Privacy Policy - My Friend Central

1. Introduction

At MyFriendCentral.com (“we”, “us”, or “our”), we care deeply about protecting your personal data and upholding your privacy. This Privacy Policy reflects our firm commitment to transparency, data protection, and compliance with applicable privacy laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). We are dedicated to processing your information responsibly, securely, and in accordance with your rights.

2. Scope of Policy and Data Controller Role

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you visit and interact with MyFriendCentral.com. It applies to all users of our website and services, regardless of location.

For the purposes of applicable data protection laws, MyFriendCentral.com is the data controller of the personal information collected through this website. Questions regarding our data practices may be directed to our designated contact at [email protected].

3. Categories of Data We Process

We may process the following categories of personal data:

a) Usage Data
We collect data related to your interactions with the site, including browser type, language preferences, IP address, geographic location, session time, and pages viewed.

b) Account Data
When you create an account, we collect and process identifying information, such as your full name, email address, postal address, and phone number.

c) Profile Data
This includes information such as your user preferences, purchase history, browsing behavior, and other details relevant to your interactions on MyFriendCentral.com.

d) Communication Data
We collect data that you provide when you contact us, including support tickets, inquiries, and communications made via email or through website contact forms.

e) Technical Data
We gather information from your device, such as operating system version, hardware type, browser configurations, and system logs.

f) Transaction Data
In the context of purchasing products or services, we collect payment information, shipping and billing addresses, and details of products or services acquired.

g) Preference Data
This includes your marketing preferences, newsletter opt-ins, feedback, and interests related to our offerings.

4. Legal Bases for Processing

We rely on the following legal bases for processing personal data under the GDPR:

– Performance of a contract: When data processing is necessary to fulfill a contract with you.
– Consent: Where your clear permission is obtained for specific purposes (e.g., marketing).
– Legitimate interest: For administrative, security, development, and user experience purposes, provided they do not infringe on your privacy rights.
– Legal obligation: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, or legal proceedings.

Under CCPA, we collect and process data in accordance with the business purposes permitted under the law, including auditing interactions, detecting fraud, providing services, and conducting research.

5. Your Rights

Under data protection laws, you have the following rights, subject to applicable limitations:

– Right of Access: You can request a copy of your personal data we process.
– Right to Rectification: You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
– Right to Erasure: In certain cases, you can request deletion of your data.
– Right to Restrict Processing: You can request a temporary restriction on the processing of your data.
– Right to Data Portability: You may obtain your data in a machine-readable format and have it transmitted to another controller.
– Right to Object: You may object to processing carried out on the basis of legitimate interests.
– California residents may also exercise rights under CCPA to know, delete, and opt out of the sale of personal information.

To exercise any of your rights, contact us at [email protected].

6. Security Measures

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your data. This includes:

– Encryption of data during transmission and at rest
– Access controls and administrative safeguards
– Regular system updates and vulnerability assessments
– Secure data backups and disaster recovery procedures
– Ongoing data protection training for personnel

7. International Transfers

Your data may be transferred to, and maintained on servers located outside your jurisdiction, including countries that may not have equivalent data protection laws. In such instances, we ensure necessary safeguards, including Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and other lawful transfer mechanisms, to protect your data consistently with GDPR requirements.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected, or to comply with legal, contractual, or regulatory obligations. Examples of retention periods include:

– Account Data: Retained for the duration of your account and up to 2 years after deactivation
– Transaction Data: Kept for 7 years for tax and auditing purposes
– Communication Data: Maintained for up to 3 years
– Preference Data: Retained until you update preferences or withdraw consent
– Analytics and Technical Data: Held for 13 months or less

9. Cookie Policy

MyFriendCentral.com uses cookies and similar technologies to collect and store information when you visit or interact with our site. These include:

– Essential Cookies: Necessary for the site to function (e.g., login sessions, shopping carts)
– Functional Cookies: Enhance user experience by remembering preferences
– Analytics Cookies: Collect data for understanding website usage and improving performance
– Performance Cookies: Measure page load times, interaction speeds, and system errors

10. Cookie Management and Compliance

You have the right to manage your cookie preferences. Upon visiting MyFriendCentral.com, you are presented with a cookie consent banner. You may accept or reject non-essential cookies or customize your cookie settings at any time via your browser preferences or the website’s cookie management tool.

For users in jurisdictions covered by GDPR and CCPA, we honor Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals.

11. Children’s Privacy

MyFriendCentral.com is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13 without verified parental consent. If we become aware that such data has been collected inadvertently, we will promptly delete it.

12. Policy Updates and Notifications

We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Updates will be posted on this same page, and material changes will be communicated via appropriate channels (e.g., email or on-site notifications), consistent with applicable laws.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data processing practices, you may contact us at:

Email: [email protected]

We are committed to engaging with users respectfully and in compliance with all applicable privacy regulations. Please feel free to reach out with any privacy-related concerns.