Privacy Policy
How we collect, use, and protect your information
Information We Collect
At 1990 Web Archive, we collect and process the following categories of information to provide our web archival and preservation services:
1.1 Information You Provide Directly
- Account Information: Name, email address, username, and password when you create an account.
- Payment Information: Billing address and payment details processed securely through our third-party payment processors.
- Upload Content: URLs, files, and metadata you submit for archival or preservation purposes.
- Communications: Messages you send to us via contact forms, email, or support channels.
- Profile Data: Organization name, research interests, and preferences you choose to provide.
1.2 Information Collected Automatically
- Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, search queries, and interaction patterns within our platform.
- Device Information: Browser type, operating system, IP address, and hardware configuration.
- Log Data: Server logs including access timestamps, referrer URLs, and error reports.
- Archival Metadata: Technical metadata about archived pages including timestamps, crawl dates, and content hashes.
1.3 Information from Third Parties
- Social Media: If you connect via social login, we receive profile data from those platforms.
- Analytics Providers: Aggregated, anonymized data from Google Analytics and similar services.
- Archive Partners: Cross-referenced data from partner archives and internet heritage organizations.
🔒 Important: We do not collect or sell sensitive personal information such as social security numbers, financial account details (beyond payment processing), health information, or biometric data.
How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following lawful purposes:
| Purpose | Description | Legal Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Service Delivery | Providing archival, search, and preservation services | Contract Performance |
| Account Management | Creating and managing your account credentials and preferences | Contract Performance |
| Search Functionality | Processing and returning relevant archival search results | Legitimate Interest |
| Platform Improvement | Analyzing usage patterns to improve our services | Legitimate Interest |
| Security | Preventing fraud, abuse, and unauthorized access | Legitimate Interest |
| Communications | Sending service updates, billing notices, and policy changes | Legitimate Interest |
| Legal Compliance | Complying with applicable laws and regulatory requirements | Legal Obligation |
| Research Support | Supporting academic and historical research with anonymized datasets | Legitimate Interest |
Data Sharing & Disclosure
We do not sell your personal information. We may share information only in the following circumstances:
3.1 Service Providers
We share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist in operating our platform, including:
- Cloud Infrastructure: AWS, Google Cloud Platform for data storage and compute resources.
- Payment Processors: Stripe and PayPal for billing and subscription management.
- Analytics: Google Analytics (anonymized) for understanding platform usage trends.
- Security Providers: SSL.com and other certificate authorities for encryption.
3.2 Legal Requirements
We may disclose information if required by law, including:
- In response to valid legal processes such as subpoenas or court orders.
- To protect the rights, property, or safety of 1990 Web Archive, our users, or the public.
- To prevent or investigate fraud, security, or technical issues.
- When required by applicable data protection laws and regulations.
3.3 Business Transfers
If 1990 Web Archive is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify affected users via email and prominent notice on our platform.
3.4 Archive Partnerships
We may share anonymized, aggregated archival data with academic institutions, libraries, and heritage organizations for research and preservation purposes. No personally identifiable information is included in such sharing.
Data Security
We implement industry-leading security measures to protect your information:
- Encryption in Transit: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using TLS 1.3.
- Encryption at Rest: Sensitive data stored in our databases is encrypted using AES-256 encryption.
- Access Controls: Strict role-based access controls limit employee access to personal data on a need-to-know basis.
- Regular Audits: We conduct quarterly security audits and annual penetration testing by independent firms.
- Incident Response: We maintain a formal incident response plan and will notify affected users within 72 hours of any confirmed breach, as required by applicable law.
- Data Minimization: We collect only the minimum data necessary for our stated purposes.
- Secure Infrastructure: Our infrastructure is hosted in SOC 2 Type II certified data centers with 24/7 physical security.
⚠️ While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We encourage you to use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication where available.
Cookies & Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience and understand platform usage:
5.1 Types of Cookies We Use
| Cookie Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | Authentication, session management, security | Session / Persistent |
| Functional | Preferences, search history, display settings | Up to 1 year |
| Analytics | Usage patterns, page views, error tracking | Up to 2 years |
| Marketing | Advertising relevance, campaign measurement | Up to 6 months |
| Archive Cache | Storing search results and crawl state | Up to 30 days |
5.2 Managing Cookies
You can manage your cookie preferences at any time through:
- Our Cookie Preferences Center accessible from the footer of any page.
- Your browser settings — most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies.
- Opt-out links for advertising cookies: www.aboutads.info/choices
- Google Analytics opt-out: tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
We do not use tracking technologies to serve targeted advertising to users under the age of 16.
Third-Party Services
Our platform may include links, integrations, or content from third-party services. Please note:
- We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites linked from our platform.
- Users should review the privacy policies of any third-party services they interact with.
- Our search and archive tools may display content from external sources. The archival snapshots reflect the content as it appeared at the time of capture and do not imply endorsement.
- Embedded media (GIFs, MIDI, Flash content) from archived pages is served for historical display purposes only and may contain third-party cookies.
Data Retention
We retain your information according to the following guidelines:
| Data Category | Retention Period | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Account Data | Duration of account + 30 days after deletion | Service continuity |
| Payment Records | 7 years (tax compliance) | Legal requirement |
| Archival Uploads | Duration of subscription or as specified | Service provision |
| Usage Analytics | 26 months (anonymized after) | Statistical analysis |
| Support Tickets | 3 years after resolution | Customer service |
| Server Logs | 90 days | Security & debugging |
| Cookie Data | Per cookie duration | Functional purposes |
Upon account deletion, your personal data will be permanently removed from our active systems within 30 days. Archived web pages you contributed to our archive remain publicly accessible as historical records, stripped of personally identifiable information.
Your Rights & Choices
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:
Right to Access
Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to Rectification
Correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
Right to Erasure
Request deletion of your personal data under certain conditions.
Right to Portability
Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
Right to Object
Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Right to Withdraw Consent
Withdraw consent at any time where processing is consent-based.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@1990webarchive.com. We will respond to verified requests within 30 days. We reserve the right to verify your identity before processing any data subject request.
Children's Privacy
Our platform is not directed to children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child under 16, we will take steps to delete that information as quickly as possible.
If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at privacy@1990webarchive.com.
International Data Transfer
Your information may be processed in countries other than your country of residence. 1990 Web Archive is headquartered in the United States. By using our services, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other jurisdictions.
We ensure adequate protection through:
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission for transfers from the EEA and UK.
- Appropriateness assessments and Binding Corporate Rules where applicable.
- Data processing agreements with all third-party processors.
California Privacy Rights
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), California residents have additional rights:
- Right to Know: Request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.
- Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal information we have collected, subject to certain exceptions.
- Right to Opt-Out of Sale: Our privacy practices do not involve selling personal information as defined by the CCPA.
- Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Data: We do not collect or process sensitive personal information beyond what is necessary.
- Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights.
To make a verifiable consumer request, email us at privacy@1990webarchive.com or call our toll-free line at (800) 199-01990.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make significant changes:
- We will post the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date.
- We will send a notice to the email address associated with your account.
- For material changes, we will display a prominent banner on our platform for at least 30 days.
We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our services after changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please reach out to our Privacy team:
📬 Contact Our Privacy Team
1990 Web Archive, Inc.
Privacy Officer
1990 Web Archive Way
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States
Email: privacy@1990webarchive.com
Phone: (800) 199-01990
Mail: Privacy Mail, PO Box 1990
We aim to respond to all privacy inquiries within 15 business days.