Privacy Policy for Dark and Smutty
Last updated: 11/20/2025
Who we are
Dark and Smutty is a romance and dark romance brand operated by author Declan Rayne.
Our website address is:
https://darkandsmutty.com
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, you can contact us at:
Email: info@darkandsmutty.com
Comments
When visitors leave comments on the site (for example, on blog posts or product pages), we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help with spam detection and security.
An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to check if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here:
https://automattic.com/privacy/
After approval of your comment, your profile picture (if provided through Gravatar) is visible to the public in the context of your comment.
Media
If you upload images to the website (for example, profile images or content in comments, if enabled), you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.
Cookies
Our site uses cookies to improve your browsing experience and to help us understand how visitors use the site.
Comment cookies
If you leave a comment on our site, you may opt in to saving your name, email address, and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.
Login and account cookies
If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie does not contain personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.
When you log in, we will also set several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices.
- Login cookies last for two days.
- Screen options cookies last for one year.
- If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks.
- If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.
Content and publishing cookies
If you edit or publish an article (for example, if you have an author or contributor account), an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after one day.
Analytics and performance cookies (if you use them)
We may use analytics tools (such as Google Analytics or similar services) to understand how visitors use Dark and Smutty, which pages are most popular, and how people find the site. These services may set their own cookies. These cookies help us improve the site and our content but are not used to personally identify you.
You can adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. Please note that some parts of the site may not function properly if you disable cookies.
Embedded content from other websites
Articles, blog posts, or pages on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, social media posts, or articles). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website directly.
These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third‑party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction if you have an account and are logged in to that website (for example, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or X/Twitter).
We do not control the privacy practices of these third‑party sites and recommend reviewing their privacy policies.
Who we share your data with
We do not sell or rent your personal data.
We may share your data in the following limited circumstances:
- Password reset: If you request a password reset, your IP address may be included in the reset email for security purposes.
- Service providers: We may use third‑party services (such as website hosting, security, analytics, email newsletter providers, and payment processors if/when we sell merch directly) to operate the site. These providers may have access to certain personal data only as needed to perform their services and are obligated not to disclose or use it for other purposes.
- Spam and security tools: Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service and/or security tools to protect the site from abuse.
How long we retain your data
If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This helps us recognize and automatically approve any follow‑up comments instead of holding them in a moderation queue.
For users that register on our website (if any), we store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.
If you subscribe to our newsletter or email list, we retain your email address and preferences for as long as you remain subscribed. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails.
What rights you have over your data
If you have an account on this site, have left comments, or have subscribed to our email list, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us.
You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes (for example, transaction records if you purchase merch, or records needed to comply with tax or legal requirements).
To make a request, please contact us at: [insert contact email].
Where your data is sent
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service and/or security tools.
Data may also be processed by third‑party service providers we use for hosting, analytics, email marketing, and payment processing (if applicable). These providers may be located outside your country of residence. We take reasonable steps to ensure that your data is handled securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
Children’s privacy
Dark and Smutty content is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 16. If you believe that a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can delete it.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practices, the site, or legal requirements. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page indicates when it was last revised.
If we make significant changes, we may provide additional notice (for example, by posting a notice on the website).