Privacy Policy

coolwave.pro (“we,” “our,” or “us”) operates the blog at coolwave.pro, which publishes articles about rail travel. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data transparently. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard information when you visit our website or interact with our content.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the minimum information necessary to operate our blog and improve your reading experience. This includes:

1.1 Information You Voluntarily Provide

• Contact form submissions: When you use our contact form, we collect your name, email address, and the message you send. We use this solely to respond to your inquiry.
• Comments: When you leave a comment on an article, we collect your name (or pseudonym), email address, and the comment content. Your name and comment are publicly visible; your email is kept private and used only for moderation or follow-up if needed.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Cookies and similar technologies: We use cookies to enhance your experience, remember your preferences, and understand how our blog is used. You can control cookies through your browser settings.
• Basic analytics data: We collect anonymized data such as pages visited, time spent on the site, referral source, and browser type. This helps us improve our content and understand our audience. No personally identifiable information is collected through analytics.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To respond to your inquiries submitted through our contact form.
• To manage and display comments on our articles.
• To analyze traffic patterns and improve our blog’s content and usability.
• To remember your preferences (e.g., cookie consent choices).
• To comply with legal obligations and protect our rights.

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

3. Cookies

Our blog uses cookies to function properly and improve your experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your web browser. Here’s what we use:

3.1 Essential Cookies

These are necessary for the website to function, such as remembering your cookie consent preference. Without these cookies, some features may not work correctly.

3.2 Analytics Cookies

We use a basic analytics service (such as a self-hosted or privacy-focused analytics tool) to collect anonymous data about page views and visitor behavior. These cookies help us understand which articles are most popular and how readers navigate our site. No personal data is associated with these analytics.

3.3 Managing Cookies

You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. Please note that blocking certain cookies may affect your experience on our blog. For more information, visit aboutcookies.org.

4. Comments

When you leave a comment on coolwave.pro, we collect the data shown in the comment form (your name and email address) and your IP address and browser user agent string to help with spam detection. Your name and comment will be publicly visible on the article. Your email address will not be displayed or shared.

We may use an automated spam detection service (such as Akismet) to review comments. The data you provide in the comment form may be transmitted to that service for analysis. You can read Akismet’s privacy policy for more details.

We reserve the right to moderate or remove comments that violate our community guidelines (e.g., spam, offensive language, or off-topic content).

5. Contact Forms

If you use our contact form, we collect your name, email address, and message. We use this information solely to respond to your inquiry. We do not add you to any mailing lists or use your email for marketing unless you explicitly opt in. Contact form submissions are retained only as long as necessary to address your request.

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or transfer your personal data to third parties except in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: We may use trusted third-party services (e.g., web hosting, analytics, spam detection) that process data on our behalf. These providers are contractually bound to protect your data and use it only for the services we request.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or to protect our rights, property, or safety.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy:

• Contact form submissions: Retained until the inquiry is resolved, then deleted within 90 days.
• Comments: Retained indefinitely as part of the public record of the article, unless you request removal.
• Analytics data: Aggregated and anonymized; individual data points are retained for up to 26 months.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: Request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Deletion: Request that we delete your personal data, subject to legal obligations.
• Objection: Object to the processing of your data for certain purposes.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information below. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

9. Third-Party Links

Our blog may contain links to external websites (e.g., railway company sites, travel resources). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal data.

10. Children’s Privacy

Our blog is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately, and we will delete it.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a new “Last updated” date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Material changes will be notified via a notice on our blog.

12. Contact Us

We aim to respond to all inquiries within 48 hours.