Privacy Policy

Our Promise to You

At Emerald Chat, protecting your privacy is our top priority. It's the foundation of everything we do, ensuring that you can trust our services and products completely as you build meaningful connections.

We're grateful for your trust when you share your information with us, and we take this responsibility seriously.

Our privacy commitment: We design all our products and services with your privacy in mind, bringing together experts from legal, security, engineering, and product design fields to ensure we respect your privacy in every decision we make.

Our security focus: We have dedicated teams working 24/7 to keep your data safe and secure. Through regular updates and investments in security measures, we're continually enhancing the safety of your information.

Thank you for taking the time to read our privacy policy. This policy outlines the information we collect from you on emeraldchat.com and its related products and services, and how we handle that personal information. It covers our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing your data. Additionally, it explains your options for managing your personal information and how to access and update it.

This policy serves as a legally binding agreement between you (the user) and Emerald Chat. If you're agreeing to this on behalf of a business or legal entity, you confirm that you have the authority to bind them to this agreement. If you lack such authority or disagree with the terms, you should not accept the agreement or access our website and services. By using our website and services, you acknowledge that you've read, understood, and agree to abide by this policy.

It's important to note that this policy doesn't cover the practices of companies we don't own or control, or individuals we don't employ or manage.

Table Of Contents

  1. Automatic Collection Of Information
  2. Collection Of Personal Information
  3. Privacy Of Children
  4. Use And Processing Of Collected Information
  5. Payment Processing
  6. Managing Information
  7. Disclosure Of Information
  8. Retention Of Information
  9. Transfer Of Information
  10. Data Protection Rights Under The GDPR
  11. California Privacy Rights
  12. How To Exercise Your Rights
  13. Cookies
  14. Data Analytics
  15. Do Not Track Signals
  16. Push Notifications
  17. Links To Other Resources
  18. Information Security
  19. Data Breach
  20. Changes And Amendments
  21. Acceptance Of This Policy
  22. Contacting Us

1. Automatic Collection of Information

When you visit our website, our servers automatically collect information that your browser sends. This data may include details like your device’s IP address, browser type and version, operating system type and version, language preferences, the webpage you visited before coming to our site, pages you visit on our site, time spent on those pages, searches you perform on our site, access times and dates, and other statistics.

The automatically collected information is used solely to identify potential cases of abuse and to gather statistical data about the usage and traffic of our website. This statistical data is not aggregated in a way that would identify any individual user of the system.

2. Collection of Personal Information

You can access and use the website and services without telling us who you are or revealing any information that could identify you as a specific individual. However, if you want to use certain features offered on the website, you may need to provide some personal information, such as your name and email address.

We collect and store any information you knowingly provide to us when you create an account, publish content, make a purchase, or fill out any forms on the website. This information may include:

  • Account details (such as username, unique user ID, password, etc.)
  • Contact information (such as email address, phone number, etc.)
  • Payment information (such as credit card details, bank details, etc.)
  • Any other materials you willingly submit to us (such as articles, images, feedback, etc.)

You have the option not to provide us with your personal information, but this may limit your ability to use some features on the website. If you're unsure about what information is required, feel free to contact us.

3. Privacy of Children

We do not knowingly collect any personal information from children under the age of 18. If you are under 18, please refrain from submitting any personal information through our website and services. If you believe that a child under 18 has provided personal information to us, please contact us to request the deletion of that child's personal information from our services.

We urge parents and legal guardians to monitor their children's internet usage and enforce this policy by instructing their children not to provide personal information through our website and services without permission. We also request that all parents and legal guardians overseeing children take necessary precautions to ensure their children are instructed never to share personal information online without permission.

4. Use and Processing of Collected Information

We serve as both a data controller and a data processor under the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) when handling personal information. However, if we have a data processing agreement with you, you become the data controller while we become the data processor.

Our role may vary depending on the specific situation involving personal information. We act as a data controller when we ask you to submit personal information necessary for accessing and using the website and services. In such cases, we determine the purposes and methods of processing personal information and comply with the obligations of data controllers outlined in the GDPR.

We act as a data processor when you submit personal information through the website and services. We don't own, control, or make decisions about the submitted personal information; it's processed only according to your instructions. In these situations, the user providing personal information acts as a data controller under the GDPR.

To provide you with the website and services or to fulfill a legal obligation, we may need to collect and use certain personal information. If you don't provide the requested information, we may not be able to offer you the products or services you've asked for. Any information we collect from you may be used for the following purposes:

  • Create and manage user accounts
  • Fulfill and manage orders
  • Deliver products or services
  • Improve products and services
  • Improve user experience
  • Enforce terms and conditions and policies
  • Protect from abuse and malicious users
  • Respond to legal requests and prevent harm
  • Run and operate the website and services

4.5 Legal Basis for Processing

How we process your personal information depends on your interactions with the website and services, your location, and certain conditions:

  • If you've given consent for specific purposes, except when California Consumer Privacy Act or European Data Protection Law applies.
  • If providing information is necessary for fulfilling an agreement with you or for any pre-contractual obligations.
  • If processing is required to comply with a legal obligation that applies to you.
  • If processing is related to a task carried out in the public interest or exercising official authority vested in us.
  • If processing is necessary for legitimate interests pursued by us or a third party.

4.6 GDPR Legal Bases

We rely on the following legal bases, as defined in the GDPR, for collecting and processing your personal information:

  • User’s consent
  • Performance of a contract
  • Compliance with the law and legal obligations

4.7 Objection and Clarification

Please note that under certain laws, we may process information until you object by opting out, without requiring consent or any other legal bases mentioned above. Regardless, we're here to explain the specific legal basis for processing, especially whether providing personal information is a statutory or contractual obligation, or necessary to enter into a contract.

5. Payment Processing

5.1 Payment Details

For services that require payment, you may need to provide your credit card details or other payment account information. This information will solely be used for processing payments. We utilize third-party payment processors to securely handle this information.

5.2 Security Standards

These payment processors adhere to the latest security standards set by the PCI Security Standards Council, which includes brands like Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. All sensitive and private data exchanges occur over SSL secured communication channels, ensuring encryption and protection with digital signatures. Our website and services also comply with strict vulnerability standards to maintain a secure environment for users.

5.3 Data Sharing with Payment Processors

We only share payment data with payment processors as necessary for processing payments, issuing refunds, and addressing payment-related complaints and queries.

5.4 Payment Processor Responsibilities

Please note that payment processors may collect personal information from you to process payments, including your email address, address, credit card details, and bank account number. They manage all aspects of the payment process, including data collection and processing, through their systems.

5.5 Storage and Consent

If you consent, your financial information may be stored in encrypted form on secure servers of our payment processors for future or recurring payments. The use of your personal information by payment processors is governed by their respective privacy policies, which may or may not provide privacy protections similar to ours. We recommend reviewing their privacy policies.

6. Managing Information

You have the option to delete certain personal information we hold about you. The specific information you can delete might change as our website and services evolve. However, if you delete personal information, we may still keep a copy of the original data in our records for as long as necessary to fulfill our obligations to our affiliates and partners, and for the purposes explained below. If you wish to delete your personal information or permanently close your account, you can do this through the settings page of your account on the website or by contacting us directly.

7. Disclosure of Information

Depending on the services you request or as needed to complete any transaction or provide any service you have asked for, we may share your information with our affiliates, contracted companies, and service providers we rely on to assist in operating the website and services available to you. These entities' privacy policies are consistent with ours or they agree to abide by our policies regarding personal information. We will not share any personally identifiable information with third parties, nor will we share any information with unaffiliated third parties.

Service providers are not permitted to use or disclose your information except as necessary to perform services on our behalf or to comply with legal requirements. They are provided only with the information needed to carry out their designated functions, and we do not authorize them to use or disclose any provided information for their own marketing or other purposes.

We may also disclose any personal information we collect, use, or receive if required or permitted by law, such as to comply with a subpoena or similar legal process, or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others, to investigate fraud, or to respond to a government request.

In the event we undergo a business transition, such as a merger or acquisition by another company, or the sale of all or a portion of our assets, your user account and personal information will likely be among the assets transferred.

8. Retention of Information

We will keep and use your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill our legal obligations, maintain your active user account, complete any purchase orders or services, enforce agreements, and resolve disputes. Unless required or permitted by law, we won't retain your information longer than necessary.

After you update or delete your personal information, we may use any aggregated data derived from it, but we won't use it in a way that identifies you personally. Once the retention period ends, we'll delete your personal information. As a result, after the retention period expires, you won't be able to exercise rights such as access, erasure, rectification, or data portability.

9. Transfer of Information

Depending on your location, data transfers may involve moving and storing your information in a country other than your own, including California, United States. The transfer of your personal information to countries outside the European Union will only occur if you explicitly consent to it or if allowed by the GDPR and is processed in your interest.

You have the right to know the legal basis for information transfers to countries outside the European Union or to any international organization governed by public international law or established by two or more countries, such as the UN. You also have the right to learn about the security measures we take to protect your information. If such a transfer occurs, you can find more information by checking the relevant sections of this policy or by contacting us using the information provided in the contact section.

If you are a resident of the European Economic Area (EEA), you have specific data protection rights, and we strive to make it easy for you to correct, amend, delete, or limit the use of your personal information. If you want to know what personal information we have about you and want it removed from our systems, please contact us. Here are your data protection rights:

I. You have the right to withdraw consent if you previously gave it for the processing of your personal information. This withdrawal will not affect the legality of processing before the withdrawal.

II. You have the right to know if we are processing your personal information, obtain disclosure about certain aspects of the processing, and receive a copy of your personal information being processed.

III. You have the right to verify the accuracy of your information, ask for updates or corrections, and request completion of incomplete personal information.

IV. You have the right to object to processing your information if it's done on a legal basis other than consent. This includes processing for public interest, official authority, or legitimate interests pursued by us.

V. Under certain circumstances, you can restrict the processing of your personal information. This includes situations where its accuracy is contested, processing is unlawful but you oppose erasure, or when processing is no longer needed but you require it for legal claims.

VI. You have the right, under certain circumstances, to have your personal information erased. This includes situations where it's no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected, you withdraw consent, or you object to processing for direct marketing purposes.

VII. You have the right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to transmit it to another controller, provided it doesn't affect the rights and freedoms of others.

VIII. You have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection authority about our collection and use of your personal information. If you're unsatisfied with our response, you can contact your local data protection authority in the EEA. This applies when your personal information is processed automatically and based on your consent, contract, or pre-contractual obligations.

11. California Privacy Rights

If you live in California, you have extra rights regarding your personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). This section applies specifically to you.

In addition to the rights outlined in this policy, California residents who provide personal information for personal, family, or household use can request from us, once a year, details about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we've collected and shared.

Also, California residents can ask us to delete their personal information or opt-out of its sale, which might involve selling, sharing, or transferring it to another business or third party for money or other valuable benefits. To do this, just get in touch with us. We won't treat you differently if you decide to use your CCPA rights.

12. How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise your rights, please contact us using the provided contact details in this document. Kindly note that we may need to verify your identity before responding to your request. Your request should include enough information for us to confirm your identity or your authority to act on behalf of another person. If your request comes from an authorized representative, we may ask for evidence of their authority, such as a power of attorney.

Please ensure your request contains sufficient details for us to understand and address it properly. We cannot fulfill your request or provide personal information unless we verify your identity or authority and confirm that the information pertains to you.

13. Cookies

Our website and services utilize cookies to personalize your online experience. A cookie is a text file placed on your hard disk by a web page server. Cookies cannot run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. They are uniquely assigned to you and can only be read by a web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not fully experience all the features of our website and services.

We may use cookies to collect, store, and track information for security, personalization, website and service operation, and statistical purposes. Please note that you can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies by default, but you can modify your browser settings to decline cookies if you prefer.

14. Data Analytics

Our website and services may utilize third-party analytics tools, which employ cookies, web beacons, or similar technologies to gather standard internet activity and usage information. This collected data is utilized to generate statistical reports on user activity, such as frequency of website and services visits, pages visited, and duration of visits. We use this information from analytics tools to monitor performance and enhance our website and services.

15. Do Not Track Signals

Some web browsers include a "Do Not Track" feature. This feature signals to websites that you don't want them to track your online activity. Tracking isn't the same as using or collecting information on a website. In this context, tracking means gathering personally identifiable information from users as they browse different websites over time. How browsers communicate the "Do Not Track" signal isn't consistent yet.

Therefore, our website and services aren't currently set up to interpret or respond to "Do Not Track" signals from your browser. Nevertheless, as detailed in this policy, we restrict our use and collection of your personal information.

16. Push Notifications

We provide push notifications that you can choose to subscribe to at any time. To ensure these notifications reach the correct devices, we use a unique device token issued by your device's operating system. Although we can access a list of these tokens, they don't disclose your identity, unique device ID, or contact information to us. We'll handle the information sent via email in compliance with relevant laws and regulations. If you decide to stop receiving push notifications, you can easily adjust your device settings.

17. Links to Other Resources

The website and services include links to other resources not owned or controlled by us. Please note that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of these other resources or third parties. We encourage you to be mindful when you leave the website and services and to read the privacy statements of any resource that may collect personal information.

18. Information Security

We protect the information you provide on our computer servers in a secure environment, shielded from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. We maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to defend against unauthorized access, use, modification, and disclosure of personal information under our control. However, please note that no data transmission over the internet or wireless network can be entirely guaranteed.

While we strive to safeguard your personal information, it's essential to recognize the inherent security and privacy limitations of the internet beyond our control. This means that the security, integrity, and privacy of any information exchanged between you and our website and services cannot be guaranteed. Third parties may potentially view or tamper with such information during transit, despite our best efforts.

Since the security of your personal information partly relies on the security of the device you use to communicate with us and the measures you take to protect your credentials, please ensure appropriate safeguards for this information.

19. Data Breach

In the event we become aware that the security of the website and services has been compromised or user’s personal information has been disclosed to unrelated third parties as a result of external activity, including, but not limited to, security attacks or fraud, we reserve the right to take reasonably appropriate measures, including, but not limited to, investigation and reporting, as well as notification to and cooperation with law enforcement authorities.

In the event of a data breach, we will make reasonable efforts to notify affected individuals if we believe that there is a reasonable risk of harm to the user as a result of the breach or if notice is otherwise required by law. When we do, we will post a notice on the website.

20. Changes and Amendments

We reserve the right to modify this policy or its terms related to the website and services at any time, at our discretion. When we do so, we will revise the updated date at the bottom of this page. Additionally, we may provide notice to you in other ways, at our discretion, such as through the contact information you have provided.

An updated version of this policy will be effective immediately upon the posting of the revised policy, unless otherwise specified. Your continued use of the website and services after the effective date of the revised policy (or such other act specified at that time) will constitute your consent to those changes. However, we will not, without your consent, use your personal information in a manner materially different from what was stated at the time your personal information was collected.

21. Acceptance of This Policy

You acknowledge that you have read this policy and agree to all its terms and conditions. By accessing and using the website and services, and by submitting your information, you agree to be bound by this policy. If you do not agree to abide by the terms of this policy, you are not authorized to access or use the website and services.

Contacting Us

If you have any questions regarding the information we may hold about you or if you wish to exercise your rights, you may use the following data subject request form to submit your request on our homepage.

If you have any other questions, concerns, or complaints regarding this policy, we encourage you to contact us using the details below:

Email address: support@emeraldchat.com

We will attempt to resolve complaints and disputes and make every reasonable effort to honor your wish to exercise your rights as quickly as possible and, in any event, within the timescales provided by applicable data protection laws.

This document was last updated on March 16, 2024.