Information We Collect
We collect information that you provide directly to us, including:
- Account Information: Name, email address, billing address, and payment information when you create an account or make a purchase.
- Communication Data: Information you provide when contacting our support team or submitting forms.
- Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device information, and usage data collected automatically when you use our services.
- Cookies: We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience and analyze site usage.
How We Use Your Information
We use your information to:
- Provide, maintain, and improve our services
- Process transactions and send you related information
- Send you technical notices, updates, and support messages
- Respond to your comments, questions, and requests
- Monitor and analyze trends, usage, and activities
- Detect, prevent, and address technical issues and security threats
- Comply with legal obligations
Sharing Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:
- Service Providers: We work with third-party companies to process payments, provide customer support, and deliver our services.
- Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect our rights and safety.
- Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred.
Cookies and Tracking
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activities. When you first visit our website, you will see a cookie consent banner where you can choose which cookies to accept.
Cookie Categories:
- Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function. These cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. Always enabled.
- Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting information anonymously (e.g., Google Analytics).
- Marketing Cookies: Used to track visitors across websites to display relevant advertisements.
- Preference Cookies: Enable the website to remember your choices to provide enhanced features.
Managing Your Cookie Preferences:
You can change your cookie preferences at any time by clearing your browser's local storage for bearhost.com and refreshing the page. The cookie banner will reappear, allowing you to make new choices. You can also control cookies through your browser settings, but disabling essential cookies may affect your ability to use certain features.
Global Privacy Control (GPC):
We respect the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal. If your browser sends a GPC signal, we will automatically set all non-essential cookies to OFF by default.
Data Security
We take reasonable measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no internet transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When your account is closed, we may retain certain information as required by law or for legitimate business purposes.
Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
- Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
- Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
- Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format
- Objection: Object to processing of your personal information
To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@bearhost.com
Third-Party Services
We work with trusted third-party service providers to deliver our services. These providers have access to your personal information only to perform specific tasks on our behalf:
Payment Processing:
- Stripe: Processes credit card and payment transactions. We do not store complete credit card information (only last 4 digits for reference).
- Cryptomus: Processes cryptocurrency payments for alternative payment options.
Domain Registration:
- OpenSRS: Domain registrar service that processes domain registration data including contact information required by ICANN policy (see Domain Registration section below).
Hosting Infrastructure:
- cPanel: Server management and control panel access. Logs your access times, IP addresses, and server actions.
- WHMCS: Billing and client management system that stores your account and payment data.
Our services may also contain links to third-party websites or services that are not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any information.
Domain Registration and WHOIS
When you register a domain name through BearHost, we are required by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) policy to collect and make certain information publicly available in the WHOIS database.
Information Published in WHOIS:
- Registrant name and organization
- Contact email address
- Phone number
- Mailing address
- Domain registration and expiration dates
We Share Domain Registration Information With:
- Domain registry operators (e.g., Verisign for .com, PIR for .org)
- ICANN and its designated escrow providers
- OpenSRS (our domain registrar partner)
- Law enforcement and parties with legitimate legal interests
Domain Privacy Protection:
We offer domain privacy protection services to mask your personal information in WHOIS lookups. With domain privacy enabled, proxy contact information is displayed instead of your personal details. Note: Some domain extensions may not support privacy protection due to registry policies.
Legal Basis: Domain registration data processing is necessary for compliance with ICANN's Registration Data Policy and legal obligations under domain registration agreements.
Children's Privacy
Our services are not directed to children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you become aware that a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Modified" date at the top. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:
- Email: privacy@bearhost.com
- Support: support@bearhost.com
- Website: bearhost.com/contact
Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
Under GDPR, we must have a legal basis for processing your personal data. We rely on the following:
Contract Performance (GDPR Art. 6(1)(b)):
- Account creation and management
- Providing hosting services
- Processing payments
- Customer support
Legitimate Interest (GDPR Art. 6(1)(f)):
- Fraud prevention and security
- Network monitoring and abuse prevention
- Service improvement and analytics
- Marketing to existing customers
Consent (GDPR Art. 6(1)(a)):
- Newsletter subscriptions
- Marketing communications
- Non-essential cookies
Legal Obligation (GDPR Art. 6(1)(c)):
- Tax and accounting requirements
- Domain registration compliance (ICANN)
- Responding to legal requests
California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)
If you are a California resident, you have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):
Your Rights:
- Right to Know: Request what personal information we collect, use, disclose, or sell
- Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to exceptions)
- Right to Correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal information
- Right to Opt-Out: Opt-out of sale or sharing of personal information
- Right to Non-Discrimination: No discrimination for exercising your rights
We Do Not Sell Your Personal Information
BearHost does not sell personal information to third parties for monetary consideration.
How to Exercise Your Rights:
- Email: privacy@bearhost.com
- Response Time: 45 days (may extend to 90 days for complex requests)
- We may request additional information to verify your identity
International Data Transfers
Your personal information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries outside your country of residence. For transfers outside the EU/EEA, we implement appropriate safeguards:
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs): European Commission-approved contracts that bind data recipients to protect your data according to EU standards
- Data Processing Agreements: Contracts with all sub-processors ensuring adequate data protection
- Transfer Impact Assessments: We evaluate third-country data protection laws and implement supplementary measures where necessary
To request information about safeguards for your data transfers or a copy of the SCCs we use, contact privacy@bearhost.com
DMCA Policy & Copyright
BearHost respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects our users to do the same. We comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and will respond to valid copyright infringement notices.
Filing a DMCA Takedown Notice:
If you believe that content hosted on BearHost infringes your copyright, please send a written notice to our designated DMCA agent at abuse@bearhost.com with the following information:
- Your physical or electronic signature (as the copyright owner or authorized agent)
- Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed
- Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing (URL or specific location)
- Your contact information (name, address, telephone number, email address)
- A statement that you have a good faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner
- A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner
Counter-Notification:
If you believe your content was removed in error or misidentification, you may file a counter-notification with our DMCA agent at abuse@bearhost.com including:
- Your physical or electronic signature
- Identification of the material that was removed and its location before removal
- A statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good faith belief the material was removed by mistake or misidentification
- Your name, address, telephone number, and a statement consenting to jurisdiction in your district
Repeat Infringer Policy:
BearHost will terminate accounts of users who are repeat copyright infringers. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that repeatedly violate intellectual property rights.
Response Time:
We will review and respond to valid DMCA notices within 24-48 hours. Upon receiving a valid takedown notice, we may remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing content and notify the account holder.
Note: Filing a false DMCA claim may result in legal consequences. Please ensure your claim is valid before submitting.