Effective Date: September 1, 2024

Sociable Studio (“we,” “us,” “our”) is committed to safeguarding your privacy. This Privacy Policy outlines the types of personal information we collect, how we use and share that information, and your rights regarding your data. This Policy applies to our website [sociablestudio.com] (the “Site”), services, and any interactions with you. By using our Site or services, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information You Provide Directly:

• Contact Information: This includes your name, mailing address, email address, phone number, and any other contact details you provide when you interact with us.
• Account Information: If you create an account with us, we collect details such as your username, password, and other registration-related information.
• Payment Information: When you make a purchase or transaction through our Site, we collect your payment information, such as credit card numbers, billing addresses, and transaction history. This information is processed securely and is not stored by us beyond what is necessary for the transaction.
• Content You Provide: This includes any feedback, comments, or other content you submit through forms, surveys, or direct communication with us.
• Sensitive Information: We may collect sensitive information if you voluntarily provide it (e.g., related to health, preferences, or demographics). We will only process this information with your explicit consent and for the purposes it was provided.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically:

• Technical Data: This includes details about your device and internet connection, such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers, and the versions of any software or applications you use.
• Usage Data: We collect data about your interactions with our Site, including the pages you visit, links you click, time spent on specific pages, and other Site usage statistics. This data helps us understand how you use our Site and improve our services.
• Location Data: We may collect information about your geographic location, which can be derived from your IP address or mobile device settings. This data helps us provide location-based services and content.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to collect information about how you use our Site. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that allow us to remember your preferences, track your interactions, and provide you with a better user experience.

1.3 Information from Third Parties:

• Social Media Information: If you engage with us through social media platforms (e.g., by liking, commenting, or sharing our content), we may collect information from your profile and the content of your interactions.
• Third-Party Analytics: We may receive data about you from third-party analytics providers, such as Google Analytics, which help us understand how visitors use our Site. This information is anonymized and aggregated to ensure it does not identify you personally.
• Advertising Partners: We may receive information about your interactions with our ads from our advertising partners. This data helps us optimize our marketing efforts and deliver more relevant content.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for a variety of purposes, including:

2.1 To Provide and Improve Our Services:

• Service Delivery: We use your information to process transactions, fulfill orders, and provide you with the products and services you request.
• Personalization: We analyze your information to tailor our content, products, and services to your preferences, enhancing your overall experience on our Site.
• Technical Support: Your information helps us diagnose and resolve technical issues, respond to inquiries, and provide effective customer support.

2.2 For Marketing and Promotional Purposes:

• Direct Marketing: With your consent, we use your contact information to send you promotional messages, newsletters, and special offers that we believe may interest you. You can opt out of these communications at any time.
• Advertising: We use your data to deliver relevant advertisements based on your browsing behavior, preferences, and interactions with our Site. This includes using cookies and other tracking technologies to show you ads tailored to your interests.
• Surveys and Research: We may invite you to participate in surveys or research initiatives to gather feedback and insights that help us improve our products, services, and customer satisfaction.

2.3 To Comply with Legal Obligations:

• Regulatory Compliance: We process your information as necessary to comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes. This includes responding to lawful requests from public authorities and maintaining records as required by law.
• Enforcement of Terms: We use your information to enforce our terms and conditions, protect our rights, property, or safety, and prevent fraudulent activities or misuse of our services.

2.4 For Business Operations:

• Business Transactions: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of all or part of our assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of the transaction. We will notify you of any changes in ownership or control of your personal data.
• Data Analytics: We analyze your information to understand market trends, improve our business performance, and enhance our products and services. This may include aggregated and anonymized data that does not identify you personally.

3. Legal Basis for Processing Personal Data (For EU Residents)

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we process your personal data under the following legal bases:

3.1 Consent: We process your personal data when you have provided explicit consent for specific processing activities, such as receiving marketing communications or participating in research.

3.2 Contractual Necessity: We process your data when it is necessary to fulfill our contract with you, such as processing payments, providing services, or delivering products.

3.3 Legal Obligations: We process your data when necessary to comply with legal obligations, such as maintaining records for tax purposes or responding to regulatory requests.

3.4 Legitimate Interests: We process your data when it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided that your rights and interests do not override those interests. Our legitimate interests include improving our services, ensuring network security, preventing fraud, and marketing our products.

4. Sharing Your Information

We may share your personal information with third parties under the following circumstances:

4.1 Service Providers:
We engage third-party service providers to perform various functions on our behalf, such as payment processing, data analytics, email delivery, hosting services, and customer support. These service providers have access to your personal information only as necessary to perform their functions and are contractually obligated to protect it.

4.2 Business Transfers:
If we undergo a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of our assets, your personal information may be transferred to the acquiring entity as part of the transaction. We will notify you of any such transfer and provide you with any relevant choices regarding your information.

4.3 Legal and Regulatory Requirements:
We may disclose your personal information if required by law, regulation, or legal process, or to comply with a government request. We may also disclose your information to protect our rights, property, or safety, or the rights, property, or safety of others.

4.4 With Your Consent:
We may share your personal information with third parties when you have provided explicit consent to do so. This may occur, for example, when you participate in a joint promotion or opt-in to receive communications from third-party partners.

5. International Data Transfers

Your personal information may be transferred to, and processed in, countries other than your country of residence, including Canada, the United States, and other countries where our service providers operate. These countries may have data protection laws that are different from the laws of your home country.

When we transfer your information internationally, we take appropriate steps to ensure that your data is protected. These steps include implementing standard contractual clauses approved by relevant regulatory authorities, or relying on other lawful mechanisms for data transfer. We will only transfer your personal data to countries that provide an adequate level of protection, or where we have put in place measures to ensure that your data remains protected.

6. Data Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement a variety of technical and organizational measures to protect it from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption: We use encryption to protect your data during transmission and storage.
• Access Controls: We restrict access to your personal data to authorized personnel only, and require that our service providers adhere to strict confidentiality and security standards.
• Secure Hosting: We host our Site and data in secure environments that are protected from unauthorized access and vulnerabilities.
• Regular Audits: We conduct regular audits and assessments of our security practices to identify and address potential risks.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including to comply with legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. The specific retention period depends on the nature of the information and the purposes for which it was collected.

• Transactional Data: We retain transactional data (e.g., payment information, order details) for as long as necessary to complete the transaction and comply with our legal obligations, including for audit and tax purposes.
• Account Information: We retain your account information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services.
• Marketing Data: We retain your marketing preferences and contact information until you opt out or request deletion of your data.

When your information is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymize it to ensure that it cannot be used to identify you.

8. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location and the applicable data protection laws, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

8.1 Access:
You have the right to request access to the personal data we hold about you, including information about how we use and share your data.

8.2 Rectification:
You have the right to request the correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

8.3 Erasure:
You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data under certain conditions, such as when the data is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected.

8.4 Restriction:
You have the right to request the restriction of processing your personal data in certain circumstances, such as when you contest the accuracy of the data or object to the processing.

8.5 Data Portability:
You have the right to request the transfer of your personal data to you or to a third party in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

8.6 Objection:
You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data based on our legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.

8.7 Withdraw Consent:
Where we rely on your consent to process your personal data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond to your request in accordance with applicable laws and within the timeframe required by law.

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our Site uses cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your browsing behavior and preferences. Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device when you visit our Site. They allow us to remember your preferences, track your interactions, and improve your user experience.

9.1 Types of Cookies We Use:

• Essential Cookies: These cookies are necessary for the operation of our Site and enable you to use its features, such as accessing secure areas.
• Performance Cookies: These cookies collect information about how visitors use our Site, such as which pages are visited most often and if they encounter error messages. This information helps us improve the functionality of our Site.
• Functionality Cookies: These cookies allow our Site to remember your preferences, such as language or region, and provide enhanced features. For example, they may be used to remember your login details or preferences for future visits.
• Targeting Cookies: These cookies are used to deliver advertisements that are relevant to you and your interests. They also limit the number of times you see an ad and help measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

9.2 Google Analytics:
We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses cookies to help us analyze how users interact with our Site. The information generated by the cookies about your use of the Site (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the Site, compiling reports on Site activity, and providing other services related to Site activity and internet usage.

• Google Analytics Opt-Out: You can opt-out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on, which prevents your data from being used by Google Analytics.

9.3 Managing Cookies:
You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. You can also opt out of certain cookies by using the opt-out mechanisms provided by third-party advertising networks. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our Site and your ability to access certain features.

10. Children’s Privacy

Our Site and services are not intended for children under the age of 13 (or the applicable age of consent in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from children under this age. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without verifiable parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

11. Third-Party Links

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites, services, and applications that are not operated by us. These third-party sites may have their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for their practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit to understand how your information is collected, used, and shared.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or operational needs. When we make material changes to this Policy, we will notify you by updating the effective date at the top of this page and, if required by law, provide you with additional notice (such as by email or through a prominent notice on our Site).

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about our privacy practices.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at [email protected]