Privacy Policy

BearsAdmin

Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 2026

This Privacy Policy explains what information Bear Country collects from members and visitors, how we use it, and your rights.

Bear Country is an independent fan community for supporters of the Perth Bears. It's run by volunteer fan admins. We are not affiliated with the Perth Bears, the North Sydney Bears, or the NRL.

1. Information We Collect

Account information: When you register, we collect your username, email address, and any profile information you choose to provide (e.g. location, about me, avatar).

Posts and activity: Content you post on the forum, including topics, replies, and chat messages, is stored on our servers.

IP addresses: We record the IP address you register, log in and post from. We use it to keep the forum secure, block spammers and enforce bans.

Cookies and session data: We use cookies to keep you logged in and to maintain your site preferences. These are standard functional cookies required for the forum to work. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies.

Third-party login: If you log in with Google, Google may share your name and email address with us. We do not receive your Google password.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Operate and maintain the forum
Send essential account notifications (e.g. password resets, security alerts)
Send email digests and reply notifications if you have opted in
Moderate the community, prevent spam and enforce our guidelines
Understand how members use the site so we can improve it

3. Email Communications

We limit the emails we send. By default, you will only receive emails essential to your account (email confirmation, password resets, moderation notices). Digest and notification emails can be enabled in your account settings but are off by default.

You can unsubscribe from non-essential emails at any time through your account settings.

4. Spam Checks

When you register, your email address and IP address are checked against StopForumSpam, a public list of known spammers, so we can block spam accounts before they post.

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share data with:

Service providers who help us operate the site (e.g. our email sending provider, our hosting provider). They are only permitted to use your data to provide services to us.
Law enforcement or regulatory authorities if required by law.

6. Data Retention

We retain your account information for as long as your account is active. You can delete your account at any time from your account settings, and we will remove your personal information within a reasonable time. Note that posts you made may remain on the forum attributed to an anonymised username.

7. Security

We take reasonable technical measures to protect your data. No internet service can guarantee absolute security. Use a strong, unique password for your account.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you
Correct inaccurate information
Request deletion of your account and associated data
Opt out of non-essential email communications

To exercise these rights, email [email protected] or message an admin on the forum.

9. Third-Party Services

Bear Country uses the following third-party services, each with their own privacy policies:

Brevo (email delivery)
Google (login, if used)
StopForumSpam (registration spam checks)
DigitalOcean (web hosting, in Sydney)
Snowflake (database hosting, in Sydney)
Cloudflare (security and delivery)

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will post a notice in Announcements when we do. Continued use of the site after a change constitutes acceptance.

11. Contact

If you have questions about this policy or your data, email [email protected] or message an admin on the forum.