The Pulse of K-Entertainment

Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 2026

HITKULTR (hitkultr.com) is operated by TREPSIDE PTY LTD (ABN 52 153 979 465) ("Trepside", "we", "us", or "our"), a company registered in Australia. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website. We are committed to complying with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

By using HITKULTR, you consent to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the website.

1. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly

  • Newsletter subscriptions: When you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect your email address. We use this solely to send you editorial updates, new articles, and HITKULTR-related communications.
  • Comments: When you post a comment on an article, we collect the information associated with your account (display name and profile image) and the content of your comment.
  • Account registration: If you create an account, we collect the name, email address, and any profile information you provide during registration.

Information collected automatically

  • Usage data: We collect anonymous usage data including pages viewed, article view counts, and browser/device type. This data is collected through our own internal tracking and is used to understand how readers engage with our content.
  • Cookies and similar technologies: We use cookies to maintain your session and authentication state. See Section 5 for more detail.
  • IP address: Your IP address may be logged for security purposes, rate-limiting, and fraud prevention. We do not use IP addresses to personally identify you.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • To operate, maintain, and improve the HITKULTR website and its features.
  • To send newsletters and editorial updates to subscribers who have opted in.
  • To display your comments on articles.
  • To analyse readership trends and content performance so we can create better content.
  • To detect, prevent, and address technical issues, abuse, or security threats.
  • To comply with legal obligations under Australian law.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

  • Service providers: We use third-party services to help operate the website, including hosting (Vercel), database hosting (managed PostgreSQL), and authentication services. These providers only access your data to the extent necessary to perform their services.
  • Legal requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or where we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Trepside, our users, or the public.
  • Business transfers: If Trepside or HITKULTR is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change.

4. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected:

  • Newsletter email addresses are retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
  • Account information is retained for the lifetime of your account. You may request account deletion by contacting us.
  • Comments are retained as part of the public editorial record. Deleted comments are soft-deleted (content removed from display) but a record may be retained for moderation purposes.
  • View tracking data is collected anonymously via session identifiers and is not linked to individual user accounts.

5. Cookies

HITKULTR uses the following cookies:

  • Session and authentication cookies: Required for the website to function. These maintain your logged-in state and session across page visits. These cannot be disabled without affecting core functionality.
  • View tracking cookie: A session identifier (hk_session) is used to deduplicate article view counts so that repeated visits by the same reader within a 24-hour period are counted only once. This cookie does not contain personal information.

We do not use third-party advertising or analytics cookies. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect your ability to log in and use authenticated features.

6. Third-Party Embeds

Our articles may contain embedded content from third-party platforms (such as YouTube, Instagram, X/Twitter, or Spotify). When these embeds load in your browser, those third-party services may set their own cookies and collect data according to their respective privacy policies. We do not control and are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party services.

7. International Data Transfers

HITKULTR is operated from Australia. Our hosting infrastructure (Vercel) and database services may process data in other jurisdictions, including the United States. By using the website, you consent to the transfer of your information to countries outside of Australia where data protection laws may differ. We take reasonable steps to ensure your data is treated securely and in accordance with this policy.

8. Children's Privacy

HITKULTR is not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

9. Your Rights

Under the Australian Privacy Act and applicable laws, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you.
  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal obligations).
  • Unsubscribe from newsletter communications at any time.
  • Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) if you believe your privacy has been breached.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected].

10. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration. These include encrypted connections (HTTPS), secure authentication protocols, and access controls on our databases. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The updated policy will be posted on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or want to make a complaint, please contact us:

You may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au if you are not satisfied with our response.