Privacy Policy

Your privacy matters to us. This Privacy Policy explains how Shittybox.com (“Shittybox,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and protects information when you use our crowd-sourced grievance chart.

By using Shittybox.com, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. We may update this policy from time to time, and the most current version will always be available on this page.

1. Our Core Promise

Shittybox does not require a name, email, or account to participate. Co-signing an entry never identifies you. If you choose to attach a pseudonymous handle to a story for credit, that handle is not linked to your email or real identity in any way we can trace back to you.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Entry and story content: the text of what you submit
• Handle (optional): a pseudonym you may choose to attach to a story for credit — not your real name, not linked to an email

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

• IP address: used temporarily for spam and rate-limit prevention. This is not stored in our database as part of your submission — it lives in a short-lived log used only to catch repeated abuse.
• Anonymous token: a randomly generated identifier stored in your browser, used to prevent duplicate co-signs and duplicate submissions. It is not linked to your name, email, or any identifying information.
• Timestamps: when entries and stories are submitted.
• Analytics: we use Google Analytics (via Google Site Kit) to understand aggregate site traffic and usage patterns. This involves cookies and data collection governed by Google's own privacy practices, separate from ours.

2.3 Information We Do NOT Collect

• We do not require registration or user accounts
• We do not collect email addresses from anyone using the Service
• We do not collect your real name unless you voluntarily include it in submitted text
• Our own systems do not track your browsing activity across other websites (see Section 2.2 regarding Google Analytics, which is governed separately by Google's own practices)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Display entries and stories publicly on the Service
• Prevent spam and abuse on our platform
• Improve our service and fix technical issues
• Comply with legal obligations (see Section 5)
• Respond to user inquiries and provide support

We do NOT:

• Sell your personal information to third parties
• Use submitted content for advertising or marketing purposes
• Attempt to identify anonymous submitters except as described in Section 2.2

4. Data Retention

• Entry and story content: retained as part of the Service’s record, even if later retired (removed from public view) for a policy violation. Retiring content hides it from public display; it does not erase our internal record of it. We do not currently offer permanent deletion of submitted content.
• IP addresses: used only within a short rolling window for rate-limiting (on the order of an hour), not stored in our database as part of your submission history.
• Handle recovery codes: stored as a one-way cryptographic hash. We cannot see or recover your actual recovery code ourselves — if you lose it, the handle cannot be restored by us either.

5. When We May Disclose Information

Shittybox may disclose information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Legal requirements: when required by law, court order, subpoena, or other valid legal process
• Safety and security: to prevent fraud, abuse, illegal activity, or threats to public safety
• Terms enforcement: to investigate violations of our Terms & Conditions

We will make good faith efforts to notify affected users before disclosing their information, except where prohibited by law or court order — though because Shittybox collects very little identifying information to begin with, our ability to notify anyone in most cases is inherently limited.

6. Cookies and Tracking

Shittybox uses:

• An anonymous token cookie for essential site functionality (preventing duplicate co-signs/submissions)
• Google Analytics (via Site Kit), which sets its own cookies for aggregate traffic analysis — governed by Google's own privacy practices

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though some features (like preventing accidental duplicate co-signs) may not work properly without them.

7. Security

We take reasonable measures to protect information, including:

• Encrypted connections (HTTPS/SSL)
• One-way hashed storage for handle recovery codes (never stored in plaintext)
• Limited data collection by design — we can’t lose what we never collected

However, no internet transmission is 100% secure. While we strive to protect data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Third-Party Links

Shittybox or our site may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external sites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any information.

9. Children’s Privacy

Shittybox is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect information from minors. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

10. International Users

Shittybox is based in the United States/Connecticut. If you access our service from outside this jurisdiction, information may be transferred to and processed in Connecticut. By using Shittybox, you consent to this transfer.

11. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights to access, correct, or object to processing of your personal information. In practice, because Shittybox does not collect accounts or identifying information for most interactions, our ability to locate and act on a request is limited to content you can identify to us directly (for example, a link to your own story).

To make a request, contact us via Contact Us.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Significant changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last Updated” date. Continued use of Shittybox after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle information, please contact us via Contact Us.

Your privacy matters to us. We’re committed to collecting as little as the Service actually needs, while providing a platform for honest, anonymous feedback.