Cookie Policy

Last updated: 18 March 2026

This Cookie Policy explains what cookies BattleStation sets, why, and how you can control them. It should be read alongside our Privacy Policy.

1. What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device by a web server when you visit a website. They are stored by your browser and sent back to the server on subsequent visits. Cookies may be session cookies (deleted when you close your browser) or persistent cookies (stored until their expiry date or until you delete them).

2. Who We Are

BattleStation (battlestation.build) is operated by MGC Marcin Gdowski, a sole trader based in Poland (EU). Cookie-related questions: privacy@battlestation.gg.

3. Cookies We Use

We operate a minimal cookie footprint. We do not use advertising, tracking, or third-party analytics cookies. We do not use Google Analytics or any other third-party analytics service. Our site-level metrics (page counts, response times) are collected server-side via self-hosted Prometheus and Grafana — these involve no client-side cookies whatsoever.

Essential Cookies — no consent required

These cookies are strictly necessary for the site to function. They cannot be disabled without breaking core features.

Cookie name Provider Purpose Attributes Expiry
bs_brk BattleStation Browser-binding token for passwordless sign-in. Ties a magic-link or 6-digit code to the browser that originally requested it, preventing sign-in link interception. HttpOnly, SameSite=Strict, Secure (production) 15 minutes
csrftoken BattleStation Cross-Site Request Forgery protection token, required by Django on all state-changing requests. Not used for tracking. SameSite=Lax Browser close

Browser Storage (not cookies)

In addition to cookies, we use your browser's localStorage to store:

Key Purpose Contains PII? Cleared on
bs_user Stores your session info (username, email, preferences) for UI rendering. Never sent to third parties. Yes (email, username) Logout or account deletion
bs_exp Stores your session token expiry timestamp for silent refresh timing. No Logout or account deletion

Functional / Preference Cookies — set on explicit user action only

These cookies remember a preference you have actively chosen. They are only set when you make an explicit selection; they are not set automatically on first visit.

Cookie name Provider Purpose Type Expiry
language BattleStation Stores your display language (English or Polish). Automatically set based on your browser's language preference on first visit. If you are a logged-in user your language preference is also saved to your account. Persistent 1 year

Analytics Cookies — none

We do not use client-side analytics cookies. All usage metrics are anonymous, aggregated, and collected server-side only. No analytics cookies are set on your device.

Marketing / Advertising Cookies — none (first-party)

We do not set any advertising or behavioural tracking cookies. We do not sell your data or share it with advertising networks.

4. Affiliate Links and Third-Party Cookies

BattleStation includes affiliate links to hardware retailers (such as Amazon). When you click an affiliate link you are taken to the retailer's website. That retailer may set their own cookies on their domain, subject to their own cookie and privacy policy. We do not control these cookies and they are not set by BattleStation — they are set by the retailer at the moment you choose to visit their site.

Because affiliate cookies are set by the retailer's domain (not ours) and only after you actively click a link, we are not required to obtain your consent for them in advance. You can review and manage those cookies via the retailer's own cookie controls.

5. Do We Need a Consent Banner?

Under the EU ePrivacy Directive, prior consent is required only for non-essential cookies. The two cookies we set first-party fall into the following categories:

On this basis, consent is not legally required for the cookies we currently set. However, we display a cookie consent banner as a proactive transparency measure and to prepare for future analytics integrations. If you click "Reject All", no behaviour changes because no non-essential cookies are currently active. If we introduce non-essential cookies in the future, the banner will collect fresh consent before any new cookies are set.

6. Managing and Withdrawing Preferences

Because we only use essential and request-driven functional cookies, there is no consent to withdraw for our first-party cookies. However you can delete any or all cookies at any time via your browser settings:

Deleting the language cookie will reset your language preference to the browser default on your next visit. Deleting bs_brk during an active sign-in flow will require you to request a new magic link.

7. Data Transfers

Our servers are located within the European Union. Cookie data processed by us does not leave the EU. Cookies set by third-party retailers (on their own domains) are subject to their own transfer policies.

8. Your Rights

Where cookies involve the processing of personal data (for example, the browser-binding token tied to your sign-in session), your GDPR rights apply — access, erasure, portability, and others. See our Privacy Policy for the full list. To exercise your rights contact privacy@battlestation.gg. You may also lodge a complaint with the Polish supervisory authority: Urząd Ochrony Danych Osobowych (UODO) at uodo.gov.pl.

9. Changes to This Policy

We will update the date at the top of this page when our cookie usage changes. If we introduce non-essential cookies in the future we will update this policy, implement a consent mechanism, and re-show the consent banner to collect fresh consent before any new cookies are set.

10. Contact

MGC Marcin Gdowski
EU VAT ID: PL9522050065
Email: privacy@battlestation.gg