Privacy Policy
What personal data we collect and why we collect it
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.
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.
Media
If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.
Contact forms
Cookies
If you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.
If you have an account and you log in to this site, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.
When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.
If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.
Embedded content from other websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.
These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
Analytics
Who we share your data with
How long we retain your data
If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.
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 (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.
What rights you have over your data
If you have an account on this 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.
Where we send your data
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.
Your contact information
Additional information
How we protect your data
What data breach procedures we have in place
What third parties we receive data from
What automated decision making and/or profiling we do with user data
Search Engines MD does not engage in automated decision-making or profiling that would produce legal effects or similarly significant effects on you without human intervention.
Industry regulatory disclosure requirements
New Sections
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Compliance
Search Engines MD complies with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) for California residents. If you are a California resident, you have the right to access, correct, delete, and port your personal data, and to opt-out of the sale of your personal information (if applicable). For more information on how to exercise these rights, please contact us at cody@ searchenginemd.com.
Data Processing and Storage
Your data is processed and stored on secure servers located in the United States. We use industry-standard security measures to protect your data from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.
Third-Party Services
We use various third-party services to help us operate our website and provide our services. These may include hosting providers, analytics services, and marketing tools. These services may collect and process your data on our behalf. We ensure that any third-party service we use complies with applicable data protection laws, including the CCPA. Under the CCPA, sharing data with these service providers is not considered a ‘sale’ of data.
A2P Messaging
Search Engines MD (SEMD) may send you text messages to your mobile device for marketing, informational, or operational purposes. By providing your mobile number and agreeing to our services, you consent to receive such messages. These may include promotional offers, appointment reminders, or service updates.
Message frequency may vary based on your interactions with our services. Standard message and data rates may apply.
You can opt out of receiving these messages at any time by replying ‘STOP’ to any message you receive from us, or by contacting us at cody@ searchenginemd.com. Please note that opting out of marketing messages does not opt you out of receiving important transactional or account-related messages.
We will use and store your mobile number and related data in accordance with our general data practices as outlined in this privacy policy.
In accordance with the CCPA, California residents have the right to opt-out of the sale of their personal information. We do not sell personal information, including phone numbers used for A2P messaging. However, you can opt-out of receiving marketing messages at any time as described above.
Updates to Privacy Policy
Last update: 9 Oct 2024
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting a notice on our website or sending you an email.
California-Specific Privacy Rights
If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the CCPA:
– The right to know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell
– The right to request deletion of your personal information
– The right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information (note that we do not currently sell personal information)
– The right to non-discrimination for exercising your CCPA rights
To exercise these rights, please contact us at cody@ searchenginemd.com. We will respond to your request within 45 days, as required by the CCPA.
California’s “Shine the Light” Law
California Civil Code Section 1798.83 permits users who are California residents to request certain information regarding our disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please send an email to cody@ searchenginemd.com.
