Privacy Policy
Last updated: June 4, 2026 · We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your data.
The short version: We collect only what we need to run the platform — your email, username, and transaction data. We don't sell your personal data. We use it to operate ShootAds, prevent fraud, and communicate with you.
Table of Contents
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Account Information
When you register we collect your username, email address, and hashed password. We never store your password in plain text.
1.2 Payment & Transaction Data
Deposits and payouts are processed via PayPal. We record transaction amounts, timestamps, and PayPal transaction IDs but we do not store credit card numbers or full PayPal account details.
1.3 Ad Serving Data
When an ad is served we log:
- Anonymised IP address (used for fraud detection and geo-targeting; not stored long-term in identifiable form)
- User-agent string (to identify device type and filter bots)
- Timestamp, ad zone ID, campaign ID, country code, and device type
This data is used to calculate billing and publisher earnings and is not linked back to individual site visitors.
1.4 Website Data (Publishers)
Publishers provide their website domain. We store the domain, verification status, and zone configuration. We do not access or store the content of your website.
1.5 Usage & Log Data
We collect standard server logs including IP addresses, browser types, pages visited, and timestamps. These logs are retained for security and debugging purposes and are automatically deleted after 30 days.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Operate, maintain, and improve the ShootAds platform
- Process payments and pay out publisher earnings
- Serve targeted ads and calculate impression/click metrics
- Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and invalid traffic
- Send transactional emails (deposit confirmations, campaign status, payout updates)
- Respond to your support requests
- Comply with legal obligations
We do not use your data to send unsolicited marketing emails. You can manage notification preferences in your account settings.
3. Cookies & Tracking
3.1 Session Cookie
We use a single session cookie to keep you logged in. This cookie is:
- HttpOnly — not accessible to JavaScript
- Secure — only transmitted over HTTPS
- SameSite=Lax — protected against cross-site request forgery
3.2 Ad Serving
Our ad-serving scripts do not set third-party cookies on visitors' browsers. We use server-side impression deduplication rather than tracking cookies.
3.3 Theme Preference
Your dark/light mode preference is stored in localStorage on your browser and is not transmitted to our servers unless you are logged in.
4. Sharing Your Information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share data in the following limited circumstances:
- PayPal — to process payments. PayPal's privacy policy governs their use of your data.
- Legal requirements — if required by law, court order, or governmental authority.
- Business transfers — if ShootAds is acquired or merges with another company, user data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you in advance.
5. Data Retention
We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. If you close your account, we will delete or anonymise your personal data within 90 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal or financial compliance purposes (e.g., transaction records, which are kept for 7 years).
Ad impression and click logs are aggregated and anonymised after 12 months.
6. Security
We take the security of your data seriously. Measures we have in place include:
- All traffic encrypted via TLS (HTTPS)
- Passwords hashed using bcrypt
- SQL injection prevention via PDO prepared statements
- CSRF tokens on all state-changing requests
- Rate limiting on login and registration endpoints
- Optional two-factor authentication (TOTP)
- File uploads validated server-side and stripped of metadata
No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. If you discover a security vulnerability, please report it responsibly to security@shootads.com.
7. Your Rights
Depending on your location you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Correction — ask us to correct inaccurate data
- Deletion — request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
- Portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Objection — object to our processing of your data in certain circumstances
To exercise any of these rights, please open a support ticket or email privacy@shootads.com. We will respond within 30 days.
8. Children's Privacy
ShootAds is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by email or via a notice on the platform. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.
10. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy:
Email: privacy@shootads.com
Support: Open a support ticket