Privacy-first reviews · rate.sn

Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how rate.sn collects, uses and protects your information when you visit our website, read our reviews or interact with our services.

Last updated: 2025-11-25

Contents
  1. Who we are
  2. Scope of this policy
  3. Information we collect
  4. How we use your information
  5. Cookies, analytics & similar technologies
  6. Legal bases (for visitors in the EU/UK)
  7. How we share information
  8. Data retention
  9. Data security
  10. International data transfers
  11. Your privacy rights
  12. Children’s privacy
  13. Third-party links & content
  14. Changes to this Policy
  15. Contact us

1. Who we are

rate.sn is an independent review and testing website. We publish product reviews, comparison articles and related content to help visitors make informed decisions about tech, home, auto and other everyday products.

In this Privacy Policy, we refer to ourselves as “rate.sn”, “we”, “our” or “us”, and to you as “you” or “user”.

2. Scope of this Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to information collected when you:

  • Visit or use our website at rate.sn and its subpages;
  • Read our reviews, articles or category pages;
  • Subscribe to updates, newsletters or email alerts from us;
  • Contact us by email or through any contact form we may provide.

This policy does not apply to websites or services that we link to but do not operate, including merchants, stores and external offer pages. Those services are governed by their own privacy policies.

3. Information we collect

The amount and type of information we collect depends on how you interact with rate.sn. In general, we aim to collect only what we need to operate the site, keep it secure and understand how it is used.

3.1 Information you provide directly

We may collect information that you voluntarily provide, such as:

  • Contact information, such as your name and email address, when you subscribe to updates or contact us.
  • Communication content, including the content of messages you send to us and any information you choose to include in them.

3.2 Information we collect automatically

When you visit rate.sn, certain information may be collected automatically for security, analytics and performance purposes, such as:

  • Device and browser information (for example: browser type and version, operating system, screen resolution).
  • Usage information (for example: the pages you visit, the links you click, time spent on pages, referring/exit pages).
  • Approximate location (for example: country or region) based on your IP address, typically at a coarse level (not precise geolocation).
  • Log information, such as IP address, access times, and technical event logs used to detect errors or abuse.

Where possible, we may use tools that aggregate or pseudonymise this information to reduce the amount of personal data processed.

3.3 Cookies and similar technologies

We may use cookies and similar technologies (such as local storage or pixel tags) to:

  • Remember basic settings or preferences;
  • Measure traffic and understand how visitors use the site;
  • Detect and prevent fraudulent or abusive activity.

For more details about how we use cookies and how you can control them, please see our separate Cookies Policy (if available).

4. How we use your information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • Operating and improving the website
    To provide, maintain and improve rate.sn, including monitoring the performance of the site and fixing errors.
  • Analytics and understanding usage patterns
    To understand how visitors find and use our content, which pages are most useful, and where we should improve navigation or explanations.
  • Communication
    To respond to your inquiries, send important notices, and deliver optional updates or newsletters if you subscribe to them.
  • Security and fraud prevention
    To detect and prevent abuse, spam, bot activity or attempts to compromise the website.
  • Compliance with legal obligations
    To comply with applicable laws, regulations and lawful requests.
We do not sell your personal information and we do not build advertising profiles based on sensitive categories such as health, religion or political opinions.

5. Cookies, analytics & similar technologies

We aim to keep our analytics and tracking technologies as privacy-respecting as reasonably possible while still understanding how the site is used.

5.1 Types of cookies we may use

  • Strictly necessary cookies
    These are required for the website to function properly (for example, security features or basic session management). You cannot opt out of these via cookie settings, but you can block them in your browser, which may affect site functionality.
  • Performance and analytics cookies
    These help us understand how visitors use rate.sn, for example which pages are visited, and how long visitors stay on a page. Whenever feasible, we use aggregated or pseudonymised data.

5.2 Analytics tools

We may use privacy-focused analytics tools or, in some cases, third-party analytics services. These tools typically collect information such as:

  • Page views and navigation paths;
  • Browser and device types;
  • Approximate location (e.g. country or region);
  • Referring URLs and exit pages.

Where required by law, we will request your consent before using non-essential cookies or similar technologies. You can usually manage your cookie preferences in your browser settings or through any cookie banner we provide.

7. How we share information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in the following limited situations:

  • Service providers
    With trusted service providers who help us operate the website (for example, analytics providers, hosting companies or email delivery services). These providers only process your information on our instructions and are bound by appropriate confidentiality and data protection obligations.
  • Legal requirements
    When we believe disclosure is reasonably necessary to comply with a law, regulation, legal process or governmental request.
  • Protection of rights
    When we need to protect the rights, property or safety of rate.sn, our users or others, including enforcing our terms and preventing abuse.
  • Business changes
    If we are involved in a merger, acquisition or other corporate transaction, your information may be transferred as part of that process, subject to confidentiality protections.

8. Data retention

We keep personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

In general, we apply the following guidelines:

  • Contact and communication data is kept while we maintain an active relationship with you and for a reasonable period afterwards, in case we need to refer back to previous messages.
  • Analytics data is often aggregated or pseudonymised. Where personal data is involved, we keep it only as long as needed for analytics purposes and system security.
  • Log files used for security and troubleshooting are typically retained for a limited time and then deleted or anonymised.

9. Data security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect your information against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access.

No system can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. While we work hard to protect your information, we cannot promise or warrant absolute security. If you have reason to believe that your interaction with us is no longer secure, please contact us immediately using the details below.

10. International data transfers

rate.sn may be operated from one or more countries. This means that your information may be processed in countries that may have data protection laws different from those in your country of residence.

Where required by applicable law, we take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information when it is transferred internationally, for example by using standard contractual clauses or equivalent mechanisms.

11. Your privacy rights

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have some or all of the following rights in relation to your personal data:

  • Right of access – to request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and, if so, to receive a copy.
  • Right to rectification – to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information about you.
  • Right to erasure – to request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances.
  • Right to restriction – to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations.
  • Right to object – to object to certain processing (for example, where we process your data based on legitimate interests).
  • Right to data portability – to receive your data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, in certain circumstances.
  • Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before withdrawal.

To exercise any of these rights, please see the Contact us section below. We may ask you to provide certain information to verify your identity before responding to your request.

If you are located in the EEA, UK or another region with applicable data protection laws, you may also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

12. Children’s privacy

rate.sn is designed for a general audience and is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under that age.

If you believe that a child has provided personal information to us without appropriate consent, please contact us and we will take steps to delete the information as required by applicable law.

13. Third-party links & content

Our reviews and articles may contain links to third-party websites, online stores, offers or services that are not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties.

When you visit another site or interact with a third-party service, their own privacy policy will apply. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any websites or services you access through links on rate.sn.

14. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, for example to reflect changes to our practices, legal requirements or the technologies we use.

When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, provide additional notice (such as a banner on the website). We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we handle your information.

15. Contact us

If you have any questions, concerns or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our handling of your information, you can contact us at:

Please include “Privacy request” in the subject line of your email if you are contacting us about your privacy rights or this Policy.