Privacy Policy and Disclaimer

We, De Groots Media, explain in this policy how we collect, process and/or use information that we receive via our websites, emails we send, and mobile applications that link to this privacy policy, as amended from time to time. This privacy policy describes how De Groots Media collects, processes, uses, shares and secures any personal information you may provide. It also describes your choices regarding use, access, and correction of any information. Personal information shall mean any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.

This privacy policy applies only to information we collect, process, and use through our websites or mobile applications. This privacy policy does not apply to information that we collect through other channels, including that which we collect offline, from other websites or from emails.

1.     Information we collect

The information you give us when you fill out registration forms or provide us with other personal information actively, we collect that information for processing and use it in accordance with this privacy policy. Because we change our products and features from time to time, the options you have to provide us with personal information also may change. But here are some examples of situations in which you will have the opportunity to provide personal information to us:

• Signing up for an email newsletter.
• Completing a form related to one of our products or services.
• Contacting us for technical support or customer service.

Depending on how you interact with our website, the personal information we collect from you may vary. As an example, to sign up to one of our newsletters, we may ask only for an email address. In other circumstances, such as when you purchase a particular item, we may also ask you to provide other information. This may include your name, phone number, postal address, and credit card and billing information.

We also collect and store certain information associated with actions you take. For example, when you visit a particular article about a certain topic, we also store information about the pages on our website you visit, the time and duration of your activity on the website, and other information about your pages on our website.

If you connect to one of our properties using Facebook, Twitter, Google, or another social networking site (each a ‘social networking website’), we will receive information that you authorise the social networking website to share with us. This may include your public profile information, current city, work, school and email address. When we receive this information, it becomes part of your De Groots Media account information for purposes of your use of the website.

This information also constitutes personal information and is therefore subject to this privacy policy. Any information that we collect from your social networking Website account may depend on the privacy settings you have set with the social networking Website. So, consult the social networking site's privacy and data practices. You have the ability to disconnect your social networking site account from De Groots Media and other third-party accounts by adapting the privacy settings in your social networking website account. If you come to our website through a social networking website, from other websites, or with devices that enable third parties to collect information from or about you, such third parties will receive information about you subject to their privacy policies.

Some sections of our websites may ask you to identify your gender or age on a strictly voluntary basis. You may choose not to submit this information and continue using our products.

If you enter credit card information on one of our websites in connection with a purchase, that information is sent directly and securely from your browser to the third-party service provider that we use to manage credit card processing. We do not store it on our servers. The service provider is not permitted to use the information you provide except for the sole purpose of credit card processing on our behalf.

2. Information we collect automatically

When you use our websites, your device is automatically providing information to us so we can respond and customise our response to you. The type of information we collect by automated and means generally includes technical information about your computer, such as your internet protocol (‘IP’) address or another device identifier; the type of device you use; the browser; and the operating system version. The information we collect also may include usage information and statistics about your interaction with our website. That information may include the URLs of our web pages that you visited, URLs of referring and exiting pages, page views, time spent on a page, number of clicks, location data and other information about how you used our websites.

Automated means of data collection include the following:

3. Cookies and tracking technologies

Technologies such as cookies (“cookies”), web beacons, locally shared objects (sometimes called “Flash cookies”), mobile identifiers, pixel tags, and similar technologies (cookies) are used by De Groots Media and our partners (such as advertising, marketing and analytics providers) (‘Ad Partners’). We use cookies to remember users’ settings and for authentication and analytics. These technologies may be used in analysing trends, administering the website, tracking users’ movements around our sites, and gathering demographic information about our user base as a whole. Our ad partners may also use such technologies to deliver advertisements to you. You can control the use of cookies at the individual browser level. But if you choose to disable cookies, it may limit your use of certain features or functions on our website or service.

4. Log file information

Log file information is automatically reported by your browser or mobile application each time you access a website. An example, when you access one of our websites, our servers automatically record certain information that your web browser sends when you visit any website. These server logs include information such as your web request, IP address, browser type, referring/exit pages and URLs, number of clicks, domain names, landing pages, and pages viewed.

We collect information about the device you use to access the platform, including the type of device, operating system, settings, and unique device identifiers, and IP address. Whether we collect some or all of this information often depends on what type of device you are using and its settings. For example, different types of information are available depending on whether you are using a Mac or a PC, or an iPhone or Android phone. We collect the device type and any other information you choose to provide, such as username, geo-location, or email address. We also use mobile analytics software to allow us to better understand the functionality of our mobile software on your phone. This software records information such as how often you use the application, the events that occur within the application, aggregated usage, performance data, and from where the application was downloaded. We do not link the information we store within the analytics software to any personally identifiable information you submit on the platform.

5. How We Use Information

We use the information that we collect to provide our services. In order for us to best provide our services, and to help make it feasible for us to do so, it is necessary that we are able to collect and use the information as described in this privacy policy. It is mostly necessary for fulfilling the relationship we have with you. And where that is not the case, we have a legitimate interest in using the information we collect, including personal information, for these purposes:

• To provide you with personalised content, services offered by De Groots Media, and promotional content and services.
• To customise and improve the features, performance, and support of the site.
• To provide relevant advertising, including interest-based advertising from us and third parties.
• For internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research, and service improvement. This includes use of your IP address and mobile device information to help diagnose problems with our service and to administer the platform.
• To analyse the use of the platform and to improve our newsletters and services.
• For other purposes that you separately authorise as you interact with De Groots Media.

When we collect any information that does not identify you as a specific natural person (“non-personal information”), we are permitted to use and disclose this information for any purpose, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this privacy policy, except where we are required to do otherwise by any applicable law. If we combine any non-personal information with your personal information, we will use and disclose such combined information as personal information in accordance with this privacy policy. Similarly, if applicable law requires that we treat certain non-personal information as personal information, we will use and disclose this information as personal information in accordance with this privacy policy.

6.     How we share information

We only disclose your personal information to third parties as follows:

• We use affiliated and unaffiliated service providers all over the world, including web servers, cloud storage systems, customer relationship management (“CRM”) providers, email services, content support teams, marketing partners, advertising partners, and others, to help us deliver our service and run our business subject to strict confidentiality agreements. These companies are authorized to use your personal information only as necessary to provide these services to us.
• In reorganization or sale of our company or assets, your data may be transferred, subject to the acquirer and its affiliates accepting the commitments made in this privacy policy and compliance with applicable law.
• We will otherwise share personal information only with your consent.

7.     Cookie Policy and Ad Choices

This cookie policy describes how De Groots Media (“we”, “our”, “us”) uses cookies and similar technologies.

 8.    What are cookies?

Cookies are small pieces of data that are stored on your computer, mobile phone, or another device when you visit a web page. We use Cookies, web beacons, locally shared objects (Flash Cookies) mobile identifiers, and similar technologies (cookies) to help us recognise you on our platforms, to enhance your user experience, and understand the use of the platform, and show you relevant advertising. cookies may also be set by other websites or services that run content on the web page you are visiting. To learn more about our partners, such as advertising, marketing, and analytics providers (Ad Partners), and their use of cookies, see the ‘partners’ section of this privacy policy. After you register on the platform, we may connect information we collect from the cookies set by us and our partners with other information received from you. The provision of your data via cookies is voluntary except for those cookies that we place on your device because we need them for the performance of the platform and our services.

9. What types of Cookies do we use?

We use two types of Cookies on the Platform: “Session Cookies” and “Persistent Cookies.” Session Cookies are temporary Cookies that remain on your device until you leave the Platform. A persistent Cookie remains on your device for much longer until you manually delete it. How long the Cookie remains will depend on the duration or “lifetime” of the specific Cookie and your browser settings.

10. What are Cookies used for?

Cookies transmit information about you and your use of the platform, such as your browser type, search preferences, data relating to advertisements that have been displayed to you or that you have clicked on, and the date and time of your use. With the exception of an identifier cookie that we associate with registered accounts to prevent fraud by members of the platform, cookies link to certain unique information, such as the job titles that you entered at the time of registration or on your profile, but this is not linked to your name.

11. What we use cookies for.

We use cookies to help us determine whether or not you have signed in to the platform and also to keep you signed in during visits as you access different web pages.We use cookies to enable and support security features, prevent fraud, and protect your data from unauthorised access.

12. Preferences and Features

We use cookies to enable features and help us in providing you with personalised content, such as showing you your recent search activity.

13. Advertising

We use cookies to deliver, evaluate, and improve advertising, such as by using information about you to provide relevant advertising both on and off the platform. Our ad partners may use cookies to determine whether you have already been shown an ad or how it performed or also provide us with information about how you interacted with an ad.

14. Analytics and performance

We use cookies to analyse how our visitors use the platform and to monitor site performance. These cookies help us to identify and fix errors, understand and improve services, research and test out different features, and monitor how our visitors reach our sites.

15.  Opting out of cookies

We use cookies which are necessary for us to provide the services that you use. You cannot opt out of these cookies on the platform. You are able to disable placement of some, but not all, cookies by setting your browser to decline cookies, but this may worsen your user experience. Also, you can also control, manage, and/or delete cookies via your browser settings. 

16.  Other important privacy information

We respond to all requests we receive from individuals wishing to exercise their data protection rights in accordance with applicable data protection laws. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we reserve the right to keep any information in our archives that we deem necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes and enforce our agreements.

17. Choices for your personal information

We will send you notifications and if, and to the extent, you have opted in to promotional communications, or other messages using the contact information (e.g., your email address or your mobile device identifier) you provided to us when you registered or when you requested information from us. You may opt out of continuing to receive optional messages by following the instructions included in each message.

18.  The time we keep your personal information

We keep your personal information only so long as we need it to provide the website to you and fulfill the purposes described in this privacy policy. We share your personal information with and who carries out services on our behalf. Retention periods can vary significantly based on the type of information and how it is used. Our retention periods are based on criteria that include legally mandated retention periods, pending or potential litigation, our intellectual property or ownership rights, contract requirements, operational directives or needs, and historical archiving. When we no longer need to use your personal information and there is no need for us to keep it to comply with our legal or regulatory obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements, we will either remove it from our systems or change it, so that we cannot identify you.

19.  Security Safeguards

We employ physical, electronic, and managerial measures to safeguard the information we collect online. However, no company can fully eliminate security risks, so we cannot make guarantees about any part of our services. You are responsible for keeping your username and password a secret. Once you have registered with us, we will never ask you for your password. Please create a unique password for any De Groots Media accounts and do not use it for any other web services or applications. Do not share your password with anyone else.

20.  Privacy of minors

To access or use the Platform, you must be 13 years of age or older and, if you are under 18 or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, your use of platform must be under the supervision of a parent, guardian, or another responsible adult. If you become aware that a child has provided us with personal information without parental consent, please . If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information without parental consent, we will remove such information and terminate the child's account.

21.  Data Controller

The information about you that we collect, process, and/or use through the platforms are controlled by De Groots Media. The privacy protections and the rights of authorities to access your information in these countries might not be the same as in your home country.

22. Updates to our privacy policy.

We may revise this privacy policy from time to time by posting an updated version on the websites. This version of the Privacy policy will be effective for you as described at the beginning of the privacy policy. Further revisions of this privacy policy will become effective as follows: The revised privacy policy will be effective immediately. However, they can object to the new privacy policy by using contact us If we make a change that we believe materially reduces your rights or increases your responsibilities, we will notify you by email (sent to the email address specified in your account) or by means of a notice on this website prior to the change becoming effective. We may provide notice of changes in other circumstances, as well. We encourage you to periodically review this page for the latest information on our privacy practices. Your continued use of the platform is subject to the most current effective version of this privacy policy.

Cookies served through our websites

23. Necessary cookies

Necessary cookies are strictly necessary to help make our website usable by enabling basic functions such as page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. The website cannot function properly without these cookies. You can set your browser to alert you or block these cookies, but some parts of our services might then not work properly. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

24. Performance cookies

Performance cookies are used to enhance the performance of our websites but are non-essential to their use. without these cookies, certain functionality may become unavailable.

25. Functional cookies

Functional cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our websites are being used or how effective our marketing is or to help us customise our websites.

26. Targeting cookies

Targeting cookies may be set by our advertising partners. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user. They do not store directly personal information but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device.

Contact us at:De Groots Media
Email: admin@degrootsmedia com.au