Privacy Policy

1. Who controls your personal data?

The data controller for "Traveling Books", available at "https://www.traveling-books.eu/" (the “Website”), is:

The operator’s legal name must be the name of a person, company, association or other legal entity. An email address alone is not a legal name.

2. Scope of this policy

This policy explains how we collect and process personal data when you visit the Website, register an account, publish a story, contact us or otherwise use the service. The service is free and registration is limited to people aged 18 or over.

3. Personal data we process

• Registration data: your email address and chosen username.
• Published content: stories and any personal information that you voluntarily include in them. Your username and published stories are visible to the public.
• Account and activity data: account creation date, publication history, moderation actions and account status.
• Technical and security data: IP address, device and browser information, timestamps, server logs, security events and information used to prevent spam or abuse.
• Analytics data: information about how visitors use the Website, collected through Google Analytics only where the required consent has been obtained.
• Communications: the information you provide when you contact us or report content.

Please do not include sensitive personal data in a story unless it is genuinely necessary and you have a lawful basis for publishing it. Sensitive data may include information about health, ethnicity, religion, political opinions, trade-union membership, genetics, biometrics or sexual life or orientation.

4. Why we process personal data

Providing an email address and username is necessary to create an account. If you do not provide them, you cannot register or publish a story. Analytics consent is optional and refusing it does not prevent you from using the core service.

5. Public information and stories

Your username and published stories are publicly accessible and may be indexed by search engines, linked to, copied or shared by other people. Do not publish your email address, home address, telephone number, identification documents or other information that you do not want to make public.

If your story contains personal data about another person, you are responsible for ensuring that you have a lawful basis for publishing it and that you respect that person’s privacy and other rights. Removing a story from the Website may not remove copies already indexed, cached or lawfully shared by third parties.

6. Google Analytics

Subject to your consent, the Website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google [INSERT THE CONTRACTING GOOGLE ENTITY SHOWN IN YOUR ACCOUNT]. Google Analytics may use cookies or similar technologies to collect information about Website visits, such as pages viewed, approximate location, browser and device information, session duration and online identifiers.

Google Analytics must remain disabled until the visitor has given the consent required by applicable cookie rules. You can refuse or withdraw consent at any time through Cookie Settings. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Google’s handling of data is described in its own privacy documentation. Our Google Analytics data-retention period is [INSERT THE SETTING USED, FOR EXAMPLE 2 OR 14 MONTHS]. Further details about cookies are provided in our Cookie Policy.

7. Google reCAPTCHA

We use Google reCAPTCHA to distinguish human users from automated activity and to protect registration and other forms against spam and abuse. reCAPTCHA may process technical information such as IP address, browser and device characteristics, interactions with the page, date and time, and cookies or similar identifiers. This information may be sent to Google.

We use reCAPTCHA on the basis of our legitimate interest in protecting the Website and its users. Because the exact operation and cookie requirements can depend on the reCAPTCHA version and configuration, the Website’s cookie banner and Cookie Policy must accurately reflect the version actually deployed.

8. Recipients and service providers

Personal data may be processed by authorised persons working for the controller and by suppliers acting as data processors or, where applicable, independent controllers. These may include:

• Hosting and infrastructure provider: [PROVIDER NAME, COUNTRY AND LINK TO PRIVACY INFORMATION];
• Google: for Google Analytics and reCAPTCHA;
• Email provider: [PROVIDER NAME AND COUNTRY];
• IT maintenance, security and professional advisers where necessary;
• public authorities, courts or law-enforcement bodies where disclosure is required by law.

We do not sell your personal data.

9. International data transfers

Some providers, including Google, may process data outside the European Economic Area. Where personal data is transferred to a country without an adequacy decision, the transfer must be protected through an appropriate GDPR mechanism, such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses, together with supplementary safeguards where required. For transfers covered by a valid adequacy decision, including an applicable EU–US data privacy framework, the relevant provider must meet that framework’s requirements.

You may contact us for information about the safeguards applicable to international transfers.

10. How long we retain personal data

• Account data: while your account remains active and for up to [30/90] days after deletion, except where longer retention is required by law or necessary for legal claims.
• Published stories: until you delete them, request their removal or your account is terminated, subject to temporary backups and lawful retention needs.
• Technical and security logs: for [INSERT PERIOD, FOR EXAMPLE 6 OR 12 MONTHS], unless an incident requires longer retention.
• Moderation and complaint records: for [INSERT PERIOD] after a case is closed, or longer when needed for legal claims or repeated-abuse prevention.
• Support communications: for [INSERT PERIOD] after the request is resolved.
• Google Analytics data: for [INSERT ACTUAL GOOGLE ANALYTICS RETENTION SETTING].
• Backups: for up to [INSERT PERIOD] before being overwritten or deleted.

We may retain information for longer where required by law or necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

11. Cookies and similar technologies

The Website uses technical technologies necessary to provide and secure the service and, with consent, analytics technologies. Non-essential analytics technologies are not activated before consent. You may change or withdraw your choices at any time through Cookie Settings.

For the exact cookies, providers, purposes and durations, read our Cookie Policy.

12. Your data-protection rights

Subject to the conditions and limitations set by the GDPR, you may:

• request access to your personal data;
• request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data;
• request deletion of your personal data;
• request restriction of processing;
• object to processing based on legitimate interests;
• receive data you provided in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, and request its transmission where data portability applies;
• withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent;
• not be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing that produces legal or similarly significant effects, where Article 22 GDPR applies.

To exercise your rights, contact info@traveling-books.eu. We may ask for information reasonably necessary to verify your identity. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Garante per la protezione dei dati personali.

13. Account and story deletion

You may request deletion of your account or stories through [DESCRIBE THE SETTINGS OR PROCEDURE] or by emailing info@traveling-books.eu. Deletion requests may be refused or limited where continued processing is required by law, necessary for freedom of expression and information, or needed to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

14. Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access. No online service can guarantee absolute security. Please choose a strong password, keep it confidential and contact us promptly if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.

15. Adults-only service

The Website is intended only for people aged 18 or over. We do not knowingly permit minors to register. If you believe that a person under 18 has created an account or provided personal data, contact us at info@traveling-books.eu so that we can investigate and take appropriate action.

16. Automated decision-making

We do not use personal data to make decisions based solely on automated processing that produce legal effects or similarly significantly affect you. Automated security signals may help identify spam or abuse, but significant account or content decisions are [REVIEWED BY A PERSON — CONFIRM THIS IS TRUE BEFORE PUBLISHING].

17. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to the Website, our processing activities or applicable law. The updated version will be published on this page with a revised “Last updated” date. Where changes materially affect registered users, we will provide an appropriate additional notice.

18. Contact us

For questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise your data-protection rights, contact: