Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Personal Information

We may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us, including:

• Email address (when you subscribe to our newsletter or contact us)
• Name (if provided when contacting us)
• Payment information (when purchasing educational resources - processed securely by our payment providers)
• Any other information you choose to share with us

Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information, including:

• IP address and general location data
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Referring website
• Pages visited and time spent on pages
• Clickstream data

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:

• Remember your preferences and settings
• Analyze website traffic and usage patterns
• Provide personalized content recommendations
• Improve our website functionality

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To provide and maintain our educational services
• To process transactions and deliver purchased resources
• To send educational content, newsletters, and updates (with your consent)
• To respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
• To improve our website and educational materials
• To analyze usage patterns and optimize user experience
• To detect, prevent, and address technical issues
• To comply with legal obligations

3. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information based on the following legal grounds:

• Consent: When you explicitly agree to receive newsletters or marketing communications
• Contractual Necessity: To fulfill our obligations when you purchase educational resources
• Legitimate Interests: To improve our services, ensure website security, and analyze usage patterns
• Legal Obligation: When required to comply with applicable laws and regulations

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information with:

Service Providers

• Payment processors (Stripe, PayPal) for secure transaction handling
• Email service providers for newsletter delivery
• Analytics providers to understand website usage
• Cloud hosting services for website operation

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to:

• Valid legal processes (subpoenas, court orders)
• Government requests
• To protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property
• To investigate potential violations of our terms of service

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information, including:

• SSL encryption for data transmission
• Secure payment processing through reputable providers
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
• Secure data storage with industry-standard protections

While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to:

• Fulfill the purposes outlined in this privacy policy
• Comply with our legal obligations
• Resolve disputes and enforce our agreements
• Maintain business records as required by law

When we no longer need to retain your information, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

7. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
• Restriction: Request restriction of processing of your information
• Portability: Request transfer of your information to another organization
• Objection: Object to processing of your personal information
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw previously given consent at any time

8. Children's Privacy

StateFlagsExplained.com is an educational website that may be used by children under the direction of parents, teachers, or educational institutions. However, we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without parental consent.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us immediately. We will take steps to remove that information from our servers.

Our educational resources are designed to be used in classroom settings under the supervision of teachers and educators who are responsible for obtaining any necessary parental consents.

9. Third-Party Links and Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, such as educational resources, book recommendations on Amazon, or other relevant sites. This privacy policy applies only to StateFlagsExplained.com.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

10. International Data Transfers

StateFlagsExplained.com is operated in the United States. If you are located outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States.

By using our website or providing us with your information, you consent to this transfer, storage, and processing. We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

13. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States and the State of [Your State], without regard to its conflict of law provisions.