Privacy Policy

Last Edited: May 22, 2017

I want to protect your privacy. In order to operate my website, I may gather Personally Identifiable Information (the “PII”) about you. PII, as described in privacy law and information security, is information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person, or to identify an individual in context.

Please read my privacy policy carefully to get a clear understanding of how I collect, use, protect or otherwise handle your PII and how you can get in contact should you have any concerns.

What PII do I collect from people that visit my website?

When using my website, you may be asked to enter your name and email address. Entering your details on my website is not mandatory in order for my website to function properly, however.

When do I collect PII?

I collect PII from you when you fill out a form (such as on “contact me” page).

How do I use your PII?

I may use your PII in the following ways:

  • To administer a contest, promotion, survey or other website feature.
  • To ask for ratings and reviews of services or products
  • To follow up with you after correspondence

How do I protect your PII?

You PII is being held encrypted in my database using the latest encryption standards that guarantee the highest level of security. I also use vulnerability scanning and/or scanning to PCI standards in order to prevent any unauthorized access to your PII.

To further protect your PII any submission of names and email addresses are optional and not needed in order for my website to function without diminished experience.

Do I use ‘cookies’?

Yes. Cookies are small files that a website or its service provider transfers to your computer’s hard drive through your web browser (if you allow it to) that enables the website’s or service provider’s systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information.

I use cookies to keep track of advertisements and to help me compile aggregate data about website traffic and website interaction so that I can offer better website experience in the future.

Third-party cookies & opting-out:

I may use third party vendors, to serve ads on my website.

Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to my website or other websites. Google’s use of the cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on previous visits to my website and other websites on the Internet. You may opt-out of the use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting Google’s Ads Settings.

I may, along with third-party vendors such as Google, use first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytics cookies) and third-party cookies (such as the DoubleClick cookie) or other third-party identifiers together to compile data regarding user interactions with ad impressions and other ad service functions related to my website.

Alternatively, you can opt out of a third-party vendor’s use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting Digital Advertising Alliance’s consumer choice page

You can also choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off all cookies. You do this through your browser settings. Since each browser is a little different, look at your browser’s Help menu to learn the correct way to modify your cookies.

If you turn cookies off, some features will be disabled. It won’t affect your experience on my website, however.

Third-party disclosure

I do not sell, trade, or otherwise, transfer to outside parties your PII unless I provide you with advance notice. This does not include website hosting partners and other parties who assist me in operating my website, conducting my business, or serving my users, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. I may also release information when the release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce my website policies, or protect my or others’ rights, property or safety.

However, non-personally identifiable visitor information may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses.

Third-party links

Occasionally, at my discretion, I may include or offer third-party products or services on my website. These third-party websites have separate and independent privacy policies. I, therefore, have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked websites. Nonetheless, I seek to protect the integrity of my website and welcome any feedback about these websites.

California Online Privacy Protection Act

CalOPPA is the first state law in the nation to require commercial websites and online services to post a privacy policy. The law’s reach stretches well beyond California to require any person or company in the United States (and conceivably the world) that operates websites collecting PII from California consumers to post a conspicuous privacy policy on its website stating exactly the information being collected and those individuals or companies with whom it is being shared. See more here.

According to CalOPPA, I agree to the following:
Users can visit my website anonymously. Once this privacy policy is created, I will add a link to it on my homepage or as a minimum, on the first significant page after entering my website. My privacy policy link includes the word ‘Privacy’ and can be easily be found on the page specified above.

You will be notified of any privacy policy changes on this privacy policy page. You can change your personal information by logging into your account.

How does my website handle Do Not Track signals?

I honor Do Not Track signals and Do Not Track, plant cookies, or use advertising when a Do Not Track browser mechanism is in place.

Does my website allow third-party behavioral tracking?

Yes. I allow third-party behavioral tracking.

COPPA (Children Online Privacy Protection Act)

I do not specifically market to children under the age of 13 years old.

Fair Information Practices

The Fair Information Practices Principles form the backbone of privacy laws and the concepts they include have played a significant role in the development of data protection laws around the globe. Understanding the Fair Information Practice Principles and how they should be implemented is critical to comply with the various privacy laws that protect personal information.

In order to be in line with Fair Information Practices, I will notify you via email and/or via in-site notification within 1 business day should a data breach occur.

I also agree to the Individual Redress Principle which requires that individuals have the right to legally pursue enforceable rights against data collectors and processors who fail to adhere to the law. This principle requires not only that individuals have enforceable rights against data users, but also that individuals have recourse to courts or government agencies to investigate and/or prosecute non-compliance by data processors.

CAN SPAM Act

The CAN-SPAM Act is a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have emails stopped from being sent to them, and spells out tough penalties for violations.

I collect your email address in order to send information, respond to inquiries, and/or other requests or questions

To be in accordance with CANSPAM, I agree to the following:

  • Not to use false or misleading subjects or email addresses.
  • Identify the message as an advertisement in some reasonable way.
  • Include the physical address of my business or website headquarters.
  • Monitor third-party email marketing services for compliance, if one is used.
  • Honor opt-out/unsubscribe requests quickly.
  • Allow users to unsubscribe by using the link at the bottom of each email.

If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails, you can follow the instructions at the bottom of each email.

Contacting

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, please use the contact page.