(Last updated July 12, 2026)

About this policy

GoKunming respects personal data privacy. This policy explains what information the website collects, why it is used, where it is processed, and the choices available to you. It applies to GoKunming.com, user accounts, submissions, notifications, and related website services.

Information we collect

Account information

When you register, we collect your email address, nickname, given name, family name, password credential, language/site preference, newsletter choice, and account-verification information. Passwords are stored as one-way password hashes. Your email address is not displayed publicly through your profile.

User-generated content

We process content you submit, including classifieds, events, forum posts, article comments, listing updates, reviews, names, descriptions, addresses, translations, and images. Content intended for publication may become publicly visible together with your nickname, avatar, and other public profile information.

Please do not submit passwords, identity numbers, payment-card details, private contact information, or another person's personal data unless it is lawful and genuinely necessary. Public content may be copied or indexed by other people and services.

Technical and security information

We process IP addresses, browser and device information, request timestamps, session identifiers, security events, and similar logs to operate the website, prevent abuse, investigate failures, and protect accounts. Security logs use hashed identifiers where practical.

How we use information

We use information to provide accounts and website features; publish and manage user submissions; deliver replies, notifications, verification and security messages; prevent fraud, spam and abuse; improve content quality; maintain listings and recurring events; troubleshoot the service; and comply with applicable obligations.

Automated moderation and AI processing

New or edited user submissions may be checked automatically. Local rules first assess spam, age, duplication, completeness, account risk, and content standards. Clear outcomes may be applied automatically. Uncertain content may be sent to an external artificial-intelligence service for classification, proofreading, punctuation and grammar correction, address formatting, or bilingual suggestions. Automated results can approve, reject, archive, request changes, or leave content pending for an exception review. You may ask us to review an outcome through the GoKunming contact form.

GoKunming currently routes these AI requests through OpenRouter and an eligible model provider. These providers may process the request outside Hong Kong. Before transmission, the website limits fields and length, removes HTML, omits account credentials, user IDs and IP addresses, and replaces detected email addresses, phone numbers, messaging handles, identity numbers, payment-card-like numbers, IP addresses, and URL query data with placeholders. Rule labels are reduced to non-content reason codes and weights. Free-form text can still contain names, addresses, or personal details that automated redaction does not recognise, so users should avoid including unnecessary personal data.

AI requests require provider routes that deny data collection and advertise zero data retention. If no eligible route is available, processing fails closed and the content remains pending. GoKunming stores the model response and limited operational metadata on its Hong Kong server for caching, audit, cost control, and error monitoring; it does not store the secret API key in website pages or moderation records. The historical article-comment spam scan uses local deterministic rules and does not send historical comments to AI.

Storage, location, and retention

The primary website and database are hosted in Hong Kong. External email, analytics, security, and AI providers may process limited data in other jurisdictions. We use technical and organisational safeguards and require service providers to handle data only for the relevant service.

We retain account and public-content data while needed to provide the service and maintain the continuity of discussions, reviews, and records. Authentication security events are normally retained for 90 days. Completed moderation jobs, AI operational events, resolved alerts, and completed correction suggestions are normally retained for 180 days; cached AI responses for 60 days; and AI usage/cost records for up to 400 days. Immutable moderation decisions may be retained longer for abuse prevention, appeals, and audit. Backups and legal or security records may remain for a limited additional period.

Cookies, analytics, and external content

GoKunming uses necessary cookies for sessions, security, language, and preferences. Analytics, advertising, embedded media, and linked third-party services may set or receive additional identifiers when enabled. Cookie choices can be managed through the website's consent controls and browser settings. External websites have their own privacy practices.

When information is disclosed

Information may be disclosed to service providers that operate hosting, email, analytics, security, or AI processing; to other users when you choose to publish content; when required by law or a valid authority request; or when reasonably necessary to protect users, the website, or the public. GoKunming does not sell account registration information.

Your choices and requests

You may ask to access or correct personal data associated with your account, deactivate your account, request deletion where appropriate, opt out of non-essential email, or ask questions about processing. We may need to verify account ownership. Deactivation or deletion does not always remove public activity where retention is necessary for discussion continuity, abuse prevention, legal obligations, or the rights of others.

Send privacy, access, correction, deletion, or moderation-review requests through the GoKunming contact form. Supplying optional personal data is voluntary, but an email address and other marked fields are required where the feature cannot operate without them.

Children

GoKunming is a general community website and is not designed for children. If you are under 16, do not create an account or submit personal data without permission and guidance from a parent or guardian. A parent or guardian who believes a child supplied personal data should contact us.

Policy changes

We may update this policy when website features or data practices change. The current version and its update date will remain available on this page. Material changes affecting registered users may also be communicated through the website or account notifications.