1. Introduction

Thank you for visiting desertanimals.net. This website, and any other websites, webpages or apps operated by us that link to this Privacy Policy (collectively, the “Site”) are created by desertanimals.net. This Privacy Policy is written to better explain how we collect and use your information.

BY ACCESSING, USING AND/OR DOWNLOADING THE SITE, YOU SIGNIFY YOUR CONSENT TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY, AND ALSO SIGNIFY YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF OUR TERMS OF SERVICE. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ALL OF THE TERMS OF THIS PRIVACY POLICY, YOU SHOULD NOT ACCESS, DOWNLOAD AND/OR USE THE SITE. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy frequently, as it may change from time to time. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, your choice is not to use the Site.

By using the Site, participating in any Site activities, and/or providing us with your personal information, you: (i) consent to the transfer and processing of any information you provide; and (ii) understand that we will treat your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Whenever you use any website, mobile application or other internet service, certain information gets created and logged automatically. The same is true when you use this Site. Here are some of the types of information we collect:

  • Log data. When you use this Site, our servers record information (“log data”), including information that your browser automatically sends whenever you visit a website, or that your mobile app automatically sends when you’re using it. This log data includes your Internet Protocol address (IP), the address of and activity on websites you visit, searches, browser type and settings, the date and time of your request, how you used the Site, cookie data and device data.
  • Cookie data. We also use “cookies” (small text files sent by your computer each time you visit the Site, unique to your browser) or similar technologies to capture log data. When we use cookies or other similar technologies, we use session cookies (that last until you close your browser) or persistent cookies (that last until you or your browser delete them). For example, we use cookies to store your settings so you don‘t have to set them up every time you visit the Site. Some of the cookies we use are associated with your account (including information about you, such as the email address you gave us) and other cookies are not.
  • Device information. In addition to log data, we collect information about the device you’re using the Site on, including type of device, operating system, settings, unique device identifiers and crash data that helps us understand when something breaks. Whether we collect some or all of this information often depends on what type of device you’re using and its settings. For example, different types of information are available depending on whether you’re using a Mac or a PC, or an iPhone or Android phone. To learn more about what information your device makes available to us, please also check the policies of your device manufacturer or software provider.

2. Personal Information We Collect

Personal information is information that personally identifies you or allows us or others to contact you. In connection with your use of the Site, you may be asked to provide your name, email address, username, and password. Personal information may also include information that may not be personally identifiable standing alone, but which may become personally identifiable when combined with personal information. Some pages and features on our Site can be visited and used without providing any personal information. For other pages, functionalities and services, you may need to provide personal information. Personal information is only collected from you when you provide it.

We will not disclose any personal information that you provide to us except in accordance with the provisions of this Privacy Policy.

Comments

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. If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely.

Registered users

For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time. Website administrators can also see and edit that information. If you have an account on the Site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

Media

If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded data (EXIF data) included.

3. Non-Personal Information We Collect

We may also collect information about you that is not personal information. When you access the Site, create an account and/or submit information, we may collect information such as your communication and other preferences, information about your computer, devices and Internet connection, IP address, browser, operating system, referring URL, metadata, specific pages that you access on the Site or prior to or after visiting the Site, the length of time you spend at the Site, and other general information about our visitors. This information, on its own, cannot be used to identify you. We may also collect non-personal information through the use of cookies, anonymous identifiers, pixel tags, web beacons, scripts, and other similar technologies, as further discussed below.

4. Log Files

Like all other websites, we make use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track users’ movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

In order for the Site to operate securely, the non-personal information we keep in log files is by default shared with our web hosting provider whose server we use.

5. Location Data

We may receive information about your device location when you access the Site. Your location data may be based on your IP address. We use location data in connection with providing the Site and to help improve user experience with the Site.

6. Use of Information

We may freely use non-personal information or aggregate information for any lawful purpose. We also may use any information collected on or through our Site, including your personal information, (“Collected Information”) for various purposes. We and our third-party service providers may use Collected Information to:

  • help administer the Site and the servers that provide the Site;
  • generate statistical information;
  • market, promote or advertise the Site, the Content or our subscription services;
  • monitor and analyze Site traffic and usage patterns;
  • improve the Site’s content and content delivery, including any online content, materials, and services that we describe or make available on the Site;
  • register and administer your membership in our subscription service;
  • provide customer service and support;
  • verify communications from you, respond to your inquiries and otherwise communicate with you;
  • enforce our Terms of Service and contracts with third parties;
  • prevent fraud and other prohibited or illegal activities or to otherwise comply with applicable laws and regulations; and
  • for any other purpose that is permissible or required under the law, that is disclosed to you at the point of collection of personal information, or for which you provide your prior consent.

We may specifically use IP addresses to provide aggregated data to advertisers about the volume of usage on the Site, to determine your general (but not precise) geographic location, to create and segment audiences and otherwise to target advertising, and to help identify and log potential malicious use of our Site.

We may also use Collected Information and the associated statistical data we and our third party service providers generate to deliver targeted advertisements to you and other visitors of the Site. We and our third party service providers may store Collected Information for as long as needed for the purposes indicated in this Privacy Policy, which may be indefinitely.

7. Disclosure of Your Information

We may freely share and disclose aggregated and other non-personal information (including anonymized information and other non-personal information that is automatically collected as you navigate through and use the Site) without restriction as permitted by law. In particular, we may share Collected Information with certain of our third party service providers (e.g., our web hosting provider whose server logs collect the non-personal information described above) in order to provide the Site to you. We may also share Collected Information with some of our business and marketing partners in furthering our mission as an organization or delivering the content, materials, and services available on or through the Site to you. We and our third party service providers may also produce reports on Site traffic, usage patterns, and similar data generated from non-personal Collected Information, and we may share these reports with our business and marketing partners and others.

We reserve the right to use IP addresses to identify you and we may use and disclose any information about or relating to you, including any personal information about you, to third parties without your consent if we reasonably believe that such action is necessary to: (1) comply with a court order, search warrant, subpoena, or other legal process; (2) to comply with legal, regulatory or administrative requirements of any governmental authorities; (3) otherwise fulfill a government or law enforcement request for information; (4) establish, defend or exercise our legal rights; (5) protect or defend the Site, users, or our subsidiaries and affiliates, and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, attorneys, agents, contractors, licensors, and partners, in connection with any actual or alleged legal action, claim or dispute; (6) respond to claims that any posting or other content of our Site violates the rights of third parties, including without limitation providing information necessary to satisfy the notice and counter-notice procedures pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act; (7) in an emergency, to protect the health and safety of our Site’s users or the general public; or (8) enforce compliance with our Terms of Service or other contractual obligations.

If all or part of the Site is sold, merged, or otherwise transferred to another entity, we will transfer Collected Information to such entity as part of that transaction.

Every authorization which you grant to us in this Privacy Policy, you also grant to any third party that we may contract for the purpose of operating, maintaining, repairing, or otherwise improving or preserving the Site or its underlying files or systems. You agree not to hold us liable for the actions of any of these third parties, even if we would normally be held vicariously liable for their actions, and that you must take legal action against them directly should they commit any tort or other actionable wrong against you.

8. Cookies and Beacons

Cookies help to improve your user experience and allow us to analyze our Site and to analyze and manage our advertising. These Cookies are placed on your computer when your web browser accesses the Site. While some cookies are deleted when you close your browser (session cookies), others remain even after you close your browsing session (persistent cookies).

We may use cookies to save your preferences and to recognize you when you return to the Site. We also use analytics cookies to provide data about how users interact with our Site content and advertising campaigns, such as Site traffic. In addition, we use advertising cookies to manage, track, target and serve ads through our third-party service providers. You may not be able to access the full functionality of the Site if cookies are disabled on your browser.

Most web browsers are initially set to accept cookies. If you prefer, you can set your web browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. The “Help” feature on most browsers will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie, or how to disable cookies altogether. For more information on how to manage browser cookies, see http://www.allaboutcookies.org.

We also use web beacons to monitor the traffic patterns of visitors from one of the Site’s page to another. A web beacon is an object that is embedded in a web page and is invisible to you but allows us to confirm that you have viewed the web page.

We, our service providers and other third parties may analyze the information derived from cookies, pixel tags, web beacons, scripts and other technologies and match or combine that information with data provided by you or collected or received from public and commercial sources. Please note that to the extent that third parties are using pixel tags, cookies, beacons, scripts or other tracking technologies on our Site, we do not control the use of those technologies or the resulting information, the use of which are governed by the privacy policies of those third parties.

9. Online Tracking / “Do Not Track” Signals

Some web browsers may give you the ability to enable a “Do Not Track” setting that sends a special signal to the websites you encounter while web browsing that you do not want to have your online activities tracked. Our systems do not recognize browser “Do Not Track” signals. If we do so in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy to describe how we respond to such signals. We may work with third parties that use tracking technologies on the Site, including in order to serve tailored advertisements on our behalf and on behalf of other advertisers across the Internet. These and other third parties may collect information about your activity on the Site over time, as well as your interaction with our advertising and other communications, and use this information to determine which ads you see on third-party websites and apps based on your interests. This is known as interest-based advertising. For more information about this practice and to understand your options, please visit http://www.networkadvertising.org/ or http://www.aboutads.info. To learn more about Do Not Track, visit http://www.allaboutdnt.com/.

10. Our Third-Party Service Providers

Advertising agencies, advertising networks, and other companies may place advertisements on the Site, and may use their own cookies, web beacons, and other technology to collect information about you. We do not control the use of such technology and have no responsibility for the use of such technology to gather information about you. Several of our service providers who utilize cookies and other tracking technologies on our Site enable you to opt-out of their internet-based advertising.

While the companies we work with may change from time to time, below is a list of our current third-party service providers, which we allow to collect and use information about you through our Site:

  • Google Analytics, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to help us identify anonymous user interests, identify anonymous user demographics and to display advertising to previous visitors to this Site. Google Analytics uses a cookie to provide analysis, anonymous interest data, and anonymous demographic data from visits to our sites and other sites on the Internet. Users may opt-out of the use of the Google Analytics cookie by visiting the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Tool. Tracking of users through the Google Analytics cookie mechanisms are subject to Google’s own privacy policies.
  • We use Google’s DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP), DoubleClick Ad Exchange (AdX), AdMob, and AdSense to serve ads to our users based on their visit to the Site and/or other sites on the Internet. We use Google DART to serve ads on the Site. Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to our users based on their visit to our Site and other sites on the Internet. Users may opt-out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy. Tracking of users through the DART cookie mechanisms are subject to Google’s own privacy policies.
  • We use Amazon to identify and collect anonymous user interests on our Site and to display ads to users on our Site. For information about Amazon and how it collects and processes data, please visit its Privacy Statement. You may opt-out of Amazon’s collection of data via your browser by visiting the Amazon Advertising Preferences Opt-out.
  • We use Media.net Advertising Ltd. to identify and collect anonymous user interests on our Site and to display ads to users on our Site. For information about Media.net and how it collects and processes data, please visit its Privacy Statement. You may opt-out of receiving personalized ads from Media.net and other third party advertisers and ad networks who are members of the Network Advertising Initiative (“NAI”) or who follow the DAA Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising using their respective opt-out tools. The NAI’s opt-out tool can be found here: http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/ and the DAA’s opt-out tool can be found here: http://www.aboutads.info/choices/.
  • We use Pinterest “Save” button (Pin it) and Pinterest social widgets for our users to interact with the Pinterest platform provided by Pinterest Inc. For information about Pinterest and how it collects and processes data, please visit its Privacy Policy and its Personalization and data policy.
  • We use Twitter Tweet button and social widgets and Twitter social widgets for our users to interact with the Twitter platform provided by Twitter, Inc. For information about Twitter and how it collects and processes data, please visit its Privacy Policy.
  • We use Google +1 (G+ button) for our users to interact with the Google Plus (Google+) platform provided by Google Inc. For information about Google +1 button and how it collects and processes data, please visit its Privacy Policy.
  • We use YouTube button and YouTube social widgets for our users to interact with the YouTube social network provided by Google Inc. For information about YouTube and how it collects and processes data, please visit its Privacy Policy.
  • We use YouTube video widget (embeded YouTube videos), a video content visualization service provided by Google Inc. For information about YouTube and how it collects and processes data, please visit its Privacy Policy.
  • We use Facebook Like button and Facebook social widgets (Facebook, Inc.) for our users to interact with the Facebook platform provided by Facebook, Inc. For information about Facebook and how it collects and processes data, please visit its Privacy Policy.
  • We use Facebook Comments provided by Facebook, Inc. as a content commenting service provided by Facebook, Inc. enabling the User to leave comments and share them on the Facebook platform. For information about Facebook and how it collects and processes data, please visit its Privacy Policy.
  • We use Google Website Optimizer an A/B testing service provided by Google Inc. that allows us to track and analyze the User response concerning web traffic or behavior regarding changes to the structure, text or any other component of the Site. Google Website Optimizer may use Personal Data to contextualize and personalize the ads of its own advertising network.
    For information about and how it collects and processes data, please visit its Privacy Policy.
  • We use CloudFlare as a traffic optimization and distribution service provided by CloudFlare Inc. The way CloudFlare is integrated means that it filters parts of the traffic through this Website, i.e., communication between this Website and the User’s browser, while also allowing analytical data from this Website to be collected. For information about CloudFlare and how it collects and processes data, please visit its Privacy Policy
  • We use Stackpath as a traffic optimization and distribution service provided by StackPath LLC. The way Stackpath is integrated means that it filters parts of the traffic through this Website, i.e., communication between this Website and the User’s browser, while also allowing analytical data from this Website to be collected. For information about Stackpath and how it collects and processes data, please visit its Privacy Policy
  • We use KeyCDN as a traffic optimization and distribution service provided by proinity LLC. The way KeyCDN is integrated means that it filters parts of the traffic through this Website, i.e., communication between this Website and the User’s browser, while also allowing analytical data from this Website to be collected. For information about KeyCDN and how it collects and processes data, please visit its Privacy Policy
  • We use Google reCAPTCHA as a SPAM protection service provided by Google Inc. The use of reCAPTCHA is subject to Google’s privacy policy and terms of use.
  • We use a service called AKISMET as a SPAM comment protection service provided by Automattic. The use of AKISMET is subject to its privacy policy.
  • We use the Google Fonts API, a service provided by Google to display web fonts provided by Google. When you open a page, your browser loads the required web fonts into your browser cache to display texts and fonts correctly. Further information about handling user data, can be found at https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq and in Google’s privacy policy at https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.
  • We use Google Maps service, a service provided by Google Inc. Further information about handling visitor’s data, can be found in the data protection declaration of Google at https://policies.google.com/privacy.
  • We use Mailchimp, as a marketing automation platform and an email marketing service provided by Rocket Science Group. If you sign up for our newsletter, which is administered through Mailchimp, or if you register for our site, we will store some of your information, including your email address, IP address and certain information about the links you click within the emails we send you, on a Mailchimp server. Neither we nor Mailchimp will ever sell your email address or share it with any other party, unless we are legally compelled to do so. If you contact Mailchimp directly regarding your subscription to our newsletter, Mailchimp may contact you directly; otherwise, Mailchimp will never contact you. Only authorized Mailchimp employees have access to our subscriber list. You are always free to unsubscribe from our newsletter, but as long as you are registered with us we may use Mailchimp to send you information about your account. You can find out more about how MailChimp collects and stores your information at https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/.
  • We use the Gravatar service provided by Automattic inc. When visitors leave comments on the site an anonymized string created from their email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service. After approval of the comment, the profile picture which is provided by Gravatar will be publicly visible in the context of the comment. For information about Gravatar and how it collects and processes data, please visit its privacy policy: https://automattic.com/privacy/
  • We use Jetpack, a tool for statistical evaluation of accesses by visitors that is operated by Automattic, Inc., using a tracking technology by Quantcast Inc. You can opt-out to the collection and use of the data by Quantcast at https://www.quantcast.com/opt-out/. You can find out more about how Jetpack and Quantacast collect and process data by visiting their respective privacy policy pages at https://jetpack.com/support/privacy/ and https://www.quantcast.com/privacy/
  • We use ShareASale, an affiliate marketing network that is operated by ShareASale.com inc. For information about ShareASale and how it collects and processes data, please visit its Privacy Policy.
  • We use Bluehost, an affiliate marketing network that is operated by Bluehost Inc. For information about Bluehost and how it collects and processes data, please visit its Privacy Policy.
  • We use Impact (formerly known as “Impact Radius”), an affiliate marketing network that is operated by Impact Tech, Inc. For information about Impact and how it collects and processes data, please visit its Privacy Policy.

Some of our digital advertising service providers are members of the Network Advertising Initiative or the Digital Advertising Alliance, each of which offer a single location to opt-out of certain ad targeting from member companies. To learn more about interest-based advertising generally as well as your options for opting out, please visit Network Advertising Initiative or About Ads. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission provides useful information about online privacy on its own website at FTC Privacy Site. Please keep in mind that even if you opt-out of receiving ads tailored to your apparent interests, you will continue to see ads from online advertising networks. However, those networks will not be able to apply any of your apparent ad preferences and the ads that you see therefore may be less relevant to your interests.

11. Third Party Websites

We may link to third party websites from our own Site. We have no control over, and are not responsible for, these third party websites or their use of your personally identifiable information. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those websites or ads and we are not responsible for the content found on or the actions or privacy practices employed by any other website or app.

The Site may also offer you the ability to interact with social plugins from social media sites, such as Facebook (facebook.com), Google+ (plus.google.com), Twitter (twitter.com), and Pinterest (pinterest.com). The social media sites may receive data when you visit a website that has plugins. In some cases, we may know that you clicked on a social plugin such as a Facebook Like button, or receive other information from the social media sites. Similarly, if you have previously provided personally identifiable information to a third-party operating a plug-in on this website, then this third-party may recognize you on the Site. Your use of social media plugins is subject to each social media site’s privacy policy, which may be different from ours.

Affiliate Links – Advertising Disclosure

If you purchase a product or service linked from this Site, we may receive an “affiliate commission”. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” and also in accordance to amazon associates programme operating agreement.

Amazon

We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Amazon UK

We are participants in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk.

12. Law Enforcement

We may disclose your information to a third party where we believe, in good faith that it is desirable to do so for the purposes of a civil action, criminal investigation, or other legal matter. We may also use and disclose information about you to establish or exercise our legal rights, to assert and defend against legal claims, or if we believe such disclosure is necessary to investigate, prevent, or take other action regarding actual or suspected illegal or fraudulent activities or potential threats to the physical safety or well-being of any person.

In the event that we receive a subpoena affecting your privacy, we may elect to notify you to give you an opportunity to file a motion to quash the subpoena, or we may attempt to quash it ourselves, but we are not obligated to do either.

13. Security of Information

We make no guarantees as to the security or privacy of your information. It is in our interest to keep the Site secure, and we take reasonable steps to protect against the unauthorized access, disclosure, misuse, alteration and destruction of the personal information under our control. We recommend that you use anti-virus software, anti-malware, firewalls, and other precautions to protect yourself from security threats. If you become aware of any breach of Site security or this Privacy Policy, please notify us immediately.

14. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may change or update this Privacy Policy from time to time, and the amended version will be posted on the Site in place of the old version. You can identify the date that this Privacy Policy was last updated by looking at the date at the bottom of this Privacy Policy. Any changes to this Privacy Policy will take effect upon posting to the Site. Use of the Site following posted changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy then in effect. If you do not agree to the new Privacy Policy, you must immediately cease using our service.

15. Communication With Children

We encourage parents and guardians to spend time discussing with minors their online activity, so as to be fully familiar with the websites they visit and the apps they use. Our Site is not intended for children under 13 years of age. No one under age 13 may provide any personal information to or on the Site. If you are under 13, do not use this Site, register an Account, or provide any information about yourself to us.

It is possible, through fraud or deception, that we may receive personal information from an individual under the age of 13. If we are notified or otherwise become aware of this, we will take reasonable steps to delete that information in accordance with applicable law. If you are the parent or guardian of a child under the age of 13 and you believe your child has provided personal information on our Site without your consent that you would like us to delete, please contact us.

16. Hosting of the Site

This website is currently hosted in the United States. We are hosted on a server provided by HawkHost inc. For information about HawkHost and how it collects and processes data, please visit its Privacy Policy.

17. Contact

Any inquiries about your rights under this Privacy Policy, or any other matters regarding your privacy, please contact us by email at info@desertanimals.net.

Last updated: June 1, 2020