Introduction & scope
Hawas Stories (“we”, “us”, “our”) operates the website https://hawastories.com (“Site”), an adult (18+) storytelling platform that publishes user-submitted stories and editorial content. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect Personal Data, and your choices about that data. By using or registering on the Site you agree to the practices described here.
If you have questions about this policy or our practices, contact us at pcz@hawastories.com or visit our help page: https://hawastories.com/help/.
Who we are
Site name: Hawas Stories
Website / domain: hawastories.com
Contact email for privacy/data requests: pcz@hawastories.com
Summary: what we collect and why (short)
Account & contact data: email and display name when you register — used to operate your account and communicate with you.
Usage & device data: IP address, server logs, cookies and analytics data — used for security, debugging, analytics and improving the Site.
Content you send us: stories you submit by email — used to evaluate and (if approved) publish on the Site.
Third-party advertising: third-party ad networks may collect data to deliver ads (including ads for adult content) and are not controlled by us.
What personal data we collect (details)
We collect and process the following categories of personal data:
Account & registration data
- Email address, display name (collected at signup). Passwords are stored as hashed values by our account system or plugin.
Content you provide
- Stories and text you submit (we publish only if you send them by email and we approve them). By submitting content you grant us the license described in Section 11.
Technical & usage data
- IP addresses, server logs, device / browser information, referrer URL, pages visited and timestamps (collected automatically by our server and plugins such as Google Site Kit / Google Search Console). These help us operate and secure the Site.
Cookies & tracking
- We, and our third parties, use cookies and similar technologies (analytics cookies, advertising cookies). Note: we currently do not display a cookie-consent banner — this means some non-essential cookies and trackers may be set by third parties. (See Section 6 for more.) Under EU rules, websites normally must obtain consent before setting non-essential cookies.
Sources of personal
Directly from you when you register, contact us, or email us stories.
Automatically from your device (IP, logs, cookies).
From third parties (ad networks, analytics, hosting provider, plugins).
Cookies, tracking and choices
We use cookies and similar technologies for site operation, analytics, and advertising. You can manage or delete cookies in your browser settings. Important: under EU law and related guidance, non-essential cookies generally require prior informed consent (e.g., analytics and advertising cookies) — you may be entitled to withhold or withdraw consent for those cookies. We currently do not display a cookie consent banner.
Third-party services and how we share data
We use and may share data with third-party service providers for the following purposes:
- Hosting & backups: Hostinger (hosting) and site backups; they process server logs and backups.
- Analytics & site tools: Google Site Kit, Google Search Console, Google Analytics and similar services collect usage analytics.
- Advertising networks: third-party ad networks (ads may include adult content). These networks may place tracking cookies and independently collect information about your visits across sites. We do not control their data collection or use.
- Plugins: various WordPress plugins and site tools (they may collect diagnostic data or logs).
You should review the privacy policies of these third parties. Where required, we will enter Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) with processors; if we have not done so yet, we will work to do so as we onboard services.
How we use personal data (purposes & legal bases)
We process personal data for these main purposes:
- To provide the Site and your account (perform contract / legitimate interest).
- To communicate with you (account notifications, support) (consent / legitimate interest).
- To analyze and improve the Site and protect security (legitimate interest).
- To publish stories you submit (with your consent/permission and according to our content rules).
- To comply with law and respond to legal process (legal obligation).
If you are an EU resident, our legal bases include: contract performance (account), consent (where requested), and legitimate interests (security, analytics). GDPR provides specific rights you can exercise — see Section 12.
Age restriction & minors
This Site is intended for adults only (18+). We rely on self-certification: users must be 18 or older to use the Site and to submit content. If you are under 18, do not use this Site. If you believe a minor has created an account or content involving a minor has been posted, contact us at pcz@hawastories.com so we can investigate and remove content. We do not intentionally collect data from children.
Publishing & content moderation
You submit stories by emailing them to us. We review submissions and decide whether to publish. We reserve the right to edit, reject, or remove content at our discretion for policy or legal reasons. You grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to publish and display stories you submit; you remain the author of your submission unless you separately assign rights to us.
We may monetize published content (ads displayed on pages, etc.). You acknowledge that your published content may appear beside third-party ads.
User account controls and requests
Current account features : You do not currently offer automated data export or deletion through the UI. If you want to request access, correction, deletion, or portability of your data, email pcz@hawastories.com with your request and we will respond.
Rights for EU (GDPR) and California (CCPA/CPRA) residents
If you are an EU resident, you have rights including: access, rectification, erasure (right to be forgotten), restriction of processing, data portability, and to object to certain processing. You may also withdraw consent where processing relied on your consent. Please contact us at pcz@hawastories.com to exercise these rights.
If you are a California resident, you may have rights under the CCPA/CPRA including the right to know categories of personal information collected, the right to request deletion, and the right to opt-out of sale or sharing of personal information. To exercise those rights, contact the email above. For more on California rights see official guidance.
(Important: we do not currently operate a mature automated rights portal — rights requests should be sent to the contact email. We will verify requests before responding.)
Data retention
- Account data and published content: retained while the account is active and until you request deletion.
- Contact messages and submission emails: retained for operational and legal reasons (typically up to 3 years unless otherwise requested).
- Server logs, backups and analytics data: backups and logs may be retained for up to 90 days (or longer in backups) for security and restoration purposes.
If you request deletion, we will remove data from active systems; copies may remain in backups for a limited period. If you want different retention periods, we can change the policy to reflect that when you are ready.
Security
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect data, including HTTPS, regular backups, and standard plugin/account password protections. Passwords are stored hashed by the account system or plugin. However, no online service is 100% secure — we cannot guarantee absolute security.
If a data breach affects your data, we will investigate and notify affected users and authorities as required by applicable laws and regulations.
International transfers
Data collected on the Site may be stored and processed in Netherlands (our primary jurisdiction) and by third-party providers located in other countries. Where data is transferred internationally, we will use appropriate safeguards required by law.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Policy from time to time. When we make material changes we will update the “Effective date” and post the revised Policy on the Site. We recommend checking this policy periodically.