This policy explains what personal data PC Builder collects when you use pcbuilder.net (the “Service”), why we collect it, who we share it with, how long we keep it and the choices and rights you have.
- We collect only what the Service needs: your parts lists, basic technical data (IP address, browser, device), and your name and email if you create an account.
- We never sell your personal data and never share it for targeted advertising.
- Google Analytics runs only if you allow it. Visitors from the EU, EEA, UK and Switzerland are asked first; everyone else can switch it off at any time.
- We honour Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track signals.
- You can ask us to access, correct or delete your data at any time by emailing [email protected].
- Who we are
- Data we collect
- How we use it
- Cookies and analytics
- Who we share it with
- Where data is processed
- How long we keep it
- Security
- Your rights
- EU, EEA and UK visitors (GDPR)
- US privacy rights (incl. California)
- India (DPDP Act) and Grievance Officer
- Children
- Links to other sites
- Changes to this policy
- Contact us
1. Who we are
PC Builder® is operated by the PC Builder team at A-266, Triveni Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302018, India (“PC Builder”, “we”, “us”). We decide how and why your personal data is processed, so we are the “controller” under the GDPR and the “Data Fiduciary” under India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
You can reach us about anything in this policy at [email protected].
2. Data we collect
When you visit the site
- IP address, used to work out your country so we can show the right Amazon store, currency and prices, and to keep the site secure.
- Browser, device type and operating system, read from the information your browser sends.
- Usage data such as pages viewed and how you found us, collected by Google Analytics only if analytics cookies are allowed (see section 4).
When you build a PC
- The parts you add to your list, saved under a random list ID.
- Stored with each list: the IP address, browser, device and operating system used to create it, and the date and time.
- If you save or share a build, anyone with its link can view the parts list. Don’t put personal information in a build’s name.
When you create an account
- First name, last name (optional), username and email address.
- Your password, stored only as a one-way hash, so we can never see it.
- The IP address you signed up from, your last login time and IP address, and whether you have verified your email.
- Your saved builds and wishlist.
When you contact us
- Your email address and whatever you choose to tell us.
We do not collect payment details. When you buy a product, you buy it on Amazon, and Amazon handles your order and payment under its own privacy notice. We don’t knowingly collect sensitive data such as health, financial or biometric information.
3. How we use your data
- Run the Service: save your parts list, check compatibility, show prices and stores for your country, and keep you signed in.
- Your account: create and secure it, and send service emails such as email verification and password resets. We don’t send marketing emails.
- Improve the site: understand which pages and features are used, through Google Analytics, only if you allow it.
- Security: prevent abuse, scraping, spam and fraud.
- Legal: comply with the law and respond to lawful requests from authorities.
We don’t sell personal data, use it for targeted advertising or profiling, or use it to train AI models.
4. Cookies and analytics
Cookies are small files stored by your browser. We use as few as possible:
| Cookie | Type | What it does | Kept for |
|---|---|---|---|
PHPSESSID | Necessary | Keeps your session, country choice and login working | Until you close your browser |
list_id | Necessary | Remembers which parts list is yours | Up to 3 days |
pcb_consent | Necessary | Remembers your cookie choices | 12 months |
__cf_bm, cf_clearance | Necessary (set by Cloudflare) | Protects the site against bots and attacks | Up to 30 minutes / 1 year |
_ga, _ga_* | Analytics (Google Analytics) | Counts visits and shows which pages are used | Up to 2 years |
- EU, EEA, UK and Switzerland: analytics cookies are set only after you click “Accept all” or allow them in Cookie settings.
- Everywhere else: analytics are on by default and you can switch them off at any time.
- If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control or Do Not Track signal, we treat it as a choice to switch analytics off.
When you click a link to Amazon, Amazon sets its own cookies on its website so it can credit us for the referral. Those cookies are covered by Amazon’s privacy and cookie notices, not this policy.
5. Who we share data with
We share personal data only with service providers that help us run the Service, and only what each one needs:
- Hosting provider (DigitalOcean): our servers and database.
- Cloudflare: delivers the site, and protects it from attacks and bots. All traffic passes through it.
- Google Analytics: usage statistics, only if analytics are allowed.
- Brevo: sends account emails such as verification and password resets.
- IP country lookup (ip-api.com, country.is): receives your IP address to tell us your country. Nothing else is sent.
We may also disclose data when required by law or by a court or government order, to protect the rights, property or safety of our users, the public or PC Builder, or to a buyer or successor if the Service is sold or transferred, who must keep protecting it as described here.
Amazon receives no personal data from us. When you follow a link to Amazon, your browser visits Amazon directly.
6. Where data is processed
We are based in India, and our servers and service providers may be in India, the United States, the EU or other countries. When we transfer personal data across borders, we rely on lawful transfer mechanisms such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses used by our providers, and we follow any restrictions notified by the Government of India under section 16 of the DPDP Act.
7. How long we keep data
| Data | Kept for |
|---|---|
| Account details, saved builds and wishlist | While your account exists. Ask us to delete your account and we erase it within 30 days. |
| Parts lists and the technical data stored with them | Kept so that shared build links keep working. We delete a list, or the IP address stored with it, on request. |
| Google Analytics data | No longer than 14 months. |
| Emails you send us | As long as needed to answer you and keep a record of the conversation. |
We may keep limited data longer where the law requires it or to resolve a dispute.
8. Security
We protect your data with reasonable security practices, including HTTPS encryption for every page, passwords stored only as one-way hashes, Cloudflare protection against attacks, and access to the database limited to the people who need it. No system is completely secure. If a breach affects your personal data, we will tell you and the relevant authorities as the law requires.
9. Your rights
Wherever you live, you can ask us to:
- access the personal data we hold about you, and get a copy;
- correct it if it is wrong or incomplete;
- delete it, including your whole account;
- stop analytics, at any time, from Cookie settings.
Email [email protected], from your account’s email address if you have one. We may ask you to confirm your identity, and we reply within 30 days. Using your rights is free, and we won’t treat you differently for using them.
10. EU, EEA and UK visitors (GDPR)
If you are in the European Economic Area, the UK or Switzerland, the GDPR (or UK GDPR) gives you the rights above plus the right to restrict or object to processing and to receive your data in a portable format. Our legal bases are:
- Contract: to provide your account and save your builds.
- Legitimate interests: to run and secure the site, show the right store for your country and prevent abuse. You can object to this.
- Consent: for analytics cookies. You can withdraw it at any time in Cookie settings.
- Legal obligation: where the law requires us to keep or disclose data.
You also have the right to complain to the data protection authority where you live or work. We would appreciate the chance to resolve your concern first.
11. US privacy rights (including California)
This section applies to residents of California and other US states with consumer privacy laws.
- What we collect: identifiers (name, email, username, IP address), internet activity (pages viewed, parts lists, browser and device), and approximate location (country, from your IP address), as described in section 2. We collect them from you and your browser.
- Why: for the purposes in section 3.
- No selling or sharing: we do not sell personal information and do not “share” it for cross-context behavioral advertising, and we haven’t in the past 12 months. We do not collect sensitive personal information.
- Your choices: you can switch off analytics at any time from Cookie Settings (also linked in the footer), and we treat a Global Privacy Control signal as an opt-out.
- Your rights: to know, access, correct and delete your personal information, and not to be discriminated against for using these rights. You can use an authorised agent; we may ask them for proof that you authorised them.
- Do Not Track: we honour Do Not Track browser signals by switching analytics off.
12. India (DPDP Act) and Grievance Officer
We process personal data in line with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the rules made under them. You have the right to access a summary of your data, correct and erase it, withdraw consent, nominate someone to exercise your rights if you die or become incapable, and have your grievances addressed.
Grievance Officer: Sunny Bundel, A-266, Triveni Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302018, India. Email: [email protected] (subject: “Grievance”).
We acknowledge complaints within 48 hours and resolve them within one month. If you are not satisfied with our answer, you can complain to the Data Protection Board of India.
13. Children
You must be at least 18 to create an account. Anyone can browse and build parts lists without an account, but the site is not directed at children under 13, and we don’t knowingly collect personal data from them. If you believe a child has given us personal data, email us and we will delete it.
14. Links to other sites
The Service links to other websites, mostly Amazon stores, and to our blog. Their privacy practices are their own, so please read their policies. Some of our links to Amazon are affiliate links; see our Affiliate Disclosure.
15. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when the Service or the law changes. We’ll post the new version here with a new effective date and, for significant changes, tell account holders by email before they take effect.
16. Contact us
PC Builder
A-266, Triveni Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302018, India
[email protected]
See also our Terms of Use.