Last updated: 2026-10-29
This policy explains what personal information the Medica health articles site (blogs.medica-iq.com) collects, why, and what choices you have. Please also read our Terms of Service and Medical Disclaimer.
Who we are
This site is run by the Medica team. You can read more on the About page. In this policy, “we” and “us” mean the Medica team.
What we collect
Account information. You can read most articles without an account. To post or take part, you create an account or sign in. Signing in may work through Medica’s single sign-on service. We receive the account details needed to run your account, such as your username or display name and your email address.
What you post. This includes questions, answers, replies and anything else you write or upload. Posts on the site are public unless the site says otherwise.
Cookies and browser storage. The site uses cookies and browser storage to keep you signed in and to make the site work. A session cookie is set when you sign in. You can block cookies in your browser, but you may then be unable to sign in.
Approximate location. On your first visit the server looks up the country of your IP address (and, for some countries, the region) in a local copy of the DB-IP database, to choose a default language and to offer Kurdish where it is widely spoken. The lookup happens on our server, the address is not stored or shared for this, and a cookie remembers the result. Location data is by DB-IP (CC BY 4.0).
Server and security records. Our servers and the Discourse software record technical details such as IP addresses, browser type and the pages requested. We use them to run the site, fix problems and stop spam and abuse. Staff may use IP records to link accounts when investigating abuse.
Anonymous posting
If the site offers a way to post without showing your name, this hides your name from other members only. It does not make you untraceable. Site staff may be able to connect such a post to your account, for example through IP address records.
How we use information
- to run the site, sign you in and show content in the right language;
- to publish your posts and moderate the community;
- to keep the site secure and prevent spam and abuse;
- to understand which articles are read, in general terms, so we can improve the site.
We do not sell your personal information and we do not show third-party advertising on the site.
Who else receives information
We use outside services to run the site:
- Hosting. The site runs on servers rented from a hosting provider (Contabo). Uploaded images and files are kept in Contabo Object Storage.
- Email. The site sends email, such as account and notification messages, through an email (SMTP) service.
- Sign-in. Medica’s single sign-on service handles your login where it is used.
- Automated tools. We may use automated tools, including AI services, to help translate or check content. Do not post information you would not want processed this way.
We may also share information when the law requires it, or to protect the safety of people or the site.
Your choices and rights
You can ask us to show you the personal information we hold about you, to correct it, or to delete your account. To make a request, sign in and message the site admins listed on the About page. We may ask you to confirm who you are. Some records, such as moderation records, may need to be kept so that the site stays accountable. If so, we will tell you.
How long we keep information
We keep information for as long as we need it for the purposes above, or as the law requires.
Security
Access to staff tools is limited by role, and traffic to the site is encrypted in transit (HTTPS). No online service is perfectly secure, so we cannot promise that information will never be exposed.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy. When we do, we change the date at the top. For important changes we will tell members on the site.
Contact
For questions or requests about your information, sign in and message the site admins listed on the About page.