Privacy Policy
Last Updated: April 2026
What This Policy Covers
This privacy policy governs the use of the TugTub website. It covers how we treat personal information — that is, information that could identify you personally, such as your email address or IP address.
This site is not directed to persons under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors.
Information We Collect
When you register: We ask for your email address. This is used to send magic links for authentication and important account notifications.
Automatically: When you visit the Website, our servers record your IP address, browser type, and the pages you request. This is necessary to operate the service.
Cookies: We use cookies for authentication (keeping you signed in), remembering your preferences (theme, age confirmation), and analytics. You can configure your browser to reject cookies, but some features may not work without them.
How We Use Your Information
- To provide and operate the service
- To authenticate you and maintain your session
- To send service-related notifications (magic links, account changes)
- To diagnose technical problems and maintain security
- To understand aggregate usage patterns and improve the service
Information Sharing
We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share information only in the following circumstances:
- To comply with subpoenas, court orders, or legal process
- To investigate or prevent illegal activities, including fraud and violations of our Terms
- To protect the safety of our users or the public
- To enforce our Terms of Service
- In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, in which case we will notify you
Public Activity
Any content you voluntarily post — bookmarks, comments, collections, profile information — becomes publicly visible and can be collected by others. Your display name (not your email) is shown to other users alongside your activity.
Data Security
We use commercially reasonable measures to protect your personal information, including encrypted connections (HTTPS) and HttpOnly authentication cookies. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Data Retention
We retain your account information for as long as your account is active. You may delete your account at any time from your profile settings. Some information may remain in backup systems for a limited period. Server log data (IP addresses) is retained for up to 90 days.
Your Rights
You may:
- Access and update your account information at any time
- Delete your account at any time
- Opt out of non-essential communications
- Request deletion of your personal data by contacting us
Third-Party Links
The Website contains links to third-party sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. Your continued use of the Website constitutes acceptance of any changes.
Data Subject Requests (Access, Deletion, Rectification)
Under GDPR (EU), CCPA (California), and POPIA (South Africa), you have the right to access, correct, or delete personal data we hold about you. To exercise these rights, send an email to privacy@tugtub.com from the email address associated with your account. The email must include:
- Request type — "Access", "Deletion", "Rectification", "Restriction", "Portability", or "Objection".
- Account identifier — the email address on your TugTub account, or your numeric user ID if you know it.
- Scope — what data the request applies to (all data, specific categories, specific time range).
- Verification — include a short statement confirming you are the account holder. We may reply to the registered email address to verify identity before actioning the request.
- Statement under penalty of perjury — "I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of my jurisdiction that I am the account holder and the information in this request is true and correct."
Do not send account credentials, payment details, or other sensitive information by email. For general privacy questions (not data requests), email the same address.
Cookies & Analytics
We use the following cookie categories:
- Strictly necessary — authentication (
tugtub_jwt,tugtub_refresh), age-gate confirmation, theme preference. Cannot be disabled; required for the site to function. - Analytics (non-essential) — PostHog product analytics (hosted in the EU). Used to understand feature usage. Loads only after you have accessed the site.
- Advertising (third-party) — ads delivered by JuicyAds / ExoClick may set cookies on their own domains per their respective privacy policies.
You can clear cookies at any time via your browser. Account deletion removes server-side data; clearing the browser alone does not.