Privacy concerns from [split] AF Hall of Shame (Post Edition)

[pineapplebunnybounce]

It takes a lot of work to keep our site running and prevent abuse, and we sometimes use your data in order to facilitate this. Your information is used internally only where necessary. For instance, we keep IP addresses of all traffic for 90 days in order to investigate issues with our site, track and block suspected spammers, and otherwise maintain the integrity of the community. We keep post and shout IP data indefinitely due to limitations with the MyBB software, and because it makes it easier for us to identify sock accounts.

2. In this case, however, I'll admit that it was not actually necessary to search you outside of this forum, but I did have some suspicions of you and that's why searched you in other forums/websites. This is also valid reason to search members. I did this for an internal staff reason, and it was also because I was curious to see whether or not my suspicions of you were correct.

3. I had suspicions of you for a reason, which doesn't need to be discussed in the public arena at this time although the staff is aware of my reasons (and they even agreed that I had an acceptable reason to search/investigate you outside of this forum). I have proof of all of this in a report thread, which I and the staff members have been discussing.

(bold and italics added by me)

I'm confused. The privacy policy says used only when necessary. It stands to reason that a good enough reason to search up someone like that, using registration information or whatever it was, would be when it is necessary. You admitted that it wasn't necessary, so that violates the policy. But then you go on to say that having suspicions is a good enough reason. Which is it?