Privacy Policy

Shard Hosting
Last updated: 23 October 2026
Privacy requests: [email protected]

This Privacy Policy explains how Shard Hosting handles personal data when you visit shardhosting.net, create an account, buy hosting, use a server, or contact support. It covers Minecraft hosting, website hosting, and Discord bot hosting.

1. Who we are and how to contact us

Shard Hosting is responsible for the personal data described in this policy. For any privacy question or request, email [email protected]. You can also open a Discord support ticket, but email is better for sensitive requests. We may ask you to prove that you control the account before we share or delete data.

2. What we collect

Depending on the services you use, we handle:

• Account details: username, email address, login records, service settings, and account activity.
• Orders and billing: plans, invoices, amounts charged (in USD), subscription and payment status, Stripe transaction references, and billing details you give us for an order.
• Technical records: IP addresses and connection data, login times, errors, service status, resource use, and security or console logs.
• Support messages: emails, Discord tickets and messages, attachments, and anything you tell us when reporting an issue.
• Hosted content: server files, Minecraft worlds, plugins, configuration files, databases, websites, bot code, and backups stored as part of your service.
• Website visits: cookies needed for logins, sessions, and security, plus basic visit statistics (see Section 6).

Please don't send passwords, card numbers, or API tokens to support.

3. Why we use it

We use your data to set up and run your hosting, process orders and Stripe payments, manage renewals and refunds, answer support requests, keep our infrastructure secure, investigate abuse, meet legal requirements, and check that our website is working properly.

Where the GDPR or similar laws apply, our legal basis depends on the activity: providing the service you asked for (contract), meeting a legal obligation, our legitimate interest in keeping our services secure and running, or your consent where it's required. You can withdraw consent at any time.

We do not sell your personal data, and we don't use your hosted files for advertising.

4. Payments through Stripe

Stripe processes card payments and invoices. We receive payment status, transaction references, amounts, and the billing details needed to manage your order, sort out problems, or issue an approved refund. Your full card number is handled by Stripe, and we don't see or store it. Stripe also processes data under its own privacy policy.

5. Where your data is hosted and who we share it with

We share data only with providers who need it to run our services, and only what they need for their role:

• Cherry Servers: hosts our game server node, Shard-NL1, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Customer game servers and their files run here.
• Hetzner: hosts our Pterodactyl control panel in Falkenstein, Germany.
• Hetzner Storage Box: stores encrypted backups of our game server node, Shard-NL1, and our control panel server in Helsinki, Finland.
• Stripe: payments and invoices.
• Cloudflare: DNS, website traffic protection, and website visit statistics.
• Discord: support conversations, if you contact us there.
• Our email provider: sending and receiving support and account emails.

Stripe, Cloudflare, Discord, and Google are based in the United States, so your data may be transferred to the US. Where the law requires, these transfers rely on safeguards such as the EU Standard Contractual Clauses or the EU–US Data Privacy Framework.

We may also share information when the law requires it, or to investigate fraud or abuse.

6. Cookies and analytics

Our website and panel use cookies or similar technology that are needed for logins, sessions, and security. These are necessary for the site to work.

We use Cloudflare Web Analytics to count visits and measure page performance. It collects information such as pages viewed, browser type, and referring site. If we ever add analytics or tracking that legally requires your consent, we will ask for it before it runs.

You can control cookies in your browser settings. If you block necessary cookies, logging in may not work.

7. Access to your hosted content

Your files and console are for you and the people you authorise. We only access them when it's reasonably necessary: to help with a support request, investigate a security or AUP issue, carry out essential maintenance, or respond to a lawful request. We don't look through your files out of curiosity. Our systems keep basic console and system logs.

8. Personal data you host

You may store personal data about your players, website visitors, community members, or bot users. You decide why and how that data is collected, and you are responsible for your own privacy notices, handling it lawfully, and answering requests from those people. For that data, we act as your hosting provider. If you need data processing terms from us, email [email protected].

9. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect personal data, such as encrypted (HTTPS) connections, access controls, network protection, and limiting staff access to work that needs it. No security measure is perfect. Please use strong credentials and keep your own software up to date. If a security incident affects your personal data, we'll investigate and notify you and the authorities where the law requires.

10. How long we keep data

We keep account, billing, support, and operational data for as long as we reasonably need it to provide the service, handle security issues or disputes, and meet legal requirements. For example, billing records may need to be kept for tax and accounting purposes.

When a hosting service ends, you have 14 days to request your files. After that, the files and their backups are deleted. We may keep some data for longer where the law requires it, or while a claim or security investigation is open.

Backups made while your service is active are kept according to your plan's backup settings. Our backups are not a substitute for your own copies.

11. Your privacy rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• access your personal data
• correct it
• delete it
• restrict or object to some uses of it
• receive a copy you can take elsewhere
• withdraw consent
• complain to your local data protection authority

To make a request, email [email protected] and tell us what you need. We may verify that you own the account first. We'll reply as soon as we can and within one month. We may need to keep some records, such as transaction records or evidence for a security investigation, even after a deletion request.

12. Children

You must be at least 13 years old to use our services. Under-18s need a parent or guardian's permission to make a purchase. If we learn that we hold data about a child in breach of these rules or the law, we'll take appropriate steps, including deleting it.

13. Changes to this policy

We'll post updates on our website and announce significant changes by email and Discord where appropriate. Urgent security or legal changes may take effect sooner.

14. Contact

Privacy and data requests: [email protected]
Security vulnerability reports: [email protected]
General help: [email protected]
Website: https://shardhosting.net
Discord support: https://discord.gg/shardhosting