1.Personal Information We Do Not Collect
We do not directly collect any personally identifiable information (PII) from visitors. This means:
- No Required Personal Data: We do not ask you to provide your name, email address, phone number, or any contact details just to use the site. There are no user accounts, login areas, or comment sections collecting personal data.
- IP Addresses: Truesides.com does not store or log IP addresses in a way that identifies you personally. (Our web hosting may record IPs in server logs for basic technical operations and security, but this data is not used by us to identify or track visitors.)
In short, Truesides.com itself does not collect personal information about you during your visit. However, as described below, third-party services integrated into our site may collect certain data automatically.
2.Information Collected by Third-Party Services
Although we don’t collect personal data ourselves, we use third-party services (like advertising networks and analytics providers) that may gather data about your device or browsing actions. This information is typically collected via cookies or similar tracking technologies when you visit our site. The third-party services we use and the data they collect include:
Advertising (Google AdSense)
We display ads through Google AdSense, which may involve the use of cookies and other tracking technologies by Google and its advertising partners. Please note the following:
- Ad Cookies: Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our website.
. These small text files are stored on your browser to remember your preferences and past activity. - Personalized Ads: Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to show ads to you based on your visit to our site and other sites on the Internet
. For example, if you’ve visited websites about tech gadgets, you might see related ads on our site. - Opt-Out of Personalized Ads: You have the choice to opt out of interest-based (personalized) advertising. You can visit Google’s Ad Settings to manage your Google ad preferences or opt out of personalized ads. Alternatively, you can opt out of many third-party vendors’ use of cookies for interest-based advertising by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative’s opt-out page or AboutAds.info
- Data Collected by Ads: In the course of serving ads, Google may collect non-personal identifiers and information about your device, such as your device type, browser type, operating system, and general location (e.g. region or city). This data is used for ad targeting and measurement. We do not have access to personal details about you from these ads.
- Google AdSense Policy Compliance: We have implemented Google’s required privacy disclosures. Google may also automatically scan our site for compliance. For more details on how Google uses data, see the Google Privacy Policy. Keep in mind that advertising partners have their own privacy policies governing their data practices.
Analytics (Google Analytics)
We use Google Analytics (or similar analytics tools) to understand how visitors use Truesides.com and to improve our content. These analytics services use their own cookies and tracking technologies to collect information such as:
- Usage Data: Pages you visit on our site, the time spent on each page, clicks and scrolling information, the referring page (which site or link brought you to Truesides.com), and other aggregate usage statistics.
- Device and Browser Information: Your browser type, device type (desktop or mobile), operating system, screen resolution, and language preference. This helps us ensure the site works well for different setups.
- IP Address: Analytics tools may record your IP address to determine geolocation (e.g., city or country). However, we have configured Google Analytics to anonymize IP addresses whenever possible, truncating or masking the last digits to protect your identity. Google Analytics 4, the latest version, by default does not store individual IP addresses.
- No Personal Profile: Google Analytics provides us only aggregated data. We cannot personally identify any user from these analytics reports. We use this information solely to analyze overall visitor trends (for example, which articles are most popular or what time of day we get the most traffic) and to enhance the site’s content and layout.
Opt-Out of Analytics: If you do not want Google Analytics to collect data about your visits, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, which prevents your browser from sending data to Google Analytics. You can also disable or delete cookies (see the Cookies section below) to limit tracking. We honor any valid opt-out signals received from this add-on or similar mechanisms.
Other Tracking Tools
Aside from AdSense and Google Analytics, we do not knowingly use any other third-party “tracking pixels” or scripts that collect personal information. However, our site may occasionally incorporate content from external sources (for example, an embedded YouTube video or a social media sharing button), which could set their own cookies. We strive to minimize such tracking and will disclose it if it becomes relevant. Please refer to the privacy policies of any third-party services that we link to or embed for details on their data collection practices.
Third-Party Privacy Policies
All third-party service providers (like Google) that collect data via our site have their own privacy policies and data practices. We encourage you to review Google’s Privacy Policy and the policies of any other third-party services you interact with. While we make efforts to only partner with reputable providers, we do not control how they handle your data. If you have questions about how these third parties use your information, please refer to their privacy statements.
3.Cookies and Similar Technologies
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit websites. Truesides.com and our third-party partners use cookies and similar technologies (such as web beacons or local storage) to provide and improve our services, as well as to display relevant advertising. Here’s what you should know about our cookie use:
- Types of Cookies We Use:
- Essential Cookies: Our website’s core functions generally do not require cookies (since we don’t have login or shopping features). However, if we implement a cookie consent banner or remember your preferences (like dark mode or text size), cookies may be used to store those settings. These cookies would be purely for functionality and user experience.
- Analytics Cookies: Set by Google Analytics (as described above) to collect aggregate statistics about site usage. These help us understand page views, user flow, and other analytical information.
- Advertising Cookies: Set by Google AdSense and its partners to serve ads. These cookies remember if you’ve visited our site or other sites and whether you’ve seen or clicked on an ad, which helps in delivering more relevant ads and preventing you from seeing the same ad too many times.
- Affiliate Cookies: If you click an affiliate link on our site (see the Affiliate Links section below), a cookie may be placed by the affiliate network to track your visit and any qualifying purchases for commission purposes.
- Cookie Duration: Some cookies are “session cookies” that are erased when you close your browser. Others are “persistent cookies” that remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them. For example, an affiliate tracking cookie might last a few days to credit a referral, while an analytics cookie might persist for a year or two to recognize returning visitors.
- Your Cookie Choices: You have the right to control and manage cookies. When you first visit Truesides.com, you may see a cookie notice (especially if required by law in your region) allowing you to accept or adjust cookie settings. Even if you’ve accepted cookies, you can always:
- Browser Settings: Configure your web browser to refuse some or all cookies, or to prompt you before accepting a cookie. Most browsers also allow you to view and delete cookies at any time. Please note that blocking all cookies might affect the functionality of not only our site but others as well.
- Third-Party Opt-Outs: For advertising cookies, use industry opt-out sites like the NAI Opt-Out or YourAdChoices to opt out of interest-based advertising cookies from participating companies. For Google specifically, adjust your settings at Google Ad Settings as mentioned above.
- Do Not Track: “Do Not Track” (DNT) is a setting available in most browsers that sends a signal to websites indicating you do not wish to be tracked. Currently, there is no universal standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals. As a result, Truesides.com does not respond differently to browsers with DNT enabled. However, remember that we already limit tracking to necessary analytics and ads, and you can opt out of personalized ads and analytics as described. We will continue to monitor industry developments around DNT and will honor any legally required signals, such as the Global Privacy Control (GPC) for California residents’ opt-out requests (see CCPA section below).
- Cookie Disclaimer: By using our site without disabling cookies, you consent to the placement of cookies on your device. If you choose to disable cookies, some features (like any preference settings) may not function as intended, but you will still be able to read content on Truesides.com.
For more detailed information about our use of cookies, you can review our Cookies Policy if available, or contact us with any questions.
4.Affiliate Links Disclosure
Truesides.com participates in affiliate marketing programs. This means some of the links on our site are “affiliate links,” which have a special tracking code. If you click on an affiliate link and then make a purchase or complete another desired action on the affiliate’s site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Here’s how we handle affiliate links and your data:
- Identification of Affiliate Links: We strive to clearly mark or disclose affiliate links in our content (for example, with a note like “(affiliate link)” or by stating our affiliation in context). Regardless of how they appear, all affiliate links are handled with the same privacy considerations described here.
- Tracking Cookies for Affiliates: When you click an affiliate link on our site, a cookie is placed on your browser by the affiliate program to track that you were referred from our website
. This cookie allows the merchant to recognize that you came via our referral and credit us a commission if you make an eligible purchase. For instance, as an Amazon Associate (if we link to Amazon products), Amazon would place a cookie to record that you clicked our link and would know to pay us a commission if you buy something within a certain time frame
. - Data from Affiliate Programs: The cookies used for affiliate tracking do not reveal personal information about you to us. We cannot see your name, account info, or what specific items you purchased. We only receive aggregate reports or notifications of a sale and the commission amount. Any personal data you provide to the third-party site (e.g., your shipping address for an order) is collected by that site under their own privacy policy.
- Your Choice: You are never obligated to click on affiliate links or buy products. If you do click an affiliate link, you can always choose to later clear your browser cookies to remove the tracking cookie. You can also opt out of affiliate cookies by not clicking such links. Our primary goal with affiliate links is to recommend relevant products/services and help support our site, but your experience and trust are paramount.
- External Sites: Remember that when you click an affiliate link, you will be redirected to a third-party website not controlled by Truesides.com. This Privacy Policy does not apply to the privacy practices of other websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any site you visit, especially if you are providing personal information to make a purchase.
5.Your Privacy Rights
We respect your privacy rights and provide ways for you to exercise them. Depending on your location, you may have specific legal rights regarding your personal information. Truesides.com is committed to complying with applicable data protection laws, such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). Below, we outline these rights and how you can exercise them:
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) – Rights for EU/EEA/UK Individuals
If you are located in the European Union, European Economic Area, or the United Kingdom, you have certain rights under the GDPR regarding your personal data. While Truesides.com does not actively collect personal data from you (beyond the limited data via cookies and third parties described above), we are prepared to honor the GDPR rights of users who interact with our site. These rights include
- Right to be Informed: You have the right to clear and transparent information about how we use your data. This Privacy Policy is intended to provide that information. If you have any questions about our data practices, you can contact us for further details.
- Right of Access: You can request a copy of any personal data we hold about you and information on how we process it. (As we generally do not store personal identifiers, in most cases we may have no data that identifies you personally. However, we will search our records and inform you of any data we have, such as an email you sent to us or any analytics data that might be considered personal.)
- Right to Rectification: If you believe that any personal information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to request we correct or update it. For example, if you emailed us and your name was recorded incorrectly, we will update it upon your request.
- Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): You can request that we delete any personal information we have collected from you. If you have ever provided us personal data, you may ask us to delete that information. We will comply, provided we don’t have a legal obligation to keep it (note: since we typically don’t maintain user data, deletion is usually straightforward).
- Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to ask us to restrict or pause the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances (for instance, if you contest the data’s accuracy or if the processing is unlawful but you don’t want the data erased). In practice, since we do minimal processing, this right would most likely apply to limiting analytics or advertising data usage, which you can also achieve by opting out as described in the Cookies section.
- Right to Data Portability: If you request it, we can provide you with any personal data you have given us in a common, machine-readable format, so you can transfer it to another service.
- Right to Object: You have the right to object to certain types of data processing, including processing for direct marketing or profiling. Truesides.com does not send marketing communications or perform profiling on users. If you object to our use of Google Analytics or AdSense (profiling for ads), you can exercise that through the opt-out mechanisms we described. If you contact us with an objection request, we will also review and honor it to the extent applicable.
- Right not to be subject to Automated Decision-Making: You have the right not to be subject to decisions made solely by automated means that significantly affect you (including profiling). Truesides.com does not make any such automated decisions about individuals. We do not profile users in any way that produces legal or similarly significant effects. Ads shown on our site may be automated (programmatic advertising), but these do not involve decisions that have a significant impact on you personally – they are simply content personalization.
Exercising Your GDPR Rights: To exercise any of your GDPR rights, please contact us at our email address provided in the Contact section. We may need to verify your identity to process certain requests (for example, to ensure that it’s actually you requesting data about yourself). We will respond to your request within one month, as required by GDPR, and will inform you if we need additional time. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a Supervisory Authority (data protection regulator) in your country if you believe we have violated any data protection laws. We encourage you to contact us first so we can address your concerns directly.
California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA) – For California Residents
If you are a California resident, you are protected by privacy rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). Even though Truesides.com’s direct data collection is minimal, we aim to comply with these regulations. California law provides consumers with rights regarding their personal information, including the following:
- Right to Know: You have the right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold about you. This includes the categories of personal information we collect, the sources of that information, the business purpose for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it. In this policy, we have outlined that we generally do not collect personal info directly, and we have explained the data that third parties (like Google) collect on our site. You can request that we disclose the specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you (if any).
- Right to Delete: You have the right to request deletion of personal information that we have collected from you and retained. Since we do not store much personal data about visitors, deletion will typically cover things like your email or any correspondence if you contacted us. Upon a verifiable deletion request, we will erase the personal data we have about you (unless an exception applies – for example, if we need to keep data to comply with a legal obligation or to detect fraud). We will also direct any service providers (e.g., if we had a cloud backup or an email service) to delete your information from their records, as required by law.
- Right to Opt-Out of Sale of Personal Information: The CCPA gives you the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information. Note that Truesides.com does not sell your personal information to third parties for money. We do share certain information with third parties as explained (such as allowing AdSense to use cookies), but this is for site operation and advertising, not for direct monetary exchange of your data. However, some data sharing for advertising could be considered a “sale” under the CCPA’s broad definitions. If you prefer that your data not be used for targeted advertising purposes, you can opt out by using the cookie and AdSense opt-out options described above (for example, enabling Global Privacy Control or using our “Do Not Sell My Personal Info” mechanism if available). If you send us a request not to sell your data, we will honor it by disabling any non-essential third-party data sharing for your visit (to the extent we technically can) and by instructing advertising partners not to use your data for personalized ads.
- Right to Non-Discrimination: You have the right not to receive discriminatory treatment from us for exercising any of your CCPA rights
. This means we will not deny you our services, charge you a different price, or provide a lesser experience because you exercised your privacy rights. Truesides.com is free to access for all users, and exercising your rights (such as opting out of data sharing) will not change your access or the content you see, aside from potentially seeing less personalized ads.
In addition, the CPRA (effective January 1, 2023) expanded California residents’ rights to include:
- Right to Correct: You may request that we correct any inaccurate personal information we hold about you. If, for instance, you believe we have your name or email recorded incorrectly (though we rarely store such data), you can ask us to update it.
- Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: You have the right to limit how we use or disclose sensitive personal information about you
. Examples of sensitive data include things like precise geolocation, race/ethnicity, health data, etc. Importantly, Truesides.com does not collect sensitive personal information about visitors. We do not have any data like that on you via our site. If that ever changes, we will provide a method for you to limit its use.
Exercising Your California Rights: To make a request under the CCPA/CPRA, you (or an authorized agent) can contact us via the methods in the Contact section. Please specify which right you wish to exercise. For requests to know or delete, we will need to verify your identity – usually by confirming information we might have (for example, responding from the email address that you are asking about, if you contacted us before). We will respond to your request as required by law (generally within 45 days, with an extension of up to 45 more days if necessary, which we will inform you of). If we cannot fulfill a request, we will explain the reason (for example, we have no data to delete, or cannot verify your identity). We do not charge a fee for processing your request unless it is excessive or repetitive, in which case we will inform you of any fee and reasoning.
Do Not Sell My Info: Although we do not sell personal data for profit, we include this information to comply with California law. If in the future we engage in any practice deemed a “sale” of personal information, we will provide a clear “Do Not Sell My Personal Information” link or mechanism on our site. In the meantime, using the opt-out methods for cookies or sending us a request will ensure your data is not used in any way that CCPA considers a “sale.” We also recognize the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal. If your browser is set to send a GPC signal, our site will treat that as a valid opt-out of sale/sharing request for the device or browser you use to access our site.
Other International Privacy Rights
Truesides.com aims to respect privacy rights globally. If you are located in a region with privacy laws (for example, Canada’s PIPEDA or Australia’s Privacy Act) that grant you rights to access or delete your data, you may contact us to exercise those rights. We will honor all legitimate requests to the extent we are able. Since we minimize data collection, we expect such requests to be rare, but we are committed to transparency and user control.
6.Data Security
We take the security of our website and any personal information we may hold seriously. While the amount of personal data we store is minimal, we employ industry-standard security measures to protect against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction of data. Our security practices include:
- Encryption: Truesides.com is secured via HTTPS. This means that any data transmitted between your browser and our site (for example, when browsing pages or if you were to submit information through a contact form) is encrypted in transit using SSL/TLS. Encryption helps prevent eavesdropping on your communications with our site.
- Access Controls: Any personal information that we do hold (such as an email correspondence or a guest contributor’s details) is kept confidential. Access to such information is limited to the site owner/administrator who needs to see it to operate the site or respond to you. We do not share login credentials to any databases or accounts with guest authors or anyone who doesn’t need access.
- Software Updates: We keep our website platform, content management system, and any plugins or scripts up to date with the latest security patches. Regular updates reduce the risk of known vulnerabilities being exploited.
- Monitoring and Prevention: We monitor our site for potential security threats and may use security tools (firewalls, anti-malware scanners, etc.) to prevent and detect unauthorized activities. If we notice suspicious activity, we take steps to investigate and mitigate any potential breach.
- Third-Party Security: Our third-party service providers (Google, etc.) are large companies that also prioritize security. For example, Google Analytics and AdSense operate on Google’s secure infrastructure. We rely on their security measures for the data they handle on our behalf. However, we do not control their internal security practices, so we encourage users to read Google’s security and privacy documentation if interested.
Despite all measures taken, no website or internet transmission is completely 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of data. However, we strive to protect user information and will continue to improve our security practices as new technologies and best practices emerge. In the unlikely event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you and the relevant authorities as required by law.
7.External Links and Third-Party Sites
Our website may contain links to external sites, including links in articles (to cite sources or provide additional information) and links to third-party services or products (such as affiliate links or references). Please be aware that this Privacy Policy applies only to Truesides.com. If you click on a link to an external site, you will be redirected to a site that is not under our control. We are not responsible for the content, security, or privacy practices of other websites.
When you visit external websites through links on our site, those sites may collect your personal information and have their own privacy policies. We strongly encourage you to review the privacy policy of every site you visit. This is especially important if you navigate to a site where you will enter personal information (for example, making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter on another site).
Truesides.com’s inclusion of a link to a third-party site does not imply endorsement of their content or their privacy practices. If you believe one of the sites we link to is abusing your privacy, please let us know, and consider ceasing use of that third-party site.
8.Children’s Privacy
Truesides.com is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect any personal information from children under 13. If you are under 13, please do not use our site or send us any information about yourself. In the event that we learn we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete that information promptly in compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
For teens under the age of majority (such as 13–18), we also advise that you use our site with permission from a parent or guardian, especially if you plan to submit any information to us (for example, as a guest author or via a contact request).
If you are a parent or guardian and believe that a child under 13 may have provided personal information to us, please contact us immediately so we can locate and remove that data.
9.Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update or revise this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. When we make changes, we will:
- Post the Updated Policy: The revised Privacy Policy will be posted on this page with a new “Last Updated” date at the top. The changes become effective as of that date.
- Notify Users of Significant Changes: If we make material changes to how we handle personal data, we may provide a more prominent notice (such as a banner on our website or an email notification, if appropriate). For example, if in the future Truesides.com begins collecting personal information in new ways not described here, we would update this policy and notify users to obtain any necessary consents.
- Maintain Past Versions: For transparency, we may keep prior versions of this Privacy Policy archived. You can contact us if you wish to see earlier versions.
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting the information we collect (and the limited ways we use it). Your continued use of Truesides.com after any changes to this policy will signify your acceptance of the updates.
10.Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please feel free to contact us:
- Email: [email protected]
We will respond to your inquiries as soon as possible, typically within a business day.
Your trust is important to us. Thank you for reading our Privacy Policy. We hope you enjoy our content knowing that your privacy is respected and protected. If you have any feedback on this policy or our practices, we welcome your input.