1. Introduction
Welcome to RefWire Online (accessible at https://www.refwire.online), the official website for the RefWire project, operated by RefWire Inc. ("we," "us," or "our"). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy will inform you as to how we look after your personal data when you visit our website (regardless of where you visit it from) and tell you about your privacy rights and how the law protects you.
This Privacy Policy applies only to this website and not to any third-party websites or services linked from our website, such as GitHub, RefStor, or other external resources, which have their own privacy policies.
2. Information We Collect
We may collect and process the following types of information:
- Personal Data You Provide to Us: This includes information you voluntarily provide when you contact us via email (e.g., your name, email address, and the content of your communication). If we introduce features like newsletters or forums in the future, we may collect information you provide at that point.
- Usage Data (Automatically Collected): When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information about your device and browsing activity. This may include your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, links clicked, and the dates and times of your visits. This data is primarily used for website analytics and to improve our service.
- Cookies and Similar Tracking Technologies: We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on our website and hold certain information. Cookies are files with a small amount of data which may include an anonymous unique identifier. For further information on how we use cookies and how you can manage your preferences, please see our Cookie Consent banner and information provided when you first visit our site. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our website.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for various purposes, including:
- To provide, operate, and maintain our website.
- To improve, personalize, and expand our website.
- To understand and analyze how you use our website.
- To respond to your comments, questions, and requests.
- To communicate with you, either directly or through one of our partners, including for customer service, to provide you with updates and other information relating to the website, and for informational purposes (e.g., if you subscribe to a newsletter, if available).
- For compliance purposes, including enforcing our Terms of Service, or other legal rights, or as may be required by applicable laws and regulations or requested by any judicial process or governmental agency.
- To prevent fraud and ensure the security of our website.
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal data. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:
- With Service Providers: We may share your information with third-party vendors and service providers that perform services on our behalf, such as website hosting, data analysis, email delivery, and customer service. These service providers will only have access to your information as necessary to perform their functions and are obligated to maintain the confidentiality and security of your information.
- For Legal Reasons: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, protect and defend our rights or property, prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service, protect the personal safety of users of the Service or the public, or protect against legal liability.
- Business Transfers: If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your Personal Data may be transferred. We will provide notice before your Personal Data is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy.
5. Data Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. However, please be aware that no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
6. Data Retention
We will retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use your information to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies. Usage Data is generally retained for a shorter period, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of our Service, or we are legally obligated to retain this data for longer time periods.
7. Your Data Protection Rights
Depending on your location and applicable data protection laws (such as GDPR for users in the European Economic Area or CCPA for California residents), you may have certain rights regarding your personal data. These may include the right to:
- Access, update, or delete the information we have on you.
- Rectify any information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
- Object to our processing of your personal data.
- Request that we restrict the processing of your personal data.
- Request the transfer of your personal data to another organization, or directly to you, in certain circumstances (data portability).
- Withdraw consent at any time where we are relying on consent to process your personal data.
If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided below. We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity. Please note that these rights are not absolute and may be subject to certain exemptions or limitations under applicable law.
8. Children's Privacy
Our Service does not address anyone under the age of 13 (or 16 in some jurisdictions). We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under these ages. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child has provided us with Personal Data, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected Personal Data from children without verification of parental consent, we take steps to remove that information from our servers.
9. Links to Other Websites
Our website may contain links to other websites that are not operated by us (e.g., GitHub, RefStor). If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.
10. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.
11. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or if you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, please contact us:
- By email: info@refwire.online (or your official contact email for privacy matters)
- Via our Contact Page
For inquiries related to the open-source RefWire project specifically, you may also use the communication channels on GitHub.