1. Who we are

Real Life Stories ("we", "us", "our") is an independent online publication that collects and publishes genuine personal stories submitted by contributors around the world. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal information when you visit our website at onlinetruestories.com (the "Site").

2. What data we collect

This Site is static and fully read-only. We do not operate forms, comment systems, or user accounts. The only data we process is that which any web server necessarily receives when you load a page:

  • IP address (see Section 3 for full details)
  • Browser type, version, and language
  • Operating system
  • Referring URL and pages visited
  • Date, time, and duration of visit
  • Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)

We do not require accounts, collect email addresses, or request any personal information from visitors.

3. IP addresses & security

Why we log IP addresses: We record your IP address for security and anti-abuse purposes only — preventing spam, automated bot attacks, and denial-of-service attempts.

IP addresses are held in our server logs for a maximum of 90 days, after which they are automatically purged. They are not linked to your name, email, or any other personally identifiable information.

IP addresses are never used for tracking your browsing behaviour across other websites, for advertising profiling, or for sale to third parties.

In cases of confirmed abuse (e.g. coordinated spam or harassment), we may share an IP address with our hosting provider or, where legally required, with law enforcement authorities.

4. Cookies & local storage

We do not use cookies, localStorage, sessionStorage, or any other client-side browser storage. No data is written to your browser by this Site.

We do not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or third-party analytics.

5. How we use your data

We use the data we collect only for the following purposes:

  • Site security and integrity — detecting and blocking malicious traffic, spam, and abuse via IP-based rate limiting.
  • Site operation — serving pages and ensuring stable delivery of content.
  • Aggregate analytics — we review anonymised, aggregated traffic patterns (total page views, popular categories) to understand what our readers value. No individual is identifiable in these reports.

6. Data sharing & third parties

We do not sell, rent, or broker personal data. We share data only in the following limited circumstances:

  • Hosting infrastructure — our hosting provider processes server logs (including IP addresses) as a technical necessity of operating the Site. They act as a data processor under a data processing agreement.
  • Content delivery — static assets (fonts, images) are served from our own domain. We do not use third-party CDNs that set tracking cookies.
  • Legal compliance — we may disclose data if required by applicable law, court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of the Site, our contributors, or the public.

7. Data retention

  • Server logs (IP address, browser data): 90 days, then automatically deleted.

8. Your rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Access — request a copy of personal data we hold about you.
  • Rectification — ask us to correct inaccurate data.
  • Erasure — request deletion of personal data we hold.
  • Restriction — ask us to limit how we process your data.
  • Portability — receive your data in a portable format where technically feasible.
  • Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interests.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

If you are in the European Economic Area or UK and believe we have not adequately addressed your concern, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

9. Children

The Site is not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has submitted personal data to us, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Material changes will be highlighted at the top of the policy for 30 days after the update. Continued use of the Site after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact us

For any privacy-related queries, requests, or complaints:

We aim to respond to all requests within 5 business days.