Privacy and Security Policy
Last updated August 17, 2019
A Short Word from our Founder
After the scandals of Facebook and other internet platforms, it is clear privacy must be at the forefront of future technology. So just as we aim to be 100% transparent with how we generate revenue, we want to be 100% transparent about your privacy on Ethyk.
First and foremost, we do not sell your personal information. Period.
We created Ethyk (originally The ESG Index) in 2019 because shopping ethically online meant changing habits and doing hours of research, when we knew it should be just as easy as shopping has always been online. We wanted to create a tool that would allow its users to behave like before but incorporate their social values as well. So that you can vote at the ballot and the cash register.
But to ensure that we reached you where you were shopping, we need to know how you choose to shop online. Because the way I shop online with is the not the way you shop online. We all have our favorite websites, favorite brands and favorite shopping techniques. When you use Ethyk we track what websites you visit, so we know where our users want us to expand Ethyk next.
And that is all we collect. No demographics on you, no information on payment method, just what your favorite websites are. And we plan to keep it that way because your privacy is something that matters to us.
So, start shopping ethically with Ethyk and let us change the world one purchase at a time!
Austin Sachs
Founder and Director, Protect US
P.S. If you have any questions or comments, we’re always listening at info@protect-us.org
Introducing the Privacy Policy
This privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) explains how Protect US Education (“Protect US” or “we”) collects and processes information from members and users of the website, software applications, and other online services we provide (collectively “Protect US’ products”). Protect US’ products include, but are not limited to, the Ethyk extension for desktop web browsers (the “Extension”) and the website located at www.protect-us.org (the “Website”).
The Privacy Policy sets out the basis on which we will process information we collect from you, or that you provide to us, in connection with your use of Protect US’ products, regardless of how you access or use them. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully so that you understand your rights in relation to how we use and process information that you share and that we collect.
Use of information you share and we collect
In order to deliver Protect US’ products to our users and members, to provide support for those products, to improve those products, and to create new products and services to help users and members shop more ethically, Ethyk collects information from you during your use of the Services. We collect information you share directly with Protect US and other information during your use of Protect US products and during your interactions with us.
Information you share
When you become a member of Protect US you share a limited amount of information in connection with the registration process, including your name, email address, member password and other registration information.
Information we collect
Our goal is to save people time and energy when shopping ethically by using the data of our users and members to create better tools and products.
The information you share, and we collect, enables us to do that and gives us insights about pricing and availability of products. We do not sell your personal information to anyone, but we may be obligated to disclose information you share, and we collect, in connection with legal requirements imposed on us and obligations we have, as further set forth below in the section titled “How do we share your information with third parties?”
Information we do not collect
We collect information that we believe can help our users shop more ethically online. While you are using the Extension, this does NOT include any information from your search engine history or from your email. We also do not collect bank or credit card account information and will never will.
Your choices for managing your information
We have made it easy and simple to opt out of Protect US’ products at any time. We have instructions on how to uninstall the Extension on our Website and if you have any issues you can contact our support team for assistance by sending an email to info@protect-us.org.
If you are an individual accessing Protect US’ products from the European Economic Area, please see the section below entitled “Additional privacy and security information” for further information regarding additional rights you have.
How do we share your information with third parties?
Ethyk Extension
We may also be required to disclose information under these limited situations:
Users and members residing in the European Economic Area:
Controller: We are a private non-profit company, established in the U.S.A. Our address is P.O. Box 330, Harrisonburg, VA 22802 and our contact email address is info@protect-us.org. For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation we are the data controller.
Legal Bases: We describe in the section above titled ‘Use of information shared and collected’ the purposes for which we use the data collected and shared. Where we are using the data in order to provide Protect US’ products to you, our legal basis for such use is on the basis of our contract with you. For all other purposes our legal basis is our legitimate interest in running our business, including ensuring Protect US’ products function properly and improving and creating new products and services except where we obtain your consent for a particular processing, in which event the legal basis will be your consent.
Your rights:
You have the following rights with regard to your personal data, which you may exercise any of these rights above, please by contacting us at info@protect-us.org. Please note that these rights are limited, for example, where fulfilling your request would adversely affect other individuals or where we are required by law to retain your personal data.
Complaints: In the event that you wish to make a complaint about how we process your personal data, please contact us in the first instance at info@protect-us.org and we will endeavor to deal with your request as soon as possible. This is without prejudice to your right to raise a complaint with a relevant supervisory authority.
Users and members residing in California
California residents are permitted to ask any Internet based company, including Protect US, to identify categories of personal information shared with affiliates and/or third parties for direct marketing purposes. Honey does not share personal information with any affiliate or third party for direct marketing purposes without your prior approval. If you are a California resident and would like us to confirm in writing that we have not provided any of your personal information to affiliates and/or third parties for direct marketing purposes, please submit a written request to info@protect-us.org and we will do so at no cost to you.
Data Transfers and the EU-US Privacy Shield
As we are located in the United States and Protect US’ products are operated in the United States, if you are located outside of the United States, please be aware that information you share and we collect will be transferred to, and processed, stored, and used in the United States in order to provide Protect US’ products to you. The United States does not have an adequacy decision regarding data protection from the European Commission.
Protect US complies with the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of personal information transferred from the European Union to the United States. Protect US has certified to the Department of Commerce that it adheres to the Privacy Shield Principles. If there is any conflict between the terms in this privacy policy and the Privacy Shield Principles, the Privacy Shield Principles shall govern. To learn more about the Privacy Shield program, and to view our certification, please visit https://www.privacyshield.gov.
Protect US is subject to the investigatory and enforcement powers of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. In cases of onward transfer to third parties of personal data received pursuant to the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, Protect US is potentially liable. In some circumstances, you may invoke binding arbitration.
We will respond to complaints in a timely fashion, and further committed to refer unresolved Privacy Shield complaints to the American Arbitration Association (AAA), an alternative dispute resolution provider located in the United States. If you do not receive timely acknowledgment of your complaint from us, or if we have not addressed your complaint to your satisfaction, please visit http://go.adr.org/privacyshield for more information or to file a complaint. The services of the AAA are provided at no cost to you.
Data Retention
Protect US only keeps information attributable to you as long as is required to provide and enable you to use Protect US’ products and as required to fulfill our legal requirements and defend legal claims.
After you have terminated your use of Protect US’ products, we will store your information in an aggregated and anonymized format.
If you would like us to delete the information you provided, you can always contact us directly at info@protect-us.org. We can explain how we can delete your profile immediately. Once you delete your profile, there is no longer any data attributable to you.
Cookies
We use “cookies” and other semi-persistent but non-personally identifying member identification markers to identify members (“IDs”). When you join as a member and create an account, information you share, and we collect, will be synced with these IDs.
Your browser may offer you a “Do Not Track” option, which allows you to signal to operators of websites and web applications and services (including behavioral advertising services) that you do not wish such operators to track certain of your online activities over time and/or across different websites. Honey’s products do not support Do Not Track requests at this time, which means that we collect information about your online activity while you are using Honey’s products in the manner described above. However, if you are in the European Economic Area, we will only use cookies that are not strictly necessary with your consent.
If you want to disable cookies entirely, your browser or mobile device might have an option to do that. For more information, including instructions on disabling cookies, please visit: http://www.allaboutcookies.org/
Children
We created Ethyk for the everyone. We do not knowingly collect or solicit personally identifiable information from children under the age of 18; if you are a child under 18, you will not be able to register for Protect US’ products or send any personal information about yourself to us. If we learn we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. If you are a parent or guardian of a child under 18 who you believe may have provided us personal information, and/or posted information on any publicly-viewable portion of Protect US’ products please contact us at info@protect-us.org for our assistance, including to request removal of such information.
Security
We take precautions to protect and safeguard our users’ and our members’ information. We have put in place physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect the information we collect and process. This includes, limiting access to employees, vendors, and others; use of pseudonymization and anonymization techniques where feasible; and use of encryption techniques when transmitting information. Nonetheless, we are unable to guarantee that user or member information will not be accessed, viewed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed as a result of a breach of any of our physical, electronic and procedural safeguards.
Changes
We will continue to update our policies and practices as needed. As such, our Privacy Policy will be updated from time to time. We will notify you of any changes to our Privacy Policy by posting any changes here.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about our privacy policies and practice, please contact us at info@protect-us.org
A Short Word from our Founder
After the scandals of Facebook and other internet platforms, it is clear privacy must be at the forefront of future technology. So just as we aim to be 100% transparent with how we generate revenue, we want to be 100% transparent about your privacy on Ethyk.
First and foremost, we do not sell your personal information. Period.
We created Ethyk (originally The ESG Index) in 2019 because shopping ethically online meant changing habits and doing hours of research, when we knew it should be just as easy as shopping has always been online. We wanted to create a tool that would allow its users to behave like before but incorporate their social values as well. So that you can vote at the ballot and the cash register.
But to ensure that we reached you where you were shopping, we need to know how you choose to shop online. Because the way I shop online with is the not the way you shop online. We all have our favorite websites, favorite brands and favorite shopping techniques. When you use Ethyk we track what websites you visit, so we know where our users want us to expand Ethyk next.
And that is all we collect. No demographics on you, no information on payment method, just what your favorite websites are. And we plan to keep it that way because your privacy is something that matters to us.
So, start shopping ethically with Ethyk and let us change the world one purchase at a time!
Austin Sachs
Founder and Director, Protect US
P.S. If you have any questions or comments, we’re always listening at info@protect-us.org
Introducing the Privacy Policy
This privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) explains how Protect US Education (“Protect US” or “we”) collects and processes information from members and users of the website, software applications, and other online services we provide (collectively “Protect US’ products”). Protect US’ products include, but are not limited to, the Ethyk extension for desktop web browsers (the “Extension”) and the website located at www.protect-us.org (the “Website”).
The Privacy Policy sets out the basis on which we will process information we collect from you, or that you provide to us, in connection with your use of Protect US’ products, regardless of how you access or use them. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully so that you understand your rights in relation to how we use and process information that you share and that we collect.
Use of information you share and we collect
In order to deliver Protect US’ products to our users and members, to provide support for those products, to improve those products, and to create new products and services to help users and members shop more ethically, Ethyk collects information from you during your use of the Services. We collect information you share directly with Protect US and other information during your use of Protect US products and during your interactions with us.
Information you share
When you become a member of Protect US you share a limited amount of information in connection with the registration process, including your name, email address, member password and other registration information.
Information we collect
- In addition to information that you share with us, Protect US’ products automatically collect certain information to enable Protect US’ products, including the Extension, to function properly and to help us better understand how our products work on various devices and browsers. That includes the type of devices you use, your device’s unique IDs where available or set, your IP address, your operating system, the type of browsers you use, URLs and domain names, error logs, and other similar information. This information also allows us to upgrade and improve your experience (for example, by working to correct any errors you may experience during your use of Protect US’ products).
- We take our users’ and our members’ time seriously and always want to make sure that any communication or service we provide is useful and relevant. It is in this spirit and scope that we also collect information which allows us to know whether you took an action based upon our communications (such as a message we send to you in response to a question we receive from you). To do that we use common digital tools that allow us to see if you opened an email or visited a link we sent.
- We are always happy to help our users and members when you reach out with questions. The information we collect during that process is used to better improve Protect US’ products and the experience of our users and members.
Our goal is to save people time and energy when shopping ethically by using the data of our users and members to create better tools and products.
The information you share, and we collect, enables us to do that and gives us insights about pricing and availability of products. We do not sell your personal information to anyone, but we may be obligated to disclose information you share, and we collect, in connection with legal requirements imposed on us and obligations we have, as further set forth below in the section titled “How do we share your information with third parties?”
Information we do not collect
We collect information that we believe can help our users shop more ethically online. While you are using the Extension, this does NOT include any information from your search engine history or from your email. We also do not collect bank or credit card account information and will never will.
Your choices for managing your information
We have made it easy and simple to opt out of Protect US’ products at any time. We have instructions on how to uninstall the Extension on our Website and if you have any issues you can contact our support team for assistance by sending an email to info@protect-us.org.
If you are an individual accessing Protect US’ products from the European Economic Area, please see the section below entitled “Additional privacy and security information” for further information regarding additional rights you have.
How do we share your information with third parties?
Ethyk Extension
We may also be required to disclose information under these limited situations:
- as required by law, or to comply or respond to a government request, such as to comply with a subpoena, or similar legal process;
- when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, or investigate fraud;
- with service providers who work with us, who are bound by confidentiality restrictions with respect to the information we disclose to them that are similar to the rules set forth in this Privacy Policy, and who do not have an independent use of the information we disclose to them; or
Users and members residing in the European Economic Area:
Controller: We are a private non-profit company, established in the U.S.A. Our address is P.O. Box 330, Harrisonburg, VA 22802 and our contact email address is info@protect-us.org. For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation we are the data controller.
Legal Bases: We describe in the section above titled ‘Use of information shared and collected’ the purposes for which we use the data collected and shared. Where we are using the data in order to provide Protect US’ products to you, our legal basis for such use is on the basis of our contract with you. For all other purposes our legal basis is our legitimate interest in running our business, including ensuring Protect US’ products function properly and improving and creating new products and services except where we obtain your consent for a particular processing, in which event the legal basis will be your consent.
Your rights:
You have the following rights with regard to your personal data, which you may exercise any of these rights above, please by contacting us at info@protect-us.org. Please note that these rights are limited, for example, where fulfilling your request would adversely affect other individuals or where we are required by law to retain your personal data.
- Access and portability: You are entitled to request access to your personal data we hold and be provided with certain information about how we use your personal data and who we share it with. Where you have provided your personal data to us with your consent, you have the right to ask us for a copy of this data in a structured, machine readable format and to ask us to share (port) this data to another data controller.
- Correction: You have the right to ask us to correct your personal data where it is inaccurate or incomplete.
- Right to deletion: In certain circumstances, you have the right to ask us to delete the personal data we hold about you.
- Restriction: In certain circumstances, you have the right to ask us to restrict (stop any active) processing of your personal data.
- Objection: You can object to our processing of your personal data based on our legitimate interests and we will no longer process your personal data unless we can demonstrate an overriding legitimate ground.
- Withdrawal of consent: In the event we have relied upon your consent to process your personal data, you may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us at info@protect-us.org
- Cease use: Finally, you may always cease using Protect US’ products, and you may uninstall the Extension. After a reasonable time following such uninstallation, as set forth below, Protect US’ products would no longer have access to your personal information.
Complaints: In the event that you wish to make a complaint about how we process your personal data, please contact us in the first instance at info@protect-us.org and we will endeavor to deal with your request as soon as possible. This is without prejudice to your right to raise a complaint with a relevant supervisory authority.
Users and members residing in California
California residents are permitted to ask any Internet based company, including Protect US, to identify categories of personal information shared with affiliates and/or third parties for direct marketing purposes. Honey does not share personal information with any affiliate or third party for direct marketing purposes without your prior approval. If you are a California resident and would like us to confirm in writing that we have not provided any of your personal information to affiliates and/or third parties for direct marketing purposes, please submit a written request to info@protect-us.org and we will do so at no cost to you.
Data Transfers and the EU-US Privacy Shield
As we are located in the United States and Protect US’ products are operated in the United States, if you are located outside of the United States, please be aware that information you share and we collect will be transferred to, and processed, stored, and used in the United States in order to provide Protect US’ products to you. The United States does not have an adequacy decision regarding data protection from the European Commission.
Protect US complies with the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of personal information transferred from the European Union to the United States. Protect US has certified to the Department of Commerce that it adheres to the Privacy Shield Principles. If there is any conflict between the terms in this privacy policy and the Privacy Shield Principles, the Privacy Shield Principles shall govern. To learn more about the Privacy Shield program, and to view our certification, please visit https://www.privacyshield.gov.
Protect US is subject to the investigatory and enforcement powers of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. In cases of onward transfer to third parties of personal data received pursuant to the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, Protect US is potentially liable. In some circumstances, you may invoke binding arbitration.
We will respond to complaints in a timely fashion, and further committed to refer unresolved Privacy Shield complaints to the American Arbitration Association (AAA), an alternative dispute resolution provider located in the United States. If you do not receive timely acknowledgment of your complaint from us, or if we have not addressed your complaint to your satisfaction, please visit http://go.adr.org/privacyshield for more information or to file a complaint. The services of the AAA are provided at no cost to you.
Data Retention
Protect US only keeps information attributable to you as long as is required to provide and enable you to use Protect US’ products and as required to fulfill our legal requirements and defend legal claims.
After you have terminated your use of Protect US’ products, we will store your information in an aggregated and anonymized format.
If you would like us to delete the information you provided, you can always contact us directly at info@protect-us.org. We can explain how we can delete your profile immediately. Once you delete your profile, there is no longer any data attributable to you.
Cookies
We use “cookies” and other semi-persistent but non-personally identifying member identification markers to identify members (“IDs”). When you join as a member and create an account, information you share, and we collect, will be synced with these IDs.
Your browser may offer you a “Do Not Track” option, which allows you to signal to operators of websites and web applications and services (including behavioral advertising services) that you do not wish such operators to track certain of your online activities over time and/or across different websites. Honey’s products do not support Do Not Track requests at this time, which means that we collect information about your online activity while you are using Honey’s products in the manner described above. However, if you are in the European Economic Area, we will only use cookies that are not strictly necessary with your consent.
If you want to disable cookies entirely, your browser or mobile device might have an option to do that. For more information, including instructions on disabling cookies, please visit: http://www.allaboutcookies.org/
Children
We created Ethyk for the everyone. We do not knowingly collect or solicit personally identifiable information from children under the age of 18; if you are a child under 18, you will not be able to register for Protect US’ products or send any personal information about yourself to us. If we learn we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. If you are a parent or guardian of a child under 18 who you believe may have provided us personal information, and/or posted information on any publicly-viewable portion of Protect US’ products please contact us at info@protect-us.org for our assistance, including to request removal of such information.
Security
We take precautions to protect and safeguard our users’ and our members’ information. We have put in place physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect the information we collect and process. This includes, limiting access to employees, vendors, and others; use of pseudonymization and anonymization techniques where feasible; and use of encryption techniques when transmitting information. Nonetheless, we are unable to guarantee that user or member information will not be accessed, viewed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed as a result of a breach of any of our physical, electronic and procedural safeguards.
Changes
We will continue to update our policies and practices as needed. As such, our Privacy Policy will be updated from time to time. We will notify you of any changes to our Privacy Policy by posting any changes here.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about our privacy policies and practice, please contact us at info@protect-us.org
