Privacy Policy

Introduction

WhatAI (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard personal information when you access or use whataidoineed.com, including our community discussions, articles, videos, browse pages, comparison tools, search and recommendation features, subscriptions, and related services (collectively, the “Platform”).

Public Community Content

If you post content in public areas of the Platform, including discussions, comments, profile content, or other community features, that information may be visible to other users and, in some cases, publicly accessible online. Please do not post sensitive personal information in public areas unless you are comfortable sharing it.

Where anonymous or guest participation is available, we may still collect limited technical and moderation-related information such as IP address, device/browser data, rate-limit records, and abuse-prevention signals to help operate and protect the Platform.

Information We Collect

Account and Profile Information

• Email addresses, display names, usernames, or other details provided when creating an account or contacting us
• Profile content and preferences you choose to set

Community Content and Interactions

• Posts, comments, replies, and other content you submit to the community
• Votes, follows, bookmarks, and engagement with community features

Search, Discovery, and Recommendation Inputs

• Search queries, tool discovery inputs, recommendation responses, and interactions with community, content, and platform features
• Questionnaire/recommendation responses if used, including use case preferences, budget, and skill level

Reports, Moderation, Trust, and Abuse-Prevention Data

• Moderation and reporting data, including reports submitted, moderation statuses, trust indicators, rate-limiting logs, and abuse-prevention signals
• Security and platform integrity data, such as IP address, device/browser data, and related fraud-prevention records

Payment and Subscription Information

• If you purchase a subscription or premium feature, payment processing is handled by Stripe. Stripe collects billing details and transaction information. We do not store your full card number

Contact and Support Communications

• Feedback, inquiries, and communications with our support team
• Newsletter sign-up information

Device, Browser, Usage, and Analytics Data

• IP addresses and general location information (country/region level)
• Device information (browser type, operating system, screen resolution)
• Browsing data and usage analytics (pages visited, time spent, clicks, bounce rate)
• Referrer information (which website directed you to us)
• Server logs (access times, error logs, performance data)
• Cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies

How We Collect Information

• Directly from you: When you create an account, post in the community, complete the questionnaire, sign up for newsletters, or contact us
• Automatically: Via cookies, analytics tools, and server logs when you browse the Platform
• Third parties: From partners (e.g., affiliate programs) if you arrive via their links

How We Use Your Information

• Operate and improve the Platform, including community features, search, browse, comparisons, and recommendation systems
• Moderate community content and enforce our Community Guidelines and Terms of Service
• Detect spam, abuse, fraud, and suspicious activity
• Manage reports, trust systems, and safety controls
• Apply rate limits, security checks, and account protection measures
• Provide personalised tool recommendations and discovery features based on your inputs
• Administer subscriptions, billing, and support
• Send newsletters or promotional communications (with your explicit consent)
• Analyse usage patterns for optimisation and targeted advertising
• Display relevant advertisements through Google AdSense and other partners
• Measure advertising effectiveness and optimise ad performance
• Comply with legal obligations and respond to legal requests
• Conduct research and development to improve our services

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell personal information for monetary payment in the traditional sense. However, depending on your location and how certain advertising and measurement technologies operate, some disclosures related to advertising cookies, analytics, or ad measurement may be considered “sharing” or similar processing under applicable privacy laws.

We may share your data with:

• Service providers: Analytics providers (Google Analytics), hosting providers, email delivery services (SendGrid), and payment processors (Stripe) to operate the Platform
• Advertising, measurement, and analytics partners: Where necessary to deliver ads, measure performance, manage consent preferences, detect fraud, and operate related services, subject to your choices and applicable law
• Legal requirements: To comply with law, protect our rights, or respond to legal requests such as subpoenas
• Business transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of business assets
• Consent: With your explicit consent for specific purposes

Data Security

We use industry-standard measures (including SSL encryption) to protect your data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no online platform is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of data transmitted over the internet.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies on our website. When you first visit, our cookie consent banner allows you to accept or decline non-essential cookies. Your choice is respected via Google Consent Mode v2, which adjusts data collection by Google services based on your preferences.

Cookie Categories

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

• Cookie consent banner: Use the banner on your first visit to accept or decline non-essential cookies
• Browser settings: Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies in their privacy settings
• Google Ads opt-out: Visit Google Ads Settings to manage personalised advertising
• NAI opt-out: Visit the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page
• DAA opt-out: Visit Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out

Note: Disabling essential cookies may prevent the site from functioning properly. Disabling analytics or advertising cookies will not affect core site functionality.

Advertising, Ad Tracking, and Third-Party Services

We work with third-party service providers to operate the Platform. Below is a summary of key providers and how you can manage your preferences.

Google AdSense (Advertising)

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements. AdSense uses cookies and tracking technologies to serve ads based on your browsing history across websites. Google and its advertising partners may collect and use data including: pages you visit, your IP address, device identifiers, and ad interaction data. This data is used for ad personalisation, frequency capping, and performance measurement.

Ad tracking opt-out: Visit Google Ads Settings to disable personalised ads. You can also opt out via the DAA opt-out tool or the NAI opt-out page. Our cookie consent banner also lets you decline advertising cookies before they are set.

For more details, see Google’s Privacy Policy and How Google uses data from partner sites.

Google Analytics (Analytics)

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with the Platform — including page views, session duration, traffic sources, and device types. This data helps us improve content and user experience. Google Analytics collects data via cookies (_ga, _gid) and may combine it with data from other Google services.

Opt-out: Install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on, or decline analytics cookies via our consent banner.

Google Consent Mode v2

Our site implements Google Consent Mode v2 to comply with GDPR and other privacy regulations. When you make a choice on our cookie consent banner, Consent Mode adjusts how Google tags (Analytics, AdSense) behave. If you decline cookies, Google tags will operate in a privacy-preserving mode without storing cookies or personal identifiers, while still allowing basic, cookieless measurement.

Stripe (Payment Processing)

We use Stripe to process payments for subscriptions and premium features. When you make a payment, Stripe collects your payment card details, billing address, and transaction information. We do not store your full card number on our servers. Stripe’s data handling is governed by their Privacy Policy.

SendGrid (Email Communications)

We use SendGrid (by Twilio) to send newsletter emails and transactional communications. When you subscribe to our newsletter, your email address is shared with SendGrid for delivery purposes. SendGrid may collect open rates and click data for our emails. See the Twilio Privacy Policy for details.

Affiliate Links and Revenue Disclosure

The Platform contains affiliate links to AI tools and services. When you click on these links and make a purchase, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate partners may use cookies to track referrals. These partnerships help support our free service. We clearly disclose affiliate relationships on pages where affiliate links appear.

Third-Party Links

The Platform contains links to third-party AI tools and services. We are not responsible for their privacy practices or data handling. Please review their privacy policies before sharing personal information with these external sites.

Data Collection from Minors

The Platform is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If applicable laws in your jurisdiction impose a higher age threshold for digital consent, users below that age should not use the Platform without appropriate parental or guardian consent. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at info@whataidoineed.com. If we discover that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will promptly delete such information.

International Data Transfers

Personal information may be processed in Australia, the United States, and other countries where we or our service providers operate. These countries may have privacy laws that differ from those in your jurisdiction. We take steps to ensure that your personal information receives an adequate level of protection in the jurisdictions in which we process it.

Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy:

• Account data: Retained while your account is active, and deleted within a reasonable period of account deletion request
• Community content: Posts, comments, and related moderation records may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to operate the Platform, preserve discussion integrity, enforce rules, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and maintain safety records. In some cases, user-submitted community content may remain visible unless deletion is requested or removal is required by law or policy
• Analytics data: Aggregated analytics data is retained for up to 26 months (Google Analytics default)
• Email/newsletter data: Retained until you unsubscribe
• Payment data: Transaction records retained for 7 years as required by tax and financial regulations
• Server logs: Retained for up to 90 days for security and debugging purposes
• Cookie data: Varies by cookie type — see the Cookie Categories table above for details

Your Choices

You have several options for managing your information:

• Update your account and profile information at any time
• Unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link in any email
• Manage cookie preferences through our consent banner or browser settings
• Request access, correction, or deletion of your personal data where applicable
• Contact support regarding community content removal or account closure

California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) grant you specific rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to Know: You can request details about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected, the sources, the business purposes, and the third parties with whom we share it
• Right to Delete: You can request deletion of personal information we hold about you, subject to certain exceptions
• Right to Correct: You can request correction of inaccurate personal information
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing: You have the right to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising
• Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: You can direct us to limit the use of sensitive personal information
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights

To exercise any of these rights, email us at info@whataidoineed.com. We will verify your identity and respond within the timeframe required by applicable law. You may also designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf.

European Union & UK (GDPR) Rights

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK GDPR:

Lawful Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following lawful bases:

• Consent: For analytics cookies, advertising cookies, and newsletter subscriptions. You may withdraw consent at any time
• Contract Performance: To provide services you have requested (e.g., account access, premium subscriptions)
• Legitimate Interests: For maintaining platform security, moderation quality, fraud prevention, spam detection, community integrity, improving our services, and basic analytics. We balance our interests against your rights
• Legal Obligation: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes

Your GDPR Rights

• Right of Access: Obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data (“right to be forgotten”)
• Right to Restrict Processing: Limit how we use your data in certain circumstances
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format (JSON or CSV)
• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: File a complaint with your local Data Protection Authority if you believe your rights have been violated

To exercise these rights, email info@whataidoineed.com. We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

Australian Privacy Act

If you are located in Australia, your personal information is handled in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date information
• Opt out of receiving direct marketing communications
• Complain about a breach of the APPs to us or the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)

Contact us at info@whataidoineed.com to exercise these rights or make a complaint. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the OAIC.

Account Closure and Content Requests

If you would like to close your account, request deletion of personal information, or request review of public community content associated with your account, contact us at info@whataidoineed.com. In some cases, we may retain limited records where reasonably necessary for legal compliance, moderation history, platform safety, fraud prevention, dispute resolution, or enforcement of our terms.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, with changes effective upon posting. For significant changes that materially affect your rights, we will provide additional notice via email (if you’ve subscribed) or prominent site notification.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, our data practices, or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us at: