LotusElan.net Privacy Policy

The document of record is located at: Privacy Policy - LotusElan.net. These are provided here for your convenience.

Last Modified: June 26, 2026

Introduction

LotusElan.net is a non-commercial community website and historical preservation archive dedicated to the Lotus Elan and related Lotus vehicles. It is owned and operated personally by Jeff Cocking.

Your privacy matters to us. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and what rights you have over your data. Please take the time to read it carefully.

By using LotusElan.net, you accept the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide

To register for an account on LotusElan.net, we require only:

A username
An email address

All other profile information — including your name, location, bio, and timezone — is entirely optional. You choose whether to provide it, and you can add, edit, or delete it at any time through your account settings.

You also have full control over all correspondence and notification preferences through your account settings.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit or use LotusElan.net, we may automatically collect and store certain technical information, including:

Your IP address
Browser type and language
Device and operating system information
Pages visited, date and time of access, and referring URLs
Cookies and similar identifiers (see Cookies section below)

User-Generated Content

Content you post on the forums, upload as files or photos, or otherwise contribute to the site is stored on our servers and, unless you restrict access through your account settings, is publicly visible and may be indexed by search engines.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Operate, maintain, and improve the Service
Manage your account and enable you to participate in the community
Send you transactional emails related to your account (such as registration confirmation and password resets)
Send Discourse forum notification emails and, if you have opted in, community newsletters
Respond to your questions and support requests
Monitor and enforce compliance with our Terms and Conditions
Analyze site usage through Google Analytics to understand how the community uses the Service

We will not use your personal information for purposes other than those described in this Privacy Policy without first seeking your consent.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

LotusElan.net uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to operate the site and improve your experience.

Essential Cookies

These are required for the site to function. They enable login sessions, forum functionality (Discourse), and WordPress site features. You cannot opt out of essential cookies without disabling core site functionality.

Analytics Cookies — Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site. Google Analytics collects data such as pages visited, time spent on the site, and general location (country/region level). This data is aggregated and does not personally identify you.

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on at: Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on Download Page

Advertising Cookies — Google AdSense

We display advertisements through Google AdSense. Google may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. These are third-party cookies controlled by Google, not by LotusElan.net.

You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google’s Ad Settings at: https://adssettings.google.com

For more information about how Google uses data from sites that use Google services, visit: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites

Where Your Data Is Stored

LotusElan.net’s primary servers are located in Texas, United States. Your personal data — including your account information and forum posts — is stored on these U.S.-based servers.

LotusElan.net uses Content Delivery Network (CDN) technology to deliver images, files, and other media efficiently to users around the world. This means that certain non-personal content (such as photos and technical documents) may be cached on servers in other countries as part of normal CDN operation. Personal account data is not distributed through the CDN.

By using LotusElan.net, you acknowledge that your information may be processed and stored in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country of residence.

Information We Share

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties.

We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

With trusted service providers who assist us in operating the website (such as hosting providers), provided they agree to keep your information confidential and use it only to provide services to us.
With Google, as described in the Cookies section above, in connection with Google Analytics and Google AdSense.
When required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request.
To protect the rights, property, or safety of LotusElan.net, its users, or the public.

Aggregated, non-personally identifiable data may be shared with third parties for analytical or promotional purposes.

Your Privacy Rights

All Users

Regardless of where you live, you have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you
Correct inaccurate information through your account settings
Delete optional profile information through your account settings at any time
Control all email notifications and correspondence preferences through your account settings
Request deletion of your account and associated personal data by contacting us through the contact form

Texas Residents — Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA)

If you are a Texas resident, you have the following additional rights under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (effective July 1, 2024):

Right to know what personal data we collect about you and how it is used
Right to access a copy of your personal data
Right to correct inaccuracies in your personal data
Right to delete personal data you have provided to us
Right to opt out of the sale of your personal data — Note: LotusElan.net does not sell personal data
Right not to be discriminated against for exercising any of these rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact form at Contact Us - LotusElan.net. We will respond within 45 days as required by the TDPSA.

UK and European Users — GDPR

LotusElan.net serves a significant number of users in the United Kingdom and European Union. While LotusElan.net is a small, non-commercial hobby site that does not meet the thresholds of many large-scale GDPR obligations, we are committed to the principles of the UK GDPR and EU GDPR and handle your data accordingly.

UK and EU users have the following rights:

Right of access — to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you
Right to rectification — to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
Right to erasure — to request deletion of your personal data where there is no legitimate reason for us to continue processing it
Right to restriction of processing
Right to data portability
Right to object to processing

Our lawful basis for processing your personal data is our legitimate interest in operating a community website, and in some cases your consent (for example, for newsletters).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact form at Contact Us - LotusElan.net. We will respond within 30 days.

If you are based in the UK and are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at https://ico.org.uk. If you are in the EU, you may contact your local data protection authority.

Australian Users

Australian users have rights under the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles. You have the right to access and correct personal information we hold about you. To make a request, please use the contact form at Contact Us - LotusElan.net.

Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with the Service. If you request deletion of your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal data within a reasonable period, except where we are required to retain it for legal or operational reasons (such as forum posts that form part of the community record, which may be anonymized rather than deleted).

Server log data (IP addresses, access logs) is retained for a maximum of 90 days for security and diagnostic purposes.

Data Security and Breach Notification

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. LotusElan.net is hosted on secure U.S.-based servers and uses industry-standard security practices.

However, no method of internet transmission or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of your data.

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify affected users promptly via email (to the address associated with your account) and will post a notice on the website. We will also notify relevant data protection authorities as required by applicable law.

Children’s Privacy

LotusElan.net is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information to us, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

Third-Party Sites and Services

This Privacy Policy applies only to LotusElan.net and not to any third-party websites, services, or advertisers that may be linked from the site or that provide services within the site (such as Google AdSense and Google Analytics). We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you use.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the “Last Modified” date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we will notify registered users by email or by posting a prominent notice on the site.

We review this Privacy Policy at least annually. Your continued use of LotusElan.net after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us using the contact form at:

Contact Us - LotusElan.net

Data Controller: Jeff Cocking, LotusElan.net