Privacy Policy
Last updated: June 2026
This Privacy Policy explains what information GCSunnies collects from members and visitors, how we use it, and your rights.
GCSunnies is an independent fan community for supporters of the Gold Coast Suns. We are not affiliated with the Gold Coast Suns Football Club or the AFL.
1. Information We Collect
Account information: When you register, we collect your username, email address, and any profile information you choose to provide (e.g. location, bio, avatar).
Posts and activity: Content you post on the forum, including topics, replies, and private messages, is stored on our servers.
Usage data: We may collect information about how you use the site, including pages visited, features used, and time of activity. This may include your approximate location at a region or city level (derived from your IP address).
Cookies and session data: We use cookies to keep you logged in and to maintain your site preferences. These are standard functional cookies required for the forum to work.
Third-party login: If you log in with Google, Google may share your name and email address with us. We do not receive your Google password.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Operate and maintain the forum
- Send essential account notifications (e.g. password resets, security alerts)
- Send email digests and reply notifications if you have opted in
- Moderate the community and enforce our guidelines
- Understand how members use the site so we can improve it
- Display advertising (see Section 4)
3. Email Communications
We limit the emails we send. By default, you will only receive emails essential to your account (password resets, moderation notices). Digest and activity notification emails can be enabled in your account preferences but are off by default.
You can unsubscribe from non-essential emails at any time through your account preferences.
4. Advertising and Aggregated Data
GCSunnies may display advertising in the future to help cover the cost of running the site.
We may share anonymous, aggregated statistical data with advertising partners to help them understand our audience. This data may include:
- The size and general activity level of our membership
- Broad geographic breakdown (e.g. percentage of members in Victoria vs Queensland)
- General engagement metrics (e.g. average posts per week)
This data cannot identify you individually. We do not sell, rent, or share personal information — including your name, email address, or individual browsing history — with advertisers.
Any advertising displayed on the site will be clearly labelled as advertising.
5. Data Sharing
We do not sell your personal information. We may share data with:
- Service providers who help us operate the site (e.g. our email sending provider, our hosting provider). They are only permitted to use your data to provide services to us.
- Law enforcement or regulatory authorities if required by law.
6. Data Retention
We retain your account information for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will remove your personal information within a reasonable time. Note that posts you made may remain on the forum attributed to an anonymised username.
7. Security
We take reasonable technical measures to protect your data. No internet service can guarantee absolute security. Use a strong, unique password for your account.
8. Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate information
- Request deletion of your account and associated data
- Opt out of non-essential email communications
To exercise these rights, contact the site admin via the forum or by email.
9. Third-Party Services
GCSunnies uses the following third-party services, each with their own privacy policies:
- Brevo (email delivery)
- Google (OAuth login, if used)
- DigitalOcean (hosting)
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We will post a notice in the Notice Board when we do. Continued use of the site after a change constitutes acceptance.
11. Contact
If you have questions about this policy or your data, contact the admin via private message or through the site’s contact channels.