Privacy Policy

As the owner of this website (the “Site”) with the domain name of passing-thoughts.com, we understand that your privacy is of critical importance. This Privacy Policy describes what information is collected from you via visiting the Site and how we collect, store, use and share your personal data, and disclose such information. It also explains your rights in relation to your personal data and how to contact us or supervisory authorities in the event you have a complaint.

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What are your rights? 

 

Depending on where you are located geographically, the applicable privacy law may mean you have certain rights regarding your personal information under data protection laws. For example, by legal mandate in the European Union, the European Economic Area, the State of California and other jurisdictions, you must inform users how the website use cookies, what information is collected, and how the information is used. 

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For example, additional rights of residents in the European Economic Area (EEA) are, among others, to:

i)    access your personal data

ii)    ensure the accuracy of your personal data

iii)    the right to have us delete your personal data

iv)    the right to restrict further processing of your personal data, and

v)    the right to complain to a supervisory authority in your country of residence in the event that data is misused

 

For further details on the laws in EU and California, you can check out the following links:

• The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

• The State of California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ​

 

You might also want to do an internet search for the applicable privacy and data protection laws in the country or region that you reside.

 

How do you exercise your rights?

 

If you believe that our processing of your personal information infringes data protection laws, you have a legal right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority responsible for data protection in your country or region.

 

Withdrawing your consent

 

If we (the Site) are relying on your consent to process your personal information, which may be express and/or implied consent depending on the applicable law, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us by using the details in the Contact Us section.

 

If you have concerns about our privacy policy, please do not use our Services.

 

The Use of Cookies on our Site

 

Our website, passing-thoughts uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide tailored information. 

 

What are Cookies?

 

A cookie is a file containing an identifier (a string of letters and numbers) that is sent by a web server to a web browser and is stored on your computer by your browser. The identifier is then sent back to the server each time your browser requests a page from the server.  Cookies can be set by the owner of the website or in some cases by third party services the website owner allows to present or store other information or provide other functionality such as data analytics. While cookies do not typically contain any information that personally identifies a user, information about you may be linked to the information stored in and obtained from cookies.

 

Websites need to use some “essential cookies” in order to work. For example, our site is hosted by a website development company called Wix . Wix advises that, “In general, the cookies which are initially placed on your Wix website may be categorized as essential cookies: security, anti-fraud, and other purposes related to the specific functionality of your service.”  You can learn more about how Wix handles cookies in the following article 

 

Cookies can also be either "persistent" cookies or "session" cookies. A persistent cookie will be stored by a web browser and will remain valid until its set expiry date, unless deleted by the user before the expiry date. A session cookie, on the other hand, will expire at the end of the user session, when the web browser is closed. 

 

As noted in the following links on website cookies and their uses, “Third-party cookies” are tied to advertising and analytics platforms instead of major websites, and they are set by domains other than the website you’re visiting, often through embedded content like advertisements or videos. As further outlined by HP, “Third-party cookies” are usually associated with the ads that populate a website, which are distinct from the First party cookies on the website that you may be visiting. Third-party cookies may contain tracking information that keep tabs on your browsing history, so advertising and analytics platforms can reach you with personalized ads. Due to growing privacy concerns, major web browsers are phasing out support for third-party cookies. Some browsers, like Safari and Firefox, already block them by default. However, many websites still rely on third-party cookies.” (Source: Hewlett Packard - Computer Cookies - What they are and how they work)

 

For more information on the types of internet and website cookies and their uses, check out the following links

• Microsoft - Everything you need to know about internet cookies

• Hewlett Packard - Computer Cookies - What they are and how they work

• UK Information Commissioner's Office - What are cookies and similar technologies

• European Union - Cookies, the GDPR and the ePrivacy directive

• European Commission Cookie Policy

 

How can you manage cookies on your browser?

 

Most browsers allow you to accept, refuse and delete cookies. The methods for doing so vary from browser to browser, and from version to version. You can obtain up-to-date information about blocking and deleting cookies by searching the internet for a detailed explanation on how your particular browser settings work. For example, you can check the links below depending on your browser:

• Google Chrome

• Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge

• Firefox

• Safari

• Safari Mobile

• Opera

 

How can you accept or reject cookies on our website?

 

We (the Site) will ask you for your consent to accept or reject cookies on our website as outlined by the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).  This choice will appear on a banner when first accessing our site.

 

Please note that blocking First Party and essential cookies may have a negative impact on the functions of our Site, and some features may cease to be available to you.

 

How are cookies used on this site and what personal information do we collect?

 

We (the Site) use the following cookies to improve the functionality and operation of our website and your user experience: 

1. Essential cookies. As previously noted above, websites need to use some “essential cookies” in order to work. Our site is hosted by a website development company called Wix which advises that, “In general, the cookies which are initially placed on your Wix website may be categorized as essential cookies: security, anti-fraud, and other purposes related to the specific functionality of your service”; 

2. Authentication. We use cookies to identify you when you visit our website and as you navigate our website;

3. Personalization. We use cookies to store information about your preferences and to personalize the website for you. This information does not reveal your specific identity (like your name or contact information) but may include device and usage information, such as your IP address, browser and device characteristics, operating system, language preferences, referring URLs, device name and type, country, location, information about how and when you use our Services, and other technical information;

4. Security. We use cookies as an element of the security measures used to protect user accounts, including preventing fraudulent use of login credentials, and to protect our website and services generally;

5. Analysis. We use Google Analytics to analyze the use of our website. Google Analytics gathers information about website use by means of cookies, tracks Website usage and provides information such as referring websites and user actions on the Website. The information gathered is used to create reports about the use of our website. Google's privacy policy is available at: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/ ;

6. Location. We collect location data such as information about your device’s location, which can be either precise or imprecise. For example, we may use GPS and other technologies to collect geolocation data that tells us your current location, based on your IP address. The location data is used to tailor Site information and advertisements to enhance their relevance for the website user; and

7. Advertising and marketing. We use location data and other cookies to help us to display advertisements that will be relevant to you. The Site may engage in affiliate marketing, which is done by embedding tracking links into the Website. If you click on a link for an affiliate partnership, a cookie will be placed on your browser to track any sales for purposes of commissions.

 

Third-Party Websites

 

The categories of third parties on our site are:

• Links to related death and dying resources on the websites of reputable government sponsored agencies, national health and hospice services, and non-governmental organizations, foundations and care services. 

• Ad networks and affiliate marketing programs

• User authentication and payment services

• Social media platforms

• Data analytics services

 

The inclusion of a link to a third-party website, service, application or social media provider does not imply an endorsement by us. We cannot guarantee the safety and privacy of data you provide to any third parties. Any data collected by third parties is not covered by this privacy notice. We are not responsible for the content or privacy and security practices and policies of any third parties, including other websites, services, or applications that may be linked to or from the Services. We are not responsible for the safety of any information that you share with third parties that we may link to or who advertise. You should review the privacy policies of such third parties to understand how they collect, use and share your personal information, and how you can set your privacy preferences on their sites. You should also contact them directly to respond to your questions.

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How long do we keep our information?

 

We will only keep your personal information for as long as it is necessary for the purposes set out in this privacy notice, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law (such as tax, accounting, or other legal requirements).  When we have no ongoing legitimate business need to process your personal information, we will either delete or anonymize such information, or, if this is not possible (for example, because your personal information has been stored in backup archives), then we will securely store your personal information and isolate it from any further processing until deletion is possible.

 

How do we keep our information safe?

 

Our site is hosted by Wix and the online presence of users is well-protected. Wix incorporates robust security features to safeguard websites and protect user data from potential cyber threats and breaches. (Additional details are available at the Wix website security page). 

 

However, despite these safeguards and our efforts to secure your information, no electronic transmission over the Internet or information storage technology can be guaranteed to be 100% secure, and transmission of personal information to and from our Services is at your own risk. You should only access the Site within a secure environment.

 

Will your information be shared with anyone else?

 

You can opt out from the sharing of your personal information by disabling cookies in your browser’s Cookie Preference Settings.

 

We may disclose your personal information with our service providers pursuant to a written contract between us and each service provider.

 

We may use your personal information for our own business purposes, such as for undertaking internal analytics. This is not considered to be “selling or sharing” of your personal information.

 

Sale of Business or Assets. In the event that the Site or substantially all of its assets is sold or disposed of as a going concern, whether by merger, sale of assets or otherwise, or in the event of an insolvency, bankruptcy or receivership, the information we have collected about you may be one of the assets sold or merged in connection with that transaction.

 

Right to request deletion of personal information

 

You can ask for the deletion of your personal information. If you ask us to delete your personal information, we will respect your request and delete your data, subject to certain exceptions provided by law. Such exceptions are (but not limited to) tax, accounting, or other legal requirements; the exercise by another consumer of his or her right to free speech; other compliance requirements resulting from a legal obligation; or any processing that may be required to protect against illegal activities.

 

Minors

 

We do not knowingly solicit data from or market to children under 18 years of age. By using the Site, you represent that you are at least 18 or that you are the parent or guardian of such a minor and consent to such minor dependent’s use of the Site. If we learn that personal information from users less than 18 years of age has been collected, we will take reasonable measures to promptly delete such data from our records. If you become aware of any data we may have collected from children under age 18, please contact us at [Email Address].

 

Changes and updates to the Privacy Policy

 

We (the Site) may update this privacy policy from time to time if our practices change, as technology changes, as new services are added, or existing services change. The updated version will be indicated by a “Revised Date” and an :Effective Date” at the top of the privacy policy. 

 

By using our Site or services after the Effective Date, you are deemed to consent to our then-current privacy policy. 

 

Information previously obtained in accordance with a past Privacy Policy will be kept separately and not back-dated.​​​