Privacy Policy
Last updated: February 2026
1. Information We Collect
We collect information you provide directly to us:
- Account information: Email address, username, and password when you register
- Profile information: Display name, bio, and avatar image
- Content: Posts, comments, and images you upload
- Interactions: Stars, bookmarks, and other engagement with content
We automatically collect certain information when you use our platform:
- Usage data: Pages visited, features used, and actions taken
- Device information: Browser type, operating system
- IP address: Used for security, rate limiting, and anonymized analytics
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide, maintain, and improve our services
- Process account registration and authentication
- Send you technical notices, security alerts, and support messages
- Respond to your comments and questions
- Monitor and analyze trends and usage
- Detect, prevent, and address fraud and abuse
- Comply with legal obligations
3. Image Privacy Protection
To protect your privacy, we automatically strip EXIF metadata from all uploaded images. This includes:
- GPS coordinates and location data
- Camera serial numbers and device identifiers
- Date and time information
- Other embedded metadata
This helps protect your location privacy when sharing photos taken on mobile devices.
4. Information Sharing
We do not sell your personal information. We may share information only in these circumstances:
- With your consent or at your direction
- To comply with legal obligations or valid legal process
- To protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property
- In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets (with notice to users)
5. Public Information
Your profile information (username, display name, bio, avatar), posts, and comments are publicly visible. Your email address is kept private and is never displayed publicly. Be mindful of what you share in public posts.
6. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information:
- Passwords are hashed using Argon2 (industry-standard secure hashing)
- Sessions are managed with HTTP-only cookies
- HTTPS encryption for all data in transit
- Rate limiting to prevent brute-force attacks
8. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:
For All Users:
- Access: View and download your personal data
- Correction: Update inaccurate information via your profile settings
- Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data
- Portability: Export your posts and content
For EU/EEA Users (GDPR):
- Right to object to processing
- Right to restrict processing
- Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority
Legal basis for processing: Consent (account creation), Contract (providing services), Legitimate interests (security, abuse prevention).
For California Users (CCPA):
- Right to know what personal information is collected
- Right to delete personal information
- Right to opt-out of sale (we do not sell personal information)
- Right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights
9. Data Retention & Deletion
We retain your information as long as your account is active. You have full control over your data.
Account Deactivation
You can temporarily deactivate your account at any time from your profile settings. When deactivated:
- Your profile is hidden from other users
- Your posts are removed from public feeds
- All your data is preserved unchanged
- You can reactivate instantly by logging in again
Account Deletion
You can permanently delete your account from your profile settings. When deleted:
- Immediately deleted: Your profile, account credentials, posts, and uploaded images (both database records and files)
- Deleted: Comments that have no replies from other users
- Anonymized: Comments that have replies are kept to preserve conversation context, but your authorship is removed and content is replaced with "Perspective withdrawn"
- Deleted: Stars, bookmarks, and notifications associated with your account
Data Export
Before deleting your account, you can export all your data (posts and images) as a ZIP archive from your profile settings. Exported posts are provided in Markdown format with metadata preserved.
No Backup Retention
When you delete your account, your data is permanently removed from our servers immediately. We do not retain backups of deleted accounts. Anonymized comments remain only to preserve discussion context for other users.
10. Children's Privacy
LFranca is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn we have collected information from a child under 13, we will delete that information promptly. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us.
11. International Data Transfers
Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this privacy policy.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting a notice on our platform. Your continued use of LFranca after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
13. Contact Us
If you have questions about this privacy policy, want to exercise your rights, or have concerns about our data practices, please contact us:
Email: privacy@lfranca.com
Or use our contact form
See also: Terms of Service | DMCA Policy