We collect information you provide directly and information generated through your use of the site. This may include:
Account data: email address, username, password (stored as a secure hash, not in plain text), profile settings, and preferences.
Content and activity: articles, edits, comments, reactions, bookmarks, achievements, reports, moderation history, and other on-site activity.
Technical data: IP address, device and browser information, cookies, and basic usage analytics.
Payments (if you purchase Vice Coins): transaction identifiers and purchase status. Payment details are handled by third-party processors (for example, Stripe) and are not stored by us.
We use collected information to:
• Create and manage accounts, authenticate logins, and keep sessions secure.
• Operate site features such as the wiki, news, community news, comments, reactions, achievements, and limits.
• Prevent spam, abuse, and fraud, and enforce our Terms of Use and Community Guidelines.
• Provide support, troubleshooting, and communications related to your account.
• Improve performance, reliability, and user experience through analytics.
We use cookies and similar technologies for authentication, session management, preferences, and site analytics. Some cookies are required for the site to function properly.
Advertising partners such as Google may also use cookies or device identifiers to personalize ads and measure performance. You can disable personalized ads through Google’s ad settings.
Vice Community may display advertising provided by Google (AdSense). Google may use cookies or device identifiers to serve personalized ads based on your interests. You can opt out of personalized advertising through Google’s ad settings.
We may also use third-party services for analytics, infrastructure, and payments, including:
• Google Analytics and Google Search Console
• Google AdSense
• Hosting and infrastructure providers (for example, DigitalOcean)
• Payment processors for Vice Coins purchases (for example, Stripe)
These services may process limited data required to provide their functionality. We do not sell your personal data.
We share data only with trusted providers that help operate the site, and only to the extent necessary to provide their services. We may also disclose information to comply with legal obligations, protect users, or enforce our policies.
We retain account data and user content as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce policies.
You may request account deletion through the contact page. Certain information may remain in backups or logs for a limited time, or where retention is required by law or for security reasons.
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures to protect data. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The latest version will always be posted on this page with an updated date.