Privacy Policy
At FriendChart (“we”, “our”, or “us”), accessible via friendchart.com, we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal data, ensuring transparency and adherence to applicable privacy laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). We prioritize safeguarding personal information and are dedicated to maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the data you entrust to us.
1. Scope of this Policy & Data Controller Information
This Privacy Policy applies to all personal data collected through friendchart.com, including services offered, user interactions with the site, and communications initiated by you. For the purposes of applicable data protection legislation, the controller of your personal data is FriendChart. Any inquiries or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal data may be directed to [email protected].
2. Categories of Personal Data We Collect
We may process various categories of personal data depending on your interactions with friendchart.com:
2.1 Usage Data – Including, but not limited to, IP addresses, browser type and version, referral sources, pages visited, time spent on each page, clickstream data, session timeouts, and device events recorded during your interaction with our website.
2.2 Account Data – Information you provide when registering for an account, such as your full name, email address, postal address, and phone number.
2.3 Profile Data – Data relating to your user preferences, activity patterns, purchase history, personalization selections, and engagement behaviors within the platform.
2.4 Communication Data – Information you provide when contacting us, including records of customer service inquiries, email exchanges, support requests, and general correspondence.
2.5 Technical Data – Information regarding the device and software you use to access friendchart.com, such as device type, operating system, system configuration, and browser plug-in details.
2.6 Transaction Data – Details of products or services you have purchased, including payment card information (processed securely through our payment provider), billing address, and delivery preferences.
2.7 Preference Data – Marketing and communication preferences, notification settings, product interest indicators, and opt-in/opt-out statuses for promotional content.
3. Legal Bases for Processing
We rely on one or more of the following legal bases, as appropriate, for processing your personal data:
– Performance of a Contract: Where the processing is necessary to fulfill a contract with you or to take steps at your request prior to entering into such a contract.
– Legitimate Interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving our services, combating fraud, or analyzing user behavior, provided such interests are not overridden by your data protection rights.
– Consent: Where you have given explicit consent to the processing of your data for specific purposes, such as for marketing communications or optional data collection via cookies.
– Legal Obligation: Where processing is necessary to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation.
4. Your Rights
Under GDPR and CCPA, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
– Right of Access: You may request access to the personal data we hold about you.
– Right to Rectification: You are entitled to request corrections or updates to your personal information.
– Right to Erasure: You may request that we delete your personal data, subject to certain exemptions (e.g., for legal compliance).
– Right to Restriction: You have the right to request restrictions on the processing of your data under certain conditions.
– Right to Data Portability: Where technically feasible, we can provide your data in a structured, commonly used format so that you can transfer it to another service provider.
– Right to Object: You may object to certain kinds of data processing, including direct marketing or profiling based on legitimate interests or public interest.
– Right to Non-Discrimination: Under the CCPA, you will not receive discriminatory treatment for exercising your privacy rights.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected].
5. Security Measures
We implement a robust series of technical and organizational security measures designed to protect your personal data from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include, but are not limited to:
– End-to-end data encryption in transit and at rest using industry-standard protocols.
– Internal access controls based on the principle of least privilege.
– Regular data security audits and vulnerability assessments.
– Enforced strong authentication mechanisms.
– Secured data backups and disaster recovery procedures.
– Ongoing privacy and security training for employees.
6. International Data Transfers
Where we transfer personal data to jurisdictions outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) or your country of residence, such transfers are made in accordance with applicable laws, including the usage of European Commission-approved standard contractual clauses or reliance on adequacy decisions, where relevant. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to provide the required level of data protection.
7. Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or to comply with legal, financial, or contractual obligations. The retention periods vary by category:
– Usage and Technical Data: 12 months
– Account and Profile Data: Retained while the account remains active and up to 90 days post-deactivation
– Communication Data: Up to 2 years from last interaction
– Transaction Data: 7 years for legal compliance purposes
– Preference Data: Retained until consent is withdrawn or revised
Once data is no longer required, it is securely anonymized or deleted.
8. Cookie Policy
friendchart.com uses cookies to enhance user experience, provide core functionality, and collect analytical insights. The types of cookies we utilize include:
– Essential Cookies: Necessary for the basic operation of the website, such as session management and authentication.
– Functional Cookies: Enable enhanced functionality like remembering preferences or language settings.
– Analytics Cookies: Used to monitor and analyze traffic patterns, user interaction trends, and performance metrics.
– Performance Cookies: Support performance optimization and user behavior diagnostics.
9. Cookie Management & Compliance
Visitors within the EU and California are provided with a clear opportunity to manage their cookie preferences upon visiting our website. friendchart.com prompts users for explicit consent regarding non-essential cookies in accordance with GDPR and allows users to opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal data in compliance with CCPA.
You may manage your cookie preferences at any time via the Cookie Settings available on our site or directly through your browser settings.
10. Children’s Privacy
friendchart.com does not knowingly collect or solicit personal data from children under the age of 13. If we become aware that such data has inadvertently been collected, we will take immediate steps to delete it and prevent further interaction without appropriate consent as defined by applicable laws. Parents or guardians who believe their child has provided personal information may contact us at [email protected] to request removal.
11. Updates to this Policy
We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in technology, law, or our data handling practices. Where material changes are made that impact your rights or the nature of processing activities, we will provide clear notice via our platform and/or contact you directly if required.
We encourage periodic review of this Privacy Policy to remain informed of how we are protecting your data.
12. Contact Us
For questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, you may contact us at:
Email: [email protected]
13. Closing Statement
At FriendChart, we are committed to full compliance with applicable data protection and privacy laws, including GDPR and CCPA. Your privacy is foundational to our service. If you have concerns or wish to exercise your legal rights, please reach out to us directly using the contact details above.