Last Updated on October 14, 2023
Who we are
This website https://carolyngcurtis.com (“Website”) is owned and operated by Carolyn Media, LLC (“Owner”), based in North Carolina. The Website and its associated services include blogs, chats, message boards, idea exchanges, content, products, social networking tools, and services in its social media channels, and online community (collectively the “Services”).
This privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) is designed to explain how we collect, use, share, and protect the personal information you provide to us when you access our Website, interact with our Services, purchase our goods or Services, or engage with us on social media, as well as your own rights to the information we collect.
We respect the privacy of our users. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully before using this Website. If you don’t agree with its terms, don’t access the Website. By using the Website, you consent to our Privacy Policy and to any modification thereof.
Below you will find information about the following:
- Changes to Our Privacy Policy
- Information We Collect
- Comments
- How We Use Your Information
- Why We Disclose Your Information
- Tracking Technologies
- Website Analytics
- Processing Your Information
- International Data
- Hyperlinks or External Links
- Data Retention
- Security of Your Information
- Age of User
- Your Rights
- California Privacy Rights
- Newsletter Privacy
- Severability
- Entire Agreement
- Law and Jurisdiction
- Contact Us
1. Changes to Our Privacy Policy
Owner reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time. We will alert you that there have been changes by amending the “Last Updated” date of this Privacy Policy at the top of it. Any changes or modifications will be effective immediately upon publication on our Website. Any revised Privacy Statement will apply both to information we already have about you at the time of the change, and any personal information created or received after the change takes effect.
You waive the right to receive specific notice of any changes or modification to this Privacy Policy by continuing to use our Website after the revised Privacy Policy is posted. We encourage you to periodically review this Privacy Policy when you use our Website or engage with us via services to stay informed about how any changes to our policies that may affect you. Your continued use of the Website and Services constitutes your agreement to this Privacy Policy and any updates.
2. Information We Collect
We collect a variety of information from you when you visit the Website, make purchases, or interact with us on social media. By accepting this Privacy Policy, you are specifically consenting to our collection of the data described below, to our use of the data, to the processing of this data, and to our sharing of the data with third party (“Third Party”) processors as needed for our legitimate business interests. The information we collect may include:
Personal Data: Personal Data is personally identifiable information that you provide to us including your name, shipping address, email address, telephone number and demographic information like your age, gender, hometown, school, and interests. You consent to giving us this information by providing it to us voluntarily on the Website. You provide some of this information when you register with the Website, subscribe to our newsletter, participate in various activities related to the Website, or make purchases from the Website. You also provide this information by participating in various activities associated with the Website, including commenting on the blog, contacting us with questions, or participating in group training. Your decision to disclose this data is entirely voluntary. You are under no obligation to provide this information, but your refusal may prevent you from accessing certain benefits from the Website or from making purchases.
Derivative Data: Derivative data is information that our servers automatically collect when you access the Website, such as your IP (internet protocol) address, browser type, your operating system, the dates and times that you access the Website, and the specific pages you view.
Social Networking Data: We may access personal information from social networking sites and apps, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, or other social networking sites or apps not named specifically here, which may include your name, your social network username, location, email address, gender, age, email address, profile picture, and any other public information. If you don’t want us to access this information, please go to the specific social networking site and change your privacy settings.
Mobile Device Data: If you use the Website via a mobile device, we may collect information about your mobile device, including device ID, model and manufacturer, and information about the location of your device.
Other Data: On occasion, you may give us additional data in order to enter into a contest or giveaway or to participate in a survey. You will be prompted for this information and it will be clear that you are offering this kind of information in exchange for an entry into such a contest or giveaway.
3. Comments
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service. When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.
4. How We Use Your Information
Your information allows us to offer you certain products and services, including the use of the Website, to fulfill our obligations to you, to customize your interaction with Owner and our Website, and to allow us to suggest other products and services we think might interest you. We generally store your data and transmit it to a Third Party for processing. However, to the extent we process your data, we do so to serve our legitimate business interests, such as providing you with the opportunity to purchase our goods or services and interact with the Website.
Specifically, we may use the information and data described above to:
- Communicate with you via email or phone call.
- Offer new products, services, and/or recommendations to you.
- Send you our newsletter.
- Send you updates about Owner or Website.
- Create and administer your account.
- Deliver any products or services purchased by you to you.
- Process payments or refunds.
- Build new products and services.
- Contact you about new offerings that we think might interest you.
- Interact with you via social media.
- To request feedback.
- Deliver targeted advertising.
- Request feedback from you.
- Notify you of updates to our product and service offerings.
- Resolve disputes and troubleshoot any problems.
- Administer promotions, contests, or giveaways.
- Generate a profile that is personalized to you, so that future interactions with our Website will be more personal.
- Compile anonymous statistical data and analysis for our own use.
- Assist law enforcement as necessary.
- Prevent fraudulent activity on our Website.
- Analyze trends to improve our Website, Services, and offerings.
5. Why We Disclose Your Information
We may share information with Third Parties in certain situations. In particular, we may share your data with Third Party processors in order to serve our legitimate business interests, which include administration of the Website, administration of your account, entering into contracts with you, communicating with you, taking orders for goods or services, delivering our goods and services, identifying trends, protecting the security of Owner and Website, and marketing additional goods and services to you. The legal basis for our disclosure of your data is both your Consent to this Privacy Policy and our own right to protect and promote our legitimate business interests.
We may share your information for these types of specific reasons:
Third Party Processing: We may disclose your information to Third Parties who perform services for us or on our behalf, including payment processing, data analysis, email delivery, hosting services, and customer service. For more information, see the “Processing Your Information” Section below.
By Law: We may share your data as required by law or to respond to legal process, including a subpoena, rule, or regulation. We will do so as necessary to protect the rights, property, and safety of others. This includes exchanging information with other entities for fraud protection and credit risk reduction. If we believe the release of information about you is necessary to respond to legal process, to investigate or remedy potential violations of our policies, or to protect the rights, property, and safety of others, we may share your information as permitted or required by any applicable law, rule, or regulation.
To Protect Our Owner: We may use your information to protect our Owner or Website, including to investigate and remedy any violations of our rights or policies. We may also disclose your information as reasonably necessary for such things as to acquire and maintain insurance coverage, manage risks, obtain financial or legal advice, or to exercise or defend against legal claims.
Other Third Party Service Providers: We may share information with other Third Party service providers that perform services for us or on our behalf, including for the purpose of conducting general business analysis, payment processing, data analysis, email delivery, hosting services, and customer service.
Interaction with Other Users: If you interact with other users on the Website, such as participating in a group online course or in a group chat, other users may have access to some of your data, including your name, profile photo, and your history of interaction with the Website, such as prior comments or posts.
Online postings: When you post online, your posts may be viewed by others, and we may publicly distribute your comments outside the Website.
Other purposes: We may disclose your personal data as necessary to comply with any legal obligation or to protect Owner, your interests, or the vital interests of others.
6. Tracking Technologies
Cookies: Website may use cookies to personalize or enhance your user experience on the Website. A cookie is a small text file that is placed on your hard disk by a web page server. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you and can only be read by a web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you. One of the primary purposes of cookies is to provide a convenience feature to save you time. We may use cookies to authenticate your identity, to determine if you are logged onto the Website, for personalization, for security, for targeted advertising, or for analysis of the performance of the Website and Services. For example, cookies allow us to recommend blog posts to you based on what you have read on our Website in the past. We use cookies that are not specific to your account but unique enough to allow us to analyze general trends and use, and to customize your interaction with the Website.
Most browsers are set to accept cookies by default. In addition, when you first encounter the Website, you will be asked to “Consent to Cookies.” If you wish to disable cookies, you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies. If you reject cookies by changing your browser settings, then be aware that this may disable some of the functionality on the Website. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found on the websites of the browsers. By continuing to use the Website and not disabling cookies on your browser, you are consenting to our use of cookies in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy.
In addition, we may use Third Party software to post advertisements on our Website to oversee marketing or email campaigns, or manage other Owner initiatives. These Third Party softwares may use cookies or similar tracking technology. We have no control over these Third Parties and their use of cookies. For more information on opting out of interest-based ads, visit the Network Advertising Initiative Opt-Out Tool https://optout.networkadvertising.org/?c=1 or visit the Digital Advertising Alliance Opt-Out Tool https://youradchoices.com. For more information on opting out of interest-based ads, visit the Network Advertising Initiative Opt-Out Tool https://optout.networkadvertising.org/?c=1 or visit the Digital Advertising Alliance Opt-Out Tool https://youradchoices.com.
Log files: Like many other websites, we may use log files. These files merely log visitors to the site, usually a standard procedure for hosting companies and a part of hosting services’ analytics. The information inside the log files includes Internet Service Provider (ISP), IP addresses, browser type, date and time stamp, referring and exit pages, and the number of clicks. This information is used to analyze trends, administer the Website, track user’s movement around the Website, and gather demographic information. IP addresses and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.
Web Beacons or GIF Files: Website pages may contain electronic images known as web beacons, sometimes also called single-pixel gifs, that allow Owner to count users who have visited those pages and to deliver co-branded services. Owner may include web beacons in promotional e-mail messages or newsletters in order to determine whether messages have been opened and acted upon. Some of these web beacons may be placed by Third Party service providers to help determine the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns or email communications. These web beacons may be used by these service providers to place a persistent cookie on your computer. This allows the service provider to recognize your computer each time you visit certain pages or emails and compile anonymous information in relation to those page views, which in turn enables us and our service providers to learn which advertisements and emails bring you to the Website and how you use the Website.
7. Website Analytics
We may partner with Google Analytics or other Third Party analytic companies. The analytic companies gather information about Website use by means of cookies or other tracking technologies to analyze the use of our Website by visitors, to determine the popularity of the content, and to better understand activity on the Website and Services. We don’t transfer personal information to these Third Party vendors. However, in order to access the Website, you must consent to the collection and use of your information by these Third Party analytic companies. You should review their privacy policy and contact them directly if you have questions. Google’s privacy policy is available at: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.
8. Processing Your Information
For the most part, we do not collect your credit card information to process your information in-house, instead we give it to Third Party processors for processing. For example, when a payment gateway like PayPal takes your payment information, they are a Third Party processor. They process your payment and remit the funds to us. In many instances, it will be necessary for us to transmit your information to a Third Party processor, since we don’t have the capability to perform these functions.
However, we may, from time to time, process your data internally. The legal basis for this processing is both your consent to the processing, and our need to conduct our legitimate business interests. Our purposes in processing this information is to administer, maintain, and improve our Website, offerings, and Services, to enter into contracts with you, to fulfill the terms of those contracts, to keep records of our transactions and interactions, to be able to provide you with goods and services, to comply with our legal obligations, to obtain professional advice, and to protect the rights and interests of Owner, our customers (including you), and any Third Parties.
We may process the following data:
- Data associated with your account, such as your name, address, email address and payment information.
- Data about your usage of the Website, such as your IP address, geographical information, and how long you accessed the Website and what you viewed.
- Data related to your personal profile, such as your name, address, profile picture, interests and hobbies, or employment details.
- Data that you provide us in the course of using our Services.
- Data that you post on the Website, such as comments or responses to blogs.
- Data that you submit to us when you make an inquiry regarding the Website or offerings.
- Data related to your transactions with us, including your purchase of our goods or services. This information may include contact details and payment information.
- Data that you provide to us when you subscribe to our emails or newsletters, including your email address and contact information.
- Data that you submit to us via correspondence, such as when you email us with comments, suggestions, or questions.
- Any other data identified in this policy, for the purpose of complying with our legal obligations, or to protect the vital interests of you or any other natural person.
9. International Data
Website is hosted by servers located in the United States. Therefore, if you reside in the European Union, some of your data will be transferred internationally to those servers. Transfers will be protected by appropriate safeguards, namely the EU-US Privacy Shield. More information on the Privacy Shield can be found at https://www.privacyshield.gov/welcome. We use website hosting servers/third party processors/subcontractors located in the United States that have received an Adequacy Determination from the European Commission, meaning that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect data once it is transferred to that country.
10. Hyperlinks or External Links:
Our Website may contain hyperlinks to other websites or Third Party websites not operated or controlled by Owner or Website. Links to such Third Party websites are provided as a service to users. We encourage you to exercise caution when clicking on a hyperlink. Once you access another web site through a hyperlink, you are no longer on our Website. The hyperlinks from the Website do not imply that Owner endorses or has reviewed the Third Party Sites. If you use these links, you will be subject to the privacy notice and terms of use governing the applicable Third Party site(s). We encourage you to read the policies of those Third Party sites before interacting with them or making purchases. We are not responsible for the actions and privacy policies of Third Party sites and other websites or for any damage or consequences you suffer by using these hyperlinks. We are not bound by the privacy policies of any Third Party site that you access by a hyperlink, nor are they bound by ours.
11. Data Retention
We retain personal data as long as it is needed to conduct our legitimate business purposes or to comply with our legal obligations, or until you ask us to delete your data. For example, we will retain certain personal information indefinitely for the purposes of maintaining your account, unless and until you delete your account. Data that we gather for a specific and particular purpose, such as assisting law enforcement or analyzing trends, will not be kept for longer than is necessary for that particular purpose. Data that is no longer needed by us for any of the purposes listed above will be permanently deleted. You may request that we delete your data at any time. However, note that we cannot control the retention policies of Third Party sites. If you wish to have any Third Party sites, including those to whom we’ve transmitted your data, delete that data, you will need to contact those Third Parties directly. You may request from us a list of all Third Parties to whom we have transmitted your data.
12. Security of Your Information
We take all reasonable steps to protect your personal data and keep your information secure. We use recognized online secure payment systems and implement generally accepted standards of security to protect against personal data loss or misuse. However, no security measure is foolproof, and no method of data transmission can be guaranteed against interception or misuse. We cannot guarantee complete security of any information you transmit to us. In consenting to this Privacy Policy, you acknowledge that your personal data may be available, via the internet, around the world. We cannot prevent the use or misuse of your data by other parties. We will notify you of promptly any known breach of our security systems or your data which might expose you to serious risk.
13. Age of User
The Website is not designed for use by children under the age of sixteen (16). We don’t specifically market to or knowingly collect personal information from children under age 16. If you are under the age of 16, please don’t submit any personal information to the Website, access or use the Website or related products or Services without parental or guardian consent. If you become aware that we have collected data of anyone under the age of 16, please contact us and we will attempt to delete that information from our database.
14. Your Rights
You have certain rights with respect to your personal data, as outlined below. Note that we may charge you a reasonable fee for actions that you ask us to take with respect to your data. In addition, we reserve the right to request that you provide us with evidence of your identity before we take any action with respect to the exercise of your data rights. Further, your rights may be restricted or nullified to the extent they conflict with our compelling business interests, the public interest, or the law.
Update Account Information: You have the right to update or change any information you have provided to us. To update or delete your information, please contact us at policies@carolyngcurtis.com.
Confirm Personal Data and Its Use: You have the right to request that we confirm what data we hold about you and for what purposes. You also have the right to confirmation of whether we process your data or deliver your data to Third Party processors and for what purposes. We will supply you with copies of your personal data unless doing so would affect the rights and freedoms of others.
Change Consent: You have the right to change your consent to our use of your information. In such cases, we may require you to delete your account with us, as described above, and you may not have full access to our Website.
Request a Copy of Data: You have the right to request a digital copy of the data that we hold about you. Your first request for a copy of your personal data will be provided free of charge; subsequent requests will incur a reasonable fee.
Transfer Your Data: You have the right to request that we gather and transfer your data to another controller, in a commonly used and machine-readable format, unless doing so would cause us an undue burden.
Delete All Data: You have the right to request that we delete all data that we hold about you, and we must delete such data without undue delay. There are exceptions to this right, such as when keeping your data is required by law, is necessary to exercise the right of freedom of expression and information, is required for compliance with a legal obligation, or is necessary for the exercise or defense of legal claims. Such a request may result in a termination of your account with us and you may have limited or no use of our Website.
Emails And Communications: You may opt out of receiving future email correspondence from us by checking the appropriate box when you register for the account or make a purchase. You may change your communication settings by contacting us at policies@carolyngcurtis.com.
Marketing Communications: You may opt out of receiving any Third Party marketing communications or having your personal information used for marketing purposes. You may do this by contacting us at policies@carolyngcurtis.com.
Processing: You may, in some circumstances restrict the processing of your data, such as when you contest the accuracy of your data or when you have objected to processing, pending the verification of that objection. When processing has been restricted, we will continue to store your data but will not pass it on to third-party processors without your consent, or as necessary to comply with legal obligations or protect your rights or those of others or our Owner. In addition, you may opt-out of any processing of your data altogether. Note however that doing so may result in the termination of your account and loss of access to our Website.
Complaints: You have the right to complain to a supervising authority if you believe we are misusing your data or have violated any of your rights under this Privacy Policy or applicable law.
15. California Online Privacy Protection Act
As required by the California Online Privacy Protection Act (“California Act”) and the California Business and Professions Code, this Privacy Policy identifies the categories of personally identifiable information that we collect through the Website about users who visit the Website or engage in our Services and this Privacy Policy identifies the Third Party sites with whom such personally identifiable information may be shared.
The State of California has established its own unique regulations that apply to California residents. California residents have the right to obtain from us information regarding what information we disclose to third party marketers and the names and addresses of each Third Party to whom we disclose your data. If you are a California resident and would like to make such a request, please use the contact information listed below. This can be done once each year and free of charge. If you are a California resident and under the age of eighteen (18), you have the right to request that we remove any data that you publicly post on the Website. To request removal of your data, please use the contact information listed below. Note that while we will remove your data that is publicly posted on the Website, we may not be able to completely remove that data from our systems.
16. Newsletter Privacy
We provide the opportunity for you to volunteer certain information to us that is used for email and marketing purposes. This information includes, but is not limited to, your name and email. You will have an opportunity to unsubscribe from any future communications via email, but we reserve the right to maintain a database of past email subscribers. We reserve the right to use this information as reasonably necessary in our business and as provided by law. Your information will be shared with reasonably necessary parties for the ordinary course of conducting our business, such as through Facebook ads or other marketing campaigns. We do not ever sell your information to third parties.
17. Severability
If any part of this Privacy Policy is deemed unlawful and/or unenforceable, all other provisions contained herein will remain in full force and effect.
18. Entire Agreement
The information contained herein constitutes the entire agreement between site users and our Owner relating to the use of this Website.
19. Law and Jurisdiction
This Website is located in the United States and is targeted to United States citizens. Our policies comply with applicable laws of the United States. Any dispute arising out of our related to the information contained herein is subject to adjudication in the state of North Carolina, United States of America.
20. Contact Us
You can contact us at policies@carolyngcurtis.com.