Privacy Policy | PHP Bulletin

Last Updated: May 24, 2026

At NetArt Media ("we," "our," or "us"), the creators of PHP Bulletin, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the personal data you share with us. This Privacy Policy outlines our practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of your information when you visit our website, purchase our software, or use our support services.

Crucial Notice Regarding Self-Hosted Software: PHP Bulletin is a self-hosted software product. Once the software is installed on your server, we do not have access to, monitor, collect, or process any data regarding the end-users who register on your community forum. You remain the sole data controller for your own platform. This Privacy Policy applies strictly to the relationship between NetArt Media and you (the software licensee).

1. Information We Collect

We only collect information that is necessary to provide you with our products, services, and technical support. This includes:

Account and Purchase Information: When you purchase a license, we collect your name, email address, billing address, and company name (if applicable). We use this to issue your software license and generate your invoice.
Payment Data: All payments are processed securely through third-party payment gateways (such as Stripe or PayPal). We do not store, process, or transmit your full credit card numbers or financial details on our servers.
Technical Support & Installation Data: If you utilize our Free Professional Installation service or request technical support, you may temporarily provide us with server credentials (e.g., cPanel, FTP, or MySQL details).
Website Usage Data: We may automatically collect anonymous diagnostic data when you browse our website, such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, and the pages you visit, to help us improve our marketing and website performance.

2. How We Use Your Information

The information we collect is used strictly for legitimate business purposes, including:

Processing your transactions and delivering your downloadable software files.
Providing customer support, software updates, and installation services.
Sending administrative emails regarding your license, security patches, or account changes.
Preventing fraudulent transactions and enforcing our software licensing terms.

3. Server Credentials and Installation Privacy

Because we offer a "Done-For-You" installation service, we handle your sensitive server credentials with the utmost care. Any FTP, hosting, or database passwords provided to us are used exclusively for the purpose of installing PHP Bulletin. Once the installation is verified and completed, we strongly advise you to change or revoke these passwords. We do not retain unauthorized access to your server.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third-party data brokers or marketing agencies. We only share your information in the following limited circumstances:

Service Providers: We may share data with trusted third-party vendors who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or processing payments (e.g., our hosting providers, email delivery services, and payment processors).
Legal Compliance: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court or government agency).
Protection of Rights: We may disclose information when necessary to enforce our licensing agreements, investigate software piracy, or protect the rights and safety of NetArt Media.

5. Data Retention and Security

We implement robust, industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. We retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, such as maintaining your lifetime license record or complying with tax and legal accounting obligations.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies (small text files placed on your device) to enhance your browsing experience, remember your login session for the Client Area, and analyze site traffic. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to log in to download your software.

7. Your Data Protection Rights (GDPR compliance)

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

The right to access: You can request copies of your personal data held by us.
The right to rectification: You can request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate.
The right to erasure ("Right to be forgotten"): You can request that we erase your personal data, under certain conditions (note that deleting your account will revoke your access to software updates and support).
The right to restrict processing: You can request that we restrict the processing of your personal data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided below.

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of any significant 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, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at:

Email: support@phpbulletin.com
Company: NetArt Media