Privacy Policy

Last updated: 4 August 2026

Tech Cave (ABN 62 992 428 919) is a privacy-first studio. Our products are deliberately designed to collect as little personal data as possible. This policy explains what we collect, why, and what we do with it. It applies to our websites (including thetechcave.net), ShadowGate, and Parapunk.

1. Our privacy philosophy

We don’t run advertising, we don’t sell data, and we don’t profile our users. Where a product like ShadowGate can operate with metadata only, we log metadata only — never your content. This is not a marketing line; it is how the software is engineered.

2. Information we collect

• Account and contact details. When you create an account, sign up, or contact us, we may collect your name, email address and, for billing, the details needed to process payment.
• Usage metadata. ShadowGate logs metadata about API requests (for example, timestamps, model requested, and usage counts) for billing and operational purposes. We do not store the content of your requests or responses.
• Payment information. Card and bank details are processed by our payment processor, Stripe. We do not store your full card number on our servers.

3. Payment processing (Stripe)

We use Stripe to process payments. When you make a purchase or subscribe, payment information is transmitted directly to and processed by Stripe, and is governed by Stripe’s own Privacy Policy. Stripe may collect information such as your card details, billing address and transaction history to process and secure payments. We receive from Stripe only the information needed to confirm your subscription and billing status (for example, whether a payment succeeded).

4. How we use information

We use the information we collect to:

• provide, operate and maintain our services;
• process payments and manage subscriptions;
• respond to support requests;
• monitor for fraud, abuse and security threats;
• comply with legal and accounting obligations (for example, record-keeping under Australian tax law).

5. Cookies and analytics

Our static websites generally do not set tracking cookies and we do not use third-party advertising trackers. Where we use analytics to understand aggregate usage, we aim to use privacy-respecting, cookieless methods and aggregate data only.

6. Data retention

We retain account and billing records only for as long as necessary to provide services and to comply with legal obligations (for example, Australian tax law requires retention of financial records for at least five years). Metadata-only logs are retained only as needed for billing and operations and are not used to profile you.

7. Sharing of information

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information. We share it only with:

• Service providers who help us operate (for example, Stripe for payments), under contracts that limit their use of your data; and
• Authorities where required by law or to protect our legal rights.

8. Your rights

Under the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and, where applicable, the GDPR, you may have rights to access, correct or delete your personal information, and to object to certain processing. To exercise these rights, contact us at info@thetechcave.net.

9. Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information, including encryption in transit and restricted access to systems. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Children’s privacy

Our services are not directed to children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect their personal information.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The current version is always posted here with its "Last updated" date. Material changes will be communicated by reasonable notice.

12. Contact

For privacy enquiries, contact info@thetechcave.net or use the contact page.