Privacy Policy
How we collect, use and protect your data across Rival Network.Last updated: 1 October 2026- When you play on our game servers we record your Steam ID, Steam name, IP address, connection times, chat and gameplay/combat stats, so we can run the servers, show you your stats and keep games fair.
- To buy from our store you sign in through Steam. Steam only tells us your Steam ID, never your password.
- When you buy something we use your Steam ID (and your Discord account if you want a Discord role) so we can deliver it.
- Payments are handled by Paynow, who act as the Merchant of Record. We never see your full card details.
- This website does not use tracking, analytics or advertising cookies. The only cookie we set keeps you signed in.
- We never sell your personal data.
This summary is for convenience. The full document below sets out the details.
01Who we are
Rival Network ("Rival Network", "we", "us", "our") is an online gaming community based in the United Kingdom. We run community game servers, starting with Rust, as well as this website (rivalnetwork.co.uk), our online store and our Discord community.
We are the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. This means we decide how and why it is used, and we are responsible for looking after it under the UK General Data Protection Regulation ("UK GDPR") and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Rival Network is not currently a registered company and is run by its founders. When we register as a company we will update this policy with our company details, and your data will move to that company under the same protections described here.
If you have any questions about this policy or your data, email us at [email protected].
02What this policy covers
This policy explains how we handle personal data when you:
- connect to and play on any of our game servers, for any game we run;
- buy ranks, kits or other items through our store;
- join our Discord server or contact us for support; or
- visit this website.
We currently run servers for Rust. As we add servers for other games, this policy will cover them too. If a new game means we need to collect anything different, we will update this policy before we start.
Joining our game servers. Our server descriptions and in-game messages link to this policy so you can read it before you play. When you connect to one of our servers, your data will be used as described here. You can stop this at any time by not connecting to our servers. You can also use your rights in Section 10.
This policy does not cover other companies' services, such as Steam, Discord, the game itself or our payment provider Paynow. Each of these has its own privacy policy.
Our Terms of Service set out the rules for using our servers and store.
03Information we collect
When you play on our game servers
| Type of data | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Steam identity | Your Steam ID (for example 76561198000000000) and your Steam display name. |
| Connection data | Your IP address, the times you join and leave our servers, and your total playtime. |
| Chat messages | Messages you send in in-game chat (global, team and local). |
| Gameplay and combat data | Statistics generated by your play, for example kills, deaths, the weapons used, damage dealt, headshots, resources gathered and other in-game events. Each server records these and links them to your Steam ID. |
| Moderation records | Reports made by or about you, warnings, kicks, mutes and bans, and the reasons for them. |
When you sign in with Steam
- Your Steam ID. When you choose "Sign in through Steam", you log in on Steam's own website. Steam then confirms your Steam ID (your SteamID64) to us. We never see your Steam password or any other details of your Steam account.
- Your public Steam name and avatar. Paynow adds these to your customer profile from your public Steam profile. We show them so you can see who you are signed in as. Your avatar image may be loaded directly from Steam's or Paynow's servers.
- Your Paynow customer profile. We use your Steam ID to find or create your customer profile with Paynow, our payment provider. Paynow gives us a customer token, which we keep in a cookie in your browser so you stay signed in while you shop (see Section 12).
- Signing out. "Log out" removes the cookie from your browser. "Log out everywhere" also asks Paynow to cancel every customer token issued to you, which signs you out on all your devices.
When you buy from our store
- Your Steam ID. This comes from your Steam sign-in, so we can give the rank, kit or item to the right in-game account. If you buy a gift, we also use the Steam ID of the player you are buying for.
- Your Discord account (optional). Your Discord user ID and username, if you want a purchase to also give you a role in our Discord server.
- Order details. What you bought, the price, the date, the order reference, and the delivery status.
- Details from Paynow. Paynow processes your payment and shares some details with us so we can manage your order and prevent fraud. These are your name, email address, billing country, IP address, payment method, and your card brand, last four digits and expiry date. We never receive your full card number, security code or bank login details. See Section 5.
When you use our Discord or contact us
- Your Discord user ID and username, and the roles you hold in our Discord server.
- The content of support tickets, appeals and messages you send to our staff.
- Your email address and the content of your email, if you email us.
When you visit this website
You can browse this website without signing in or giving us any personal data. You only need to sign in if you want to buy from our store. When you visit, your browser necessarily sends technical information, such as your IP address and browser type, to the server hosting the site, so the page can be delivered and the site protected. We do not use analytics or tracking tools to profile visitors. See Section 12 for what we store in your browser.
What we don't collect
- We never ask for or store your Steam, Discord or email passwords.
- We never see or store your payment card or bank details. Paynow handles these.
- We don't ask you to create a separate Rival Network username or password. Signing in is handled entirely by Steam.
04How we use your data and our lawful basis
UK law says we must have a valid reason, called a "lawful basis", for each way we use your data. This table sets out what we do, which data we use and the lawful basis we rely on.
| Why we use it | Data used | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| To run our game servers: connecting you, saving your progress and showing your name to other players | Steam identity, connection data | Legitimate interests: providing the game servers you have chosen to play on |
| To record and show your combat statistics and leaderboards | Steam identity, gameplay and combat data | Legitimate interests: providing a stats feature that players expect and enjoy |
| To moderate our community, detect cheating, enforce our rules, investigate reports and stop banned players returning | Steam identity, connection data (including IP address), chat messages, moderation records | Legitimate interests: keeping our servers fair and safe for everyone |
| To sign you in with Steam and keep you signed in while you shop | Steam ID, public Steam name and avatar, Paynow customer token | Contract: needed to let you buy from our store, at your request |
| To process your order and deliver the items or roles you bought | Steam ID, Discord account, order details | Contract: we need this to give you what you paid for |
| To handle support requests, refunds, chargebacks and disputes | Order details, Discord account, email address, ticket content | Contract, and legitimate interests in resolving problems and defending claims |
| To prevent fraud and chargeback abuse in our store, for example by blocking purchases linked to previous fraud | Order details, details from Paynow (including IP address and email address), Steam ID | Legitimate interests: protecting our store from fraud |
| To keep business and financial records | Order details | Legal obligation: UK tax and accounting law |
| To deliver this website and protect it from abuse | IP address and technical request data | Legitimate interests: running a secure website |
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we have considered whether our interests are outweighed by your rights and freedoms and concluded that they are not. We only use data that players would reasonably expect a game server to use. You have the right to object to any use based on legitimate interests (see Section 10).
We do not send marketing emails, we do not use your data for advertising, and we never sell your personal data.
05Payments and Paynow
Our store runs on Paynow, a service run by PayNow Services, Inc., a company based in the United States. Paynow acts as the Merchant of Record for purchases made in our store. This means:
- Paynow is the seller of record for your payment. When you pay, your payment contract is with Paynow under its Buyer Agreement.
- Paynow processes your payment, calculates and collects VAT and sales tax, screens orders for fraud, and handles refunds and chargebacks.
- Paynow collects the information needed to complete your purchase directly from you, such as your name, email address, billing details and payment card details. It uses this as an independent data controller under its own privacy policy.
- When you sign in with Steam, we send your Steam ID to Paynow to find or create your customer profile. Paynow may add your public Steam name and avatar to that profile.
- We deliver the ranks, kits or items you buy. Paynow shares the details we need to do this with us, and to manage your order (see Section 3). We are the controller for our copy of these details.
Please read Paynow's Privacy Policy to understand how Paynow uses your data. You can contact Paynow about any data it holds at [email protected].
06Player statistics
Your combat and gameplay statistics are linked to your Steam ID so they can be matched to you across our servers. We may show them on this website, in game and on our Discord, including on leaderboards. When we do, we may show them alongside your Steam display name and Steam ID, which means other people may be able to see your stats.
Steam IDs and display names are already public on Steam. We will not publish your IP address, chat logs or moderation records on the website.
If you would like us to hide your stats from public view or delete them, email [email protected] with your Steam ID.
08International transfers
Some of the services we use are based outside the UK, for example in the United States. This means your data may be processed outside the UK. This includes Paynow, Discord and Valve, and may include some of our hosting providers.
When your data is transferred outside the UK, we make sure it is protected in one of these ways:
- the country has been found by the UK government to have adequate data protection laws (this includes the EU and US companies certified under the UK-US "data bridge"); or
- the transfer is covered by the UK's approved contract terms, such as the International Data Transfer Agreement or the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses.
09How long we keep your data
We keep personal data only for as long as we need it for the purposes above:
| Data | How long we keep it |
|---|---|
| Combat and gameplay statistics | For as long as Rival Network operates, so you can keep your stats history. We delete them sooner if you ask. We may keep anonymous totals that can no longer identify you. |
| Steam ID and display name | For as long as we hold stats, moderation records or orders linked to them. |
| IP addresses and connection logs | 12 months from the date of the connection. |
| Chat logs | 3 months, unless they are part of a report or moderation case. In that case we keep them with that case. |
| Moderation records (warnings, bans) | For as long as the sanction is active. Records of permanent bans are kept for as long as Rival Network operates, to stop banned players returning. |
| Sign-in cookie (Paynow customer token) | Until you sign out, or 1 hour after you sign in, whichever comes first. A new token is created each time you sign in. |
| Order and purchase records | 6 years from the date of purchase, as UK tax and accounting law requires. |
| Support tickets, appeals and emails | 12 months after the ticket or conversation is closed, or longer if they relate to an ongoing dispute. |
When we no longer need data, we delete it or anonymise it so it can no longer be linked to you.
10Your rights
Under UK data protection law you have the right to:
- Access: ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Rectification: ask us to correct data that is wrong or incomplete.
- Erasure: ask us to delete your data.
- Restriction: ask us to limit how we use your data.
- Objection: object to our use of your data where we rely on legitimate interests. This includes asking us to stop recording or showing your stats.
- Portability: ask for data you gave us in a commonly used, machine-readable format.
To use any of these rights, email [email protected] and include your Steam ID. Include your Discord username too if your request is about Discord or a purchase. We may need to check that the account is yours before we act. For example, we may ask you to message us from your linked Discord account or to add a short code to your Steam profile for a short time.
We will reply within one month. For complex requests this can be extended by up to two more months, and we will tell you if that happens. Using your rights is normally free.
Some rights have limits. For example, we may keep records of bans to stop banned players returning, and we must keep purchase records for tax purposes. If we can't fully meet your request, we will explain why.
Automated decisions. We do not make decisions about you that have legal or similarly significant effects using only automated processing. Automated tools may flag suspicious activity, such as possible cheating, for our staff to review. You can appeal any moderation decision by opening a ticket in our Discord.
11Age requirement
Rival Network's servers, store and community are only for people aged 18 or over. Rust is rated PEGI 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18.
If we find out that someone under 18 has been using our services, we may remove their access and will delete their personal data unless the law requires us to keep it. If you are a parent or guardian and think your child has given us their data or bought something from our store, please contact [email protected].
13Keeping your data safe
We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your data. This website is only served over HTTPS. We check every Steam sign-in directly with Steam before trusting it. Your sign-in cookie is marked httpOnly, Secure and SameSite, so it is only sent over HTTPS, can't be read by scripts on the page and isn't sent with most requests from other websites. Our game servers must use a signed token to send data to our website. Only staff who need player data for their role can access it.
No system is completely secure. If a data breach is likely to put your rights at risk, we will report it to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) within 72 hours where the law requires. If the risk to you is high, we will also tell you directly without undue delay.
14Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time, for example when we add new games, features or services. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page shows when it last changed. If we make significant changes, we will announce them on our Discord and on this website before they take effect.
15Contact us and complaints
If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, or you want to use your rights, email [email protected]. For general support, you can also open a ticket in our Discord. Please don't post personal information in public channels.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you have the right to complain to the UK regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or on 0303 123 1113. We would appreciate the chance to sort things out first, so please contact us before going to the ICO.