Privacy
This notice explains what the Fatty Acids Database collects, why, and what we do not do with it.
1. What we collect
If you only browse. Our server records each page request: the page address, a session identifier, your IP address and a timestamp. These entries stay in our own server logs and are not sent to any third party.
If you create an account. The registration form asks for your name, email address and a password. You may optionally add your affiliation, research interests, areas of expertise, whether you are in academic research or a clinician, and a link to your profile or ORCID. Passwords are stored only as a secure hash and are never readable by us.
When you take part. Feedback, reference suggestions, favourites, searches and tool usage are recorded against your account, so we can act on them and see which parts of the site are actually used.
2. Why we collect it
To operate your account and keep you signed in; to act on the corrections and feedback you send; to understand which parts of the site are used, so limited time goes to the parts that matter; to understand who our readers are, so the material is pitched at the right level; and to keep the site secure and diagnose problems. That is the whole list.
4. What we do not do
- No third-party analytics services.
- No advertising networks, and nothing to sell you.
- We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information.
- We do not build advertising profiles or track you across other sites.
5. AI and your data
Your account details, feedback and usage records are not used to train AI models and are not passed to AI systems. AI tools are used in building the site — see How we use AI — but not on your data.
6. Email
We email you about your account — for example, to reset a password. If you ticked “keep me updated” when registering, you may also receive occasional notes when new data, tools or features ship. You can turn that off in your profile at any time, or ask us and we will do it for you. We do not send marketing email on behalf of anyone else.
7. How long we keep it
Account information is kept for as long as your account is open. Usage logs are kept for approximately 12 months and are then deleted. If you ask us to delete your account, we remove your account record; residual entries in operational logs age out on the schedule above.
8. Your choices and rights
You can view and edit your profile at any time from your account. To correct or delete information, or to ask what we hold about you, write to info@fattyaciddb.com.
Depending on where you live you may have further rights over your personal data — under Canada’s PIPEDA or the EU/UK GDPR, for example — including access, correction, deletion, portability, and objecting to certain processing. Contact us and we will act on it. You may also complain to your local data protection authority; in Canada that is the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.
9. Security
The site is served over HTTPS, passwords are stored hashed, and access to the underlying data and logs is limited to the site operator. No system is perfectly secure, so we do not promise that it is — but we do not collect anything we do not need, which is the best protection available.
10. Where data is held
The site is operated from Canada and hosted on servers operated for the site operator. Using the site may mean your information is processed in a country other than your own.
11. Children
The site is not directed at children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect their personal information. If you believe a child has given us personal information, contact us and we will remove it.
12. Third-party links
The site links out to resources such as PubChem, LIPID MAPS, HMDB, PubMed and USDA FoodData Central. Once you follow a link you are on their site, under their privacy practices, not ours.
13. Changes to this notice
If this notice changes, the “Last updated” date above changes with it, and material changes will be noted on the site.
14. Contact
Privacy questions, access requests and deletion requests can be sent to info@fattyaciddb.com. See also Terms of Use & Disclaimer.
This notice is written in plain language for clarity and is not itself legal advice. It should be reviewed by a qualified lawyer before being relied upon.