Last Updated: October 27, 2025
Welcome to OpenBVE News and Development (“OBND”, “we”, “our”, or “us”). Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you use our website https://www.openbvenews.com, including our forums, news sections, downloadable content, and related services.
By accessing or using our website, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of our site and services.
We collect the following types of information:
Account Information: When you register for an account via our Smart Machine Forum, we collect your username, email address, display name, and any profile information you provide.
Comments and Ratings: When you post comments or rate content, we collect the content of your post, your username, and the time of submission.
User-Submitted Files: We host and distribute user-uploaded content such as routes, trains, and assets for OpenBVE. Uploaded files and associated metadata (title, description, author name, etc.) are stored on our servers.
Contact Information: If you contact us directly (e.g., via email), we may collect your name, email address, and the contents of your message.
Cookies: We use cookies and similar technologies to store preferences, maintain sessions, and analyze site traffic.
Analytics Data: We use Google Analytics to understand user behavior, including IP addresses (in anonymized form), browser type, operating system, and referring URLs.
Advertising Data: We use Google AdSense to serve personalized ads. Google may use cookies or device identifiers to provide relevant advertising based on your activity.
We use collected data to:
Provide and maintain our services
Enable community features such as comments, ratings, and forums
Manage user accounts and authentication across our main site and forum
Monitor site performance and usage analytics
Prevent abuse, spam, and fraud
Personalize ads and improve relevance (via Google AdSense)
Communicate updates, news, or important notices about your account
We do not sell or rent personal information. However, we may share data in these situations:
With Service Providers: Including Google (for AdSense and Analytics) and our hosting provider, to operate and maintain the website.
For Legal Compliance: If required by law, court order, or governmental authority.
With Your Consent: When you choose to share content publicly (e.g., posting comments, ratings, or uploads).
Public posts, usernames, and content you share may be visible to other users.
We and our partners (such as Google) use cookies to:
Remember login sessions
Measure and improve performance
Deliver personalized ads
You can control cookie settings via your browser. To learn more about how Google uses data from partners’ sites, visit:
https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites
We retain user data for as long as necessary to provide services and comply with legal obligations.
You may request deletion of your account or content at any time by contacting us at privacy@openbvenews.com.
Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:
Access a copy of your personal data
Request correction or deletion
Object to certain data uses
Withdraw consent for processing or cookies
Users in the EU/EEA and California (USA) have additional rights under GDPR and CCPA respectively.
To exercise these rights, email privacy@openbvenews.com with your request.
Our services are not directed to children under 13 (or 16 where applicable). We do not knowingly collect information from minors. If you believe a child has provided us personal data, please contact us for removal.
We take reasonable steps to protect your information from unauthorized access, alteration, or destruction. However, no online service is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Your information may be transferred to and processed on servers located outside your country. By using our website, you consent to these transfers.
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. The updated version will be posted with a revised “Last Updated” date. We encourage you to review it regularly.
If you have questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or your personal data, contact us at: