Effective Date: January 2, 2025
At Whistlesway.com, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your data in compliance with applicable privacy laws, including Canadian laws (PIPEDA), U.S. laws (CCPA and others), and international regulations (such as GDPR). By using our website, you agree to the terms outlined here.
1. Information We Collect
a. Personal Information
We may collect the following personal information when you interact with our website:
• Name, email address, and other contact details when you:
• Subscribe to our newsletter.
• Comment on a blog post.
• Contact us through the website.
b. Non-Personal Information
• Browser type, IP address, device information, and usage data through cookies and analytics tools to improve website performance.
c. Cookies and Tracking
We use cookies and similar technologies to:
• Enhance your browsing experience.
• Track website traffic and performance.
d. Media
If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.
e. Embedded Content from Other Websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.
These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your information for the following purposes:
• To send newsletters, updates, or promotional content (with your consent).
• To respond to your inquiries or comments.
• To improve website functionality and user experience through analytics.
• To comply with legal obligations.
a. Comments
When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.
An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.
b. Cookies
If you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.
If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.
When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.
If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.
c. Who We Share Your Data With
If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.
d. Where Your Data is Sent
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.
e. How Long We Retain Your Data
If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.
For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.
3. Your Privacy Rights
If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.
a. For Canadian Residents
Under PIPEDA, you have the right to:
• Access and correct your personal information.
• Withdraw consent for marketing communications.
• File a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you believe your data has been mishandled.
b. For U.S. Residents (Including California)
Under the CCPA, California residents have the right to:
• Know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose.
• Request access to or deletion of your personal information.
• Opt out of the sale of personal information (note: we do not sell data).
To exercise these rights, contact us at Jennifer@whistlesway.com.
c. For EU Residents
Under GDPR, you have the right to:
• Access, correct, or delete your personal data.
• Withdraw consent at any time.
• Request data portability or restrict data processing.
4. Sharing Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. However, we may share your data with:
• Service Providers: Third parties like email services (e.g., Mailchimp) or analytics providers (e.g., Google Analytics) to operate our website.
• Legal Compliance: Authorities, if required by law or to protect our rights.
5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies to:
• Remember your preferences.
• Analyze website performance.
You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.
6. Children’s Privacy
Our website is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe we have, please contact us at Jennifer@whistlesway.com
7. Data Security
We implement reasonable security measures to protect your data from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure.
8. International Data Transfers
If you are visiting from outside Canada, your information may be transferred to and processed in countries with different privacy laws. By using this website, you consent to such transfers.
9. Updates to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The revised policy will be posted on this page with an updated effective date.
10. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us:
• Email: Jennifer@whistlesway.com
• Website: Whistlesway.com