Ark Nova Forum — Privacy Policy

Last updated: 27 July 2026

This forum (forum.arknova.co.nz) is operated by Ark Nova sole trading business",
with NZBN number 9429051692308,
based in New Zealand. This policy explains what information we collect from
members, why, and what rights you have over it.

Information we collect

• Account information: a username and email address, provided either
  directly at registration or via a third-party sign-in.
• Social login (Google / Facebook): if you choose "Sign in with Google"
  or "Continue with Facebook," we receive your name, profile picture, and
  email address from that provider — we never receive your password.
• Content you post: threads, replies, and any files you attach are
  visible publicly to other visitors and members, the same as any forum.
• IP addresses: logged when you use the site, to prevent abuse, spam,
  and technical attacks, and to support moderation decisions.
• Cookies: used for keeping you signed in and for security (CSRF
  protection). We also use Google reCAPTCHA on registration to block
  automated bot sign-ups — this loads a script from Google and is subject
  to Google's own Privacy Policy.

How we use it

• To create and secure your account, and let you sign in.
• To send account-related notifications (e.g. email confirmation).
• To detect and prevent spam and abuse — new registrations are checked
  against Stop Forum Spam, a public
  database of known spammer IPs/emails; no personal data is submitted to
  it beyond what's needed for that check.
• When a new thread is published, its URL (not any personal data) is sent
  to Bing, Yandex, and Seznam via IndexNow so it can be indexed faster.

Data retention

We keep your account information for as long as your account exists.
If you delete your account, or ask us to, we will remove your personal
information within a reasonable time, except where we're required to
keep something (e.g. moderation records for abuse prevention) or where
content you posted publicly needs to be handled per our moderation
policies rather than deleted outright.

Your rights

Under New Zealand's Privacy Act 2020 (and equivalent protections if you're
visiting from elsewhere, such as the EU/UK GDPR), you can ask us to:

• Tell you what personal information we hold about you.
• Correct information that's wrong or out of date.
• Delete your account and associated personal information.
• Restrict or object to how we use your information.

To exercise any of these, contact us at forum.admin@arknova.co.nz.

Security

Your username and anything you post publicly are visible to anyone who
visits the forum. Your email address and IP address are not shown
publicly and are only accessible to site administrators, unless you
choose to share them yourself (e.g. in a public post).

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time — the "Last updated" date at
the top will always reflect the latest version.

Contact

Questions about this policy or your data: forum.admin@arknova.co.nz