Privacy Policy

1. Overview

This Privacy Policy explains how Decolonising Archive handles personal information. It is intended to describe, in a clear and transparent way, what information may be collected through the platform, how that information may be used, when it may be disclosed, how it is protected, and how individuals can contact us about privacy matters.

Decolonising Archive is an independent digital platform focused on archive discovery, metadata enrichment, editorial contextualisation, and public-facing access to knowledge relating to Africa, the diaspora, and the Global South.

2. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to visitors to the site, people who contact the platform, users who create accounts if account features are enabled, and people whose information is otherwise provided to the platform through lawful use of its features.

3. Who operates the platform

Decolonising Archive is operated as an independent platform by Dr Yaw Ofosu-Asare, unless otherwise stated on the site or in a separate written agreement.

4. What information we may collect

We collect only the information reasonably necessary to operate the platform, provide account features if enabled, respond to enquiries, maintain security, improve site performance, and support discovery, preservation, and administrative functions.

Depending on how you use the site, this may include your name, email address, account credentials or authentication identifiers, saved records, saved searches, private notes, enquiry content, browser and device data, IP address, referral pages, pages viewed, search queries, timestamps, and general usage analytics.

We may also collect operational and diagnostic information needed to detect misuse, enforce site integrity, maintain uptime, troubleshoot errors, and review suspicious or automated activity.

5. What we do not intentionally collect

We do not intentionally collect more personal information than is reasonably necessary for the operation of the platform. We do not intentionally sell personal information. We do not intentionally collect special categories of personal information unless you choose to provide it in correspondence or a submission and it is reasonably necessary to assess or respond to that request.

6. How information is collected

Information may be collected when you browse the site, use search tools, submit forms, contact the platform, sign up for an account, sign in, save records, save searches, or otherwise interact with the site’s features.

Information may also be collected automatically through standard web technologies such as server logs, analytics tools, cookies, local storage, authentication systems, and security monitoring tools.

7. Why we collect and use information

Information may be used to operate and improve the platform, provide account and personal workspace features, respond to enquiries, maintain records of permissions and requests, detect misuse, maintain site security, diagnose technical issues, understand broad usage patterns, improve search and discovery, and comply with legal obligations.

Search queries and site interaction data may also be used in aggregated form to understand how the platform is being used, which parts of the archive attract attention, which topics are under-served, and how interface and discovery pathways can be improved.

8. Search logs, saved searches, and personal workspace features

If the platform enables saved searches, saved records, private notes, account dashboards, or similar personal features, the information associated with those features may be stored so that the platform can provide them back to you.

Search logs may be retained in raw, pseudonymised, or aggregated form for analytics, performance, misuse detection, and service improvement. Where reasonably possible, search analytics are reviewed in aggregate rather than as named personal dossiers.

9. Accounts, authentication, and access controls

If account creation is enabled, we may collect and store information necessary to create and manage your account, authenticate you, protect the platform from unauthorised access, restore access where appropriate, and provide features tied to your identity or account.

Authentication functions may be provided directly by the platform or through a trusted authentication service provider. Where third-party authentication services are used, those providers may also handle relevant personal information according to their own terms and privacy practices.

10. Cookies, analytics, and similar technologies

The platform may use cookies, local storage, analytics tags, authentication tokens, and similar technologies to maintain sessions, remember preferences, improve usability, measure traffic, detect abusive activity, and support core technical functions.

Some of these technologies are necessary for the site to function properly. Others may be used for performance and service improvement. Browser settings may allow you to block or manage some forms of tracking, although doing so may affect site functionality.

11. Third-party service providers

We may use third-party service providers where reasonably necessary to operate the platform. These providers may include hosting providers, database providers, analytics providers, email delivery tools, authentication systems, content delivery networks, and security monitoring services.

Those providers may process personal information on our behalf to the extent reasonably necessary to provide those services. We do not authorise them to use personal information for unrelated purposes merely because they provide infrastructure to the platform.

12. External links and third-party archives

The platform links to external archives, repositories, institutions, publishers, and other third-party services. If you follow an external link, the privacy practices of that external service will apply to your interactions with that service.

This policy applies to Decolonising Archive itself and does not govern the privacy practices of third-party sites, archives, databases, or institutions linked from the platform.

13. Disclosure of information

We may disclose personal information where reasonably necessary to service providers assisting with the operation of the platform, where required by law, where necessary to investigate misuse or unlawful conduct, where necessary to protect the rights, safety, or integrity of the platform or others, or where you have otherwise consented.

We do not disclose personal information for sale as a commercial dataset.

14. International storage or processing

Depending on the infrastructure used to operate the platform, information may be stored or processed in jurisdictions outside Australia. Where this occurs, reasonable steps will be taken to use providers and arrangements that are appropriate to the nature of the information and the operation of the platform.

15. Data security

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. These steps may include password protection, access controls, secure hosting arrangements, separation of public and private data layers, service-provider controls, logging, monitoring, and administrative review.

No internet-based system can guarantee absolute security. For that reason, while reasonable steps are taken to protect information, transmission and storage risks cannot be eliminated entirely.

16. Data retention

Personal information is retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including platform operation, user support, security, compliance, dispute handling, and legitimate archive administration, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

We may retain de-identified or aggregated information after direct identifiers are removed, where doing so is reasonably necessary for analytics, service improvement, research, security review, or record-keeping.

17. Access, correction, and deletion requests

You may request access to personal information we hold about you, ask for corrections, or request deletion where appropriate. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. In some cases, legal or operational reasons may justify retaining certain information even where a deletion request is made.

18. Children and minors

The platform is not designed primarily for children. If you believe that personal information relating to a child has been provided to the platform inappropriately, please contact us so that the matter can be reviewed.

19. Complaints

If you believe the platform has mishandled personal information, you may contact us with the details of your concern. Please include your name, contact details, the relevant page or feature, and a clear description of the issue.

Complaints will be reviewed in good faith. Where appropriate, we may investigate, respond, correct records, restrict access, or take other reasonable steps.

20. Changes to this policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes to the platform, its features, its infrastructure, or applicable legal and operational requirements. The version published on this page is the current version.

21. Contact

For privacy enquiries, access requests, correction requests, deletion requests, or complaints, contact: info@yofosuasare.com