June 06, 2023

At Dotdash, we take online privacy seriously and we respect the privacy concerns of our community of users.  In this policy (the “Privacy Policy”), we describe how we collect, use, and share information obtained through your use of dotdash.com and its affiliated websites, email properties, and other online services, including without limitation, Verywell.com (and its affiliated websites), TheBalance.com (and its affiliated websites), Investopedia.com, Lifewire.com, TripSavvy.com, Byrdie.com, MyDomaine.com, TheSpruce.com (and its affiliated websites), liveabout.com, aboutespanol.com and ThoughtCo.com (collectively, the “Sites”), all of which are owned and operated by About, Inc. (“Dotdash”,  “we”, “us”, or “our”), to help you make informed decisions about how you share information when you visit or use the Sites as well as your rights in determining what we do with the information that we collect or hold about you.

This Privacy Policy only applies to properties we own and operate and does not cover any information collected via any other website, application, or service. We are not responsible for the privacy policies or privacy practices of third parties.  By using the Sites, you explicitly agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

Understanding How Information Is Collected:

Information You May Choose to Provide to Us

We may collect information, including personal information, from you if you choose to provide that information. For example, you may provide us with your name and contact information (such as an email address), date of birth, or other details of that nature, when you sign up for our newsletters, participate in contests, sweepstakes, or other promotions on the Sites, or apply for a job with Dotdash.

You also may choose to provide personal information about yourself when you participate in surveys, forums or discussions, or other Interactive Services on the Sites. Please be aware that information you post may be viewed or captured by anyone who visits the Sites, therefore you should avoid posting sensitive or personal information that you would not want to be available to the public.

Information That Is Automatically Collected 

When you access the Sites, we and our third-party partners and service providers may automatically collect certain information from your device or web-browser about your visit using tools such as cookies, web beacons, and other data collecting and tracking technologies, to help us understand how our users use the Sites and to target advertising messages to you. We and our third-party partners and service providers may also collect and track information about your online activities over time and across different websites, applications, and devices using certain data matching techniques. The information collected automatically when you visit the Sites may include your
IP address, characteristics of your operating system, information about your browser and system settings, data about the computer or mobile device you use to access the Sites, unique device identifiers, clickstream data (which shows the page-by-page path you take as you browse the Sites), and other information that generally is not considered personally identifiable.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies 

Cookies are small files that many websites and other online services use to store information about users on the users’ own devices or computers. The Sites use cookies (such as HTTP and HTML5 cookies), as well as other types of local storage in order to provide useful features to our users. For more information about cookies, you may visit https://www.allaboutcookies.org. See the section below regarding Your choices to learn more about how you may limit or disable cookies on your computer. If you choose to disable cookies, that could affect your ability to use certain features of the Sites that use cookies to enhance their functionality.

To manage our automatic data collection, we, and our third-party partners and service providers, use cookies or similar technologies on our sites to collect information that helps us improve the quality of sites and the online experience of our visitors and users.

Web beacons are small files that link web pages to particular web servers and their
cookies, and they may be used for a variety of purposes, such as counting the number of visitors to the Sites, analyzing how users navigate around the Sites, assessing how many emails that we send are actually opened and which articles or links are viewed by visitors.

We also use third-party web analytics services, such as Google Analytics, on the Sites to provide us with statistics and other information about visitors to the Sites.  Click here to learn more about Google Analytics and how you may opt out.

Finally, companies that provide certain third-party apps, tools, widgets, and plug-ins that may appear on the Sites (for example, Facebook “Like” or “Share” buttons), also may use automated means to collect information regarding your interactions with these features. This information collection is subject to the privacy policies or notices of those third parties.

“Do Not Track” Signals. Your browser settings may allow you to automatically transmit a “do not track” signal to websites and online services you visit. At this time there is no consensus among industry participants as to the meaning of “do not track” in this context. Like many other websites, the Sites are not configured to respond to “do not track” signals from browsers. Click here to learn more about “do not track” signals.

Information We Obtain From Other Sources

We may supplement the information we collect with information from third-party partners and service providers, including data brokers, customer acquisition vendors, and other companies that collect contact and consumer information such as demographic and interest data, in order to learn more about our users, better tailor the content and offers we make available to you, and for other lawful business purposes.  We may combine the information we receive from those other (online and offline) sources with information we collect through the Sites.

Social Network and Platform Integration

The Sites may be integrated with social media networks and other platforms whereby information may be shared between us and those platforms. For instance, if you interact with our Sites through a social media feature such as a plug-in, then you may be granting us on-going access to certain information from that social media account.  If you do not want a social media platform to collect or share information about you, please review the privacy policy and privacy settings of the applicable social media property before using such features on our Sites.

How We May Use Information We Collect

We, and our third-party partners and service providers, may use the information gathered on the Sites for various purposes, including the purposes listed below.  For example, if you were to contact us with a question and provide your email address, we would use the email address you provided to respond to your inquiry. In addition, we use information we collect from you and through the Sites to:

• Provide information, products and services you request (such as when you sign up to receive our email newsletters) or that we otherwise believe would interest you, including promotional offers from us and third party partners;
• Respond to requests, questions, complaints, and comments, and provide other types of user support and customer care;
• Direct you to portions of the Sites or other third-party websites or services, that we
  believe may interest you;
• Customize content, features, advertisements or other marketing messages we and third
  parties show you, on the Sites and elsewhere online;
• Process and reply to applications for employment with Dotdash;
• Communicate about, and administer your participation in, events, programs, contests, sweepstakes, and other offers or promotions;
• Carry out, evaluate, and improve our business (which may include without limitation developing new features for the Sites; analyzing and enhancing the user experience on the Sites; assessing the effectiveness of our marketing and
  advertising; and managing our communications);
• Perform data analytics regarding usage of the Sites (including market and customer research, trend analysis, and financial analysis);
• Guard against, identify, and prevent fraud and other criminal activity, claims, and
  other liabilities;
• Comply with applicable legal requirements, law enforcement requests, and our company policies; and
• For other purposes that are disclosed at the time you provide your information,
  with your consent.

How We May Share Information

Our agents, vendors, consultants, and other service providers may have access to information we collect through the Sites to carry out work on our behalf.  In addition, certain service providers may collect or access information through the Sites to enable or provide services, tools, or other features available on the Sites. We also may share information:

• With our affiliates for internal business purposes;
• With third parties for marketing purposes, including social media networks, data management platforms, and other advertising technology providers; for example, we may match your email address with third parties with whom you have also consented to share your email address and use such match to deliver custom offers or emails to you on the Sites and elsewhere online;
• With third parties who provide services on our behalf to help with our business activities such as commenting and other site functionality. These companies are authorized to use your personal information only as necessary to provide these services to us, pursuant to written instructions. In such cases, these companies must abide by our data privacy and security requirements, and are not allowed to use PI they receive from us for any other purpose
• If we are required to do so by law, regulation, or legal process (such as a court order or subpoena);
• In response to requests from government agencies, such as law enforcement authorities, or other governmental bodies, as well as to meet national security requirements;.
• If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to prevent physical harm or financial loss, in connection with an investigation of suspected or actual illegal activity, or to protect and defend our legal rights or property.
• With advertisers and other partners to inform them about the nature of our user base;
• In the event we sell or transfer all or a portion of our business or assets (including a reorganization, dissolution, or liquidation). In such an event, we will seek to provide you with commercially reasonable notice, e.g., via email and/or notice on our website, of any change in ownership, incompatible new uses of your personal information, and choices you may have regarding your personal information; and
• With your consent or at your discretion.

Your Privacy Choices

Unsubscribe from emails. To unsubscribe from a particular newsletter, click the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of that email newsletter. If you would like to globally opt-out from all email campaigns, please send an email to [email protected] with “Unsubscribe” in the subject line. When we send newsletters to subscribers we may allow advertisers or partners to include messages in those newsletters, or we may send dedicated newsletters and marketing messages on behalf of those advertisers or partners. We may disclose your opt-out choices to third parties so that they can honor your preferences in accordance with applicable laws.

Blocking cookies. Certain browsers may be configured to notify you when you receive cookies, or allow you to restrict or disable certain cookies. If you choose to disable cookies, however, that could affect certain features of the Site that use cookies to enhance their functionality.

Disabling local shared objects.
Disabling local shared objects. We may use other kinds of local storage that function similarly, but are stored in different parts of your computer from ordinary browser cookies. Your browser may allow you to disable its HTML5 local storage or delete information contained in its HTML5 local storage. Click here for details about deleting information contained in “local shared objects” or adjusting related preferences.

Options concerning third-party ad networks.  As described in this Privacy Policy,
we and third parties may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect information and infer your interests for interest-based advertising purposes. If you would prefer to not receive personalized ads based on your browser or device usage, you may generally opt out of interest-based advertising by clicking here.

Please note that you will continue to see advertisements, but such advertisements will no longer be tailored to your interests. For more information about third-party ad networks and services that use these technologies, you can visit www.aboutads.info and click here to opt out or to learn more about your options. You also may visit the NAI’s site for additional options on how to opt out of interest-based advertising.

User Access and Choice

We respect your control over your information and, upon request, we will seek to confirm your identity and whether we hold or are processing information that we have collected from you. You also have the right to amend or update inaccurate or incomplete personal information, request deletion of your personal information, or request that we no longer use it. Under certain circumstances we will not be able to fulfill your request, such as if it interferes with our regulatory obligations, affects legal
matters, we cannot verify your identity, or it involves disproportionate cost or effort, but in any event we will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe and provide you an explanation. In order to make such a request of us, please email us at [email protected].

Please note that for personal information about you that we have obtained or received for processing on behalf of a separate, unaffiliated
entity–which determined the means and purposes of processing, all such requests should be made to that entity directly. We will honor and support any instructions they provide us with respect to your personal information.

Data Retention

We will retain your Personal Information for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Notice unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

How We Protect Personal Information.

We maintain reasonable and appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect the personal information you provide against accidental, unlawful, or unauthorized destruction, loss, alteration, access, disclosure, or use. However, it is not possible to guarantee the security of information transmitted online. You use the Sites and provide us with information at your own discretion and risk. If you have questions about the security of your personal information, or if you have reason to believe that the personal information that we hold about you is no longer secure, please contact us immediately as described in this Privacy Notice.

Links From The Sites to Other Websites

The Sites may contain links to other websites that are controlled by third parties, as well as videos, advertisements, and other content served by third parties. Linked websites may have their own privacy notices or policies, which we strongly suggest you review. We are not responsible for the content, terms of use, privacy policies, or any other aspects of any websites, applications, or services that we do not own or control.

Surveys, Quizzes and Other Features

While you are visiting the Sites, you may have the opportunity to participate in surveys or quizzes, or to use other interactive features that request information about you and your opinions and preferences. Your participation in these features is entirely voluntary. If you do choose to participate, please be aware that these features may be operated by a third party that is not controlled by us, and therefore the information you provide may be collected by the third party and subject to its privacy policy.

Children’s Privacy 

The Sites are intended for a general audience and are not designed or intended for use by children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 16. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under the age of 16, we will delete any such information.

Users Outside the United States

If you are visiting the Sites from outside the United States, please be aware that information we collect through the Sites will be transferred to and stored on our servers in the United States. By using this Sites, you acknowledge and consent to the transfer and processing of your personal data in the United States as described in this online privacy policy. Please be aware that the data protection laws and regulations applicable to your personal data transferred to the United States may be different from the laws in your country of residence. We will utilize appropriate safeguards governing the transfer and usage of your personal information. If you would like further detail on the safeguards we have in place, please send us an email to [email protected].

Our Notice to California Residents

Subject to certain limits, under California law California residents may ask us to provide them with a list of the categories of personal information that we have disclosed to third parties for those third parties’ direct marketing purposes during the preceding calendar year, as well as the identity of those third parties. California residents may contact us as specified in the How to Contact Us section below to make a request for this information.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this online privacy policy periodically to reflect changes to our privacy practices, such as how we collect or use personal information. We will we indicate at the top of this privacy policy the date when it was most recently updated. If we propose to make any material changes, we will notify you by means of a notice on this page. We encourage you to periodically review this page for the latest information on our privacy practices.

How to Contact Us

If you have questions about this policy or about our privacy practices, contact us. If you are a California resident inquiring about your California privacy rights, please include “California privacy rights request” in the subject line of your email.

You may also write to:

Dotdash Privacy
225 Liberty St, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10281

If you have an unresolved privacy or data use concern that we have not addressed satisfactorily, please contact our U.S.-based third party dispute resolution provider (free of charge) at https://feedback-form.truste.com/watchdog/request.