Your privacy, explained

Information we collect

When you create an account, we collect your email address and chosen username. You can optionally add a public display name and bio. We do not require your real name, phone number, location or vehicle ownership details.

We store the information needed for the features you use: posts, comments, uploaded images, votes, community memberships, saved posts, notifications, reports and blocked-account choices. Account and security records support sign-in, sessions and abuse prevention.

If you contact us, the information in your message is used to handle your request. Share only what we need to investigate, and never send a sign-in code.

What other people can see

Your username, optional profile details, posts and comments are public. Posts show their community, author, date and vote score. Community membership counts and moderator roles are visible in the app. Your email address, saved posts and blocked-account list are not public profile fields.

Anyone can read public discussions without an account. Search engines may index production pages, and other people may copy or share what you publish. Avoid posting contact details, number plates, precise locations or other personal information you do not want made public.

How we use information

We use account information to verify email access, keep you signed in, process your actions and help you manage your account. Contributions and votes power discussions and feed rankings. Reports and moderation records help moderators apply community rules and handle abuse.

We use service providers for hosting, database storage, email delivery, security and the AI features described below. Providers receive the information needed to perform those functions.

AI summaries and link previews

Community summaries process a bounded sample of recent public comments and their post context through Vercel AI Gateway and a model provider. The request includes discussion text and source identifiers. Your account email is not included in the summary request.

Summaries link back to comments and may be cached. Changes to source discussions make earlier summaries unavailable in the app, but cached records are not necessarily erased immediately. Summaries can be incomplete or mistaken. Do not include sensitive personal information in a public discussion, even when using a pseudonym.

When a post or comment includes a web link, our server may request the destination page and its preview image to display its title, description and image. Following that link takes you to another service with its own privacy practices.

Cookies, drafts and service providers

Essential session cookies keep you signed in. Draft posts, comments and selected images may be stored in your browser until you submit or clear them. Scroll position is also kept in browser session storage. Clearing site data removes browser-local drafts and may sign you out.

The service uses Vercel for application hosting, Neon for its database, Resend for verification emails and Cloudflare for domain and network services. These providers and the providers used for AI processing may handle information outside Australia. Their locations and handling depend on the services used.

Uploaded post images are processed to remove embedded metadata before storage. Visible information in the image itself, such as a face or number plate, is not automatically removed.

Access, correction and deletion

Use Settings to update your public display name and bio, change your email with verification, manage blocked accounts or delete your account. Your username stays fixed. You can edit or delete your own contributions using their options menu.

Account deletion removes your sign-in account, profile text, uploaded post images, post and comment text, votes, saved posts and memberships from the active app. Conversation placeholders and the reserved username remain. Reports and moderation records may remain for community administration. If you are a community’s only moderator, you must add another moderator first.

Deletion from the app does not remove copies made by other people or search engines. Operational backups and provider records may have separate retention processes. For information you cannot access or correct in the app, or a deletion question, reply to a 4ward Drive sign-in email.

Privacy questions and complaints

To raise a privacy concern, reply to a 4ward Drive sign-in email. Include your username, the information or page involved, and what you want corrected or investigated. We may need to verify account ownership before sharing or changing private information.

We will review the concern and respond through that email conversation. If you remain concerned, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner explains when it can receive a privacy complaint and the steps to take first.

This notice describes the current service. When our practices change, we will update this page and its revision date.