Privacy Policy
Last updated: September 15, 2026
Summary
PackRated.com collects as little personal information as it can. There is no account system and no login for readers. The only personal information you can hand over deliberately is an email address, and only if you choose to subscribe.
Who is responsible
This policy covers packrated.com and is published by the operator of that site. For any privacy question, write to [email protected].
What is collected
Information you provide
- Email address, if you subscribe. Stored so that updates can be sent to you.
- Message contents, if you write to us. Retained so the conversation makes sense.
Information collected automatically
- Server logs. The web server records requests, including IP address, user agent, referring page and timestamp. This is standard for any web server and is used for security and diagnostics.
- Automated crawler activity. Requests from identified search and AI crawlers are logged separately, recording the user agent, path and timestamp. This log exists to understand how automated systems read the site. It is not used to identify people.
- Analytics, if enabled. Where analytics are in use, the provider and its role are disclosed in the cookie policy.
The crawler log, in plain terms
This site publishes machine-readable copies of its pages so that search engines and AI assistants can read them accurately. It also keeps a log of which automated agents request those pages.
That log records three things: the agent name from the user agent string, the path requested, and the time. It exists to answer an editorial question, which is whether AI assistants are reading this material and which references they reach for. It is not used to identify people, it is not joined to any other data, and entries are deleted automatically once they pass the retention window.
A request from an ordinary browser is not written to that log. Signed-in administrators are excluded from it entirely.
Machine-readable copies
Every public page is also served as markdown, and the site publishes an index at /llms.txt describing itself for AI systems. Those files contain published editorial content and nothing else. No personal information, no subscriber data, and no message sent through the contact form appears in them.
Messages you send
A message sent through the contact form is stored in this site’s own database and emailed to the site address. It is not routed through a third-party form service. What you write, your name and your email address are kept so the conversation makes sense and so a correction can be traced back to whoever reported it. Ask for a message to be deleted and it will be.
What is not collected
No payment details, because nothing is sold here. No sensitive categories of personal data. No profiles built for advertising by this site. No selling of personal information to anyone, for any price.
Why it is collected
| Data | Purpose | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Email address | Send the updates you asked for | Your consent |
| Message contents | Answer your message | Legitimate interest |
| Server logs | Security, abuse prevention, diagnostics | Legitimate interest |
| Crawler log | Understand automated access to published pages | Legitimate interest |
How long it is kept
Subscriber email addresses are kept until you unsubscribe or ask for removal. Server logs are rotated on the host’s ordinary schedule. Crawler log entries are pruned automatically once they pass the retention window set in the site settings. Correspondence is kept while it remains useful and deleted on request.
Who it is shared with
Personal information is not sold, rented or traded. It is shared only with service providers that make the site work, such as the hosting company and, where used, an email delivery service. Those providers act on instruction and may not use your information for their own purposes. Information may also be disclosed where the law requires it.
Your choices and rights
You can ask for a copy of the personal information held about you, ask for it to be corrected, ask for it to be deleted, or withdraw consent for email at any time. Every email carries an unsubscribe link, and you can also write to [email protected]. Requests are handled without charge.
Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under laws such as the EU and UK General Data Protection Regulation or the California Consumer Privacy Act, including the right to complain to your data protection authority. We do not discriminate against anyone for exercising a privacy right.
Children
This site is written for a professional audience and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has sent us information, write to [email protected] and it will be deleted.
Security
The site is served over an encrypted connection and access to stored data is restricted. No system is perfectly secure, and no honest policy will promise otherwise. Store nothing with us that you would not want disclosed.
International transfers
The site is hosted in the United States. If you are reading from elsewhere, your information is processed there.
Changes
Material changes to this policy will be reflected in the date at the top. Continuing to use the site after a change means the revised policy applies.