Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: January 1, 2024

1. Introduction

Welcome to Sourdough Start (“we,” “our,” or “us”). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website sourdoughstart.com (the “Site”), including any other media form, media channel, mobile website, or mobile application related or connected to it.

Please read this policy carefully. If you disagree with its terms, please discontinue use of the Site. We reserve the right to make changes to this Privacy Policy at any time and for any reason. We will alert you about any changes by updating the “Last Updated” date of this policy. Your continued use of the Site after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

This policy applies to all information collected through our Site and any related services, sales, marketing, or events.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect information about you in a variety of ways. The information we may collect on the Site includes:

2.1 Personal Data You Provide Voluntarily

When you subscribe to our newsletter, leave a comment, fill out a contact form, or otherwise interact with our Site, you may voluntarily provide us with personally identifiable information, including but not limited to:

  • Name – to personalize your experience and communications.
  • Email address – to send newsletters, respond to inquiries, and deliver requested content.
  • Comments or messages – content you submit through contact forms or comment sections.

You are under no obligation to provide this information; however, declining to do so may prevent you from accessing certain features of the Site.

2.2 Automatically Collected Data

When you visit the Site, our servers may automatically collect certain information, including:

  • IP address and approximate geographic location.
  • Browser type and version, operating system, and device type.
  • Pages visited, time spent on pages, referring URLs, and navigation paths.
  • Date and time of your visit.
  • Clickstream data indicating how you interact with content on the Site.

This data is collected automatically through cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies described further in Section 4.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for a variety of legitimate business and operational purposes, including:

  • To operate and maintain the Site – ensuring content is delivered correctly and the Site functions as intended.
  • To send newsletters and marketing communications – only if you have opted in to receive them. You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any email we send.
  • To respond to inquiries and provide support – when you contact us via email or our contact form.
  • To analyze usage and improve the Site – understanding how visitors interact with our content allows us to improve layout, recipes, and user experience.
  • To display relevant advertising – we partner with third-party advertising networks to serve contextually relevant ads to visitors.
  • To comply with legal obligations – retaining records where required by applicable law and responding to lawful requests from public authorities.
  • To protect our rights and the rights of others – detecting, preventing, and addressing fraud, abuse, or security incidents.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their independent marketing purposes.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to monitor activity on our Site and retain certain information. Cookies are small data files placed on your device. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent; however, if you do not accept cookies, some portions of the Site may not function properly.

4.1 Types of Cookies We Use

  • Essential Cookies: Necessary for the Site to function. They enable basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas.
  • Performance and Analytics Cookies: These collect information about how visitors use the Site (e.g., pages visited, time on site). We use this data in aggregate form to improve our Site.
  • Advertising Cookies: Used to deliver advertisements more relevant to you and your interests. They also limit the number of times you see an ad and help measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.
  • Functionality Cookies: Allow the Site to remember choices you make (such as your preferred language) to provide a more personalized experience.

4.2 Web Beacons

Pages on our Site and our emails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags, or single-pixel gifs) that allow us to count users who have visited those pages or opened an email, and to compile related website statistics.

4.3 Managing Cookies

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Additionally, you may opt out of interest-based advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info/choices or, if located in the European Union, www.youronlinechoices.eu.

5. Third-Party Services

We engage trusted third-party companies and individuals to facilitate our Site, provide services on our behalf, or assist us in analyzing how our Site is used. These third parties have access to your information only to perform these tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose.

5.1 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC (“Google”). Google Analytics uses cookies to help us analyze how users use the Site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the Site (including your IP address) is 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 Site, compiling reports on website activity, and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage.

You may opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. For more information on Google’s privacy practices, please visit https://policies.google.com/privacy.

5.2 Google AdSense

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on our Site. Google AdSense is an advertising service provided by Google LLC. This service uses the “DoubleClick” cookie, which tracks use of the Site and user behavior concerning ads, products, and services we offer. You may opt out of the DoubleClick cookie by visiting the Google Ads Settings page.

Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on our Site. Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to our users based on their visit to our Site and/or other sites on the Internet. For more information about how Google uses data when you use partner sites or apps, please visit https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

5.3 Email Marketing Providers

If you subscribe to our newsletter, your email address and name may be shared with our email marketing service provider solely for the purpose of sending you communications you have requested. These providers are contractually prohibited from using your data for any other purpose.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, or as required by applicable law. Specifically:

  • Newsletter subscriber data is retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
  • Contact form submissions are retained for up to 24 months for customer service and record-keeping purposes.
  • Analytics data collected via Google Analytics is retained per Google’s standard retention settings, typically 26 months.
  • Log and server data (including IP addresses) is retained for up to 12 months for security and diagnostic purposes.

When data is no longer necessary, we will securely delete or anonymize it. If deletion is not immediately possible (e.g., because your information has been stored in backup archives), we will isolate your information and protect it from further processing until deletion is possible.

7. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have specific rights regarding your personal information. We are committed to honoring these rights and responding to verified requests in a timely manner.

7.1 Rights Under GDPR (European Economic Area Residents)

If you are a resident of the European Economic Area (EEA), you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

  • Right of Access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to Rectification: You have the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
  • Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): You may request that we delete your personal data, subject to certain exceptions.
  • Right to Restriction of Processing: You may request that we restrict the processing of your data in certain circumstances.
  • Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format and to transmit it to another controller.
  • Right to Object: You may object to processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests as a legal basis.
  • Rights Related to Automated Decision-Making: You have the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing that significantly affect you.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond to verified requests within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority.

7.2 Rights Under CCPA (California Residents)

If you are a resident of California, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

  • Right to Know: You have the right to request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources of that information, our business purpose for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
  • Right to Delete: You have the right to request deletion of personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions.
  • Right to Opt-Out of Sale: We do not sell your personal information. If this practice changes, we will update this policy and provide an opt-out mechanism.
  • Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.
  • Right to Correct: You have the right to request correction of inaccurate personal information we maintain about you.

To submit a CCPA request, please contact us at [email protected]. We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within 45 days, with the possibility of a 45-day extension where required.

8. Children’s Privacy

Our Site is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take prompt steps to delete such information. If you believe we may have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately at [email protected].

9. Links to Third-Party Websites

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites, plug-ins, and applications. Clicking on those links or enabling those connections may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy policies. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of every website you visit.

10. Security of Your Information

We use administrative, technical, and physical security measures designed to protect your personal information. While we have taken reasonable steps to secure the information you provide to us, please be aware that no security measures are perfect or impenetrable, and no method of data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed against interception or misuse.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Sourdough Start
Email: [email protected]

We will make every effort to respond to your inquiry promptly and resolve any concerns you may have.