Privacy Policy

This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use and disclosure of Personal Information we receive from users of our Site. We use your Personal Information only for providing and improving our Site. By using our Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

We don’t sell or rent user data to, or share with, any third parties for any purpose. The only uses of data are those mentioned in this policy. Users are the only owners of their data and can request modification or deletion at any time.

This Site may collect the following types of information:

Browser Information. When you visit our Site, we record information that your browser automatically sends whenever you visit any website. This information may include your Internet Protocol address, browser type, browser language, and the date and time of the visit. We also collect information using analytics tools, including when you visit our site or use applications on third-party sites or platforms in conjunction with our Site.

Communications. When any communication, of any form, electronic or non-electronic, is sent to the Site, the Site may retain these communications in order to establish a communication history.  We also may use your Personal Information to contact you with newsletters, marketing, or promotional materials and other information we think may be of interest to you.

Third Party Website Information.  When you provide information to us using a third party site or platform (e.g. social media), the information you provide may be separately collected by the third party site or platform. The information we collect is covered by this Privacy Policy only, and the information the third party site or platform collects is subject to the third party site or platform’s privacy practices. Privacy choices you have made on the third party site or platform will not apply to our use of the information we have collected directly through our Site. Our Site also may contain links to other sites not owned or controlled by us.  We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to be aware when you leave our Site and to read the policies of other sites that may collect your personal information.

Cookies, Internet Service Logs, Clear GIFs. We and our service providers may use cookies, Internet server logs, and/or clear gifs to collect data about your use of the Site.

A cookie is a small string of text that a website can send to your browser that helps the website remember and customize your visit. For example, cookies allow websites to tailor their services, and the content or offers they display, in order to better match your interests and preferences. With most Internet browsers or other software, you can erase cookies from your computer hard drive, block or disable cookies, or receive a warning before a cookie is stored. Please refer to your browser instructions to learn more about these functions (e.g., Internet Explorer; Google Chrome; Mozilla Firefox; or Apple Safari). You can also manage the use of Flash technologies, including cookies and local storage objects with the Flash management tools available at Adobe’s website. If you reject cookies, functionality of the Site may be limited, and you may not be able to take advantage of some of the Site’s features.

Clear GIFs are tiny graphics with a unique identifier, similar in function to cookies, which are embedded invisibly on web pages or in emails. We or our service providers may use clear GIFs (also known as web beacons, web bugs or pixel tags), in connection with our Services to track the activities of visitors to our Services, help us manage content, and compile statistics about usage of our Services. We or our service providers may also use clear GIFs in emails to users. They help track email response rates, identify when emails are viewed, and provide information as to whether emails are forwarded. On our site, they may be used to track ad impressions or clicks, measure the popularity of the topics or services, and to access user cookies.
As we adopt additional technologies, we may also gather additional information through other methods.

The use of the Site without changing your browser cookie settings will indicate your consent to usage of cookies in accordance with this Policy. 

We will only share personal information with a third party in the following instances:

User Permission.  We may share personal information with your agreement but only as described in this Policy.

Legal Concerns. We may share personal information if we have a good faith belief that access, use, preservation or disclosure of such information is reasonably necessary to satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process, or enforceable governmental request; detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security, or technical issues; or protect against imminent harm to the rights, property, or safety of the Site including its users or the public as required or permitted by law.

Non-identifying Information. We may share information with third parties when such information does not identify individuals. Examples of this include sharing the number of users who searched a particular topic or area, or the number of users who clicked on an advertisement or sponsored link.

Your Choices

If you do not consent to the collection, use, or sharing of information as described in this Privacy Policy, please do not use our Site or provide us with information. By using our Site or providing us with information, you are “opting in” to the collection, use, and sharing of that information as described in this Privacy Policy.

You can stop the delivery of newsletter, marketing, or promotional materials from us by following the “unsubscribe” instructions in any such email you receive. You also can manage your email newsletter subscriptions by contacting us at GDPRquestions@windingoak.com. (Please note, even if you opt out of receiving such communications, we retain the right to send you non-marketing communications such as information about changes to our Privacy Policy.)

If you choose to access our Site via a mobile device, know that you can stop the collection of precise device location information by accessing the privacy settings of your mobile device.

To prevent your data from being used by Google Analytics, click here for the Google Universal Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. To learn more about how Google uses data, visit Google Privacy and Terms.

Notice to Users Outside the U.S.
Our Site is controlled and operated within the United States. If you access our Site from outside of the United States, we may transfer the information collected from you to data centers outside of your home country or jurisdiction. In particular, your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States and other jurisdictions where we or our service providers operate, where data protection and other laws may not be equivalent to those in your jurisdiction. We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that personal data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy in respect of such transfer.  By using our Site, though, you agree that your information can be transferred to and used in the United States and in other jurisdictions where we or our service providers operate, as set forth in this Privacy Policy.

Special Information for EU Residents
Subject to exemptions under applicable law (which may include, depending on the circumstances, U.S. law protecting the rights to free speech and free press or EU law protecting the rights to freedom of expression or information, including processing for journalistic purposes), and if you are an EU Resident, you have the following rights with respect to personal data:

To request a copy of your personal data held by us;

To request that we provide you access to and/or rectify personal data that is inaccurate or out of date:

• To request erasure of your personal data where it is no longer necessary for us to retain it;
• If you previously have consented to processing, to withdraw consent at any time;
• To request a restriction on further processing where applicable;
• To object to processing if the processing is based on legitimate interest, is for direct marketing, or is for scientific/historical research and statistics;
• To lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

EU Residents may exercise these rights by contacting us at GDPRquestions@windingoak.com.

How Long We Keep Your Information
How long we retain your information depends on why we collected it and how we use it. We will not retain your personal information for longer than is necessary for our business purposes or for legal requirements.

Security
The security of your Personal Information is important to us, but no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Changes to the Policy
We reserve the right to update or change this Privacy Policy at any time and you should check this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Site after we post any modifications to the Privacy Policy on this page will constitute your acknowledgment of the modifications and your consent to be bound by the modified Privacy Policy. Users will be notified of any material changes to the policy via prominent messaging on the Site.

Last updated: June 7, 2018