ForumExchange privacy policy
This policy explains how ForumExchange uses information when you create an account, participate in the forums, or arrange an exchange.
Information you provide
We use your email address, display name, and hashed password to manage your account and help you recover access. We store the profile details, posts, listings, exchange records, and messages you submit so we can provide those features.
Public forum posts and directory listings can be seen by visitors. Your profile visibility depends on your account settings. Private messages are available to their participants and may be reviewed by authorized staff when needed to handle a report.
Facebook and Google sign-in
If you choose a sign-in provider, ForumExchange receives an account identifier and may receive your email address. We store a hash derived from the provider, the app identifier, and the provider account identifier to recognize the connection when you sign in. If you use the provider’s email to register, it becomes your ForumExchange account email. ForumExchange does not store provider access tokens or import provider names or profile pictures.
Security and public work checks
We use session cookies for sign-in and form security. We use Cloudflare Turnstile to help prevent automated registrations when the check is enabled, and our email service sends account verification and password reset messages.
When a community and writer enable public work checks for an exchange, ForumExchange checks publicly accessible pages and may record post links and related activity as evidence for the participants.
Your choices and data deletion
You can update your profile, email, and sign-in connections from your account settings. Our data deletion instructions explain how to remove your Facebook connection, request account deletion, or contact us about your data. Some records, including forum posts and exchange history, may remain after an account is anonymized.