Privacy policy
This policy explains how HerbBB handles personal data from your use of the site, and provides GDPR information where that law applies.
1. What we collect
You do not need an account to browse the encyclopedia. We do not actively collect your name, address, phone number, or health records.
The home-page visitor counter uses a browser session identifier to estimate who is online and total visits. That identifier is stored in sessionStorage. The server keeps it and a last-active time briefly so we do not double-count. It is not used to identify you in real life.
If you contact us, we only use what you send, and what we need to reply and follow up.
2. Purpose and legal bases
We process data to provide and protect the site, measure use, run the visitor counter, answer queries, handle correction requests, and meet legal duties.
Legal bases may include consent for optional features, necessity to provide a service you asked for, our legitimate interest in keeping the site safe and useful, and legal obligation. You can withdraw consent at any time; that does not affect processing that already happened.
3. How long we keep data
Active visitor-counter sessions are kept for about 90 seconds after last activity, then treated as inactive and cleared. Total visit counts are kept without names or direct identifiers.
Contact messages are kept only as long as we need to finish the request, resolve a dispute, or meet a legal duty.
4. Cookies and similar tech
The visitor session identifier uses sessionStorage, not optional tracking cookies. The site may use technology needed for basic function. If we later add analytics, ads, or other non-essential tracking, we will update this policy and ask for consent when required.
5. Third parties and transfers
We may use hosting, storage, or security providers. They may process data only as needed to provide their service, on our instructions, with appropriate safeguards.
If data is transferred outside the EEA, we use GDPR-appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses or an adequacy decision.
6. Your GDPR rights
Where the law applies, you may request access, correction, deletion, restriction, or objection, and a portable copy of your data. If processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it. You also have rights around solely automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects.
To exercise these rights, use the privacy contact published by the site operator. We may need reasonable information to confirm who you are, and we usually reply within one month. Complex or numerous requests may take longer as allowed by law.
7. Right to complain
If you believe our processing breaches the GDPR, you can contact us first, and you may complain to a supervisory authority in the EU/EEA where you live, work, or where the issue happened.
8. Security and policy changes
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to reduce unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. Internet transmission is never perfectly secure. If this policy changes in a material way, we will update this page.