Privacy Policies

What Personal Data We Collect and Why We Collect It

We collect personal data from users and site visitors, including name, email address, personal account preferences, transactional data (purchase information), and technical data (cookies and analytics). This data is collected for:

• Managing and improving site functionality
• Responding to user inquiries and comments
• Providing requested services
• Enhancing user experience
• Ensuring compliance with legal obligations

Sensitive personal data, such as health-related information, is only collected when explicitly consented to by the user.

Comments about our Privacy Policy

When visitors leave comments, we collect the data shown in the comments form, as well as the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string, to detect spam. An anonymized string (hash) of the user’s email may be sent to the Gravatar service to check for profile pictures. Gravatar’s privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/.

Media

If users upload images, they should avoid images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS), as visitors can extract location information.

Contact Forms

If you submit information via a contact form, we retain submissions for a period necessary for customer service purposes. We do not use submitted information for marketing unless explicitly consented to by the user.

Cookies

If you leave a comment, you may opt-in to saving your name, email, and website in cookies for convenience. These cookies last for one year.

• A temporary cookie is set when visiting the login page to check browser acceptance of cookies.
• Login cookies persist for two days, or two weeks if “Remember Me” is selected.
• Editing or publishing an article creates an additional cookie that expires after one day.

Embedded Content from Other Websites

Articles may include embedded content (videos, images, articles, etc.), which behaves as if the user has visited the external site. These sites may collect data, use cookies, embed third-party tracking, and monitor user interactions.

Analytics

We may collect analytics data to monitor and improve our website. Users can opt out of analytics tracking by adjusting their browser settings or visiting the analytics provider’s privacy policy.

Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell or rent personal data to third parties. However, we may share data with:

• Cloud-based services for storage and processing
• Payment processors for transactions
• Third-party service providers assisting in site functionality Any third-party data sharing is conducted in compliance with applicable regulations, and links to their privacy policies are provided where possible.

How Long We Retain Your Data

• Comments and metadata are retained indefinitely for spam detection and follow-up comments.
• Registered users can view, edit, or delete their personal data at any time, except for usernames.
• Contact form submissions are retained for a designated period.
• Analytics data may be retained for a specified time as per our analytics provider’s policies.

What Rights You Have Over Your Data

If you have an account or have left comments, you can request an exported file of your personal data or request its deletion. Data retained for administrative, legal, or security purposes cannot be erased.

Where Your Data Is Sent

Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service. If data is transferred outside the European Union, it will be safeguarded to European data protection standards.

How We Protect Your Data

We employ encryption, security measures such as two-factor authentication, and staff training in data protection. If a Privacy Impact Assessment has been conducted, details are available upon request.

What Data Breach Procedures We Have in Place

We have internal reporting systems and contact mechanisms to manage data breaches effectively.

What Third Parties We Receive Data From

If we receive data from third parties, including advertisers, this information is processed in compliance with our privacy policy.

What Automated Decision-Making and/or Profiling We Do with User Data

If our services involve automated decision-making, details will be provided, including how decisions impact users and their rights to contest automated decisions.

Industry Regulatory Disclosure Requirements

If additional privacy laws or industry regulations apply, we will disclose this information accordingly.

Last Updated: February 23, 2025