
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Referring URL
• Pages visited and time spent on page
• Approximate geographic location (country/city level, derived from IP)

This data is collected via the third-party services described in Section 4. It is used for aggregate analytics — understanding which content is useful, where traffic comes from, and how the site performs technically.

2.3 Cookies

ToolsBrief uses the following categories of cookies:

3. Legal basis for processing (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, our legal basis for collecting and using personal information depends on the data in question:

• Legitimate interests — for basic site security, fraud prevention, and aggregate analytics that do not require identifying individual users.
• Consent — for analytics cookies (GA4) and advertising cookies (AdSense) where required. You can withdraw consent at any time via your browser cookie settings or our cookie consent banner.
• Contract — if you contact us directly to request a service, we process the data needed to fulfil that request.

4. Third-party services

4.1 Google Analytics (GA4)

We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors use the site. GA4 collects anonymised behavioural data. IP anonymisation is enabled. Google may process this data in the United States. Google's privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy. You can opt out via the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

4.2 Google AdSense

We display advertisements served by Google AdSense. AdSense uses cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to toolsbrief.com and other sites. You can opt out of personalised ads via Google Ad Settings or aboutads.info.

4.3 Affiliate networks

When you click an affiliate link, you are redirected to a third-party network (Impact, PartnerStack, Amazon Associates, or a direct vendor program). These networks set their own cookies on their domain to track referrals. We do not receive your personal data from these networks — only whether a qualifying purchase occurred. Each network's privacy policy governs how they handle your data.

4.4 Content Delivery & Hosting

ToolsBrief is served via Cloudflare's CDN. Cloudflare may process connection metadata (IP address, request logs) for security and performance purposes. Cloudflare's privacy policy: cloudflare.com/privacypolicy.

5. Data sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We do not share personally identifiable information with any third party except:

• The service providers listed in Section 4, to the extent necessary for their function.
• If required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of ToolsBrief and its users.

6. Data retention

Email correspondence is retained for up to 2 years unless you request deletion. Analytics data processed by Google Analytics is retained for 14 months by default (our configured setting). Server logs are retained for up to 30 days for security purposes.

7. Your rights (GDPR / UK GDPR)

If you are in the EEA or UK, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access — you can request a copy of the data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification — you can ask us to correct inaccurate data.
• Right to erasure — you can ask us to delete your data ("right to be forgotten").
• Right to restriction — you can ask us to limit how we process your data.
• Right to data portability — you can request your data in a machine-readable format.
• Right to object — you can object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting prior processing.

To exercise any of these rights, email [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

8. California residents (CCPA)

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to delete personal information, and the right to opt out of the "sale" of personal information. We do not sell personal information as defined by the CCPA. To submit a CCPA request, email [email protected].

9. Children's privacy

ToolsBrief is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or 16 in certain jurisdictions). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be noted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date at the top. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact

For any privacy-related questions, data subject requests, or concerns:

[email protected]