Privacy Policy

Introduction

HackUtilities ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our website and desktop application.

Information We Collect

Website Analytics

We use Plausible Analytics, a privacy-focused analytics service, to understand how visitors interact with our website. Plausible Analytics:

• Does not use cookies or track users across websites
• Does not collect personal data or personally identifiable information
• Collects only aggregated usage statistics
• Is fully GDPR, CCPA, and PECR compliant
• Stores data on servers located in the European Union

Desktop Application

Our desktop application is designed to be completely offline and privacy-first:

• No data is transmitted to our servers or any third parties
• All processing happens locally on your device
• No analytics, telemetry, or usage tracking
• No personal information is collected or stored
• All your data remains under your complete control

License Management & Purchases

When you purchase a license for HackUtilities desktop app, we collect and store:

• License keys generated for your purchase
• Purchase information processed through Paddle (our payment processor)
• License activation status and history

Paddle Payment Processing: We use Paddle as our merchant of record for processing payments. Paddle collects and processes payment information, billing details, and transaction data according to their privacy policy. We receive only the necessary information to fulfill your license purchase.

Desktop Application - License Activation

While our desktop application operates offline for all utility functions, it does communicate with our servers solely for license activation and validation:

• Computer Unique ID: A hardware-based identifier to ensure license compliance
• Platform Information: Operating system type and version (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• License Key: The key you purchased to activate your software
• Activation Timestamp: When the license was activated

Important: This activation data is used exclusively for license validation and preventing unauthorized use. No personal files, usage patterns, or other data from your device is collected during this process.

What We Don't Collect

Beyond license activation, our desktop application remains completely offline:

• No analytics, telemetry, or usage tracking
• No personal files or content you work with
• No browsing history or application usage patterns
• All your work data remains under your complete control

How We Use Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

Website Analytics

The limited information we collect through Plausible Analytics is used solely to:

• Understand website traffic patterns and popular content
• Improve our website's performance and user experience
• Make informed decisions about website development

License Management

License-related information is used to:

• Generate and validate software licenses
• Prevent unauthorized software usage
• Provide customer support for licensing issues
• Fulfill your software purchase

Device Information

Computer unique IDs and platform information are used exclusively to:

• Ensure license compliance and prevent piracy
• Allow license transfers between your devices when permitted
• Provide platform-specific support when needed

Data Sharing and Third Parties

We work with the following third-party services:

Paddle (Payment Processing)

Paddle acts as our merchant of record and processes all payments. They handle:

• Payment processing and billing
• Tax calculations and compliance
• Customer billing information
• Refund processing

Paddle operates under their own privacy policy and data protection standards.

Plausible Analytics

We use Plausible Analytics for website analytics, which is privacy-compliant and does not share data with other parties.

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your information to any other third parties.

Data Retention

We retain different types of data for varying periods:

• License Information: Retained for the lifetime of your license plus 7 years for legal compliance
• Activation Data: Retained as long as your license is active, plus 2 years for support purposes
• Website Analytics: Plausible retains data for 2 years maximum
• Payment Data: Handled by Paddle according to their retention policies

Your Privacy Rights

GDPR Rights (EU Residents)

Under the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to:

• Access your personal data (though we collect very little)
• Rectify inaccurate personal data
• Erase your personal data
• Restrict processing of your personal data
• Data portability
• Object to processing

CCPA Rights (California Residents)

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to:

• Know what personal information we collect and how it's used
• Delete personal information we've collected
• Opt-out of the sale of personal information (we don't sell data)
• Non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect any information we process. Our desktop application's offline nature provides inherent security by keeping all data on your local device.

Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn we have collected such information, we will delete it immediately.

International Data Transfers

Our website analytics data is processed by Plausible Analytics within the European Union. We do not transfer personal data outside of jurisdictions with adequate privacy protections.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify users of significant changes by posting the new policy on our website with an updated date. Your continued use of our services constitutes acceptance of any changes.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us:

Email: [email protected]

Response Time: We will respond to privacy requests within 30 days (or as required by applicable law).