Privacy Policy for RetardLink

At RetardLink, we take your privacy seriously. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use our link-shortening service. By using RetardLink, you agree to the collection and use of your information as outlined in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

When you use our link-shortening service, we collect the following types of information:

• Original URL: The original URL that you shorten using our service. This URL is stored in our database for the purpose of generating a shortened link.
• Shortened URL: A unique short code generated for each link you shorten. This short code is stored in our system and used to redirect to your original URL.
• Password (if provided): If you choose to protect your shortened link with a password, it will be stored in our database, securely encrypted using AES-256 encryption.
• Access Key (if provided): If you choose to secure your link with an access key, it will be stored securely in our system using AES-256 encryption.
• Clicks: We track the number of times each shortened link is clicked. This information is used for internal analytics and is stored in our database.
• Creation Date: The date and time when the shortened link was created. This is stored in our system.
• Last Accessed: The date and time when the shortened link was last accessed. This is updated each time the link is clicked.
• IP Address: Your IP address is collected for rate-limiting purposes to prevent abuse of our service. This is stored temporarily in our system and associated with specific actions (e.g., creating, changing, or deleting links).

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect solely for the following purposes:

• To generate and store shortened URLs.
• To track the number of clicks on your shortened link for internal analytics and performance monitoring.
• To provide secure features such as password-protected or access key-protected links.
• To enforce rate limits on actions such as creating, changing, or deleting links, using your IP address to ensure fair usage and prevent abuse of the service.

3. Rate Limiting

To maintain the integrity and availability of our service, we implement rate limiting. This involves tracking the number of requests you make (e.g., creating, changing, or deleting links) based on your IP address within a specific time window (e.g., an hour). If you exceed the allowed number of requests, you will be temporarily restricted from performing additional actions until the time window resets. The specific limits are:

• Create Links: Maximum of 75 requests per hour.
• Change Links: Maximum of 50 requests per hour.
• Delete Links: Maximum of 100 requests per hour.
• Global Statistics: Maximum of 300 requests per hour.

IP addresses and request counts are stored temporarily in our database and are reset or removed after the time window expires. This data is not used for any purpose other than rate limiting.

4. Data Retention

We retain the data associated with each shortened link (including the original URL, short code, password, access key, clicks, and timestamps) as long as the shortened link exists in our system. Rate-limiting data (IP addresses and request counts) is retained only for the duration of the applicable time window (e.g., one hour) and is then reset or deleted. We do not provide users with the ability to manage or delete link-related information directly.

5. How We Protect Your Information

Your privacy and security are important to us. We use industry-standard security measures to protect the information we collect, including AES-256 encryption for sensitive data such as passwords and access keys. This advanced encryption standard ensures that your sensitive information is securely stored and protected from unauthorized access. Rate-limiting data is stored securely and is automatically cleared after the time window expires to minimize exposure.

6. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. However, we may share non-personally identifiable information (such as aggregated click data or rate-limiting statistics) for the purposes of improving our service or conducting analytics.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our service does not use cookies or any other tracking technologies to collect personal information from users. The collection of IP addresses for rate limiting is the only form of tracking we employ, and it is limited to abuse prevention.

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, including our use of rate limiting, please contact us at aaathats3aas@protonmail.com.