Privacy Policy
Last updated: 17 August 2026
This policy explains how The Intelligence Vault (ABN 59 381 461 161) handles personal information collected through this website. For detail on cookies specifically, and on the choice you're offered when you arrive, see our cookie policy.
Who we are
The Intelligence Vault is an independent website that reviews and compares software for online businesses. We are not a software vendor and we do not sell anything on this site. We earn revenue through affiliate commissions when visitors sign up to products we cover. We are based in Australia.
What we collect
Information you give us. If you subscribe to our email updates, we collect your email address and record the date, time and page on which you gave consent. If you send us a message through our contact form, we collect your name, email address and the content of your message.
Information collected automatically. Like most websites, we and our service providers collect technical information when you visit: IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, time spent, and the site or advertisement that referred you. We also record when a visitor clicks a link through to a software provider, so we can tell which of our pages are actually useful — that record is about the page, not about you personally.
We do not collect payment details. No purchase is ever made through this site.
What we don't collect
We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 16. We do not collect sensitive information as defined by the Privacy Act 1988 — no health, racial or ethnic, political, religious or biometric information. Please don't send us any.
Why we collect it
- To send you the email updates you asked for
- To reply to messages you send us
- To understand which pages and comparisons are useful, so we can improve them
- To measure whether our advertising is working
- To meet our legal and record-keeping obligations, including proof of consent under the Spam Act 2003
Email and your consent
We only send commercial email to people who have expressly asked to receive it by ticking a consent box on this site. That box is never pre-ticked. We keep a record of that consent, including when and where it was given.
Every email we send will identify us as the sender and include a working unsubscribe link. Unsubscribing takes effect within five working days and usually immediately. You can also unsubscribe by contacting us.
We will not add you to our list because you visited the site, clicked a link, or contacted us about something else.
Affiliate links and how they work
Some links on this site are affiliate links. When you click one, you're taken to the software provider's own website, and that provider typically sets a cookie recording that you arrived from us. If you later sign up, they attribute the referral to us and pay a commission. Your price is unchanged.
We do not receive your name, email address, account details or payment information from these providers. We generally see only aggregate reporting — for example, how many referrals converted in a given month. Once you click through, the provider's own privacy policy governs your information, not ours. We'd encourage you to read it before you sign up.
Browser storage
We use your browser's own storage in two places, neither of which is transmitted to us:
-
Your cookie choice — stored under the key
iv_consent_v1, recording only which option you picked and when. Clearing your browser data removes it and we'll ask again. - A flag on our Systeme.io page — session storage, remembering that you've clicked through so a free resource stays visible if you navigate away and come back. It clears when you close the tab.
Who we share information with
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with service providers who help us run the site:
- Shopify — our website platform, which hosts this site and stores subscriber and contact records
- Google — Google Analytics for site measurement, and Google Ads for advertising measurement
- Meta — the Meta Pixel, for measuring advertising on Facebook and Instagram
The Google and Meta tools are governed by the cookie choice you make when you arrive. Outside the EEA, the UK and Switzerland they run on arrival and you can turn them off at any time; within those regions nothing runs until you accept. The cookie policy explains this in full.
Some of these providers store data outside Australia, including in the United States, Canada and the European Union. By using this site you acknowledge that your information may be handled overseas, where privacy protections may differ from Australian law. We take reasonable steps to use providers with appropriate safeguards.
We may also disclose information where required by law.
How long we keep it
We keep subscriber records for as long as you remain subscribed, and for two years afterwards as proof of consent under the Spam Act. Contact form messages are kept for two years. Analytics data is retained according to the provider's standard retention period. You can ask us to delete your information sooner.
How we protect it
We use reputable providers with encryption in transit, restrict access to the small number of people who need it, and don't keep information we no longer need. No online service can promise perfect security, and we won't pretend otherwise.
Your rights
You can ask us to:
- Give you a copy of the personal information we hold about you
- Correct anything inaccurate
- Delete your information
- Stop sending you email
Use our contact form and we'll respond within 30 days. There's no charge. We may ask you to verify your identity first.
Complaints
If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, contact us and we'll investigate and respond within 30 days.
If you're not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au, or by phone on 1300 363 992.
Visitors from the EU and UK
If you're in the European Union or United Kingdom, you may have additional rights under the GDPR, including the right to object to processing, the right to data portability, and the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.
Our lawful basis is your consent — both for sending you email and for the analytics and advertising cookies described above. You may withdraw it at any time: unsubscribe from any email, or use the “Cookie settings” link at the foot of any page. If you are in the EEA, the UK or Switzerland, no analytics or advertising cookie is set at all unless you accept.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy. The current version is always on this page with the date it was last changed. Material changes affecting how we use your information will be notified by email to subscribers.
Contact
The Intelligence Vault
ABN 59 381 461 161
Australia
The fastest way to reach us is our contact form. We will provide a postal address on request where one is needed for a formal privacy request or complaint.