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Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

The following policies and terms of use govern the manner in which Where The Smiles Have Been collects, uses, maintains, and discloses information collected from users (each, a “User”) of the https://www.wherethesmileshavebeen.com website (“Site”).

Your Consent

By visiting and using our Site, you, the User, consent to the following policies and terms of use. If you do not accept these policies and terms, you should cease visiting this Site immediately.

Content

Copyright Policy

© WhereTheSmilesHaveBeen.com.  All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all photos and descriptions on our Site are our own and therefore protected by copyright. Users are permitted to use a single photo to share, however, please do not do any editing or cropping and leave the watermark in tact. Also, please link it back to the original post here on this Site and give clear and proper credit.

Under no circumstances should the text or more than one photo of this Site be copied and distributed elsewhere unless you have express written permission. Please contact me if you have any questions.

Also, images, ideas, and free cut files/printables provided by this Site are not intended for resale or commercial use, so do not use them for any commercial purposes. Images from this Site or any of this Site’s social media channels may NOT be used in any listings for items Users are selling on Etsy, a blog, Facebook, or anywhere else.

Cut Files/Printables

All cut file downloads and printables are free FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. No commercial use or redistribution is permitted. This means that Users can use the files to make things for themselves or as gifts but are NOT permitted to sell any items created with the files. Users also may not sell or share copies of the actual files or links to the file downloads.

Hold Harmless

Where The Smiles Have Been is a personal blog written and edited by me, Christine Backus. All content provided is for entertainment and informational purposes only and I cannot be held liable for any damages, injuries, or losses (including without limitation indirect or consequential damages, injuries, or losses) from use of this information or information contained in any links. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party in question.

Advertising Policy

Mediavine Programmatic Advertising (Ver 1.0)

The Website works with Mediavine to manage third-party interest-based advertising appearing on the Website. Mediavine serves content and advertisements when you visit the Website, which may use first and third-party cookies. A cookie is a small text file which is sent to your computer or mobile device (referred to in this policy as a “device”) by the web server so that a website can remember some information about your browsing activity on the Website.

First party cookies are created by the website that you are visiting. A third-party cookie is frequently used in behavioral advertising and analytics and is created by a domain other than the website you are visiting. Third-party cookies, tags, pixels, beacons and other similar technologies (collectively, “Tags”) may be placed on the Website to monitor interaction with advertising content and to target and optimize advertising. Each internet browser has functionality so that you can block both first and third-party cookies and clear your browser’s cache. The “help” feature of the menu bar on most browsers will tell you how to stop accepting new cookies, how to receive notification of new cookies, how to disable existing cookies and how to clear your browser’s cache. For more information about cookies and how to disable them, you can consult the information at https://www.allaboutcookies.org/manage-cookies/.

Without cookies you may not be able to take full advantage of the Website content and features. Please note that rejecting cookies does not mean that you will no longer see ads when you visit our Site. In the event you opt-out, you will still see non-personalized advertisements on the Website.

The Website collects the following data using a cookie when serving personalized ads:

  • IP Address
  • Operating System type
  • Operating System version
  • Device Type
  • Language of the website
  • Web browser type
  • Email (in hashed form)

Mediavine Partners (companies listed below with whom Mediavine shares data) may also use this data to link to other end user information the partner has independently collected to deliver targeted advertisements. Mediavine Partners may also separately collect data about end users from other sources, such as advertising IDs or pixels, and link that data to data collected from Mediavine publishers in order to provide interest-based advertising across your online experience, including devices, browsers and apps. This data includes usage data, cookie information, device information, information about interactions between users and advertisements and websites, geolocation data, traffic data, and information about a visitor’s referral source to a particular website. Mediavine Partners may also create unique IDs to create audience segments, which are used to provide targeted advertising.

If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices to opt-in or opt-out of this data collection, please visit Opt Out – NAI: Network Advertising Initiative. You may also visit http://optout.aboutads.info/#/ and http://optout.networkadvertising.org/# to learn more information about interest-based advertising. You may download the AppChoices app at YourAdChoices.com | AppChoices to opt out in connection with mobile apps, or use the platform controls on your mobile device to opt out.

For specific information about Mediavine Partners, the data each collects and their data collection and privacy policies, please click here.

Retargeting Ads

From time to time, the Site may engage in remarketing efforts with third party companies, such as Google, Facebook, or Instagram, in order to market the Site. These companies use cookies to serve ads based on someone’s past visits to the Site.

Affiliate Program Participation

The Site may engage in affiliate marketing, which is done by embedding tracking links into the Site. If Users click on a link for an affiliate partnership, a cookie will be placed on your browser to track any sales for purposes of commissions.

Where The Smiles Have Been 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 links to Amazon.com. As part of this Amazon Associates program, the Site will post customized links, provided by Amazon, to track the referrals to their website. This program utilizes cookies to track visits for the purposes of assigning commission on these sales. There may also be other affiliate links around this Site that I may receive a small commission from when Users click through and make a purchase. This commission comes at no cost to the Users.

Privacy Policy

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting it. The purpose of this Privacy Policy is to inform you what personally identifiable information we may collect and how it may be used. This statement only applies to this Site.

PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION

Any personal information you provide on this Site will be kept confidential. Users may leave personal information, such as name, email address, and/or website, when subscribing to this Site, leaving a comment, or submitting a contact form. Users may, however, visit this site anonymously. We will collect personal identification information from Users only if they voluntarily submit such information to us. Users can always refuse to supply personally identification information, except that it may prevent them from engaging in certain Site related activities.

PUBLICLY VISIBLE INFORMATION

If Users leave a comment on the Site, certain information may be publicly visible, such as name and/or website. Your email address will never be available publicly. At your option, you may also add an avatar and a profile description.

This Site will not use your personal information for any purpose other than that for which it is submitted. In general, Users are responsible for the information they submit in the newsletter subscription form, a comment on a post/page on this Site, or contact form. Users’ comments can be read by anyone and Users’ profiles can be viewed by anyone.

AUTOMATICALLY-COLLECTED NON-PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION

We automatically collect certain non-personal identification information about Users and the device with which they access this Site. This may include the browser name, the type of computer, and technical information about Users’ means of connection to our Site, such as the operating system and the Internet service providers utilized. Also, we will log Users’ IP address, referring website, pages you viewed, and the dates/times when you accessed the Site. We may also collect information about actions you take when using the Website, such as links clicked.

WEB BROWSER COOKIES

Our Site may use “cookies” to enhance User experience, which are small data files stored on User’s browser by the Site. We may use both session cookies, which expire when you close your browser, and persistent cookies, which stay on your browser until deleted, to provide you with a more personalized experience on the Site. User’s web browser places cookies on their hard drive for record-keeping purposes and sometimes to track information about them, such as storing visitors’ preferences, recording user-specific information on what pages Users access or visit, ensuring that visitors are not repeatedly sent the same banner ads, customizing Site content based on visitors’ browser type, or other information that the visitor sends. Cookies may also be used by third-party services, such as Google Analytics, as described herein. User may choose to set their web browser to refuse cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. Furthermore, already set cookies may be deleted at any time via an Internet browser or other software programs. This is possible in all popular Internet browsers. If they do so, note that some parts of the Site may not function properly.

HOW WE USE COLLECTED INFORMATION

Where The Smiles Have Been may collect and use Users’ personal information for the following purposes:

  • To run and operate our Site
    • We may need your information display content on the Site correctly.
  • To personalize user experience
    • We may use information in the aggregate to understand how our Users as a group use the services and resources provided on our Site.
  • To respond to User comments or inquiries
  • To improve our Site
    • We may use feedback you provide to improve our products and services.
  • To send periodic emails
    • We may send periodic email newsletters letting Users know about new blog posts and product information. Users will only receive emails if they have opted in to receive them. Users can unsubscribe from email newsletters at any time by clicking the Unsubscribe button found at the bottom of each newsletter.
  • To track and measure advertising on the Site
  • To protect, investigate, and deter against unauthorized or illegal activity

HOW WE PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION

We adopt appropriate data collection, storage and processing practices, and security measures to protect against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure or destruction of your personal information, username, password, transaction information (if applicable) and data stored on our Site.

SHARING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION WITH THIRD PARTIES

Except when required by law, we do not sell, distribute, or reveal Users’ personal identification information to others without your consent. We may share generic aggregated demographic information not linked to any personal identification information regarding visitors and users with our business partners, trusted affiliates, and advertisers for the purposes outlined above. We may use third party service providers to help us operate our business and the Site or administer activities on our behalf, such as sending out newsletters or surveys. We may share your information with these third parties for those limited purposes provided that you have given us your permission.

The Site currently uses the following third party service providers:

Google Analytics – this service tracks Site usage and provides information such as referring websites and User actions on the Site. Google Analytics may capture your IP address, but no other personal information is captured by Google Analytics. Google Analytics does offer IP anonymization, which is enabled by the Site owner.

Mail Chimp – this service is used for delivery of email updates and newsletters. We store your name and email address for purposes of delivering such communications. Please refer to Mail Chimp’s privacy policy for further information.

Mediavine – this service is used for displaying ads that may either be targeted or non-targeted, depending on whether the User opts in or out of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Europe’s Consent Framework.

Social Warfare – this service provides Users the ability to share Site content across various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +. If a User chooses to share Site content, the User will be required to be logged into their personal social media account(s).

Jetpack –

  • Contact Form: The contact form submission data — IP address, user agent, name, email address, website, and message — is submitted to the Akismet service (also owned by Automattic) for the sole purpose of spam checking. The actual submission data is stored in the database of this Site. This email will include the submitter’s IP address, timestamp, email address, and message.
  • Protect: In order to check login activity and potentially block fraudulent attempts, the following information is used: attempting user’s IP address, email address/username (i.e. according to the value they were attempting to use during the login process), and all IP-related HTTP headers attached to the attempting user. Failed login attempts are tracked (these include IP address and user agent). A cookie is also set for one day to remember if/when a user has successfully completed a math captcha to prove that they’re a real human.
  • WordPress.com Secure Sign On: This feature is only accessible to registered users of the site with WordPress.com accounts. Data Used: User ID (local site and WordPress.com), role (e.g. administrator), email address, username and display name. Additionally, for activity tracking: IP address, WordPress.com user ID, WordPress.com username, WordPress.com-connected site ID and URL, Jetpack version, user agent, visiting URL, referring URL, timestamp of event, browser language, country code.
  • WordPress.com Stats: Data Used: IP address, WordPress.com user ID (if logged in), WordPress.com username (if logged in), user agent, visiting URL, referring URL, timestamp of event, browser language, country code. Important: The Site does not have access to any of this information via this feature. For example, a site owner can see that a specific post has 285 views, but he/she cannot see which specific users/accounts viewed that post. Stats logs — containing visitor IP addresses and WordPress.com usernames (if available) — are retained by Automattic for 28 days and are used for the sole purpose of powering this feature. Activity Tracked: Post and page views, video plays (if videos are hosted by WordPress.com), outbound link clicks, referring URLs and search engine terms, and country. When this module is enabled, Jetpack also tracks performance on each page load that includes the Javascript file used for tracking stats. This is exclusively for aggregate performance tracking across Jetpack sites in order to make sure that our plugin and code is not causing performance issues. This includes the tracking of page load times and resource loading duration (image files, Javascript files, CSS files, etc.).
  • WordPress.com Toolbar: This feature is only accessible to registered users of the site who are also logged in to WordPress.com. Data Used: Gravatar image URL of the logged-in user in order to display it in the toolbar and the WordPress.com user ID of the logged-in user. Additionally, for activity tracking: IP address, WordPress.com user ID, WordPress.com username, WordPress.com-connected site ID and URL, Jetpack version, user agent, visiting URL, referring URL, timestamp of event, browser language, country code.

At this time, your personal information is not shared with any other third party applications. This list may be amended from time to time in the Site’s sole discretion.

ANONYMOUS DATA

From time to time, we may use anonymous data, which does not identify you alone, or when combined with data from other parties. This type of anonymous data may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses. Examples of this anonymous data may include analytics or informationt collected from cookies.

ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTERS

On the Site, Users may subscribe to our newsletter, which may be used for advertising purposes. All newsletters sent may contain tracking pixels. The pixel is embedded in emails and allows an analysis of the success of online marketing campaigns. Because of these tracking pixels, we may see if and when you open an email and which links within the email you click. Also, this allows the Site to adapt the content of future newsletters to the interests of the User. This behavior will not be passed on to third parties.

If User decides to opt-in to our mailing list, they will receive emails that may include blog news, updates, related product or service information, etc. If at any time the User would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails, we include detailed unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of each email, or User may contact us.

We may use third party service providers to help us operate our business and the Site or administer activities on our behalf, such as sending out newsletters or surveys. We may share your information with these third parties for those limited purposes provided that you have given us your permission.

THIRD PARTY WEBSITES & OTHER BLOG USERS/COMMENTERS

Users may find advertising or other content on our Site that links to the sites and services of our partners, suppliers, advertisers, sponsors, licensors, and other third parties. We do not control the content or links that appear on these sites and are not responsible for the practices employed by websites linked to or from our Site. In addition, these sites or services, including their content and links, may be constantly changing. These sites and services may have their own privacy policies and customer service policies. Browsing and interaction on any other website, including websites which have a link to our Site, is subject to that website’s own terms and policies. This site is also not responsible for the privacy practices of any other blog commenters/Users.

RIGHTS RELATED TO YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

Opt-out – You may opt-out of future email communications by following the unsubscribe links in our emails. You may also notify us at wherethesmileshavebeen (at) gmail.com to be removed from our mailing list.

Access – You may access the personal information we have about you by submitting a request to wherethesmileshavebeen (at) gmail.com.

Amend – You may contact us at wherethesmileshavebeen (at) gmail.com to amend or update your personal information.

Forget – In certain situations, you may request that we erase or forget your personal data. To do so, please submit a request to wherethesmileshavebeen (at) gmail.com.

Please note that we may need to retain certain information for recordkeeping purposes or to complete transactions, or when required by law.

SENSITIVE PERSONAL INFORMATION

At no time should Users submit sensitive personal information to the Site. This includes your social security number, information regarding race or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, health information, criminal background, or trade union memberships. If you elect to submit such information to us, it will be subject to this Privacy Policy.

ADVERTISING

Ads appearing on our Site may be delivered to Users by advertising partners, who may set cookies. These cookies allow the ad server to recognize your computer each time they send you an online advertisement to compile non personal identification information about you or others who use your computer. This information allows ad networks to, among other things, deliver targeted advertisements that they believe will be of most interest to you. This privacy policy does not cover the use of cookies by any advertisers. You may learn more about opting out of major ad networks at https://websitebuilders.com/tools/advertiser-opt-out/.

COMPLIANCE WITH CHILDREN’S ONLINE PRIVACY PROTECTION ACT

Protecting the privacy of the very young is especially important. For that reason, we never knowingly collect or maintain information at our Site from those we actually know are under 13, and no part of our website is structured to attract anyone under 13. If a parent or guardian believes that the Site has personally identifiable information of a child under the age of 13 in its database, please contact us immediately at wherethesmileshavebeen (at) gmail.com and we will use our best efforts to promptly remove such information from our records.

Reserve Rights

Where The Smiles Have Been reserves the right to change the focus of this blog, to shut it down, to sell it, or to change the terms of use at any time and at our discretion. We may disclose or transfer personal information collected through the Site to third parties who acquire all or a portion of our business, which may be the result of a merger, consolidation, or purchase of all or a portion of our assets, or in connection with any bankruptcy or reorganization proceeding brought by or against us.

This Site also reserves the right to delete or edit any comments left on WhereTheSmilesHaveBeen.com without notice due to comments containing: spam or questionable spam, profanity, language that could be deemed offensive, or attacks towards a group or individual. Just be nice.

Letters to the Editor

Any blog comments, emails, or correspondence on social media such as Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and Google+, etc., may be shared with my blogging audience unless specifically requested otherwise.

Changes to these Policies & Terms of Use

If this Site decides to change any or all of these policies and/or terms of use, we will post those changes on this page and update the modification date below. Site policies and terms of use are subject to change at any time without notice.

We encourage Users to frequently check this page for any changes to stay informed about how we are helping to protect the personal information we collect. You acknowledge and agree that it is your responsibility to review this privacy policy periodically and become aware of modifications.

Last modified on May 7, 2022.