Privacy Policy

Effective Date: March 4, 2026

Last Updated: March 4, 2026

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how process-hacker.net (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and protects information when you visit our website. We operate a software download and information resource dedicated to Process Hacker, a free, open-source system monitor and task manager for Windows.

By accessing or using process-hacker.net, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with any part, please stop using the website.

2. Information We Collect

a) Information You Voluntarily Provide

We only collect personal information that you choose to provide. If you use our contact form, we may collect your name, email address, and the content of your message. We do not require user registration, account creation, or purchases of any kind.

b) Information Collected Automatically

When you visit process-hacker.net, certain technical data is collected automatically through server logs and third-party services:

IP address
Browser type and version (e.g., Chrome 120, Firefox 115)
Operating system (e.g., Windows 11, macOS Sonoma)
Referring URL (the page that sent you here)
Pages visited on our site and time spent on each page
Device type (desktop, mobile, or tablet)
Approximate geographic location at the country or region level, derived from your IP address

c) Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies. Here is what each type does:

Essential cookies — Required for basic WordPress functionality. These handle things like page load preferences and security tokens. They do not track you for advertising.

Analytics cookies (Google Analytics 4) — If active, GA4 collects aggregated data such as page views, session duration, traffic sources, and general demographic information. GA4 does not collect personally identifiable information. You can opt out using Google’s opt-out browser add-on.

Advertising cookies (Google AdSense) — If active, AdSense uses cookies to display ads relevant to your interests based on your browsing history. Third-party vendors, including Google, may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this site or other websites. You can opt out of personalized advertising at Google Ad Settings or manage third-party ad cookies at aboutads.info.

Cloudflare cookies — Cloudflare, our CDN and security provider, places cookies such as __cf_bm and __cflb to manage bot protection and load balancing. These are strictly functional and expire within a short time frame.

3. How We Use Your Information

The data we collect serves these specific purposes:

To operate, maintain, and improve process-hacker.net
To analyze traffic patterns and understand which Process Hacker content is most useful to visitors
To serve relevant advertisements through AdSense (if active)
To respond to inquiries submitted through our contact form
To detect and prevent security threats, spam, and abuse via Cloudflare

We do not use your information for any purpose beyond what is listed above.

4. Third-Party Services

We rely on a small number of trusted third-party services to operate this website. Each has its own privacy policy governing how they handle data:

Google Analytics 4 — Traffic analytics provided by Google LLC. Google Privacy Policy
Google AdSense — Display advertising provided by Google LLC. Google Ads Privacy
Cloudflare — CDN, DDoS protection, and web application firewall provided by Cloudflare, Inc. Cloudflare Privacy Policy
WordPress — Our content management system is self-hosted. No data is sent to WordPress.org servers.

We do not control how these third-party services process the data they receive. We recommend reviewing their privacy policies directly.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to anyone.

We share data only with the third-party services described in Section 4, and only to the extent necessary for website operations. Beyond that, we may disclose information if required to do so by law, court order, or other legal process.

We may publish aggregated, anonymized statistics about site traffic and Process Hacker download trends. This data cannot be used to identify any individual visitor.

6. Data Retention

Server logs: Retained for up to 30 days, then automatically deleted.
Analytics data: Retained according to Google Analytics settings (default retention period is 14 months).
Contact form submissions: Kept until we resolve your inquiry, then deleted within 90 days.
Cookies: Session cookies expire when you close your browser. Persistent cookies expire according to their individual settings, typically within 30 days to 13 months.

7. Your Rights and Choices

You have several options for controlling how your data is handled:

Disable cookies — Adjust your browser settings to block or delete cookies. Note that some site features may not work correctly without essential cookies.
Opt out of Google Analytics — Install the GA opt-out browser add-on.
Opt out of personalized ads — Visit Google Ad Settings or aboutads.info/choices.
Request data deletion — Contact us through our Contact page to request deletion of any personal data we hold.

EU/EEA residents: Under the GDPR, you have the right to access, rectify, erase, port, and object to the processing of your personal data. Contact us to exercise these rights.

California residents: Under the CCPA, you have the right to know what personal information is collected, request its deletion, opt out of its sale, and receive equal service regardless of exercising your rights. We do not sell personal information.

8. Children’s Privacy

process-hacker.net is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we discover that a child under 13 has submitted personal data through our contact form, we will delete that information promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately.

9. Security

We take reasonable measures to protect the information collected through this website:

All connections to process-hacker.net use HTTPS/TLS encryption.
Cloudflare provides DDoS mitigation, bot management, and a web application firewall.
Our server infrastructure is maintained with regular security updates.

While we strive to protect your data, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. International Data Transfers

Our web server is located in the United States. Third-party services like Google and Cloudflare may process data in multiple countries worldwide. By using process-hacker.net, you consent to the transfer of your data to servers outside your country of residence. Where applicable, these transfers are governed by standard contractual clauses and other recognized safeguards.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Your continued use of process-hacker.net after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please reach out through our Contact page.