Privacy Policy
Last updated: 3 August 2026
This policy explains what Group Hunt Link collects, why, how long it is kept and what you can ask us to do about it. It covers this website only. It does not cover WhatsApp, and it does not cover anything that happens inside a group or channel you join through a link listed here.
1. Who is responsible
The data controller is [insert legal entity or individual name] of [insert address]. Contact: hello@grouphunt.link.
2. What we collect
When you submit a listing
- the group or channel name, invite link, category, country, language and description you type;
- your IP address;
- the date and time.
We do not ask for your name, email address or phone number in order to submit a listing, and you should not put personal details in the description — it is published.
When you report a listing
- the listing, the reason you picked and any note you added;
- your IP address, so the same listing cannot be reported repeatedly by one person;
- the date and time.
When you simply browse
- a session cookie, so the site can remember things like which listings you have already counted a view for;
- a language cookie, if you pick a language;
- aggregate counters on each listing — a view total and a click total. These are numbers on a row, not a record of who did what. We do not store individual page views;
- whatever your web host records in its server logs (typically IP address, user agent, requested URL and timestamp).
Display pictures
When a listing is submitted we attempt to fetch the group or channel picture from its invite page and store a copy on this server. We store a copy rather than linking to the original so that loading a page here does not send your IP address to a third-party image host.
3. Why we collect it (lawful bases)
| Data | Purpose | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Listing content | To publish the directory | Legitimate interests; your submission is the request |
| Submitter IP | Rate limiting, abuse investigation | Legitimate interests in keeping the directory usable |
| Reporter IP | One report per person per listing | Legitimate interests in honest moderation |
| Session cookie | Making the site work | Strictly necessary |
| Language cookie | Remembering your choice | Your choice, when you make it |
| View and click counters | Knowing which listings are useful | Legitimate interests; the data is aggregate |
4. Cookies
We set two first-party cookies and no third-party analytics or advertising cookies of our own:
ghsid— the session cookie. Expires when you close your browser. Marked HttpOnly and SameSite=Lax, and Secure over HTTPS.gh_lang— your interface language, if you choose one. Lasts a year.
If the site operator has enabled advertising or sponsor placements, those third parties may set their own cookies once you interact with them; that is governed by their policies, not this one. You can block or delete cookies in your browser, though the site will forget your language and may count a view more than once.
5. How long we keep things
- Published listings — until removed by us or on request.
- Rejected listings — up to 12 months, so the same spam is recognisable.
- Submission log (IP + a one-way hash of the link) — for as long as the longest active limit needs it, currently about 31 days, then deleted automatically. The link itself is stored only as a hash.
- Reports — up to 12 months after resolution.
- Server logs — as your host retains them, typically 14 to 30 days.
6. Who we share it with
We do not sell your data and we do not share it for advertising. It is handled by:
- our web host, which stores the site and its database on our behalf;
- law enforcement or a regulator, where we are legally obliged;
- a rights-holder pursuing a complaint, to the limited extent needed to deal with it.
The name and description you submit are, of course, public — that is what publishing a listing means. Your IP address is never published.
7. International transfers
Our host may store or process data in [insert region]. Where data leaves your region, it is transferred under the safeguards available to us, typically standard contractual clauses agreed with the host.
8. Your rights
Depending on where you live you may have the right to: access the data we hold about you; have it corrected; have it erased; restrict or object to our processing; receive it in a portable form; and withdraw consent where consent was the basis. You also have the right to complain to your data protection authority.
To exercise any of these, write to hello@grouphunt.link. We reply within 30 days. Because we do not hold accounts, we may need something that ties you to the submission — the exact link and roughly when you sent it usually does.
9. Children
The Site is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their data. If you believe a child has submitted something, tell us and we will delete it. Bear in mind that listings on this Site lead to groups run by strangers, which we cannot vet.
10. Security
Passwords for the administration area are stored as bcrypt hashes. Database access is through prepared statements, forms carry CSRF tokens, and session cookies are HttpOnly. No site is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. Changes
If this policy changes, the date above changes with it. Material changes will be signposted on the Site for a reasonable period.
Note. This document is a template, not legal advice. Have a qualified lawyer in your jurisdiction review it before you rely on it commercially. The bracketed placeholders must be completed, and the retention periods checked against what your host actually does, before this page is relied on.
The legal pages are published in English only. The interface is translated; these documents are not, because a mistranslated liability or indemnity clause is a real risk rather than a cosmetic one.