Your Privacy is important to us.

Effective May 01, 2012

The Really Big Picture

Your privacy is critically important to us. At Shareaholic we have a few fundamental guiding principles:

• We don't ask you for personal information unless we truly need it. (We can't stand services that ask you for things like your gender or income level for no apparent reason.)
• We don't share your personal information with anyone except to comply with the law, develop and operate our products, or protect our rights.
• We don't store personal information on our servers unless required for the on-going operation of one of our services.
• In our products, we aim to make it as simple as possible for you to control what's visible to the public and kept private.
  

Below is our privacy policy which incorporates these goals:

Shareaholic, Inc. ("Shareaholic") operates several products, services and websites including shareaholic.com, buzzster.com, and openshareicons.com. It is Shareaholic's policy to respect your privacy regarding any information we may collect while operating our services.

This Privacy Policy covers Shareaholic's treatment of personal information gathered when you use any of Shareaholic's services.

Keeping Information Secure

Shareaholic takes measures reasonably necessary to protect against the unauthorized access, use, alteration or destruction of potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information. These include internal reviews of our data collection, storage and processing practices and security measures.

We restrict access to personal information to Shareaholic employees, contractors and agents who need to know that information in order to operate, develop or improve our services. These individuals are bound by confidentiality obligations and may be subject to discipline, including termination and criminal prosecution, if they fail to meet these obligations.

Your Shareaholic account information is protected by a password for your privacy and security. You will need to work to protect against unauthorized access to your password and to your computer by logging off once you have finished using a shared computer.

Gathering of Personally-Identifying Information

"Personal information" is information that you provide to us which personally identifies you, such as your name, email address, or other data which can be reasonably linked to such information by Shareaholic.

Certain users choose to interact with our services in ways that require us to gather personally-identifying information. The amount and type of information that Shareaholic gathers depends on the nature of the interaction. For example, we ask visitors who sign up for an account at shareaholic.com to provide a username and email address. In each case, Shareaholic collects such information only insofar as is necessary or appropriate to fulfill the purpose of the users interaction with Shareaholic.

Because Shareaholic enables people to discover and share information with one another, information about the people who use Shareaholic is an integral part of the Shareaholic experience. Rest assured that Shareaholic does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below. And users can always refuse to supply personally-identifying information, with the caveat that it may prevent them from engaging with certain services.

Information we collect and how we use it

• Information you provide to us: We receive and store any information you enter on our website or provide to us in any other way. You can choose not to provide us with certain information, but then you may not be able to take advantage of many of our special features.
  
  Spam stinks. So we do not use your email address or other personally identifiable information to send commercial or marketing messages without your consent. We respect your privacy and hate SPAM too.
  
  
• Cookies: To serve you faster and with better quality, we use "cookies" technology. Cookies are small bits of code, usually stored on a user's computer hard drive, which enable a Website or service to "personalize" itself for each user by uniquely identifying your browser. We generally use cookies to improve the quality of our service, optimize your experience, reduce the time it takes for pages to load on your computer, storing user preferences, and tracking user trends, such as how people use our services in order to help us improve our products for you.
  
  Shareaholic users who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using Shareaholic's services, with the drawback that certain features of Shareaholic's services may not function properly without the aid of cookies.
  
  Opt-out Choices: We believe that providing you targeted and more relevant advertising enhances your internet experience. This is also how we support our business with services that are free to you. If however, you prefer that we do not use cookies to collect information about your browsing pattern for the purpose of delivering targeted advertising, you may opt out at any time by clicking on our "Opt-Out" link here.
  
  
• Third Party Cookies: The use of cookies by our partners and service providers is not covered by our privacy statement. We do not have access or control over these cookies. From time-to-time, Shareaholic may engage third parties to track and analyze usage and volume information from individuals who visit our websites or on third-party websites that have included Shareaholic code. Shareaholic may also use other third-party cookies to track the performance of Company advertisements. The information provided to third parties does not include personal information, but this information may be re-associated with personal information after the Company receives it.
  
  Shareaholic also contracts with third-party advertising networks that collect IP addresses and other website navigational information on our websites and emails and on third-party websites. Ad networks follow your online activities over time by collecting website navigational information through automated means, including through the use of cookies. They use this information to provide advertisements about products and services tailored to your interests. You may see these advertisements on other websites. This process also helps us manage and track the effectiveness of our marketing efforts. To learn more about these and other advertising networks and their opt-out instructions, click here.
  
  
• Log information: Like most Web services, when you use Shareaholic, our servers automatically record information that your browser sends whenever you use Shareaholic. These server logs may include information such as your web request, Internet Protocol address, browser type, browser language, the date and time of your request and one or more cookies that may identify your browser.
  
  
• Web Beacons: Shareaholic uses Web beacons alone or in conjunction with cookies to compile information about visitor usage of websites and interaction with emails from the Company. Web beacons are clear electronic images that can recognize certain types of information on your computer, such as cookies, when you viewed a particular website tied to the Web beacon, and a description of a website tied to the Web beacon. For example, Shareaholic may place Web beacons in marketing emails that notify the Company when you click on a link in the email that directs you to one of the Company’s websites. Shareaholic uses Web beacons to operate and improve the Company’s websites and email communications.
  
  Shareaholic may use information from Web beacons in combination with Data About Shareaholic users to provide you with information about the Company and the Services.
  
  
• User communications: When you send email or other communications to Shareaholic, we may retain those communications in order to process your inquiries, respond to your requests and improve our services.
  
  
• Forums: We offer publicly accessible community forums. You should be aware that any information you provide in these areas may be read, collected, and used by others who access them.
  
  
• Affiliated Shareaholic Services on other sites: We offer some of our services on or through other websites. Personal information that you provide to those sites may be sent to Shareaholic in order to deliver the service. We process such information under this Privacy Policy. The affiliated sites through which our services are offered may have different privacy practices and we encourage you to read their privacy policies.
  
  
• Links: Shareaholic may present links in a format that enables us to keep track of whether these links have been followed. We use this information to improve the quality of our services.
  
  
• Location data: Shareaholic may offer location-enabled services. If you use those services, Shareaholic may receive information about your actual location (such as GPS signals sent by a mobile device) or information that can be used to approximate a location (such as a cell ID).
  
  
• Local storage: Shareaholic may collect and store information (including personal information) locally on your device using mechanisms such as browser web storage (including HTML 5) and application data caches.
  
  
• User Profile information: Certain information collected during registration and subsequent visits, such as your full name and location, may be displayed to other Shareaholic users in your User Profile. The User Profile is the area on Shareaholic where we allow you to tell other Shareaholic users about yourself and your interests.
  
  
• Member Directory: The e-mail address that you submit upon registration may be searchable by other Shareaholic users who know you by your email address, unless you choose to opt out of this feature. This is primarily so that other users can find you to establish a connection on Shareaholic. You may opt-out of this feature at any time by visiting the Settings section of your User Profile.
  
  
• Aggregated statistics: We may share with third parties certain pieces of aggregated, non-personal information such as but not limited to the number of users who engaged in a particular topic, correlations between sharing and item preferences, and how many users chose to share a piece of content.
  
  
• Other sites: This Privacy Policy applies to Shareaholic services only. We do not exercise control over the sites that include Shareaholic applications, products or services, or links from within our various services. These other third party sites operate under their own privacy and security policy and may place their own cookies or other files on your computer, collect data or solicit personal information from you. If you choose to obtain certain services through a third party site, the data collected by the third party is governed by that third party's privacy policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any other service provider from whom you request services.
  

In addition, some Shareaholic services may send limited additional information to Shareaholic:

Browser Tools & Plugins

• Application numbers: Shareaholic's browser tools may include one or more unique application numbers. These numbers and information about your installation of Shareaholic (e.g., version number, language) may be used when you first install and use it, when Shareaholic periodically contacts our servers (for example, to check for updates), and may be required for certain plugin features to function properly. Some features may also send data to Shareaholic at the time of use. For example, sharing works by sending to Shareaholic the URL, page title, and other relevant data in order to complete the task.
  
  
• Statistics Monitor (optional feature) & Third-parties: To be able to provide you with diverse and extensive URL and website related information the browser tool may exchange data with certain third-party service providers like Delicious ("Delicious"), a Yahoo! Inc. company, Google Inc. ("Google"), Compete Inc. ("Compete"), Bitly Inc. (Bitly), Digg Inc. ("Digg"), and other Web statistics providers. This behavior is intrinsic to the functioning of this feature. For example, only by knowing which web page you are viewing can the browser tool show you information about that web page or website. This information will not be sent and statistics and other rich information from these service providers will not be accessible to you if you disable the "Website Stats Monitor", and service options for statistics providers like Digg, Delicious and others through the Browser Tool Options window. You can disable (or re-enable) any of these features at any time.
  
  The data that may be collected by these third-party service providers is governed by that third party's privacy policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any other service provider from whom you request services. A third-party service provider may process aggregated non-personally identifiable data on an anonymous and aggregate basis in order to operate and improve its service, for research purposes, or to prepare reports about aggregate usage. "Aggregated non-personal information" is information that no longer reflects or references an individually identifiable user.
  
  
• URLs and embedded information: For example, when you have the "Website Statistics Monitor" feature enabled, the browser tools may send the uniform resource locators ("URLs") of web pages that you request to Shareaholic, and website or web page statistics provider like Digg. When you use these services, Shareaholic or a third-party statistics providers may receive the URL sent by the websites you visit, including, any personal information inserted into those URLs by the website operator.
  
  For example, when you submit information to a web page (such as a user login ID or registration information), the operator of that website may "embed" that information – including personal information – into its URL (typically, after a question mark ("?") in the URL). When the URL is sent to Shareaholic or a third party service provider, servers may automatically store the URL, including any personal information that has been embedded after the question mark. Shareaholic does not exercise any control over these websites or whether they embed personal information into URLs.
  
  

Shareaholic will only shares information with individuals outside of Shareaholic as disclosed in this Privacy Policy and in the following limited circumstances:

• Protection of Shareaholic and Others: We have a good faith belief that access, use, preservation or disclosure of information is reasonably necessary to (a) satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request, (b) enforce applicable Terms of Service, including investigation of potential violations thereof, (c) detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues, (d) allow service providers and/or vendors to fulfill Services for you on behalf of Shareaholic, or (e) protect against imminent harm to the rights, property or safety of Shareaholic, its users or the public as required or permitted by law.
  
  
• Business Transfers: In some cases, we may choose to buy or sell assets. In these types of transactions, user information is typically one of the business assets that is transferred. Moreover, if Shareaholic, or substantially all of its assets, were acquired, user information would be one of the assets that is transferred.
  
  
• With Your Consent: Except as set forth above, you will be notified when your personal information may be shared with third parties or used for a purpose incompatible with the purpose(s) for which it was originally collected, and you will be able to prevent the sharing of this information by opting out.
  

Google Analytics

Some of our services use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies”, which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the service (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 website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google's behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

International Users

Shareaholic processes personal information on our servers in the United States of America and in other countries. In some cases, we may process personal information on a server outside your own country. If you access our services from the European Union, Asia, or any other region with laws or regulations governing personal data collection, use, and disclosure that differ from United States laws, please be advised that through your continued use of Shareaholic services, you may be transferring your Personal Information to the United States and you that you are confirming your consent to that transfer. Additionally, you understand that your Personal Information may be processed in countries (including the United States) where laws regarding processing Personal Information may be less stringent than in your country.

Children

You must be at least 13 years old to use Shareaholic. We do not knowingly collect or use personal information about visitors under 13 years of age. If you are under 13 years of age, you can use the services offered only in conjunction with your parents or guardians.

Privacy Policy Changes

Although most changes are likely to be minor, this policy may change from time to time. We will post any policy changes on this page and, if the changes are significant, we will provide a more prominent notice on our site. By using our services, you signify your assent to this Privacy Policy, and your continued use of our services will signify your acceptance of any changes to this policy.

Questions and Suggestions

If you have additional questions or suggestions, please contact us anytime.

Our privacy principals and policy are adapted from a policy originally provided by Automattic (the makers of WordPress) under the Creative Commons Sharealike license.