Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how librehardwaremonitor.net (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and protects information when you visit our website. We operate a software information and download resource site for Libre Hardware Monitor, a free, open-source hardware monitoring tool.

We take your privacy seriously. This policy is written in plain language so you can understand exactly what happens with your data when you use our site. By accessing or using librehardwaremonitor.net, you agree to the practices described here.

2. Information We Collect

a) Information You Voluntarily Provide

We only collect personal information that you choose to give us. If you use our contact form, we receive your name, email address, and message content. That is it. We do not require user accounts, registrations, passwords, or payment information. There is no comment system on this site, and we do not run a newsletter or mailing list.

b) Information Collected Automatically

When you visit librehardwaremonitor.net, certain technical data is recorded automatically by our web server and third-party services. This includes:

• Your IP address (logged by our server and Cloudflare)
• Browser type and version (e.g., Chrome 120, Firefox 115)
• Operating system (e.g., Windows 11, macOS 14)
• The URL that referred you to our site
• Pages you visited and how long you spent on each
• Device type (desktop, tablet, or mobile)
• Approximate geographic location at the country or region level, derived from your IP address

This data helps us understand traffic patterns and keep the website running smoothly. None of it identifies you personally on its own.

c) Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our site uses cookies, which are small text files stored on your device. Here is what each type does:

Essential Cookies (WordPress)

These are required for basic site functionality. WordPress sets a small number of cookies to manage sessions and remember preferences. They do not track you across other sites.

Analytics Cookies (Google Analytics 4)

We may use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand how visitors interact with our site. GA4 collects data such as pageviews, session duration, traffic sources, and aggregated demographic information. GA4 does not collect personally identifiable information by default. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Advertising Cookies (Google AdSense)

We may display advertisements through Google AdSense. AdSense uses cookies to serve ads based on your browsing history across multiple websites. Third-party advertising vendors, including Google, use cookies for this purpose. You can manage your ad personalization preferences at Google Ad Settings. You can also opt out of third-party cookie-based advertising at aboutads.info.

Cloudflare Cookies

Cloudflare, our CDN and security provider, sets cookies like __cf_bm and __cflb to manage bot protection and load balancing. These cookies are strictly functional and expire within a short period.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information described above for these specific purposes:

• To operate, maintain, and improve the website
• To analyze visitor traffic and understand which content is most useful (via GA4)
• To display relevant advertisements that help support the site (via AdSense)
• To respond to messages sent through our contact form
• To detect and prevent security threats, spam, and abuse (via Cloudflare)

We do not use your information for any purpose beyond what is listed here.

4. Third-Party Services

We rely on a small number of third-party services to operate this website. Each service has its own privacy policy, and we encourage you to review them:

• Google Analytics 4 – Traffic analytics service operated by Google LLC. Google Privacy Policy
• Google AdSense – Display advertising service operated by Google LLC. Google Ads Policy
• Cloudflare, Inc. – CDN, DNS, and security services. Cloudflare Privacy Policy
• WordPress – Open-source content management system. Our installation is self-hosted, and no user data is sent to WordPress.org.

We do not control how these third-party services handle your data once it reaches their servers.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not share your personal information with third parties, except through the services described in Section 4 (Google Analytics, Google AdSense, and Cloudflare), which process data as part of their normal operation.

We may disclose information if required to do so by law, court order, or legal process. Aggregated, anonymized data that cannot identify any individual may be used internally for site improvement.

6. Data Retention

• Server logs: Retained for 30 days, then automatically deleted
• Analytics data: Retained per Google Analytics default settings (14 months)
• Contact form submissions: Kept until your inquiry is resolved, then deleted
• Session cookies: Expire when you close your browser
• Persistent cookies: Expire based on their individual settings (typically 30 days to 2 years, depending on the service)

7. Your Rights and Choices

You have control over your data. Here is what you can do:

• Disable cookies through your browser settings. Note that this may affect site functionality.
• Opt out of Google Analytics using the Google Analytics Opt-out Add-on.
• Opt out of personalized ads at Google Ad Settings or aboutads.info.
• Request deletion of any personal data we hold by contacting us through our Contact page.

For EU/EEA Residents (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation. These include the right to access your data, request rectification of inaccurate data, request erasure, request data portability, and object to processing. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us.

For California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, including the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to request deletion, the right to opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell your data), and the right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights.

8. Children’s Privacy

This website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Libre Hardware Monitor is a system monitoring tool intended for use by adults and technically proficient users. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected data from a child under 13, we will delete it as soon as possible.

9. Security

We take reasonable measures to protect the information collected through this website:

• All connections use HTTPS/TLS encryption
• Cloudflare provides DDoS protection and a Web Application Firewall (WAF)
• Our server is maintained with regular security updates
• Access to server logs and admin panels is restricted to authorized personnel

No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. While we do our best to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. International Data Transfers

Our web server is hosted in the United States. Third-party services like Google and Cloudflare may process data in various countries around the world. By using this website, you acknowledge that your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your own. We rely on standard contractual clauses and other legal safeguards where applicable.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. When we make changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of the website after any changes means you accept the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, or if you want to exercise any of your data rights, please reach out to us.