This Privacy Policy describes how “AnswerTree.org”, a site owned and operated by DDC.com, “we” or other first person pronouns treat the information we collect and/or receive from users of our website, AnswerTree.org (“Site”), any downloadable mobile app(s) we offer (“App”) and any of our other services (collectively, the “Services”).
By visiting the Site, downloading an App, subscribing to our newsletter or using our Services in any other way, you expressly consent to the collection, storage, use and disclosure of your information as described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, you may not use the Services.
Information We Collect
• Personal Information. We collect the information you volunteer to us. When you subscribe to our newsletter, comment on an article, send us an email, or share personal information with us in any other way, we will collect the information you provide. This information may include your name, email address or other contact information (“Personal Information”).
• Usage. We will record information about your use of our Services, such as what Content you post or respond to and other information about your interaction with the tools and content we offer.
• Subscribing to Newsletters. You may subscribe to our recurring email newsletter by providing your email address. You can unsubscribe at any time by following the directions in the newsletter.
• Emailing Articles. If you use our email feature to tell a friend about an article on our Site, you will be enabled to send an email with a link to the article.
• Content. We may offer a user the ability to post content (“Content”). AnswerTree.org may use your Content as described in the Terms of Service. Any Content you post on our Site is by design open to the public and is not private. This includes any comments you post and any Personal Information included in connection with those comments. Your Content can be seen, collected and disclosed by third parties, including third parties who may contact you for unauthorized purposes. Please think carefully before posting any Personal Information or any information you wish to keep private.
• Automatic Collection. Like most web businesses, we may use cookies, pixels, web beacons and other automated mechanisms to keep track of user interactions with our Site and other Services and with any ads we place on third party properties. We may also use third party services such as Google Analytics to gather and analyze user information. We may collect information such as your computer’s IP address, the type of browser you are using, the websites you visit and the type of content and ads you click on. We refer to all of the data gathered for our analysis as “Analytics Data.” Analytics Data does not include personal information such as your name, email address, physical address or phone number. We use Analytics Data to help us evaluate and improve the Site and other Services. Google gives users the ability to opt out of its data gathering. If you are interested in finding out more, please see the information provided at https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/181881?hl=en and https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. Another way to prevent the collection of Analytics Data is to disable the use of cookies in your browser but the Site and Services may not function as well if you do that.
• If you use our Apps or otherwise access our Services through a mobile device, we may collect information such as your mobile device’s UDID and/or other persistent identifiers and different types of information about your location, including specific location information (e.g., GPS data), and your interaction with the App and our content (e.g., events). If you do not want your device to provide us with location-tracking information, you can disable the GPS or other location-tracking functions on your device, if your device gives you that option.
How We Use The Information We Collect and Receive
We may use your information to:
• Provide you with Services.
• Operate, maintain, protect, develop and improve the Services.
• Conduct and publish research.
• Contact and communicate with you.
• Provide you with additional information we think may be of interest to you.
• Customize the content and any advertising you see.
Sharing Information
• Personal Information and Usage. In limited circumstances, we may give third parties your Personal Information and/or usage information. For example:
• We may disclose this information as part of due diligence or in connection with a sale, merger, consolidation, change in control, transfer of substantial assets, reorganization or liquidation.
• We may transfer this information to third parties that are helping us provide our Services, such as hosting companies, payment processors, subcontractors, and our affiliates, consultants and representatives.
• We may disclose this information if permitted or required by law, or where we believe such action is necessary in order to protect or defend AnswerTree.org or the interests of our users or business partners.
• Content and Automated Information. We may freely share any Content and any information that is collected by automated means with third parties such as clients, advertisers, sponsors and business partners, for our benefit and/or for their own use.
• Related Companies. We may share your information with our related companies. Those companies will only use your information in the same manner that we are allowed to use it.
• Network Advertisers. We may share information relating to your usage of the Site and Services collected on an aggregated basis with network advertisers. Such network advertisers are third parties that serve advertisements on the Site for products and services that you may be interested in. These advertisers, as well as third party ad network providers, sponsors and traffic measurement services may use technologies such as cookies, web beacons or JavaScript to analyze the effectiveness of their ad targeting. Such third parties may also gather user data themselves, separate from any data that we provide to them. Third party gathering and use of data is subject to their own privacy practices and privacy policies, which may be different than ours.
• Opting Out of Network Advertising. You may opt out of many third-party ad networks. Please visit http://www.networkadvertising.org/optout_nonppii.asp for information on opting out of third-party ad networks operated by Network Advertising Initiative (“NAI”) members, the Digital Advertising Alliance at http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ for information on opting out of third-party ad networks operated by About Ads members, and the IAB opt-out platform at http://youronlinechoices.eu for an on-line guide to pan-European ad networks. Please make sure that cookies are enabled when you opt-out from any third-party ad networks; if your browser is not set to accept cookies or you later erase your cookies, your opt-out may no longer be effective. Please note that if you disable the display of personalized ads from advertising partners, you will continue to receive ads that are less relevant to your interests/browsing behavior. Finally, be aware that even if you opt out of third-party ad networks operated by these members, you may continue to receive targeted advertising on our Site and other websites.
Do Not Track
At this time, AnswerTree does not respond to Do Not Track signals from Web browsers.
Children Under 18
Our Services are not intended for children under the age of 18. If you are under the age of 18, please do not use our Services or provide your contact information or any other personally identifiable information to AnswerTree. Our Services may include unmonitored content posted by users or sourced from other third parties and such content may be unsuitable for children. We do not knowingly collect or distribute information from or about children under 13 and will delete any such information if we become aware of it.
Security
Any information collected by AnswerTree is stored using security procedures and practices that we believe are appropriate to the nature of the information. However, no online storage or data transmission over the Internet can be 100% secure. As a result, AnswerTree cannot guarantee the security of any information you transmit using our Services.
Social Networks
AnswerTree.org offers the ability to post information about your use of our Services using your login credentials from various social media websites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, etc.) (“Social Media Accounts”). We may also offer plugins which are operated by these third party platforms (e.g., Facebook’s Like button). If you are logged into your Social Media Account, the third party platforms may be provided with information about your interactions on our Site. Please read the privacy policies of the applicable social media websites to learn more about how they collect and use your information.
Foreign Countries
Our Services are provided from facilities based in the United States and may also be provided from servers located outside the United States. We may store and process your information both in and out of the United States. Your use of our Services constitutes your consent to and understanding of processing both in and out of the United States. For example, if you use our Services from outside the United States, your Personal Information will be transferred to and maintained on servers or databases located outside your country.
Third Party Sites and Services
We may provide links to third party websites, apps and other services. We are not responsible for those third parties and cannot control their use of any information that they collect from you. You should contact such third-party websites directly to determine their privacy policies.
Changes
AnswerTree.org reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time, and will do so by posting an updated Privacy Policy on our website. Changes will not affect the user information that we obtained prior to the change without your express consent.
California Residents
Under California Civil Code sections 1798.83-1798.84, also known as the “Shine the Light Law,” any of our users who are California residents may request and receive once a year, free of charge, a notice from us describing what categories of personal customer information we share with third parties for their direct marketing purposes. That notice will identify the categories of information shared, the third parties and affiliates with which it was shared, and their names and addresses. If you are a California resident and would like a copy of the notice that the law requires, please submit a written request to the following address: [email protected]. In your request, please specify that you want a “California Privacy Rights Notice.” Please allow at least thirty days for a response.
Contact Us
If you would like to opt-out of receiving marketing communications from us, please follow the instructions in the messages or emails to unsubscribe.
If you have any questions about our privacy practices, please email us at [email protected].