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Privacy Policy

In accordance with GDPR and BDSG

1. Controller

The controller responsible for data processing on this website is the operator named in the Imprint.

2. Data Collected

We collect and process the following personal data:

  • Registration: Username and email address
  • External login (optional): If you sign in or link your account via Discord or Google, we store the provider account identifier needed to enable login and account linking. For Discord we also store the Discord username. See Section 8 for details on these third-party services.
  • Passkeys (optional): If you register a passkey, a public-key credential (no biometric data — this never leaves your device) and a name you assign to it are stored to enable passwordless login.
  • Compatibility reports: Technical details about game compatibility for virtual machines and Proton/Linux (such as VM type, operating system, hardware, Linux distribution, and Proton version)
  • Last login: Date and time of the most recent successful login (stored per account, visible to superadmins only)
  • Anonymous usage: IP addresses are processed temporarily to prevent abuse (e.g. duplicate votes or flags) and are not used for tracking or profiling.
  • Server & firewall logs: IP address, browser type, access time, and connection metadata (technically necessary for security and operations)

3. Purpose of Processing

  • Providing and operating the VMDB platform
  • Managing user accounts and contributions
  • System and user security — detecting unauthorized access and inactive accounts (last login timestamp visible to superadmins only)
  • Sending transactional email notifications (e.g. admin messages, email verification)
  • Preventing abuse (duplicate votes and flags)
  • Technical security and stability of the service

4. Legal Basis

Processing is carried out on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (performance of a contract) for user accounts, and Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interests) for ensuring IT security, detecting abuse, and the stable operation of the platform. All data is transmitted encrypted via HTTPS/TLS.

5. Retention Period

Personal data is deleted as soon as it is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected. When you delete your account, it is deactivated immediately and your submitted reports become anonymous. Your remaining personal data (name and email) is then retained for up to 2 years before being permanently and automatically erased (Art. 17 GDPR).

For security and operational reasons, server and firewall logs may temporarily store technical data such as IP addresses. These logs are used solely for system security, abuse prevention, and troubleshooting, and are automatically deleted after a limited period (typically 7–30 days). They are not used for tracking or profiling users.

6. Hosting

This website is self-hosted on a private server operated by the controller at the address stated in the Imprint (Hamburg, Germany). No third-party hosting provider is involved. The server is located within the European Union.

7. Cookies & Local Storage

This website uses the following browser storage:

  • Session & CSRF cookie (technically necessary) — required for user authentication and protection against cross-site request forgery attacks. These cookies expire when you close your browser or after a defined idle period and are essential for the secure and correct operation of this website. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in secure operation).
  • Cookie consent preference (technically necessary) — stored in localStorage to remember your cookie choice (vmdb_cookie_consent).
  • My Setup (functional, only with your consent) — stores your VM and Proton configuration locally in localStorage (vmdb_setup). No data is transmitted to our servers unless you are logged in. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent).
  • Dismissed notifications (functional, only with your consent) — tracks which admin broadcast messages you have dismissed locally (vmdb_dismissed_notifications). Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent).

You can manage your preferences at any time via the link in the footer, or by clearing your browser's local storage.

8. Third-Party Services

Fonts: All fonts (Inter, JetBrains Mono) are self-hosted and served directly from our own server. No connection to Google Fonts or any other external font service is made.

Steam Store API: When adding games, the public Steam Store API is queried. Requests are routed through our server — no personal data is transmitted to Steam.

Steam game images: Game header images may be loaded from Steam's content-delivery network. In that case, your browser connects directly to Steam, which may process technical information such as your IP address and browser or device information. For details, see Valve's Privacy Policy.

Discord Login (optional): If you choose to sign in or link your account via Discord, you are redirected to Discord Inc. (a US-based company) to authorize access. We only request your Discord user ID, username, and email address (scopes: identify, email) — no other data on your Discord account is accessed. Discord Inc. is certified under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (including its UK and Swiss extensions), which the European Commission recognizes as providing an adequate level of data protection (Art. 45 GDPR) — no additional safeguards are required for this transfer. Discord's own processing of your data is governed by Discord's Privacy Policy. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (performance of a contract), the same basis as account registration — Discord login is simply an alternative way to create or access your account.

Google Login (optional): If you choose to sign in or link your account via Google, you are redirected to Google LLC to authorize access. VMDB requests only the openid, profile, and email scopes. We store the Google account identifier needed for login and account linking and use the verified email address as the VMDB account email. Google's processing is governed by Google's Privacy Policy. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR, because Google login is an alternative way to create or access your account.

9. Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access your stored data (Art. 15 GDPR)
  • Rectification of inaccurate data (Art. 16 GDPR)
  • Erasure of your data — via Account Settings or by contacting us (Art. 17 GDPR)
  • Restriction of processing (Art. 18 GDPR)
  • Data portability — download a machine-readable copy of all your personal data at any time directly in your Account Settings (after login) (Art. 20 GDPR)
  • Object to processing (Art. 21 GDPR)

To exercise your rights, contact us at: contact@vmdb.it

10. Anonymous Usage Metrics

VMDB collects minimal, privacy-friendly usage metrics to understand how the platform is used and to improve its functionality. The following aggregated counters are recorded:

  • Page views: Which pages are visited (by route name, e.g. game detail, search results)
  • Game views: How often individual game pages are opened (by game slug)
  • Search terms: A normalized term is counted when the live-search suggestions are requested after typing, even if you do not select a game or press Enter. Selecting a game or submitting the search is counted separately as a completed search. Terms are stored as shared aggregate counts without an account, session, or IP link.
  • Reports submitted: Total number of compatibility reports created per day
  • Registrations: Total number of new accounts created per day
  • Display categories: A coarse category only (HD, Full HD, QHD, 4K+, or Other) to improve responsive layouts. Exact screen dimensions, pixel density, device and browser details are neither transmitted nor stored.
  • Device categories: A broad category only (Desktop, Mobile, Tablet, or Other) to improve the site experience. The category is determined in your browser using general input and screen characteristics. Your device model, browser, user agent, exact screen dimensions and input details are neither transmitted nor stored.
  • Traffic sources: Which website referred you to VMDB, recorded as a hostname only (e.g. "reddit.com"). The referring page's full URL, path and any query parameters are discarded immediately and never stored. Direct visits (no referrer, e.g. bookmarks) are counted as "Direct".

These metrics are stored as aggregate counts. For live and completed searches, the normalized search term is retained as the grouping key so repeated requests can be counted together. No IP address, account ID, or session ID is linked to a search term. Live-search terms are recorded for each suggestion request after a typing pause, so partial terms may appear and repeated pauses can increase counts for related terms. Search queries should be used for game names and may otherwise contain information entered by the user. No third-party analytics tools are used. The data is used exclusively for internal platform monitoring and is not shared with any third party.

Detailed daily metrics are kept for no more than one year. After that, the daily totals are deleted and retained only as monthly aggregate totals for long term statistical comparisons.

Session deduplication: To avoid counting repeated visits or display-category reports within a single browser session (e.g. pressing F5) as separate metrics, a temporary deduplication key is derived from your Laravel session ID using a one-way SHA-256 hash, salted with the current date and a server-side secret. This hash cannot be reversed to identify you or your session. It is stored only in the server-side cache — never in the database — and expires automatically at midnight. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in accurate, non-inflated usage statistics).

11. Right to Lodge a Complaint

You have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority regarding the processing of your personal data.