Privacy Policy
CHEFnews.com Privacy Policy
Updated July 2012
CHEFnews.com values your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect and use any information collected from you when you visit our site. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information that is received and collected by CHEFnews.com (http://www.chefnews.com) and how it is used. This Privacy Policy does not cover information collected elsewhere, including without limitation, offline and on sites, applications, destinations, or services inked to or from the CHEFnews Services.
1. Personal Information and Data Gathering
We collect two types of information: personal information provided by you and website use information collected on an aggregate basis as you browse our website. Personal Information is collected when we track data that contains non-personally identifiable information, such as IP address, aggregate user data, server and browser type and/or User Information as described below. Website use Information is when we collect anonymous information from visits to our site to help us understand the usage patterns of our site, and to provide better customer service. For example, we keep track of what time people enter our site, how long they stay on the site, and what sections they visit on the site. This information is kept in aggregate, anonymous format. We use this information to better tailor our site for our visitors and their usage patterns, as well as to gauge performance and other measures of the site, again in anonymous and aggregate format.
2. Log Files
Like many other Web sites, CHEFnews.com makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.
3. Cookies
Cookies are sometimes used to further track usage patterns of the site by users in aggregate and anonymous format. A cookie is a small text file that is stored on a user’s computer for record-keeping purposes. CHEFnews.com uses cookies and Web server logs to collect information about how our website is used. This information may include your IP address, your web browser type and operating system, session time, click path analysis, the pages viewed, time spent at our website, number of new visitors and repeat visitors. We use this information in an aggregate way to monitor usage and improve our website. Advertisers and our affiliate partners may also use code to determine which advertisements and promotions users have seen and how users responded to them. We use third-party advertising arrangements that provide us with the resources necessary to bring our Users valued content and services.
Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to send advertisements and links that appear on http://www.chefnews.com directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies (such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and/or to personalize the advertising content that you see. CHEFnews.com has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.
4. DoubleClick DART Cookie
Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on CHEFnews.com. Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to CHEFnews.com and other sites on the Internet. Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.
5. Associate Programs
CHEFnews.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon, the Amazon logo, AmazonSupply, and the AmazonSupply logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
6. User Information
Registration may be required to use certain features of our site. We may collect general contact information, such as name and e-mail address, as well as demographic information, such as age, gender and zip code. Data collected from online user-completed forms is stored in secure, password-protected server locations. Demographic information collected is used to help us, or our partners, to analyze our aggregate user base and better tailor our site, promotions or other features to better serve and understand our user base.
Information and data gathered solely by CHEFnews.com will never be sold, traded or shared with third parties for any other reason than assisting CHEFnews.com in its analysis, research and promotional needs.
This site may contain links to other sites. CHEFnews.com is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such websites.
7. Public Forums
This site may make chat rooms, forums, user comments, message boards, and/or news groups available to its users. Please remember that any information that is disclosed in these areas becomes public information and you should exercise caution when deciding to disclose your personal information. We also encourage visitors to be courteous in communicating with others and to be smart about choosing when and to whom to release personal information online. Never disclose any personal information that is of a sensitive or confidential nature on any public area of our site.
8. Security
This site has security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control. All registration information is stored in secure locations on password-protected servers. However, because no data transmission is completely secure, and no system of physical or
electronic security is impenetrable, we cannot guarantee the security of the information you send us or the security of our servers, networks or databases. By using the CHEFnews Services you agree to assume all risk in connection with the information sent to us or collected by us when you access, visit and/or use the CHEFnews Services, including without limitation your personally identifiable information or other Personal Information, and we are not responsible for any loss of such information or the consequences thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the unlikely event that we believe that the security of your information in our possession or control may have been compromised, we may seek to notify you. If notification is appropriate, we may notify you via your computer, or other device.
9. Opt-Out
From time to time, CHEFnews.com may contact our registered users who have opted in to be e-mailed with promotional information that we feel would be applicable to, and desired by that user. At any time a user wishes to opt-out of these e-mails, they may do so by contacting us. Once the user opts out of receiving emails from CHEFnews.com, the user will not receive any further communication from us.
10. KIDS AND PARENTS
The CHEFnews Services is not intended for users under the age of 13 and we do not knowingly collect any information, from users under the age of 13. Such users are expressly prohibited from registering for the CHEFnews Services or submitting their information, including any personally identifiable information to us. For minors between the ages of 13 and 17, inclusive, to participate in any manner whatsoever, inclusive of Public Forums as described in Section 6 (Public Forums) above, on or in the CHEFnews Services, they must get prior written permission of their parent(s) (or legal guardian(s), and submit such written permission to CHEFnews.
If you have any questions or are worried about your children’s activities or their privacy on the CHEFnews Services, we encourage you to contact us.
Notice to California Customers – Your California Privacy Rights
California’s “Shine the Light” law, Civil Code section 1798.83, request certain businesses to respond to request from California customers asking about the business’ practices related to disclosing personal information to third parties for the third parties’ direct marketing purposes. If you wish to opt-out of our sharing of information with third parties for the third parties’ direct marketing purposes, please follow the process described in Section 8 (Opt-Out) above.
Consent
Use of our website indicates agreement and acceptance of the terms of this Privacy Policy. We reserve the right to modify or change this Privacy Policy at any time, and we encourage our visitors to review this Privacy Policy on a regular basis.
If you do not agree to the terms contained in the Terms of Use Agreement and this Privacy Policy, you must immediately exit the CHEFnews Services.
If have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us.