Privacy Policy

SwitchCut is a static content site that publishes independent software comparisons for web hosting, CRM, and email marketing tools. We try to collect as little personal data as possible. This page explains, in plain English, what data is involved when you visit the site, how affiliate tracking works, which third parties are part of the picture, and the rights and choices you have, including your rights under the EU and UK GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act. If anything here is unclear, email our editorial team at hello@switchcut.com.

Who We Are (Data Controller)

For the purposes of the GDPR and UK GDPR, SwitchCut is the data controller for the limited personal data described in this policy, which is essentially the contents of any email you choose to send us. SwitchCut is operated by its editorial team and can be reached for any privacy matter at hello@switchcut.com.

What We Collect

SwitchCut is a read-only publication. We do not run accounts, logins, comment systems, or newsletter signups, so there is no form on this site that asks you for personal information. We do not knowingly collect your name, email address, or payment details. The only situation in which we hold any personal data directly is when you choose to email us, in which case we keep your email address and the contents of your message so that we can reply and keep a record of the conversation. Separately, our hosting provider processes standard technical request data (described under "Hosting and Server Logs" below) as a routine part of delivering the site.

Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

Where the GDPR or UK GDPR applies, we rely on the following legal bases. When you email us, we process your message on the basis of our legitimate interest in responding to enquiries and keeping a record of correspondence (Article 6(1)(f)). The technical server-log processing carried out by our hosting provider relies on our legitimate interest in securely delivering and protecting the website. We do not carry out any processing that requires consent for marketing or advertising cookies, because we do not set them.

Cookies and Affiliate Tracking

SwitchCut itself does not set advertising or tracking cookies to follow you around the web. However, this site contains affiliate links. When you click an affiliate link and are sent to a merchant such as a hosting or software provider, that merchant or its affiliate network may place a third-party cookie in your browser so that any resulting signup or purchase is correctly attributed to us as the referrer. This is how we earn a commission, at no additional cost to you.

We do not control these third-party cookies, cannot read their contents, and are not responsible for how the merchant or network uses the data they collect. They are governed by the privacy policy of the merchant or affiliate network that sets them. For a full explanation of how affiliate links work and which programs we participate in, see our Affiliate Disclosure.

Analytics

SwitchCut does not use any third-party analytics service. We do not run Google Analytics, Vercel Analytics, Plausible, or any comparable product, and we do not embed advertising, social media, or behavioral-tracking pixels. We do not build a profile of you or track your activity across other websites. The only usage information that exists is the standard technical server logging described below, which our hosting provider generates to deliver and secure the site.

Third Parties

When you click through to a recommended product, you interact with that company and, in many cases, the affiliate network that processes the referral. These networks include providers such as ShareASale, Impact, and PartnerStack. Each of these companies collects and processes data under its own privacy policy, which we encourage you to review. SwitchCut does not receive your personal browsing history from these networks; what we typically see is aggregate referral and conversion reporting. The only other data processor we rely on is our hosting provider, Vercel, described next.

Hosting and Server Logs

This site is hosted on Vercel. Like virtually every web host, Vercel processes standard technical request data, such as your IP address, browser user agent, and the pages requested, in order to serve the site and to protect it against abuse and performance problems. This kind of server logging is a routine part of delivering any website and is handled under Vercel's own privacy and security practices, which you can review at vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy.

International Transfers

SwitchCut relies on service providers based in, or operating infrastructure in, the United States. Vercel and the affiliate networks named in this policy (ShareASale, Impact, and PartnerStack) are US-based companies that operate servers in multiple regions. As a result, when you use this site or email us, your data may be processed or stored in countries outside the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom, including the United States. Where personal data is transferred outside the EEA or UK, those transfers rely on the relevant provider's safeguards under the GDPR, such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses, the UK International Data Transfer Addendum, or an applicable adequacy decision. You can review each provider's privacy policy for the specific mechanism it uses.

Data Retention

Because we hold so little personal data, our retention is limited. We retain email correspondence for up to 2 years from the last exchange, after which it is deleted unless a longer period is required by law (for example, to resolve a dispute or meet a legal obligation). Technical server logs are retained only for the period set by our hosting provider as part of its standard security and performance operations. We do not retain any browsing profile, because we do not create one.

Selling Your Data

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to anyone. Because we do not run accounts and do not ask you to hand over personal information to browse the site, there is very little personal data for us to hold in the first place, and none of it is for sale.

Your Rights (GDPR / UK GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, data protection law gives you the following rights over your personal data:

• Right of access — you can ask whether we hold personal data about you and request a copy of it.
• Right to rectification — you can ask us to correct personal data that is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Right to erasure — you can ask us to delete your personal data (the "right to be forgotten") where there is no overriding reason for us to keep it.
• Right to restriction of processing — you can ask us to limit how we use your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Right to object — you can object to our processing of your personal data carried out on the basis of legitimate interests.
• Right to data portability — you can ask to receive the personal data you provided to us in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@switchcut.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days. There is no charge for making a request, and exercising your rights will not affect your ability to use the site. If you believe we have not handled your personal data properly, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority — in the UK this is the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), and in the EEA it is the supervisory authority in your country of residence.

California Privacy Rights (CCPA / CPRA)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the CPRA, gives you specific rights regarding your personal information. The categories of personal information SwitchCut may collect are limited to:

• Identifiers — such as your email address and any personal details you include when you contact us by email.
• Internet or other electronic network activity — such as IP address, browser user agent, and pages requested, processed in Vercel's standard server logs.

Under the CCPA/CPRA you have the right to know what personal information we collect and how we use it, the right to request deletion of your personal information, the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information, and the right not to be discriminated against for exercising any of these rights. SwitchCut does not sell your personal information and does not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising, so there is no sale or sharing to opt out of. California residents may submit a request to know or to delete their personal information by emailing hello@switchcut.com. We will not treat you differently for exercising your rights.

Your Choices

You are in control of cookies through your browser settings. Every major browser lets you block or delete cookies, including the third-party cookies that affiliate merchants set, although blocking them will not affect your ability to read our content or to sign up directly with any provider.

• Use your browser's privacy or cookie settings to block or clear third-party cookies.
• Browse in a private or incognito window to discard cookies at the end of the session.
• We honor the Do Not Track signal where it applies; since we do not run our own cross-site tracking, there is no behavioral profile of you for us to build either way.

Children

SwitchCut is intended for a general, business-oriented audience and 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 sent us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in how the site works or in the services we rely on. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the site after an update means you accept the revised policy.

Contact

If you have any questions about this policy, want to exercise a privacy right, or have a concern about how your data is handled, email our editorial team at hello@switchcut.com.