Privacy Policy for samuelshares.com

1. Consent

By using this website, you consent to this Privacy Policy and agree to its terms.

2. Information We Collect

We only ask for personal information when we genuinely need it to provide a service to you, and we tell you why we’re asking for it at the point we ask.

• Direct Communication: If you contact us (e.g., by email or a contact form), we may receive your name, email address, and the contents of your message.
• Newsletter Sign-Up: If you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect your first name and email address to send you updates about new posts.
• Automatically Collected Data: Like most websites, our server and analytics tools automatically log some technical information when you visit (see Section 4).

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Operate and maintain this website.
• Send newsletter updates to subscribers who opt in.
• Understand how visitors use the site so we can improve it.
• Respond to messages you send us.
• Detect and prevent fraud or abuse.

4. Log Files and Analytics

Samuel Shares follows a standard procedure of using log files. These files log visitors when they visit the site. The information collected includes IP address, browser type, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and possibly click data. This information is not, by itself, linked to anything that personally identifies you, and is used for analyzing trends, administering the site, and gathering broad demographic information.

5. Cookies and Web Beacons

Like most websites, Samuel Shares uses cookies to store information such as visitors’ preferences and the pages a visitor accessed. This helps us customize the site’s content based on your browser type and other information. You can choose to disable cookies through your individual browser settings. To learn how to manage cookies with specific web browsers, you can visit the browser’s respective website.

6. Google AdSense and Advertising Cookies

This site uses Google AdSense to display advertising and earn revenue that supports the site.

• Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies and similar technologies (including its own and third-party cookies) to serve ads based on a visitor’s prior visits to https://samuelshares.com/ and other websites.
• Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to this site and/or other sites on the internet.
• You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. Alternatively, you can opt out of a third-party vendor’s use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info.
• For a full explanation of how Google uses data when you use our partners’ sites or apps, see How Google uses data when you use our partners’ sites or apps.

7. Consent for EU / UK / EEA Visitors

If you are visiting from the European Economic Area, the UK, or another region requiring opt-in consent, you will be shown a cookie/consent notice before any non-essential cookies (including advertising cookies) are set. You may withdraw or change your consent at any time using the settings in that notice or your browser.

8. Our Advertising Partners

Some advertisers appearing on this site may use their own cookies and web beacons. Our current advertising partner is:

• Google AdSense — Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads

9. Third-Party Privacy Policies

This Privacy Policy does not apply to other advertisers or websites. We advise you to consult the respective privacy policies of any third-party ad servers for more detailed information, including how to opt out of certain practices.

10. GDPR Data Protection Rights (EU/EEA/UK Users)

If applicable data protection law gives you these rights, you are entitled to:

• Right to access — request a copy of your personal data.
• Right to rectification — request correction of inaccurate information.
• Right to erasure — request deletion of your personal data, under certain conditions.
• Right to restrict processing — request that we limit how we process your data.
• Right to object — object to our processing of your data.
• Right to data portability — request that we transfer your data to another organization, under certain conditions.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@samuelshares.com. We will respond within one month.

11. CCPA Privacy Rights (California Consumers)

Under the CCPA, California consumers have the right to:

• Request that a business disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal data it has collected.
• Request that a business delete personal data it has collected, subject to certain exceptions.
• Request that a business that sells personal data not sell it. Samuel Shares does not sell personal information.

To make a request, email hello@samuelshares.com.

12. Children’s Information

Protecting children online is important to us. We encourage parents and guardians to observe, participate in, and monitor their children’s online activity.

Samuel Shares does not knowingly collect any personally identifiable information from children under the age of 13. If you believe your child has provided this kind of information on our site, contact us immediately at hello@samuelshares.com, and we will promptly remove it.

13. Who We Are

Samuel Shares (samuelshares.com) is an independently run blog written by Samuel, publishing personal essays and fiction. The site is hosted/powered under Urban Echo Communications (http://urbanecho.ca/).

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes take effect immediately upon posting, and the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent revision.

15. Contact Us

If you have questions or suggestions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at:

• Email: hello@samuelshares.com