- Who We Are
- Scope of This Policy
- Information We Collect
- How We Use Your Information
- Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR)
- Cookies & Tracking Technologies
- Affiliate Links & Partner Tracking
- Third-Party Services & Data Sharing
- Data Retention
- International Data Transfers
- Your Privacy Rights
- California Residents (CCPA / CPRA)
- Data Security
- Children's Privacy
- Changes to This Policy
- Contact & Data Protection Officer
1. Who We Are
InsideBrokers (referred to as "we", "us", or "our") operates the website https://insidebrokers.com — an independent financial research and broker comparison platform. We provide broker reviews, fee analysis, comparison tools, and educational content to help traders make informed decisions.
InsideBrokers acts as the data controller for all personal data processed in connection with your use of this website. We are not a financial services provider, broker, or investment adviser.
2. Scope of This Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to all personal data collected through:
- The InsideBrokers website (insidebrokers.com) and all its subdomains
- Email communications you initiate with us
- Cookies, pixels, and analytics tools we deploy on our pages
- Affiliate tracking links to third-party broker platforms
This policy does not apply to third-party websites, broker platforms, or financial providers you navigate to via links on our site. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external platform you visit.
3. Information We Collect
3.1 Information You Provide Directly
| Category | Examples | When Collected |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Details | Name, email address | Contact forms, newsletter sign-up |
| Communication Records | Content and metadata of messages sent to us | Email, contact form submissions |
| Preferences | Cookie consent choices, notification preferences | Cookie banner interactions |
| Feedback & Survey Responses | User opinions, tool ratings | Voluntary feedback forms |
3.2 Information Collected Automatically
| Category | Examples | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Device & Browser Data | IP address, browser type/version, OS, screen resolution, device type | Server logs, analytics |
| Usage & Behavioural Data | Pages visited, time on page, scroll depth, click paths, referral URL | Google Analytics, server logs |
| Geolocation Data | Country and approximate city derived from IP address | IP geolocation service (used to display geo-relevant broker recommendations) |
| Cookie & Session Data | Session identifiers, consent tokens, affiliate click IDs | Browser cookies / localStorage |
| Affiliate Click Data | Broker slug clicked, timestamp, referral token | Affiliate tracking links |
3.3 Information from Third Parties
We may receive aggregated and anonymised audience demographic data from analytics providers (such as Google Analytics) to help us understand our readership. We do not purchase or receive personal data from data brokers.
4. How We Use Your Information
| Purpose | Description | Legal Basis (GDPR) |
|---|---|---|
| Website Operation | Serving pages, caching content, security monitoring | Legitimate interest |
| Personalised Content | Displaying geo-relevant broker recommendations based on your country | Legitimate interest |
| Analytics & Optimisation | Understanding how users navigate the site to improve content and UX | Consent |
| Affiliate Tracking | Recording broker link clicks to attribute affiliate commissions | Consent / Legitimate interest |
| Marketing Communications | Sending newsletters, research updates (only with explicit opt-in) | Consent |
| Legal Compliance | Responding to lawful regulatory or law enforcement requests | Legal obligation |
| Fraud Prevention & Security | Detecting abuse, bot traffic, and malicious activity | Legitimate interest |
| Customer Support | Responding to enquiries submitted through contact forms or email | Legitimate interest / Contract |
We do not use your personal data for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects.
5. Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR)
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we process your personal data under the following legal bases as defined in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK GDPR:
- Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): For analytics cookies, marketing emails, and affiliate tracking cookies. You may withdraw consent at any time via our Cookie Settings or by contacting us.
- Legitimate Interests (Art. 6(1)(f)): For operating and securing our website, preventing fraud, and displaying geographically relevant content. We balance these interests against your rights and freedoms.
- Legal Obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)): Where processing is required to comply with applicable law.
- Contract (Art. 6(1)(b)): Where processing is necessary to respond to your specific enquiry or service request.
6. Cookies & Tracking Technologies
InsideBrokers uses cookies and similar tracking technologies. You can manage your preferences at any time through our cookie consent banner. Below is a full breakdown of the cookies we use:
6.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are essential for the website to function. They cannot be disabled.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
cookie_consent | Stores your cookie consent preferences | 12 months |
| Session cookie | Maintains your session state while browsing | Session |
| CSRF token | Security token to prevent cross-site request forgery | Session |
6.2 Analytics Cookies
Enabled only with your consent. Used to understand site usage patterns.
| Provider | Cookie(s) | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics (GA4) | _ga, _ga_* | Distinguishes unique users; tracks sessions and page views | 2 years / 24 hours |
| Google Analytics | _gid | Distinguishes users within a 24-hour window | 24 hours |
6.3 Marketing & Affiliate Cookies
Enabled only with your consent. Used to track clicks on broker affiliate links.
| Provider | Cookie(s) | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker Affiliate Networks | Various click-ID tokens | Attribute broker sign-ups to InsideBrokers for commission tracking | 30–90 days (varies by partner) |
| Google Ads (optional) | _gcl_au | Conversion tracking for advertising campaigns | 90 days |
6.4 Managing Cookies
You can change your preferences at any time by:
- Clicking the Cookie Settings link in our website footer
- Adjusting cookie settings in your browser (note: this may affect site functionality)
- Using browser extensions such as Privacy Badger or uBlock Origin
- Opting out of Google Analytics via Google's opt-out tool
7. Affiliate Links & Partner Tracking
InsideBrokers earns revenue through affiliate partnerships with regulated brokers and financial platforms. When you click an affiliate link on our site:
- You are redirected to the broker's external website
- A unique referral identifier (click ID) may be stored in a cookie or appended to the destination URL
- If you subsequently open an account, we may receive a commission from the broker
- The broker's own privacy policy governs all data you submit to them directly
We maintain a full list of affiliate partnerships. Our Editorial Policy describes how we separate commercial relationships from editorial decisions.
8. Third-Party Services & Data Sharing
We work with the following categories of third-party service providers. We only share the minimum data necessary for each service to function. We do not sell your personal data.
| Service Category | Provider(s) | Data Shared | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Analytics | Google Analytics (Google LLC) | Anonymised IP, device/browser info, page views | Site usage analysis |
| Hosting & Infrastructure | Cloud/VPS hosting provider | Server logs (IP, request data) | Serving the website |
| Database | Neon (PostgreSQL) | Structured content data (no personal identifiers) | Content storage |
| Transactional Email | Resend | Email address, message content | Sending contact form replies and notifications |
| Geolocation | ipapi.co | IP address (anonymised) | Country detection for geo-relevant broker content |
| Search Indexing | IndexNow (Microsoft/Bing) | Published page URLs | Search engine URL submission |
| Affiliate Networks | Various broker affiliate programs | Click ID tokens | Commission tracking |
| Law Enforcement | Relevant authorities | As required by law | Legal compliance |
All third-party providers are contractually required to handle data in compliance with applicable data protection laws and are prohibited from using your data for their own purposes.
9. Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law.
| Data Type | Retention Period | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Contact form enquiries | 2 years | Business correspondence records |
| Newsletter subscribers | Until unsubscribe + 30 days | Active consent required |
| Server / access logs | 90 days | Security monitoring and fraud prevention |
| Cookie consent records | 12 months | Compliance audit trail |
| Affiliate click records | 90 days | Commission reconciliation |
| Anonymised analytics data | 26 months (GA4 default) | Trend analysis; anonymised = not personal data |
Upon expiry of the retention period, data is securely deleted or anonymised in a way that makes re-identification impossible.
10. International Data Transfers
InsideBrokers operates globally and some of our service providers may process your data outside your country of residence, including in the United States. Where personal data is transferred outside the EEA or UK, we ensure adequate safeguards are in place, including:
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission
- Transfers to countries with an EU adequacy decision
- Participation in the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA)
Specifically, Google Analytics data may be processed in the US under Google's applicable data processing terms and Standard Contractual Clauses.
11. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
| Right | Description | Applies Under |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you | GDPR, UK GDPR, CCPA |
| Rectification | Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data | GDPR, UK GDPR |
| Erasure | Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten") | GDPR, UK GDPR, CCPA |
| Restriction | Request that we limit how we process your data in certain circumstances | GDPR, UK GDPR |
| Portability | Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format | GDPR, UK GDPR |
| Objection | Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing | GDPR, UK GDPR |
| Withdraw Consent | Withdraw previously given consent at any time without affecting past processing | GDPR, UK GDPR, CCPA |
| Non-Discrimination | You will not receive inferior service for exercising your privacy rights | CCPA |
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@insidebrokers.com. We will respond within 30 days (GDPR) or 45 days (CCPA). We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.
If you believe we have not handled your data appropriately, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority in your country (e.g., ICO in the UK, your national DPA in the EU).
12. California Residents (CCPA / CPRA)
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) grants you additional rights.
Categories of Personal Information Collected
In the past 12 months, we have collected the following categories as defined under California law:
- Identifiers: IP address, email address (if submitted)
- Internet or electronic network activity: Browsing history, page interactions, search queries within our site
- Geolocation data: Country and approximate city (from IP)
- Inferences: Preferences drawn from your browsing (e.g., interest in Forex vs. Crypto brokers)
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
InsideBrokers does not sell personal information for monetary consideration. However, some data shared with advertising or analytics providers may constitute "sharing" under the CPRA. You may opt out of this data sharing by:
- Declining analytics and marketing cookies via our Cookie Settings
- Sending a written request to privacy@insidebrokers.com with the subject line "Do Not Sell or Share"
Sensitive Personal Information
We do not collect or process sensitive personal information as defined under California law (e.g., Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, health data).
13. Data Security
We implement industry-standard technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data, including:
- TLS/SSL encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers
- Database access controls limiting access to authorised personnel only
- Regular security audits of our server infrastructure
- HTTP security headers (Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy)
- Access logging for administrative functions
- Staff data handling training and access restrictions based on the principle of least privilege
Despite these measures, no internet transmission or electronic storage is completely secure. In the event of a personal data breach that poses a high risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and the relevant supervisory authority as required under applicable law (within 72 hours under GDPR).
14. Children's Privacy
InsideBrokers is designed for adult audiences (18 years of age or older) interested in financial markets and broker selection. We do not knowingly collect, solicit, or process personal data from individuals under the age of 18.
If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a minor, we will take immediate steps to delete that information. If you believe a minor has provided personal data through our website, please contact us immediately at privacy@insidebrokers.com.
15. Changes to This Policy
We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or applicable regulations. When we make material changes, we will:
- Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
- Post a notice on the website homepage for significant changes
- Notify newsletter subscribers by email where required by law
We encourage you to review this page periodically. Your continued use of InsideBrokers after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
16. Contact & Data Protection Officer
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal data, please contact us:
We aim to respond to all privacy-related enquiries within 5 business days. For formal rights requests under GDPR or CCPA, our maximum response time is 30 days (extendable by a further 60 days in complex cases, with notice).