Privacy
Privacy Policy
1. Who we are
SissyAuctions.com is operated by [COMPANY NAME] Ltd (company number [COMPANY NUMBER]), registered at [REGISTERED ADDRESS]. We are the data controller for the personal data described in this policy.
For any privacy question, or to exercise your rights, contact us at privacy@sissyauctions.com.
2. Who can use this service
SissyAuctions is strictly for adults aged 18 or over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If we learn that we hold data relating to a person under 18, we will delete the account and its data without delay. If you believe a minor is using this service, contact us immediately at privacy@sissyauctions.com.
3. Age assurance
Because this service contains adult content, UK law requires us to operate highly effective age assurance before granting access. This section explains what that involves and what happens to your data.
How the check works
Age checks are carried out by a specialist third-party age assurance provider acting as our processor. Depending on the method you choose, this may involve a facial age estimate taken from a selfie, a check against your bank or mobile network operator, a credit card check, or a photo identity document.
What we receive and store
We receive only the outcome of the check. Specifically, we store a record that the check passed or failed, the method used, the date and time, and a reference number issued by the provider so the check can be audited.
We do not receive or store your photograph, your facial scan or biometric template, your identity document, your bank details, or your date of birth. Where facial age estimation is used, the image is processed by the provider to produce an age estimate and is not retained for the purpose of identifying you. Facial age estimation estimates an age range; it does not recognise or identify individuals.
Why we do this
Our lawful basis is compliance with a legal obligation under the Online Safety Act 2023, and our legitimate interest in preventing children from accessing adult content.
Your choices
Age assurance is mandatory. If you do not wish to complete a check, you cannot use the service. Where more than one method is offered, you may choose between them. If a check fails and you believe the result is wrong, contact us and we will tell you how to appeal or retry using a different method.
Our age assurance provider is named in section 8. Their own privacy notice governs what they do with the data you give them during the check.
4. What personal data we collect
We collect the following:
- Account data — your email address, a hashed password, and your chosen display name.
- Profile data — anything you choose to add to your profile, including your biography, general location, photographs and interests.
- Age assurance data — the outcome record described in section 3.
- Membership data — your membership tier and, if you subscribe, records of your payments. Card details are handled by our payment provider and are never stored by us.
- Usage and technical data — your IP address, browser and device information, and server logs. These are used for security, abuse prevention and diagnosing faults.
- Content you create — messages, listings, bids, and any reports you submit about other members.
5. Sensitive personal data
Given the nature of this community, information you publish on your profile or send in messages may reveal your sexual orientation or details of your sex life. Under UK data protection law this is special category data and receives extra protection.
Our lawful basis for processing it is your explicit consent, which you give when you create your profile. You can withdraw that consent at any time by deleting the relevant content or closing your account. Withdrawing consent does not affect processing carried out before you withdrew it.
Please share only what you are comfortable sharing. Anything you publish to the community can be seen, and potentially copied, by other members.
6. Why we use your data and our lawful bases
- To provide the service — creating your account, showing your profile, delivering messages and running auctions. Lawful basis: performance of our contract with you.
- To keep the community safe — moderating content, investigating reports, blocking and suspending accounts, and preventing fraud and abuse. Lawful basis: our legitimate interests in operating a safe service, and our legal obligations under the Online Safety Act 2023.
- To verify age — as described in section 3. Lawful basis: legal obligation.
- To take payment — processing subscriptions. Lawful basis: performance of our contract with you.
- To send you service messages — password resets, security alerts and changes to these terms. Lawful basis: performance of our contract.
- To send you marketing — only if you opt in. Lawful basis: consent. You can withdraw it at any time.
7. Confidentiality and discretion
We understand that membership of this community is private. We do not sell your data. We do not share your data with advertisers. We do not use your profile or photographs in advertising without your specific, separate consent. Emails we send you use a neutral sender name and subject line.
8. Who we share your data with
We share data with the following categories of processor, each bound by a written contract to act only on our instructions:
- Hosting and application platform — [PROVIDER]
- Database and authentication — [PROVIDER]
- Age assurance — [PROVIDER]
- Payment processing — [PROVIDER]
- Email delivery — [PROVIDER]
We may also disclose data where we are legally required to, for example in response to a valid request from a court, the police, Ofcom or the Information Commissioner’s Office.
9. International transfers
Some of our processors are based outside the UK. Where data is transferred abroad we rely on UK adequacy regulations or on the International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum, together with additional safeguards where needed. You can ask us for details of the safeguards applying to any particular transfer.
10. How long we keep your data
- Account and profile data — while your account is open, then deleted within 30 days of closure.
- Age assurance records — kept while your account is open and for 12 months afterwards, so we can demonstrate compliance to Ofcom.
- Moderation and safety records — kept for up to 3 years after an account closes, so that banned users cannot simply return.
- Payment records — kept for 6 years to meet tax and accounting obligations.
- Server logs — kept for up to 90 days.
11. Your rights
Under UK data protection law you have the right to:
- ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- have inaccurate data corrected
- have your data deleted
- restrict or object to how we use your data
- receive your data in a portable format
- withdraw consent where we rely on it
To exercise any of these, email privacy@sissyauctions.com. We will respond within one month. We may ask you to confirm your identity first, using your registered email address rather than an identity document.
You can delete your account yourself at any time from your account settings.
12. Cookies
We use a small number of strictly necessary cookies: one to keep you signed in, and one to record that you have passed an age check so we do not ask you again on every visit. These are essential to the service and cannot be turned off. We will ask for your consent before setting any analytics or marketing cookies.
13. Security
Passwords are stored hashed, never in plain text. Data is encrypted in transit. Access to member data is restricted to staff who need it for moderation or support, and such access is logged. No system is perfectly secure; if a breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to you, we will notify you and the Information Commissioner’s Office as the law requires.
14. Changes to this policy
If we make significant changes we will tell you by email or by a notice on the site before they take effect. The date at the top shows when this policy was last updated.
15. Complaints
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, please contact us first. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk, or by calling their helpline.