Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to 5minMail ("we," "us," "our"). 5minMail is a free temporary email service operated by Bright Idea Tech Ltd, providing disposable email addresses that automatically expire after 5 minutes. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about our data practices.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website 5minmail.com (the "Service"). By using 5minMail, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

Our Core Privacy Principle: We believe in minimal data collection. We only collect what is absolutely necessary to provide you with a functional temporary email service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Temporary Email Data

When you use our Service:

• Temporary Email Address: We generate a random temporary email address for you (e.g., [email protected])
• Received Emails: We temporarily store emails sent to your temporary address so you can view them
• Email Metadata: Sender address, subject line, timestamps, and basic email headers
• Email Content: The body and attachments of emails received during the active session

Important: All temporary email data is automatically and permanently deleted after 5 minutes from creation or when you manually delete the email address. We do NOT retain copies, backups, or logs of email content after deletion.

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

Like most websites, we automatically collect certain technical information:

• IP Address: Your Internet Protocol address for rate limiting and fraud prevention
• Browser Information: Browser type, version, and user agent string
• Device Information: Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet), operating system
• Session Data: Timestamps, session duration, pages visited
• Referrer Data: The website that referred you to 5minMail (if any)

2.3 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience. See Section 4 and our Cookie Policy for detailed information.

2.4 Information We Do NOT Collect

We want to be clear about what we don't collect:

• We do NOT require account registration or login
• We do NOT collect your name, real email address, or contact information
• We do NOT collect payment information (our service is free)
• We do NOT track your location beyond country-level geolocation
• We do NOT retain email content after the 5-minute expiration
• We do NOT create user profiles or behavioral histories

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

3.1 Service Delivery

• Generating and managing temporary email addresses
• Receiving, storing, and displaying emails sent to your temporary address
• Enabling email deletion and expiration functionality
• Ensuring proper email delivery and display

3.2 Service Improvement and Analytics

• Analyzing usage patterns to improve service performance
• Understanding which features are most valuable to users
• Identifying and fixing technical issues
• Testing new features and improvements

3.3 Security and Fraud Prevention

• Preventing abuse, spam, and automated bot access
• Implementing rate limiting to prevent service overload
• Detecting and blocking malicious activities
• Protecting our infrastructure and other users

3.4 Legal Compliance

• Complying with applicable laws and regulations
• Responding to legal requests and preventing illegal activities
• Enforcing our Terms of Service

4. Third-Party Services

4.1 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC ("Google"), to understand how visitors use our Service.

What Google Analytics Collects:

• Pages you visit and time spent on each page
• How you arrived at our site (referrer information)
• Your approximate geographic location (country/city level)
• Browser, device, and operating system information
• Anonymized IP address (last octet removed)

Google Analytics uses cookies to collect this information. The data collected is transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States and other countries. Google uses this data to provide us with reports about website traffic and usage patterns.

Google's Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
Opt-out: You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

4.2 Data Sharing with Third Parties

We share data with third parties only as described below:

• Google Analytics: As described above, for analytics purposes
• Service Providers: Hosting providers and infrastructure services necessary to operate 5minMail
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or legal process
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets

We do NOT:

• Sell your personal information to third parties
• Share your temporary email content with anyone
• Provide your email messages to advertisers or data brokers
• Share your information for third-party marketing purposes (except through the ad serving process described above)

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies on 5minMail. For detailed information, please see our Cookie Policy.

Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies (Always Active)

These cookies are necessary for the Service to function and cannot be disabled:

• Session Management: Maintains your temporary email session
• Security: Prevents CSRF attacks and ensures secure connections
• Load Balancing: Distributes traffic across our servers

Analytics Cookies

Used by Google Analytics to understand how you use the Service:

• _ga: Distinguishes unique users (2 years)
• _gid: Distinguishes unique users (24 hours)
• _gat: Used to throttle request rate (1 minute)

Your Consent: Analytics cookies are set automatically, but you can opt out using the Google Analytics opt-out add-on.

Preference Cookies

Remember your cookie consent choices:

• gdpr_consent: Stores your cookie acceptance (persistent)
• gdpr_consent_denied: Stores if you declined cookies (persistent)

Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through:

• Cookie Consent Banner: Accept or decline non-essential cookies when you first visit
• Browser Settings: Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies or delete existing cookies
• Third-Party Opt-Outs: Use tools like aboutads.info

Note: Disabling essential cookies may prevent the Service from functioning properly.

6. Data Retention and Deletion

6.1 Temporary Email Data

Automatic Deletion: All temporary email addresses and their contents are automatically and permanently deleted exactly 5 minutes after creation, or immediately when you click "Delete Email" or "New Email".

No Retention: We do NOT keep backups, archives, or logs of your email content after deletion. Once deleted, your emails are irrecoverable.

6.2 Technical Logs

Server logs (IP addresses, timestamps) are retained for up to 30 days for security and operational purposes, then automatically deleted.

6.3 Analytics Data

Google Analytics data is retained according to Google's data retention policies (default: 26 months). This data is anonymized and aggregated.

6.4 Cookie Data

Cookies are stored on your device until they expire or you delete them. See Section 5 for cookie durations.

7. Your Privacy Rights

7.1 GDPR Rights (EEA, UK, Switzerland Users)

If you are located in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Right to Access: Request access to your personal data we process
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate personal data
• Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): Request deletion of your personal data
• Right to Restriction of Processing: Request limitation of how we process your data
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a portable format
• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for cookie usage at any time
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: File a complaint with your local data protection authority

Note: Because 5minMail is designed with privacy in mind and automatically deletes all temporary email data after 5 minutes, most GDPR rights are inherently satisfied. We do not retain personal data that would require manual deletion or access requests.

7.2 CCPA Rights (California Users)

If you are a California resident, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to Know: Request disclosure of personal information collected, used, or shared
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal information
• Right to Opt-Out: Opt-out of the "sale" of personal information (Note: We do not sell personal information)
• Right to Non-Discrimination: Not receive discriminatory treatment for exercising your CCPA rights

7.3 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of your privacy rights, please contact us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Subject Line: "Privacy Rights Request - GDPR" or "Privacy Rights Request - CCPA"
• Response Time: We will respond within 30 days

We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

8. Children's Privacy

5minMail is not intended for use by children under the age of 13 (or 16 in the EEA). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has used our Service, please contact us immediately at [email protected]. We will take steps to delete any data associated with that use.

COPPA Compliance: Our Service complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by not knowingly collecting information from children under 13.

9. International Data Transfers

5minMail is operated from the United Kingdom. If you access our Service from outside the UK, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the UK and other countries where our service providers operate.

Third-Party Services: Google Analytics may transfer data to the United States and other countries. Google complies with applicable data protection laws including GDPR.

Data Protection: We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international transfers, including:

• Relying on Google's GDPR-compliant data processing practices
• Using standard contractual clauses where applicable
• Ensuring service providers meet data protection standards

10. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information:

• Encryption: HTTPS/TLS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers
• Automatic Deletion: All temporary email data is automatically purged after 5 minutes
• Access Controls: Restricted access to systems and data
• Rate Limiting: Protection against automated attacks and abuse
• Monitoring: Continuous monitoring for security threats

Important: While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. Use 5minMail's temporary email for non-critical communications only. Do not use it for sensitive accounts that require long-term access (banking, health records, etc.).

11. Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers include "Do Not Track" (DNT) features. Currently, there is no industry standard for responding to DNT signals.

We do not alter our data collection practices in response to DNT signals. However, you can control advertising cookies through our cookie consent banner and by using browser settings or opt-out tools mentioned in Section 4.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors.

Notification of Changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• For material changes, we may display a notice on our website
• Your continued use of 5minMail after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy

Review Regularly: We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your privacy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Response Time: We aim to respond to all privacy inquiries within 30 days.

Data Protection Authority: If you are in the EEA or UK and believe we have not adequately addressed your privacy concerns, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

14. Related Policies

For more information about how 5minMail operates, please review our related policies:

• Terms of Service - Legal terms governing your use of 5minMail
• Cookie Policy - Detailed information about cookies we use