Last updated: 25 September 2026
This page explains what information Unruly Folk collects when you use unrulyfolk.com, why, and what you can do about it. We’ve tried to keep it readable. If anything is unclear, ask us.
The short version
- You can read Unruly Folk without giving us any personal information.
- We only collect personal information when you choose to give it to us, like commenting, subscribing to our newsletter or emailing us.
- We don’t sell your information.
- Unruly Pass is optional. If you make one, we keep your email address and whatever you save to it, and you can delete it all yourself at any time.
- You can switch off cookies that aren’t needed for the site to work, at any time, using the Cookie settings link at the bottom of every page.
Information you give us
Comments. When you comment, we collect the name and email address you enter, your comment, your IP address and your browser details. Your email address is never shown publicly. Comments are checked for spam by Akismet, a service run by Automattic.
Newsletter. If you subscribe, your email address is stored with Mailchimp, the service we use to send our newsletter. You’ll get a confirmation email before anything else, and every newsletter includes an unsubscribe link.
Emails and pitches. If you email us, we keep your message and contact details so we can reply and follow up. We don’t add you to any mailing list unless you ask.
Unruly Pass. If you create an Unruly Pass, we keep your email address so we can send you sign-in links, plus what your Pass saves: your Certified Unruly cards and copy numbers, your level, XP and badges, your saved-for-later articles and, if you add one, a display name. There’s no password. Sign-in links expire after 20 minutes and are stored scrambled (hashed), so no one can read them from our database. We only use your email to sign you in: no newsletters, no marketing, and we never share it.
Access reports. If you tell us what access was like at a venue, event or game, we keep your answers, any notes, and your name and email if you choose to give them, so we can update our Accessibility Snapshots and follow up with you. Reports are stored privately on our site and emailed to us. We’ll only quote you in an article if you tick the box saying that’s OK.
Access Info Desk. If you run a venue, event or game and send us access information, we keep what you send and your contact details so we can check it and get back to you. It’s stored privately on our site and emailed to us.
Information collected automatically
Like most websites, our server records basic technical information when you visit, such as your IP address, browser type, the pages you view and when. We use this to keep the site running, secure and protected from spam and attacks.
To stop spam and keep things fair, some features briefly keep a scrambled (hashed) version of your IP address that can’t be turned back into the original: up to an hour for our forms and sign-in requests, and up to a day for Certified Unruly card pulls, so each card only counts one pull per person per day. Card pull totals are anonymous counts that aren’t linked to you.
Cookies and similar technologies
Our cookie banner tells you about the cookies we use. Cookies that are strictly necessary for the site to work are always on. You can switch off others, such as those used for statistics or marketing, at any time using the Cookie settings link at the bottom of every page.
If you sign in to an Unruly Pass, we set one cookie, uf_pass, which keeps you signed in on that device for up to a year. It’s strictly necessary for signing in, can’t be read by scripts on the page, and is removed when you sign out. Sign-in sessions that haven’t been used for a year are deleted automatically.
Some things are saved only in your own browser, such as Calm mode, Larger text, your cookie choices, where you’re up to in articles, your quests, and your saved articles, cards, level and badges. They stay on your device unless you sign in to an Unruly Pass, which then saves your cards, progress, saved articles and display name to your Pass so they follow you to other devices.
Embedded content and other services
Some articles include content from other services, such as YouTube videos, music players, social media posts and game store widgets. These behave as if you’d visited those sites directly, so they may collect information about you and set their own cookies.
YouTube and Facebook videos use a play button that only loads the video, along with YouTube’s or Facebook’s own tracking, when you choose to play it. Until then, only YouTube’s preview image is loaded, from Google’s servers. Music players, such as Spotify, load straight away and work like a visit to that service. Author photos in bylines come from Gravatar, a service run by Automattic.
Our fonts are hosted on our own site, so no font service sees your visit.
The ads you see on Unruly Folk are promotions for our own shop, served from our own site rather than by outside ad networks.
Who we share information with
We only share personal information with the services that help us run the site (such as our web host, Mailchimp and Akismet), when the law requires it, or with your permission. We don’t sell or rent your information to anyone.
Those services include Automattic (Akismet for spam, and Gravatar for author photos), Mailchimp for our newsletter, and our web host, whose mail service sends Unruly Pass sign-in emails.
Some of these services store information outside Australia, including in the United States.
How long we keep it
We keep comments for as long as they’re published. We keep newsletter subscriptions until you unsubscribe, and emails for as long as we need them to deal with what you sent us.
We keep an Unruly Pass until you delete it. Access reports and Access Info Desk messages are kept for as long as they’re useful for our coverage; ask and we’ll delete yours.
Your choices and rights
You can ask us for a copy of the personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it. Email hello@unrulyfolk.com and we’ll respond as quickly as we can.
You can delete your Unruly Pass, and everything saved to it, yourself at any time from the Unruly Pass page. Signing out on one device doesn’t delete anything.
We handle personal information in line with the Australian Privacy Principles. If you’re in the UK or European Union, you also have rights under the GDPR, including the right to object to how your information is used and to complain to your local data protection authority.
If you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your information, please tell us first so we can try to fix it. If that doesn’t resolve things, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au.
Security
We take reasonable steps to protect your information, including keeping the site updated and protected by security tools. No website can promise perfect security, though, so please be thoughtful about what you share.
Children
Unruly Folk isn’t aimed at anyone under 18, and we don’t knowingly collect personal information from children. If you’re a parent or guardian and think your child has given us information, contact us and we’ll delete it.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we’ll change the date at the top of this page.
Contact us
Questions about privacy? Email hello@unrulyfolk.com.
