Privacy Policy for textmargate.com
1. Introduction
At textmargate.com (“the Website,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), your privacy is of paramount importance. We are fully committed to protecting and respecting your personal data and ensuring that any personal data we collect is handled in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information when you interact with our Website.
We operate with a privacy-first approach, ensuring that your digital rights and freedoms are respected at every level of our data processing activities.
2. Scope of Policy and Data Controller Role
This Privacy Policy applies to all users and visitors of textmargate.com. It governs the processing of personal data by Text Margate, in our capacity as a data controller. As a data controller, we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data.
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, the data controller for your personal information is Text Margate. If you reside in California or elsewhere in the United States, this policy is equally applicable and incorporates rights and obligations under the CCPA.
3. Categories of Data Processed
We may process the following categories of personal data:
a) Usage Data – includes information such as your IP address, browser type, access times, pages visited, referring website addresses, session duration, and other behavioral data collected via server logs and analytics tools.
b) Account Data – includes personal identifiers such as your full name, email address, physical address, and telephone number provided when creating an account or completing forms.
c) Profile Data – includes user preferences, purchase history, browsing behavior, saved preferences, and customer loyalty metrics.
d) Communication Data – includes correspondence through contact forms, customer service interactions, support requests, and communication history between you and our team.
e) Technical Data – includes device-specific information such as operating system, device type, system settings, plug-ins, and performance diagnostics.
f) Transaction Data – includes details of payments made through the Website, order history, billing and delivery information, and associated confirmation records. Financial data is processed securely through third-party payment processors.
g) Preference Data – includes your stated preferences in relation to receiving marketing from us and your interest in particular products, services, or content.
4. Legal Bases for Processing
We process your personal data under the following lawful grounds, as defined by relevant data protection legislation:
– Performance of Contract: where processing is necessary to fulfill a contract with you, such as processing transactions or providing customer support.
– Legitimate Interests: where we have a legitimate interest in conducting and managing our business (e.g., analytics, communication, fraud prevention), provided those interests are not overridden by your rights.
– Consent: where you have provided clear and explicit consent for specific processing purposes, such as receiving promotional communications.
– Legal Obligation: where processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject.
5. Your Rights
Under applicable privacy laws, particularly the GDPR and CCPA, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
– Right to Access – obtain confirmation of whether your data is being processed and access a copy of your data.
– Right to Rectification – request the correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
– Right to Erasure – request deletion of personal data where it is no longer necessary for the purposes collected.
– Right to Restriction – request limited processing of your data in certain circumstances.
– Right to Data Portability – obtain and use your data across different services in a structured, machine-readable format.
– Right to Object – object to processing based on legitimate interest or for direct marketing purposes.
– Right to Withdraw Consent – withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on your prior consent.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected].
6. Security Measures
We implement a variety of organizational and technical security measures to safeguard your personal data:
– Encryption of data during transmission and at rest
– Access restrictions and multi-factor authentication for internal systems
– Regular secure data backups and failover protocols
– Staff training in information security and data protection
– Continuous monitoring and testing of systems for vulnerabilities
7. International Transfers
If your personal data is transferred outside of your jurisdiction (including the EEA to countries not deemed to offer equivalent protection), we ensure adequate safeguards such as:
– Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission;
– Appropriate legal mechanisms as required by local laws;
– Contractual commitments from third-party partners to safeguard transferred data in accordance with applicable regulations.
8. Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, contractual, accounting, and reporting obligations.
– Usage Data is typically retained for up to 12 months for analytics purposes.
– Account Data is retained for the life of the user account and up to 6 years thereafter.
– Profile Data and Preference Data are retained as long as relevant and actionable, or until consent is withdrawn.
– Communication Data is retained up to 36 months to ensure full customer service history.
– Transaction Data is retained for no less than 7 years in compliance with financial regulations.
– Technical Data is used for diagnostic purposes only and typically retained in anonymized form.
9. Cookie Policy
Our Website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance user experience and measure Website performance. Cookies may be categorized as:
– Essential Cookies: required for proper Website functionality, such as navigation and secure log-in.
– Functional Cookies: remember user preferences and selections.
– Analytics Cookies: collect anonymized usage statistics that inform site improvements.
– Performance Cookies: help monitor performance metrics like load times and site responsiveness.
These cookies may be first-party (set by us) or third-party (set by analytics and service providers).
10. Cookie Management and Compliance
Upon your first visit to textmargate.com, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner. You have the right to:
– Accept or reject non-essential cookies;
– Withdraw consent at any time through cookie settings;
– Configure browser settings to block or delete cookies.
We respect “Do Not Track” signals and provide users with opt-out mechanisms in accordance with GDPR and CCPA requirements.
11. Children’s Privacy
We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal data from children under the age of 13. If we become aware that a child under 13 has submitted personal data, we will promptly delete such information. Parents or guardians with concerns can contact us at [email protected].
12. Policy Updates
We may revise this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in legal, regulatory, or operational requirements. If significant changes are made, we will notify users through our Website or other appropriate channels. Your continued use of textmargate.com indicates your acceptance of the revised policy.
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data rights, or have concerns about your privacy in relation to textmargate.com, please contact us at:
Email: [email protected]
We are committed to full compliance with all applicable data privacy laws and to ensuring that your concerns are addressed transparently and promptly.