Privacy Policy

Effective as of : 07.01.2025

1. Overview

BigFile (“BigFile,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) places the highest importance on protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy applies to the collection, use, and sharing of information by BigFile when you use or access:

  • Our main website, thebigfile.com
  • Our community forum, forum.thebigfile.com
  • Any services, tools, or platforms made available under the BigFile brand, including our open-source repository and developer tools.

This document details how BigFile may collect, store, process, and disclose personal data related to you, as well as the choices you have regarding such data.

If you provide us with personal data about other individuals (e.g., friends or colleagues), please ensure they are aware of this Privacy Policy. Share such data only if you have their explicit permission to do so and you believe the data to be accurate.

2. Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to personal data collected through BigFile websites (thebigfile.com, forum.thebigfile.com) and any services or tools we provide, including but not limited to:

  • Our open-source repositories and associated resources
  • Developer communities or initiatives
  • Services that require authentication or account creation
  • Mailing list registrations and information updates

3. Acceptance

By using BigFile’s websites, tools, or services—whatever the method or medium—you acknowledge that BigFile may collect and process your personal data as described herein. You further confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy and all applicable laws and regulations.

Your consent to our processing of personal data is provided by continuing to browse our website(s), consenting to our use of cookies for analytics, or voluntarily submitting the personal data required to become a member of the BigFile community (e.g., in our forum) or to access developer tools and related services. By doing so, you understand and agree that BigFile will use such data within the limits set by law and this Privacy Policy.

If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not use our website(s), do not register for our forum or community, and do not access our services or developer tools.

4. Collection of Data

  1. Website Browsing
  • When you visit thebigfile.com or forum.thebigfile.com, BigFile may automatically collect certain data (e.g., IP addresses, browser type, and cookie data) through analytics tools and cookies. For more information on our use of cookies, see Section 5.2 (Cookies) below or our separate Cookie Policy.
  1. Account Registration / Forum Participation
  • If you create an account on forum.thebigfile.com or any other BigFile service, we may collect data such as your username, email address, IP address, and any additional information you voluntarily provide in your profile or posts.
  1. Subscription to Information Updates
  • When you subscribe to our newsletter or any information updates, BigFile may collect your email address and IP address. You can unsubscribe at any time by following the instructions in the update email or by contacting us as specified in Section 15.
  1. Open-Source Contributions
  • BigFile is open-source. If you contribute to our code repositories or communicate with the BigFile developer team, you may provide additional personal data (e.g., GitHub username, email address). These interactions are governed by both this Privacy Policy and any applicable open-source license terms.

5. Use of Data

5.1 Provision of Services and Tools

BigFile may use your personal data to:

  • Operate and improve our websites, developer tools, and open-source repositories;
  • Communicate with you, including responding to inquiries sent to info@thebigfile.com or team@thebigfile.com;
  • Provide better services, tools, and community resources;
  • Send information about updates, new releases, special offers, or newsletters (subject to your communication preferences);
  • Prevent illegal or unauthorized activities, investigate potential breaches of our Terms of Use or relevant regulations;
  • Perform research and collect usage statistics to enhance user experiences;
  • Manage accounts for forum or developer environments;
  • Enforce our Terms of Use, which you can find at thebigfile.com/terms-of-use (if applicable); and
  • Comply with legal requirements.

5.2 Cookies and Similar Technologies

By using our websites, you consent to our use of cookies and similar technologies. Cookies help us:

  • Recognize returning visitors;
  • Track browsing activity and usage patterns;
  • Personalize content and user experience;
  • Conduct analytics and improve our services.

You can typically disable cookies via your browser settings. However, doing so may limit certain functionalities of the website(s).

5.3 Analytics (e.g., Google Analytics)

We may use Google Analytics or similar tools to understand how users engage with our websites. These services may collect information about your visits (including IP address, browser information, and referring pages) and store that data on external servers. Google or similar analytics providers may share data with third parties if required by law or if third parties process such data on their behalf. You can disable analytics cookies, but this may reduce the functionality of our sites.

6. Third-Party Disclosure

BigFile may share your personal data with:

  • Service providers (e.g., email platforms, hosting companies, analytics providers) to help operate our websites and services;
  • Relevant third parties for legal compliance or if legally required (e.g., in response to subpoenas or court orders);
  • Business partners or other users, if you explicitly request or authorize it (for instance, linking your open-source contributions with your public profile);
  • Law enforcement or other authorities when necessary to investigate unlawful activities or enforce our Terms of Use.

We do not sell your personal data.

7. International Transfers of Personal Data

BigFile may transfer personal data to servers or service providers located outside your country of residence, including the EEA (European Economic Area), Switzerland, and the United States. In such cases, we ensure data protection standards meet the requirements of applicable law, including GDPR, by leveraging appropriate contractual clauses or frameworks.

8. Storage of Personal Data

We store your personal data only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or to comply with legal obligations. Once the purpose is fulfilled or no longer valid, and there is no legal requirement to retain the data, the data is deleted or anonymized in accordance with applicable law.

9. Your Rights Regarding Your Personal Data

9.1 Right to Be Informed

You have the right to be informed about whether and how BigFile processes your personal data.

9.2 Right of Access

You have the right to request information about the personal data we hold about you, including categories of data, processing purposes, recipients, and the data’s origin.

9.3 Right to Rectification

You may request corrections to any inaccurate or incomplete personal data we maintain about you.

9.4 Right to Erasure (Right to Be Forgotten)

Under certain conditions, you have the right to request erasure of your personal data, for example if the data is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected.

9.5 Right to Restrict Processing

You may request the restriction of processing of your personal data if, for instance, you contest its accuracy or oppose its erasure.

9.6 Right to Data Portability

Where legally applicable, you can request an electronic copy of your personal data so you can reuse it in other environments or services.

9.7 Right to Object

You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data in certain circumstances, including for direct marketing or profiling.

9.8 Automated Decision-Making, Including Profiling

You have the right not to be subject to decisions made solely on automated processing that significantly affect your rights, except where such processing is necessary for contractual or legal reasons, or with your explicit consent.

9.9 Withdrawal of Consent

You may withdraw your consent to our processing of your personal data at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of any processing based on consent prior to withdrawal.

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 15.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may modify this Privacy Policy from time to time. When changes occur, we will post the most recent version on thebigfile.com. We encourage users to periodically review this page to stay informed about any updates. By continuing to use our websites and services after changes are posted, you acknowledge and accept those changes.

11. Protection of Personal Data

BigFile implements appropriate technical, administrative, and organizational measures to protect personal data from unauthorized access, misuse, loss, alteration, or destruction. While we strive to secure your information, no method of data transmission or storage is completely foolproof.

12. Our Policy Toward Children

BigFile’s websites, services, and tools are not intended for individuals under 18 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us at info@thebigfile.com. We will take steps to delete such data as soon as possible.

13. Links to Third-Party Sites

Our websites (including thebigfile.com and forum.thebigfile.com) may link to external sites. Those sites have their own privacy policies and practices, and BigFile does not control or endorse them. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external services you visit.

14. Open-Source Nature of BigFile

BigFile is an open-source project. When you engage with the project, such as contributing to public repositories or communicating with the developer community via team@thebigfile.com, certain information (e.g., your username, commits, or public profile details) may be publicly visible or tracked in version-control systems. By contributing, you acknowledge that such data may be publicly accessible.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or how we handle personal data, please reach out:

You may also contact us if you:

  • Want to exercise your data protection rights;
  • Wish to report potential privacy law breaches; or
  • Have other privacy-related inquiries.