Privacy Policy

Effective Date: May 15th, 2020

This Writers Spotlight Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) describes how Writers Spotlight LLC (referred to in this Privacy Policy as “the Company”, “we”, “us” and “our”) collects, uses, shares, and retains personal data that you provide to us, or that we collect, when you use the Company’s website located at www.writersspotlight.com (the “Site”), and the services, content and other materials made available on the Site (the Site and these services, content and other materials collectively constituting the “Service”). 

PLEASE READ THIS PRIVACY POLICY CAREFULLY. BY CLICKING “ACCEPT” AND/OR ACCESSING OR OTHERWISE USING THE SERVICE, YOU AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS PRIVACY POLICY. If at any time you do not accept the terms and conditions set forth in this Privacy Policy, you must immediately stop using the Service.

1.             Information We Collect from You through the Service

1.1           Information You Voluntarily Provide through the Service.  We collect personal data you voluntarily provide to us when you use our Service. If you contact us with a request for information about the Service, or the services we offer, we collect your first and last name and email address. If you sign up to become a registered member of the Service, we may collect and store any personal data you enter or provide to us through your use of the Service. This information may include your first and last name, mailing address, e-mail address, telephone number, and, if you post a script, or other content, messages or submissions through the Service, any personal data that may be contained in any applicable script, content, message or submission.

1.2           Information Automatically Collected Through the Service.  We may automatically collect information about you when you use the Service. For example, if you access the Service through a computer, we will automatically collect information such as your browser type and version, IP address, computer and connection information and standard web log information.  If you access the Service through a mobile device, we may also be able to identify the location of your mobile device. You may choose not to share your location details with us by adjusting your mobile device’s location services settings.  For instructions on changing the relevant settings, please contact your service provider or device manufacturer.

1.3           Information You Post on the Service.  If you post information on interactive areas of the Service, that information may be collected and used by the Company, other users of the Service, and the public generally.  We strongly recommend that you do not post any information through the Service that allows strangers to identify or locate you or that you otherwise do not want to share with the public.

1.4           Surveys and Contests.  We may offer users of the Service an opportunity to participate in surveys or contests. Participation in these surveys and contests is voluntary. If you choose to participate in a survey or contest, we may ask you to provide personal data, such as your name and email address. Depending on the nature of the survey or contest, we may use this information to send the survey results to the participants, or, if applicable, to notify contest winners and award prizes.

2.             Information Collected by Third Parties Through the Service

2.1           Information Collected by Third Parties through Third Party Links and Content. The Service may include links to other websites and other content from third party businesses.  These third party businesses may use cookies, web beacons or other similar technology to collect information about you.  The Company does not have access to or control over these third parties or the cookies, web beacons or other technology that these third parties may use.  We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties or the content on any third party website.  You are encouraged to review the privacy policies of the different websites you visit and of the advertisers whose ads you may choose to click while on our Service (also please see Section 4.4 below for additional information about Online Advertising).   

2.2           Payment Processors. The Service may allow you to purchase subscription or premium services we offer for a fee. We rely on third party service providers (“Payment Processors”) to process these payments on our behalf. When you make a payment, the payment information is transmitted directly to the Payment Processor, and we do not have access to it, and take no responsibility for it.  However, our Payment Processor may provide us with information about you, such as your name, mailing address, phone number, email address, card type (i.e., Visa, Amex, etc.) and the credit card’s last four digits so we can comply with legal obligations that may apply to us.

3.             Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies

3.1           Our Use of Cookies.  A cookie is a small text file that is stored in your web browser that allows the Company or a third party use a unique identifier to recognize you. First-party cookies are set by the Company. Third party cookies are set by companies other than the Company, such as analytics providers and advertisers. To learn more about cookies, please visit  http://www.allaboutcookies.org/.  When you visit the Site, we may assign your computer one or more first party cookies to facilitate access to the Site and to personalize your online experience. Through the use of a cookie, we may also automatically collect information about your online activity on the Site. If required by applicable law, we will obtain your affirmative consent before placing cookies on your web browser.

3.2           Changing Your Cookie Preferences.  Most browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies. If you choose to decline cookies, please note that you may not be able to sign in or use some of the interactive features offered through the Site. You may also clear or delete existing cookies from standard internet browsers.You may limit the cookies set in your browser by changing your browser’s settings to delete cookies that have already been set and to reject new cookies. To learn more, visit the help pages of the browser(s) you use to access the Site. You may also be able to visit the Site in your browser’s “private” or “incognito” mode, in which case cookies will be set, but deleted when you close the browser.

3.3           Other Tracking Technologies. We use technologies that resemble cookies to help track user activities and preferences. For example, we may use web beacons (tiny graphics with a unique identifier embedded on web pages or emails) to track your activities and communicate with cookies. You cannot opt out of web beacons used on webpages, but you can limit their use by opting out of the cookies they interact with. You can opt out of web beacons used in emails by setting your email client to render emails in text mode only.

3.4           Analytics Providers. We use Google Analytics, analytics tools provided by Google Inc. (“Google”), on the Service. Google Analytics uses cookies to analyze your use of the Site. Information collected by Google Analytics is transmitted to, and stored by, Google in accordance with its privacy practices. Google uses the information collected through Google Analytics to evaluate your use of the Service on our behalf, to create reports for us about activity on the Service and to provide us with other services related to the Service. To opt out of Google Analytics on the Site, please visit: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

3.5           Online Advertising and Tracking.  The Company and third party businesses may use the information collected through the Site using cookies to help manage online advertising programs.  This information may enable us, as well as third party advertising services and other third party businesses, to track the actions of users online over time and across different web sites or platforms to measure statistics relating to marketing efforts, and to deliver electronic advertisements that may be more relevant to individual consumers and that will improve the consumer experience.  For information about how tracking works for online advertising purposes, and what happens when you elect a do-not-track option, visit http://www.aboutads.info/choices or http://www.aboutads.info/appchoices.  In addition, some third party businesses may provide a mechanism to opt-out of their technology.  For more information about the opt-out process, you may visit the Network Advertising Initiative website, available at: http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp.

3.6           Do Not Track.  Your browser may allow you to adjust your browser settings so that “do not track” requests are sent to the websites that you visit.  However, we will not disable tracking technology that may be active on the Site in response to any “do not track” requests that we receive from your browser.

4.             How We Use Your Information

4.1           Fulfillment of Requests.  If you provide your information to us for a particular purpose we will use the information you provide for the applicable purpose, for example, if you provide us with your email address so that we can provide email communications to you, we will use the information you provide for purposes of sending you those email communications. 

4.2           Operation of the Service.  We may use the personal data we collect in connection with the Service to operate and offer the Service to you, including for purposes of ensuring technical functionality, creating and managing your member account, and otherwise to provide and optimize the Service. We may also use the information we gather through the Service to help us better understand how the Service and our services are being used. By identifying patterns and trends in usage, we are able to better design the Service to improve your experience. 

4.3           Direct Marketing Communications.  If you create a member account through the Service, or sign up for our mailing list, we will use the personal data and other information you provide to send you email marketing communications relating to the Service. If you no longer wish to receive these marketing communications, please follow the instructions contained in the applicable marketing communication that allows you to unsubscribe from receiving these types of marketing communications from us.

4.4           Profiling.  We may use the personal data you provide in connection with the Service to help augment your user experience of the Service.  Collecting and analyzing information regarding your use of the Service helps us provide you with information, content and advertisements that may be of interest to you.

4.5           To Combat Misuse of the Service. We may use your personal data to protect the Service and your rights, and the rights of others, to enforce the terms and conditions applicable to Service, and to prevent prohibited or illegal activities.

5.             How We Share Your Information.  We do not provide, sell or rent user information we collect through the Service to any third parties for their own marketing purposes. In the event the Company wants to provide, sell or rent your information to third parties for their own marketing purposes in the future, we will notify you and you will have an opportunity to affirmatively opt-in to permitting third parties to use your information for their own marketing purposes. We do share your personal data and other information with third parties in some circumstances as follows:

5.1           Third Party Processors and Third Party Service Providers.  The Company employs or engages other companies to perform business functions on behalf of the Company (“Service Providers”), such as operating and supporting the Service, analyzing data, or performing marketing or consulting services.  These Service Providers will only have access to the information needed to perform these limited functions on our behalf but are prohibited from using the information for other purposes, except as permitted by law or upon your consent.

5.2           Response to Subpoenas or Court Orders or to Protect Rights and to Comply with Our Policies.  To the extent permitted by law, we will disclose your information to government authorities or third parties if: (a) required to do so by law, or in response to a subpoena or court order; (b) we believe in our sole discretion that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect against fraud, to protect the property or other rights of us or other users, third parties or the public at large; or (c) we believe that you have abused the Service by using it to attack other systems or to gain unauthorized access to any other system, to engage in spamming or otherwise to violate applicable laws. You should be aware that, following disclosure to any third party, your information may be accessible by others to the extent permitted or required by applicable law.

5.3           Business Transfers; Bankruptcy.  In the event of a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy or other sale of all or a portion of our assets, any user information owned or controlled by us may be one of the assets transferred to third parties. We reserve the right, as part of this type of transaction, to transfer or assign your information and other information we have collected from users of the Service to third parties.  Other than to the extent ordered by a bankruptcy or other court, the use and disclosure of all transferred user information will be subject to this Privacy Policy. However, any information you submit or that is collected after this type of transfer may be subject to a new Privacy Policy adopted by the successor entity.

5.4           Aggregate Information.  We may share information relating to users of the Service with affiliated or unaffiliated third parties on an anonymous, aggregate basis. While this information will not identify you personally, in some instances these third parties may be able to combine this aggregate information with other data they have about you, or that they receive from third parties, in a manner that allows them to identify you personally. 

5.5           Infringement Notices.  We will share your information with third parties if you submit a Digital Millennium Copyright Act Notification (or Counter Notification) or other notice regarding infringement, as described in our Infringement Policy located at Terms of Service, or if you are the person responsible for uploading the material addressed in a notification that is submitted to us.

5.6           With Your Consent.We will share your personal data with your consent or at your direction. We will provide you with information about how your personal data will be shared at the time we obtain your consent.

6. Security of Personal Data. We use reasonable physical, technical and administrative measures to safeguard all personal data we process and to prevent unauthorized access and disclosure of any personal data.  Please be aware that no data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, we cannot guarantee or warrant the security of any personal data that we process. You acknowledge that the Company processes your personal data at your own risk.

7. Transferring Personal Data to the U.S. The Company has its headquarters in the United States.  The personal data we collect from you will be processed in the United States, and, subject to applicable law, may be transferred to and processed in other countries outside the United States. The standards and laws that apply to the protection of personal data in the United States or these countries may be different than the ones that are applicable to the country where you are located.

8. Children. The Service is not directed to children under the age of 13. We will not knowingly collect personal data from any child under the age of 13, unless a parent or guardian consents to our collection and processing of this information. If a parent or guardian becomes aware that his or her child has provided us with personal data without their consent, he or she should contact us at privacy@writersspotlight.com.

9.             Data Retention. We will only retain your information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which we collected the information, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, regulatory, accounting, or reporting requirements. When determining the appropriate retention period, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the information, the potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure of your information, the purposes for which we process your information and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements.

10. Updates to this Privacy Policy.  We may change, modify or amend this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes to this Privacy Policy by posting the amended terms on the Service at least thirty (30) days before the effective date of the changes. If you are a registered member of the Service, we will notify you of material changes to this Privacy Policy by email at least thirty (30) days before the effective date of the changes. It is therefore very important that you make sure we have a current email address for you on file so that you will receive notice of any material changes. In addition, you will be required to affirmatively accept the new Privacy Policy the first time you visit the Service and log in to your member account after the new Privacy Policy takes effect. If you do not agree with the proposed changes, you should discontinue your use of the Service prior to the time the new Privacy Policy takes effect.  If you continue using the Service after the new Privacy Policy takes effect, you will be bound by the modified Privacy Policy.

11. How You Can Access Your Information. You can review and update your personal data by contacting us at data@writersspotlight.com.  In addition, if you are a registered member, you can review and update your personal data by logging into your account and modifying or deleting the applicable information.

12. How to Contact Us. If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us by sending an email to: privacy@writersspotlight.com.