Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy for Cheshire.Biz

Last updated: December 1, 2025

Welcome to Cheshire.Biz ("we," "us," or "our"). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains:

• What cookies are and why we use them
• What information we collect
• How we use your information
• Your data deletion rights
• How we secure your data
• Third-party services
• Contacting us

What Are Cookies & Why We Use Them

A cookie is a small text file that a website places on your device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) when you visit. Cookies allow the site to remember information about your visit—such as your login status or security preferences.

We currently use essential cookies only:

• Session Cookie (sessionid): Required for login functionality and maintaining your authenticated session. This cookie is deleted when you close your browser or log out.
• CSRF Token (csrftoken): Required for security to prevent cross-site request forgery attacks on forms and submissions.

We do NOT currently use: Analytics cookies, advertising cookies, or third-party tracking cookies. If we add these in the future, we will update this policy and request your consent before placing them on your device.

These essential cookies are necessary for the site to function and are exempt from consent requirements under GDPR and PECR. Disabling them through your browser settings may prevent you from logging in or using core features of Cheshire.Biz.

What Information We Collect

• Account Registration: When you create an account, we collect your username, email address, and encrypted password.
• Business Listings: If you list a business, we collect business name, address, description, category, contact information, website URL, and up to 4 images you upload.
• Payment Information: When you subscribe to Premium or Premium Plus, payment processing is handled by Stripe. We store your subscription status and dates, but we never store credit card details on our servers.
• Email Verification: We track whether your email has been verified to prevent spam and ensure account security.
• Login Activity: We log login attempts (IP address, timestamp, success/failure) for security and rate-limiting purposes to prevent brute-force attacks.
• Session Data: Active user sessions including IP address and last activity time for security monitoring.
• Page Views: We anonymously track page views per business category to show popular categories on the homepage. No personal data is linked to these views.

We do NOT collect: Browsing history beyond our site, location data, or information from third-party sources.

How We Use Your Information

We use your data to:

• Provide Services: Display your business listings, manage your account, and process premium subscriptions.
• Email Communications: Send email verification links, subscription confirmations, and important account notifications. We do NOT send marketing emails unless you explicitly opt-in.
• Security: Prevent unauthorized access through login rate limiting (5 attempts per 5 minutes), monitor for suspicious activity, and protect against spam and abuse.
• Platform Improvement: Analyze anonymous page view data to understand which business categories are most popular.
• Legal Compliance: Maintain records as required by UK law and respond to valid legal requests.

We do NOT: Sell your data to third parties, use your data for advertising, or share your information except as described in this policy.

Your Data Deletion Rights

You have the right to request deletion of your personal data. Here's how we handle deletions:

Automatic Deletion

• Business Images: When you delete a business listing from your dashboard or via the admin panel, all uploaded images (up to 4 per listing) are automatically deleted from our servers within seconds.
• Session Data: Login sessions are automatically cleared when you log out or when they expire (14 days of inactivity).

Manual Deletion Requests

To request deletion of your account and all associated data, email us at interlinkz.info@gmail.com with:

• Your username and registered email address
• Confirmation that you want to permanently delete your account

We will process valid deletion requests within 30 days and send confirmation once complete. Deleted data includes:

• Your account details (username, email, password)
• All business listings you created
• All uploaded images
• Login attempt history and session data

Note: Some data may be retained for legal compliance (e.g., transaction records for tax purposes) as required by UK law.

Data Access Rights

You also have the right to request a copy of all personal data we hold about you. Email the same address above with "Data Access Request" in the subject line.

How We Secure Your Data

Technical Security Measures

• HTTPS/TLS Encryption: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using industry-standard TLS (Transport Layer Security).
• Secure Password Storage: Passwords are hashed using Django's PBKDF2 algorithm with SHA256. We never store passwords in plain text.
• CSRF Protection: All forms include anti-forgery tokens to prevent cross-site request attacks.
• XSS Protection: User-generated content is sanitized and escaped to prevent cross-site scripting attacks.
• Clickjacking Protection: X-Frame-Options headers prevent our site from being embedded in malicious iframes.
• Rate Limiting: Login attempts are limited to 5 per 5 minutes per IP address to prevent brute-force attacks.
• Secure Cookies: Session cookies are marked as Secure and HttpOnly when using HTTPS.

Operational Security

• Database Backups: Automatic daily backups using transaction-safe methods to prevent data loss. Backups are kept for 10 days.
• Access Control: Admin access is restricted to authorized personnel only with strong password requirements.
• Security Monitoring: Failed login attempts are logged and monitored for suspicious patterns.
• Regular Updates: Our platform and dependencies are kept up-to-date with security patches.

Data Breach Protocol

In the event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will:

• Notify affected users within 72 hours via email
• Report the breach to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as required by GDPR
• Provide details of what data was affected and steps we're taking to address it

Third-Party Services

We use the following trusted third-party services to operate our platform:

Payment Processing

• Stripe: Handles all credit card transactions for Premium and Premium Plus subscriptions. We never see or store your full card details—Stripe uses tokenization. View Stripe's Privacy Policy.

Email Delivery

• Hostinger SMTP: Sends account verification emails and subscription notifications. Only your email address and username are shared for delivery purposes.

Hosting & Infrastructure

• Hostinger: Our web hosting provider. Your data is stored on secure servers with encrypted disks and regular backups.

We do NOT use: Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, advertising networks, or any third-party tracking services.

Each service provider is required to maintain security and privacy standards compliant with GDPR and UK data protection laws.

How Premium Advertising Works

Cheshire.Biz offers Premium and Premium Plus subscriptions that give business listings enhanced visibility:

Premium Features

• Priority Placement: Your business appears in the premium sidebar on category pages (Pubs, Barbers, Fitness)
• Homepage Feature: Random rotation in the featured businesses section on the homepage
• Ad Badge: Premium listings show an "Ad" badge to distinguish from organic results
• Enhanced Listings: Display up to 4 images and full business details

Pro Annual Additional Benefits (£179.99/year)

• Search Priority: Your business appears first in search results within your category
• Monthly Analytics Reports: Detailed performance metrics delivered monthly
• Increased Visibility: Higher placement rotation frequency
• Best Value: Save compared to monthly billing

Transparency & Fairness

• Premium ads are clearly labeled with an "Ad" badge so users can distinguish them from organic listings
• Only businesses relevant to the category are shown (e.g., pubs in the Pubs section)
• Premium placement does not affect organic search rankings—both coexist independently
• You can cancel Premium subscriptions at any time; they remain active until the end of your billing period

No User Tracking: Our advertising system does NOT track individual users across the web or build advertising profiles. Ads are contextual (category-based) only.

Contacting Us

If you have any questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please email us at:
interlinkz.info@gmail.com

We respond to all legitimate requests within 30 days.

Your Rights Under GDPR

As a UK-based service, we comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Correct inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your data
• Object to data processing
• Data portability (receive your data in a standard format)
• Lodge a complaint with the ICO (Information Commissioner's Office)

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect new features, legal requirements, or operational changes. The "Last updated" date at the top indicates when the policy was last revised. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Thank you for trusting Cheshire.Biz with your information. We take your privacy seriously.