Consumer Watchdog owns and operates this website. This Privacy Policy explains how we treat all user data collected during your visit to the Consumer Watchdog website and how we protect your personal privacy. We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any information that you provide after a change has been posted will be subject to the new policy.
Our Commitment to Your Privacy
At Consumer Watchdog, we are committed to protecting your privacy and your rights as a consumer. We follow all relevant privacy laws and regulations in the United States, including those in California. Our goal is to be a leader among non-profits in creating a safe, secure, and privacy-focused website.
What Information We Collect and How We Use It
We collect two types of information: (1) anonymous data automatically collected from all visitors to our website and (2) personal information that you voluntarily provide to us.
- Anonymous Data: We automatically collect information such as your IP address and domain name through our server, cookies, and tracking tools provided by services like Cloudflare, WordPress.com, and Jetpack. This data helps us understand how our website is being used.
- Personal Information: We may collect personal information such as your name, postal address, phone number, and email address when you:
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- Sign up for our mailing list via Mailchimp;
- Participate in activities that require your personal information;
- Make a donation to support Consumer Watchdog;
- Submit a public complaint through our website;
- Take action on issues through forms or buttons on our pages.
Automatically Collected Information
We log information about you and your device when you use our services, including when you visit our website and when you open our email newsletters. For example, we may log when you open an email from us, which links you click on, your IP address, the type of device and browser you are using, your browsing habits, and how you interact with our website. We collect this information using cookies and small tracking images called pixel tags.
Handling Donations and Your Data
All donations are processed through Kindful, which provides a secure site for online donations. We do not handle or store your credit card information or any other payment details. We do not sell our mailing lists or use them for commercial purposes. Any information you provide is used only for the purpose you intended, such as processing a donation or sending you updates.
How We Use Your Email
When you sign up for our mailing list, we use your email address to send newsletters, news releases, occasional donation requests, and updates on issues. We may also send you emails that are relevant to your interests or location, such as updates on California-specific issues. Mailchimp, our email service provider, may track whether you open our emails and which links you click. This helps us improve our communications. You can opt out of receiving emails from us at any time by unsubscribing.
Handling Public Complaints
If you submit a public complaint through our website, we collect your name and contact information to follow up with you. This information is used only for responding to your complaint and will not be shared or published without your permission.
Our Approach to Online Tracking
We do not track personal information about your online activities across other websites or services. If you submit a complaint or provide personal information on our website, we use it only for the specific purpose for which you provided it. Complaints are not published publicly without your explicit consent. If you have activated a Do Not Track (DNT) signal in your browser, our site does not change its data collection practices because we do not track personal information through tracking tools.
Use of Cookies
Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. Cookies are small pieces of information that are stored on your computer to help websites remember things like your preferences and to make sure you don’t see the same information repeatedly.
If you prefer not to receive cookies, you can change your browser settings to refuse them. However, some areas of our website may not work properly if you do this. If you view embedded content like YouTube videos on our site, YouTube may place its own cookies on your device; we do not control these cookies.
- Long-term Cookies: We use long-term cookies to count the number of unique visitors to our site.
- Session Cookies: We use session cookies during your visit to our site. These cookies are temporary and expire when your session ends. We also use session cookies in email notifications you receive from us. Emails in “text-only” format do not contain any cookies.
Compliance with United States and California Privacy Laws
Consumer Watchdog is fully committed to following all applicable privacy laws and regulations in the United States and California. We regularly review and update our practices to ensure full compliance and to set an example for other non-profits in maintaining a secure and privacy-focused website.
Security
We protect your information by placing it on a secure part of our website that is only accessible by authorized staff. However, no transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. While we work hard to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its complete security.
Contacting Us
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this Privacy Policy, the practices of this website, or your interactions with this site, you can contact us at: [email protected]
