Privacy
The very nature of providing you with information on the web or with an app, requires collection of your data and the Privacy Policy below outlines the many ways that works as it pertains to Honest Ads, PLAYED, and ThePolygraph.org blog.
HonestAds / PLAYED PRIVACY POLICY
Effective Date: July 28, 2020.
- Introduction and Overview.
This Privacy Policy provides a comprehensive description of how HonestAds (“HonestAds,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) collects, uses, and shares information about you as well as your rights and choices regarding such information. It applies to our websites at honestads.org and the “PLAYED” app, as well as any other online location that links to this Privacy Policy (the “Services”) or offline location that makes this Privacy Policy available to you. Please note, this Privacy Policy does not apply to information collected outside of the Services, including through any third party sites that link to or are accessible from the Services.
By using the Services or interacting with us offline, you agree to our data practices and other activities as described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, discontinue use of the Services.
If you have any questions or wish to exercise your rights and choices, please contact us as set out in the “Contact Us” section.
- Information Collection.
- Information You Provide.
We collect information about you when you use the Services or interact with us, including information you provide when you sign up for our emails, access or interact with our content, make a donation, participate in a promotion, or contact us. The categories of information we collect include:
- Contact Data, including your first and last name, email address, and postal address.
- Demographic Data, when you voluntarily provide that information, including your age, and political party affiliation.
- Billing Data, includingyour payment instrument/account number, expiration date, and security code as necessary to process you donations.
- Donor Information, in connection with your donations, which may include how you found HonestAds, your donation amount, and if you are making your gift in honor of anyone.
- Content, includingcontent within any messages you send to us (such as feedback and questions) or publicly post on the Service (such as in product reviews or blog comments).
You may choose to voluntarily provide other information to us that we do not request, and, in such instances, you are solely responsible for such information.
- Information Collected Automatically.
In addition, we automatically collect information about your device and how your device interacts with the Services, including:
- Service Use Data, including data about features you use, pages you visit, emails and advertisements you view, the time of day you browse, and your referring and exiting pages.
- Device Data, including data about the type of device or browser you use, your device’s operating software, your internet service provider, your device’s regional and language settings, and device identifiers such as IP address and Ad Id.
- Location Data, including imprecise location data (such as location derived from an IP address or data that indicates a city or postal code level).
The types of tracking technologies we use to automatically collect information include:
- Log Files, which are files that record events that occur in connection with your use of the Service.
- Cookies, which are small data files stored on your device that act as a unique tag to identify your browser. We use two types of cookies: session cookies and persistent cookies. Session cookies make it easier for you to navigate our website and expire when you close your browser. Persistent cookies help with personalizing your experience, remembering your preferences, and supporting security features. Persistent cookies may remain on your device for extended periods of time, and generally may be controlled through your browser settings.
- Pixels (also known as web beacons), which is codeembedded in a website, video, email, or advertisement that sends information about your use to a server. There are various types of pixels, including image pixels (which are small graphic images) and JavaScript pixels (which contains JavaScript code). When you access a website, video, email, or advertisement that contains a pixel, the pixel may permit us or a separate entity to drop or read cookies on your browser. Pixels are used in combination with cookies to track activity by a particular browser on a particular device. We may incorporate pixels from separate entities, including Facebook, that allow us to track our conversions, bring you advertising both on and off the Service, and provide you with additional functionality, such as the ability to connect our Service with your social media account.
- App Technologies, which are technologies included in our app that are not browser-based like cookies and cannot be controlled by browser settings. For example, our apps may include SDKs, which is code that sends information about your use to a server, for instance through the Facebook SDK. These SDKs allow us to track our conversions, bring you advertising both on and off the Service, and provide you with additional functionality, such as the ability to connect our Service with your social media account.
- Location-Identifying Technologies, which are technologies used to collect your location. For example, GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth may be used to collect precise location data when you consent to precise location tracking through our apps. Location data may be used for purposes such as verifying your device’s location and delivering or restricting relevant content and advertising based on that location.
For further information on how we use tracking technologies for analytics and advertising, and your rights and choices regarding them, see the “Analytics and Advertising” and “Your Rights and Choices” sections below.
- Information from Other Sources.
We also collect information from other sources, including:
- Social networks with which you interact.
- Partners that promote or distribute our products, or engage in joint marketing activities.
- Publicly-available sources, including data in the public domain.
- Use of Information.
We collect and use information in accordance with the practices described in this Privacy Policy, including:
- Operating and managing our Services, including your donations.
- Performing services requested by you, such as responding to your comments, questions, and requests, and providing customer service.
- Sending you technical notices, updates, security alerts, information regarding changes to our policies, and support and administrative messages.
- Preventing and addressing fraud, breach of policies or terms, and threats or harm.
- Monitoring and analysing trends, usage, and activities.
- Improving the Services.
- Developing and sending advertising, direct marketing, and communications about our and other entities’ products, events, and services.
- Fulfilling any other purpose at your direction.
- With notice to you and your consent.
Notwithstanding the above, we may use information that does not identify you (including information that has been aggregated or de-identified) for any purpose except as prohibited by applicable law. For information on your rights and choices regarding how we use information about you, please see the “Your Rights and Choices” section below.
- Sharing of Information.
We share information we collect in accordance with third parties for purposes consistent with the practices described in this Privacy Policy or as permitted by applicable law, including as follows:
- Service Providers. We share information with service providers that process information on our behalf. Service providers assist us with services such as processing credit card payments and other donations, delivering content to you, data analytics, marketing and advertising, website or platform hosting, professional services, and technical support.
- Vendors and Other Parties. We share information with vendors and other parties for analytics and advertising related purposes. These parties may act as our service providers, or in certain contexts, independently decide how to process your information. For more information on advertising and analytics, see the “Analytics and Advertising” section below.
- Affiliates. We share information with our affiliates and related entities, including where they act as our service providers or for their own internal purposes.
- Partners. We share information with our partners in connection with offering co-branded services, distributing our products, or engaging in joint marketing activities.
- Security and Compelled Disclosure. We share information to comply with the law or other legal process, and where required, in response to lawful requests by public authorities, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements. We also share information to protect the rights, property, life, health, security and safety of us, the Service or anyone else.
- Facilitating Requests. We share information at your request or direction.
- Consent. We share information with notice to you and your consent.
- Other Legal Reasons. In addition, we may use or disclose your information as we deem necessary or appropriate: (1) under applicable law; (2) to respond to requests from public and government authorities; (3) to comply with subpoenas and other legal processes; (4) to pursue available remedies or limit damages we may sustain; (5) to protect our operations or those of any of our Affiliates; (6) to protect the rights, privacy, safety or property of HonestAds, our Affiliates, you and others; and (7) to enforce our end user license agreements.
Notwithstanding the above, we may share information that does not identify you (including information that has been aggregated or de-identified) except as prohibited by applicable law. For information on your rights and choices regarding how we share information about you, please see the “Your Rights and Choices” section below.
- Other Parties.
We offer parts of our Services through websites, platforms, and services operated or controlled by other parties. In addition, we integrate technologies operated or controlled by other parties into parts of our Service.
Some examples include:
- Links. Our Service includes links that hyperlink to websites, platforms, and other services not operated or controlled by us.
- Brand Pages. We offer some of our content through social media. Any information you provide to us when you engage with our content (such as through our brand page or via our) is treated in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Also, if you publicly reference our Services on social media (e.g., by using a hashtag associated with HonestAds in a tweet or post), we may use your reference on or in connection with our Services.
Please note that when you interact with other parties, including when you leave our Services, those parties may independently collect information about you and solicit information from you. The information collected and stored by those parties remains subject to their own policies and practices, including what information they share with us, your rights and choices on their services and devices, and whether they store information in the U.S. or elsewhere. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with and consult their privacy policies and terms of use.
- Analytics and Advertising.
We use analytics services, such as Google Analytics, to help us understand how users access and use the Service. In addition, we work ad networks, and other technology services to place ads about our products and services on other websites and services. For example, we place ads through Google and Facebook that you may view on their platforms as well as on other websites and services.
As part of this process, we may incorporate tracking technologies into our own Service (including our website and emails) as well as into our ads displayed on other websites and services. Some of these tracking technologies may track your activities across time and services for purposes of associating the different devices you use, and delivering relevant ads and/or other content to you (“Interest-based Advertising”).
We also use audience matching services to reach people (or people similar to people) who have visited our Service or are identified in one or more of our databases (“Matched Ads”). This is done by us uploading a customer list to another party or incorporating a pixel from another party into our own Service, and the other party matching common factors between our data and their data or other datasets. For instance, we incorporate the Facebook pixel on our Service and may share your email address with Facebook as part of our use of Facebook Custom Audiences.
As indicated above, vendors and other parties may act as our service providers, or in certain contexts, independently decide how to process your information. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with and consult their privacy policies and terms of use.
For further information on the types of tracking technologies we use on the Service and your rights and choices regarding analytics, Interest-based Advertising, and Matched Ads, please see the “Information Collected Automatically” and “Your Rights and Choices” sections.
- Your Rights and Choices.
- Tracking Technology Choices.
- Cookies and Pixels. Most browsers accept cookies by default. You can instruct your browser, by changing its settings, to decline or delete cookies. If you use multiple browsers on your device, you will need to instruct each browser separately. Your ability to limit cookies is subject to your browser settings and limitations.
- Do Not Track. Your browser settings may allow you to automatically transmit a “Do Not Track” signal to online services you visit. Note, however, there is no industry consensus as to what site and app operators should do with regard to these signals. Accordingly, unless and until the law is interpreted to require us to do so, we do not monitor or take action with respect to “Do Not Track” signals. For more information on “Do Not Track,” visit https://www.allaboutdnt.com.
- App and Location Technologies. You can stop all collection of information via an app by uninstalling the app. You can also reset your device Ad Id at any time through your device settings, which is designed to allow you to limit the use of information collected about you. You can stop all collection of precise location data through an app by uninstalling the app or withdrawing your consent through your device settings.
Please be aware that if you disable or remove tracking technologies some parts of the Service may not function correctly.
- Analytics and Interest-Based Advertising.
Google provides tools to allow you to opt out of the use of certain information collected by Google Analytics at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout and by Google Analytics for Display Advertising or the Google Display Network at https://www.google.com/settings/ads/onweb/ .
The companies we work with to provide you with targeted ads are required by us to give you the choice to opt out of receiving targeted ads. Most of these companies are participants of the Digital Advertising Alliance (“DAA”) and/or the Network Advertising Initiative (“NAI”). To learn more about the targeted ads provided by these companies, and how to opt out of receiving certain targeted ads from them, please visit: (i) for website targeted ads from DAA participants, https://www.aboutads.info/choices; (ii) for app targeted ads from DAA participants, https://www.aboutads.info/appchoices; and (iii) for targeted ads from NAI participants, https://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/. Opting out only means that the selected participants should no longer deliver certain targeted ads to you, but does not mean you will no longer receive any targeted content and/or ads (e.g., in connection with the participants’ other customers or from other technology services).
To opt out of us using your data for Matched Ads, please contact us as set forth in the “Contact Us” section below and specify that you wish to opt out of matched ads. We will request that the applicable party not serve you matched ads based on information we provide to it. Alternatively, you may directly contact the applicable party to opt out.
You may also limit our use of information collected from or about your mobile device for purposes of serving targeted ads to you by going to your device settings and selecting “Limit Ad Tracking” (for iOS devices) or “Opt out of Interest-Based Ads” (for Android devices).
Please note that if you opt out using any of these methods, the opt out will only apply to the specific browser or device from which you opt out. We are not responsible for the effectiveness of, or compliance with, any opt out options or programs, or the accuracy of any other entities’ statements regarding their opt out options or programs.
- Communications.
- E-mails. You can opt-out of receiving promotional emails from us at any time by following the instructions as provided in emails to click on the unsubscribe link, or emailing us at the email address set out in the “Contact Us” section below with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject field of the email. Please note that you cannot opt-out of non-promotional emails, such as those about your account, transactions, servicing, or our ongoing business relations.
- Push Notifications. If you have opted-in to receive push notification on your device, you can opt-out at any time by adjusting the permissions in your device or uninstalling our app.
Please note that your opt out is limited to the email address, device, and phone number used and will not affect subsequent subscriptions.
- Children.
The Services are intended for general audiences, and are not directed at children under 13 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information (as defined by the U.S. Children’s Privacy Protection Act, or “COPPA”) from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe we have collected personal information in violation of COPPA, contact us at talk@HonestAds.org. We will remove the personal information in accordance with COPPA.
- Data Security.
We implement and maintain reasonable administrative, physical, and technical security safeguards to help protect information about you from loss, theft, misuse and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration and destruction. Nevertheless, transmission via the internet is not completely secure and we cannot guarantee the security of information about you.
- International Transfer.
We are based in the U.S. and the information we collect is governed by U.S. law. If you are accessing the Services from outside of the U.S., please be aware that information collected through the Services may be transferred to, processed, stored, and used in the U.S. and other jurisdictions. Data protection laws in the U.S. and other jurisdictions may be different from those of your country of residence. Your use of the Services or provision of any information therefore constitutes your consent to the transfer to and from, processing, usage, sharing, and storage of information about you in the U.S. and other jurisdictions as set out in this Privacy Policy.
- Changes to this Privacy Policy.
We reserve the right to revise and reissue this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting of the revised Privacy Policy. Your continued use of our Services indicates your consent to the Privacy Policy then posted. If the changes are material, we may provide you additional notice to your email address.
- Contact Us.
If you have any questions or comments about this Privacy Policy, our data practices, or our compliance with applicable law, please contact us by email at: talk@HonestAds.org.
This Privacy Policy has been designed to be accessible to people with disabilities. If you experience any difficulties accessing the information here, please contact us at talk@HonestAds.org.
- Additional Disclosures for California Residents.
Customers who are residents of California may request (i) a list of the categories of personal information disclosed by us to third parties during the immediately preceding calendar year for those third parties’ own direct marketing purposes; and (ii) a list of the categories of third parties to whom we disclosed such information. We do not share personal information as defined under California’s Shine the Light law with third parties for those third parties’ own direct marketing purposes. If you are a California resident and have questions regarding our data sharing practices under Shine the Light, please write us at the email set out in “Contact Us” above and specify that you are making a “California Shine the Light Request.” We may require additional information from you to allow us to verify your identity and are only required to respond to requests once during any calendar year.
- Additional Disclosures for Data Subjects in Europe.
- Roles.
Data protection laws in Europe distinguish between organizations that process personal data for their own purposes (known as “controllers”) and organizations that process personal data on behalf of other organizations (known as “processors”). HonestAds acts as a controller with respect to personal data collected as you interact with our websites, emails, and advertisements.
- Lawful Basis for Processing.
Data protection laws in Europe require a “lawful basis” for processing personal data. Our lawful bases include where: (a) you have given consent to the processing for one or more specific purposes, either to us or to our service providers, partners, or clients; (b) processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you; (c) processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation; or (d) processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by us or a third party, and your interests and fundamental rights and freedoms do not override those interests. Where applicable, we will transfer your personal data to third countries subject to appropriate or suitable safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses.
- Your Data Subject Rights.
You have the right to access, rectify, or erase any personal data we have collected about you. You also have the right to data portability and the right to restrict or object to our processing of personal data we have collected about you. In addition, you have the right to ask us not to process your personal data (or provide it to third parties to process) for marketing purposes or purposes materially different than for which it was originally collected or subsequently authorized by you. You may withdraw your consent at any time for any data processing we do based on consent you have provided to us.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us as set out in the “Contact Us” section above and specify which right you are seeking to exercise. We will respond to your request within 30 days. We may require specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and process your request.
Please note that we retain information as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, and may continue to retain and use information even after a data subject request for purposes of our legitimate interests, including as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, prevent fraud, and enforce our agreements.
If you have any issues with our compliance, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the data protection regulator in your jurisdiction.