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Privacy Policy

Last Update on May 25th, 2018

Your privacy is important to us here at 325 Media INC, proud publisher of Garden Culture Magazine and GardenCultureMagazine.com. We are committed to being transparent and open. This Privacy Policy explains generally how we receive information about you, and what we do with that information once we have it.

This latest update is to let you know that, because of the new data privacy law introduced in the EU on 25 May 2018, we’ll be sharing some more information with you about how we collect and use your personal information. More specifically, how you can control the data you share with us.

“OPT OUT”- Removing Yourselves From Our Database

The only data we collect from you when visiting GardenCultureMagazine.com is your email address should you have previously signed up for our newsletter on our site or have commented on a blog.

To remove yourself completely from our database, simply email social@gardenculturemagazine.com. Any requests will be actioned within 24 hours.

To unsubscribe from our newsletter you can do so here or at the bottom of every newsletter sent to your inbox.

What do we mean by “personal information?”

‘Personally identifiable information’ (PII) as used in US privacy law and information security, is information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person, or to identify an individual in context.

For us, “personal information” means information which identifies you, like your name or email address. Any information that falls outside of this is “non-personal information.”

If we store your personal information with information that is non-personal, we will consider the combination as personal information. If we remove all personal information from a set of data then the remaining is non-personal information.

How do we learn information about you?

We collect information from you when you give it us directly by registering on our site, subscribing to a newsletter, responding to a survey or entering information on our site.

We use cookies, clear GIFs, third party web analytics, and IP addresses for functionality and to improve our products, services, and communications.

Cookies & IP addresses

We use these to enhance the functionality of certain products and services. IP addresses are used to customize content for your specific country.

Cookies are small files that are sent to your browser and stored on your computer. Whenever you visit our site(s), unless you elect not to receive cookies, your computer will store an identifying code in the cookie. For example, not having to type in your username at each visit. We do not store your password or any other information within the cookie, nor do we use it for any other purpose.

Your browser can be set to notify you before you receive a cookie, and you can also set your browser refuse cookies at all times.

At GardenCulureMagazine.com, we use first-party and third-party cookies to enhance the user’s experience. For more information, please visit aboutcookies.org for detailed guidance.

First-Party Cookies

These are cookies that are set by this website directly which is powered by the WordPress Content Management System (CMS). WordPress does not use sessions by default. It displays the same behavior regardless of the user navigating the site. It stores a cookie for user authentication when you (or your staff) login to the site’s backend but that’s just about it.

Find more information on session cookies and what they are used for here.

Plugins and themes may set cookies. For example, Cookies for Comments plugin uses cookies to prevent comment spam. More information can be found here.

Third-Party Cookies

These are cookies set on your machine by external websites whose services are used on our websites for better user interaction. Cookies of this type include our social sharing buttons as well as the newsletter subscription service MailChimp. Third party cookies are currently set by Facebook, Instagram, Google, YouTube, and Twitter.

These sites are likely collecting information about what you are doing all around the Internet, including on this website.

Analytics

We use web analytics to understand and aggregate how users engage with our products, services, communications, websites, online campaigns, snippets, devices, and other platforms.

Third-party Services: We use third-party services such as Google Analytics. They use cookies, IP addresses, and online data tools.

Opting out Google Adsense and Analytics

Users can set preferences for how Google advertises to you using the Google Ad Settings page. Alternatively, you can opt out by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page or permanently using the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser add-on.

What do we do with your information once we have it?

When you give us information, we will use it in the ways for which you’ve given us permission. Generally, we use your information to help us provide and improve our products and services for you in the following ways:

  • To personalize user’s experience and to allow us to deliver the type of content and product offerings in which you are most interested.
  • To improve our website in order to better serve you.
  • To administer a contest, promotion, survey or other site feature.

How do we protect visitor information?

Our website is scanned on a regular basis for security holes and known vulnerabilities in order to make your visit to our site as safe as possible.

SSL Certified

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and is the technology that keeps internet connections secure and safe from prying eyes. It is used on all ranges of sites but is particularly useful when doing things like online banking, e-commerce, or any type of internet transaction where personal information is shared.

Intelligent IP blocking

Intelligent IP address blocking on our site detects intruders and blocks them across all sites on our host’s servers within seconds.

Popular points of entry for hackers are monitored and immediately lock out any IP address trying to get through. These points include:

  • Failed SSH Access Attempts
  • Failed WordPress Login Attempts
  • Spam WordPress Comments
  • XMLRPC Connections

The site is also continuously scanned for malware and other security gaps.

When do we share your information with others?

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information unless we provide you with advance notice. This does not include website hosting partners and other parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release your information when we believe release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others’ rights, property, or safety.

However, non-personally identifiable visitor information may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses.

How do we store and protect your personal information?

We are committed to protecting your personal information once we have it. We implement physical, business and technical security measures. Despite our efforts, if we learn of a security breach, we’ll notify you so that you can take appropriate protective steps.

We also don’t want your personal information for any longer than we need it, so we only keep it long enough to do what we collected it for. Once we don’t need it, we take steps to destroy it unless we are required by law to keep it longer.

What about the California Online Privacy Protection Act?

CalOPPA is the first state law in the nation to require commercial websites and online services to post a privacy policy. The law’s reach stretches well beyond California to require a person or company in the United States (and conceivably the world) that operates websites collecting personally identifiable information from California consumers to post a conspicuous privacy policy on its website stating exactly the information being collected and those individuals with whom it is being shared, and to comply with this policy.

See more at http://consumercal.org/california-online-privacy-protection-act-caloppa/#sthash.0FdRbT51.dpuf

According to CalOPPA we agree to the following:

  • Users can visit our site anonymously
  • Once this privacy policy is created, we will add a link to it on our home page, or as a minimum on the first significant page after entering our website.

Our Privacy Policy link includes the word ‘Privacy’ and can be easily be found on the homepage.

Users will be notified of any privacy policy changes:

  • On our Privacy Policy Page & via email if you are subscribed to our newsletter.

Users are able to change their personal information:

  • By emailing us social@gardenculuremagazine.com

How does our site handle do not track signals?

We honor Do Not Track (DNT) signals and do not track, plant cookies, or use advertising when a DNT browser mechanism is in place.

Does our site allow third party behavioral tracking?

It’s also important to note that we allow third party behavioral tracking

And the COPPA (Children Online Privacy Protection Act)?

When it comes to the collection of personal information from children under 13, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) puts parents in control. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the COPPA Rule, which spells out what operators of websites and online services must do to protect children’s privacy and safety online.

We do not specifically market to children under 13.

If you are a parent and believe that your child who is under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us to have your child’s information removed.

Fair Information Practices

The Fair Information Practices Principles form the backbone of privacy law in the United States and the concepts they include have played a significant role in the development of data protection laws around the globe. Understanding the Fair Information Practice Principles and how they should be implemented is critical to comply with the various privacy laws that protect personal information.

In order to be in line with Fair Information Practices we will take the following responsive action, should a data breach occur:

  • We will notify the users via email within 1 business day
  • We will notify the users via in site notification within 7 business days

We also agree to the individual redress principle, which requires that individuals have a right to pursue legally enforceable rights against data collectors and processors who fail to adhere to the law. This principle requires not only that individuals have enforceable rights against data users, but also that individuals have recourse to courts or a government agency to investigate and/or prosecute non-compliance by data processors.

CANSPAM Act

The CAN-SPAM Act is a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have emails stopped from being sent to them, and spells out tough penalties for violations.

We collect your email address in order to:

  • Send information, respond to inquiries, and/or other requests or questions.
  • Market to our mailing list or continue to send emails to our clients after the original transaction has occurred

To be in accordance with CANSPAM we agree to the following:

  • NOT use false, or misleading subjects or email addresses
  • Identify the message as an advertisement in some reasonable way
  • Include the physical address of our business or site headquarters
  • Monitor third party email marketing services for compliance, if one is used.
  • Honor opt-out/unsubscribe requests quickly
  • Allow users to unsubscribe by using the link at the bottom of each email

If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails, you can email us at social@gardenculturemagazine.com or follow the instructions at the bottom of each email. We will promptly remove you from ALL correspondence.

What if we change this privacy policy or any of our privacy notices?

We may need to change this policy and our notices. The updates will be posted online. If the changes are substantive, we will announce the update through the usual channels for such announcements such as blog posts and newsletters. Your continued use of the product or service after the effective date of such changes constitutes your acceptance of such changes. To make your review more convenient, we will post an effective date at the top of the page.

Contacting Us

If there are any questions regarding this privacy policy you may contact us using the information below or email us at info@gardenculturemagazine