1. Information We Collect

We collect several types of information to provide you with a better experience on Tech Star Reviews and to improve our content. This includes:

• Personal identifiers: When you voluntarily subscribe to our newsletter or leave a comment, we may collect your name, email address, and website URL (if provided).
• Usage & device data: Like most websites, we automatically collect IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, and pages viewed. We use self-hosted analytics (Matomo) to keep this data private — no third-party sharing.
• Review & rating data: If you use our interactive star-rating widget, we store your rating (1–5 stars) and optional feedback, associated with a hashed IP to prevent duplicate votes.
• Cookies & similar tech: We use small text files to remember your preferences (e.g., dark mode, font size) and to analyze site traffic. See Section 4 for details.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected data for the following purposes:

• To personalize your experience and deliver the content you’re most interested in.
• To send periodic emails (only if you opt-in) — you can unsubscribe anytime via the link in the footer.
• To analyze site trends and improve our review methodology (e.g., understanding which gadgets get the most engagement).
• To detect and prevent fraud, spam, and abuse (especially in comments and rating systems).
• To comply with legal obligations and enforce our site policies.

3. Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. However, we may share data with:

• Service providers: Our email newsletter is managed by MailerLite (privacy-first EU-based), and our comment system uses Isso (self-hosted). Both are contractually bound to protect your data.
• Affiliate partners: When you click on some product links, we may earn a commission. These partners (e.g., Amazon Associates, B&H) may set their own cookies. We never share your email or name with them.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the rights and safety of Tech Star Reviews, our users, or the public.

4. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use the following cookies to enhance your experience. You can control cookie preferences via your browser settings, but disabling some may affect site functionality.

We also use a first-party analytics instance (Matomo) hosted on our own server — no data leaves our infrastructure.

5. Third-Party Links & Affiliates

Our blog contains links to external sites, including affiliate partners. Once you click an affiliate link (e.g., to Amazon or Best Buy), the partner may collect data according to their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review those policies. Tech Star Reviews is not responsible for the content or practices of third-party sites.

Affiliate disclosure: We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the B&H Photo Affiliate Program, among others. These partnerships help fund our independent reviews.

6. Data Security & Retention

We implement reasonable security measures, including SSL encryption, regular malware scanning, and limited access to personal data. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure — we cannot guarantee absolute security.

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary: newsletter subscriptions until you unsubscribe, comments for as long as the article is live, and analytics data for a maximum of 18 months.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

• Access & Portability: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification: Correct inaccurate information.
• Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): Ask us to delete your data — we’ll comply unless we have a legal obligation to retain it.
• Object / Restrict Processing: You can object to certain processing (e.g., analytics) by contacting us.
• Withdraw Consent: If you opted into our newsletter, you can withdraw at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@techstarreview.com with the subject “Privacy Request”. We may ask for verification to protect your data.

8. Children’s Privacy

Tech Star Reviews is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with data, please contact us immediately, and we will delete it.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this policy occasionally to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you by posting the new policy on this page and updating the “Last updated” date. For significant changes, we may also send an email (if you’re subscribed). We encourage you to review this page periodically.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please reach out to:

• Data Protection Officer — Tech Star Reviews
• privacy@techstarreview.com
• 4517 Tech Boulevard, Suite 210, Austin, TX 78701
• techstarreview.com/contact