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    Privacy Policy

    Last Updated: January 25th, 2026

    At Refurence, we prioritize your privacy. We believe in collecting only the absolute minimum amount of data necessary to provide our character hosting services and keep the platform secure.

    Refurence is strictly intended for users 18 years of age and older. By using this site, you acknowledge that you meet this age requirement.

    1. Information We Collect

    A. Account Information

    When you register for an account, we collect:

    • Email Address: Used for authentication, account recovery, and critical system notifications.
    • Password: Used to secure your account. We do not store your password in plain text; it is salted and hashed using industry-standard encryption before being stored in our database.

    B. Content Data

    We store the content you voluntarily upload, including:

    • Character Reference Sheets: Images, text descriptions, and attributes.
    • Metadata: Titles, tags, and descriptions associated with your uploads.
    • Visibility: Please note that the primary purpose of Refurence is to display character sheets. Content you upload is intended to be public unless our settings explicitly allow for private storage.

    C. Technical & Security Data (Hashed IPs)

    To maintain the security and stability of Refurence, we process IP addresses.

    • How we handle IPs: We do not store your raw IP address in our database. Instead, we convert your IP address into a cryptographic hash (anonymized string).
    • Why we use them: These hashes are used solely for:
      • Rate Limiting: Preventing spam and abuse of our API.
      • Moderation: Enforcing bans for violations of our Terms of Service.

    2. How We Use Your Information

    We use the collected information for the following purposes:

    • To provide, operate, and maintain the Refurence application.
    • To create and manage your unique user account.
    • To prevent fraudulent activity, spam, and abuse.
    • To comply with legal obligations.

    3. Data Sharing and Disclosure

    We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal identification information to others.

    We may share generic aggregated demographic information not linked to any personal identification information regarding visitors and users with our business partners or advertisers (e.g., "We have 500 users").

    We may disclose your information only in the following specific situations:

    • Service Providers: We may use third-party infrastructure (such as cloud hosting or database providers) to host the service. These providers strictly process data on our behalf.
    • Legal Requirements: If required by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court order).

    4. Cookies

    Refurence uses "cookies" (small data files stored on your device) solely for authentication purposes. These are strictly necessary to keep you logged in as you navigate the site. We do not use cookies for third-party tracking or advertising.

    5. Data Retention and Deletion

    • Retention: We retain your account information and content for as long as your account is active.
    • Deletion: You have the right to request the deletion of your account and all associated data. Upon deletion, your email and hashed credentials are removed from our active database. Please contact support to request account deletion.

    6. Security

    We value your trust in providing us your Personal Information and we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect it. However, remember that no method of transmission over the internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100% secure and reliable, and we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

    7. Age Restriction (18+)

    Refurence is intended solely for adults. We do not knowingly collect, use, or disclose personal information from anyone under the age of 18. If you are under 18, you are not permitted to use this Service. If we determine that a user is under the age of 18, we will immediately delete their account and all associated information.

    8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

    We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date at the top.

    9. Contact Us

    If you have any questions or suggestions about our Privacy Policy, do not hesitate to contact us at: zeph [at] hey [dot] com