Read tips about Privacy and Security on SoberConnections.net.
I. ABOUT SoberConnections.net
SoberConnections.net is an online service for that allows our members to set up unique personal profiles and, through those profiles, to create an online network with other users. SoberConnections.net members ("Members") can view each others' profiles, communicate with old friends and make new friends on the Site, share photos, post journals and comments, and describe their interests. To enrich our Members' experience, we request and display some personal information to other Members and visitors, which allows our users to identify each other and expand their network of friends. SoberConnections.net members can change their profile information at any time and can control how other Members and SoberConnections.net communicates with them.
II. INFORMATION WE COLLECT
User Provided Information. SoberConnections.net collects personal information from you when you register with our Site, update your profile, interact with other Members, and use various features of our Site. To register with SoberConnections.net, you must provide your name, birthday, and email address, and select a screen name. When you submit this information, we may send you a confirmation email that you must respond to in order to complete the registration process. Once you are registered, you will be given the option to add additional personal information about you and your family to your profile. By using the privacy settings on your profile, you can control which Members have access to certain of your personal profile data. Keep in mind, however, that certain basic profile data cannot be hidden and will always be displayed on the Site once they register (see, "When You Register" below.)
We may also collect information regarding your interaction with other users and your use of the Site. From time to time we may ask you to respond to surveys or other requests for information and we collect the information you provide. We may collect information from you when you participate in sweepstakes and promotions offered on our Site. We may also collect information about you through other methods, including research surveys or information we obtain from third parties, including verification services, data services, as well as public sources. We use this information to continually offer you the most value as a SoberConnections.net Member.
All personally identifiable information that we collect may become part of your SoberConnections.net Member file and may be used by SoberConnections.net as provided in this Privacy Policy or as disclosed at the time you provide the information or as otherwise agreed by you.
Web Logs. Like most standard Website servers, we collect information from all visitors to the Site. This information may include the browser you are using, the internet address from which you linked to our Site, the operating system of your computer, the unique IP address of the computer you used to access our Site, and usage and browsing habits. We use this information to help diagnose and troubleshoot server malfunctions, to analyze trends, track user movement in the aggregate, and gather broad demographic information. We may also use individual information we collect through web logs to send you targeted offers and other communications.
Cookies. To help make sure you receive information that is relevant to you, our Site uses data "cookies." These cookies are small data files stored on your computer which identify you as a previous visitor to the Site and help us to personalize your experience when you arrive. Most web browsers are set to accept cookies. You can instruct your browser not to accept cookies. However, if you disable this function, you will not be able to use some of the features on our Site.
III. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION
When you Register. When you register with SoberConnections.net, you create your own profile and privacy settings. Your profile information, as well as your screen name and photo are displayed to people in the networks specified in your privacy settings to allow you to connect with other SoberConnections.net Members. Please be aware that certain personal profile information is displayed for all Members and cannot be hidden. Specifically, your screen name, photo and the location entered on your profile are always displayed on the Site and therefore, are viewable by all users. In addition, because this information is publicly displayed on the Site, it may appear in the results of searches conducted on Internet search engines while you are a Member of the Site and potentially for some time period after your membership is terminated, depending upon the search engine's indexing practices.
By using the search functionality on the Site, SoberConnections.net Members can find other users with similar interests and challenges. When you find other Members, you can view their personal profiles to find out more about them based on the information they have decided to share on the Site.
Journals and Photos. As a SoberConnections.net Member, you can share personal content, such as journals and photos. Please be aware that by using any of these features, your personally identifiable information may be accessible to Members and non-Members, and SoberConnections.net has no control over how those users may use your personally identifiable information. We have the right, but not the obligation, to monitor any activity and content associated with the public and private forums and interactive areas on our Site. Please review our Terms of Service for more information regarding your appropriate use of these areas.
We'll send you our email and newsletters. SoberConnections.net may send you service-related announcements and emails from time to time. For instance, if a friend sends you a message or someone comments on your photos or journal, you may receive an email alerting you to that fact. We may also use your information to send you e-newsletters, updates and communications about SoberConnections.net. We may ask you which newsletters you wish to receive.
Sweepstakes and Promotions. On occasion, we offer sweepstakes and other promotions in conjunction with a sponsor. By participating in a promotion, you submit to that promotion's terms and conditions including providing us with permission, if required, to share your personally identifiable information with a particular sponsor.
Third Party Offers. On occasion, we are able to offer you special products or services through a relationship with a third party. In those cases, the offer will be brought to you by SoberConnections.net and fulfilled by the third party. If you accept the offer, you will become a customer of the company that is fulfilling the offer and we will not have control over their use of the personally identifiable information that you provide to them when you accept the offer.
Invite a Friend. If you do become a Member, not only can you enjoy all of the benefits of membership, but you can also invite other individuals to join by providing us with their names and email addresses. Using the information you give us on these potential Members, we will send them an email invitation to join SoberConnections.net. The only way these individuals can become Members, however, is if they come to our Site and sign up themselves. We do not use this information for other purposes.
Legal Matters; Safety. We may, without your consent, access and disclose your information, any communications sent or received by you, and any other information that we may have about you or your account as may be permitted or required by law (including, but not limited to, court order or subpoena), or to prevent or investigate suspected fraud, violations of our Terms of Service, or activity that appears to us to be illegal or may expose us to legal liability. Additionally, we may disclose your information in situations that we believe to be emergencies involving potential threats to the physical safety of any person or property if we believe that your information in any way relates to that threat.
Sale of Business or Assets. In the event that SoberConnections.net, substantially all of its assets, or a line of business are acquired or merged with another company, personally identifiable information of our Members may be one of the assets sold or merged in connection with that transaction. SoberConnections.net will notify users of the Site of such a change in ownership or transfer of assets by posting a notice on the Site.
Third Party Ad Servers. We may use third party advertising technology to serve ads when you visit our Site. For instance, we may use Google AdSense, among others, to provide advertising on our site. If your browser is set up to accept cookies, Google AdSense and some of SoberConnections.net advertisers and partners may place cookies on your computer when you visit our Site or interact with our email messages. Please note that this happens whether or not you click on an advertisement placed by these companies. Google AdSense and SoberConnections.net 's advertisers and partners use cookies according to their own privacy and security polices which you can find on their websites.
IV. IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES, PRACTICES AND CONTACT INFORMATION
SoberConnections.net contains links to other sites. It is possible for you to receive information directly from our partners and other companies if you access them through a link on SoberConnections.net or if you go directly to their Websites. Once you are on their sites, any data that you supply to these partners, for example, to obtain information or buy products directly from them is beyond our reach and will be the responsibility of each of the linked-to entities and not SoberConnections.net. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of these Websites or any other sites linked to or referenced on our Site.
Security. SoberConnections.net has multiple layers of security on its systems. We have implemented software and hardware security, including firewalls, data encryption, and private networks intended to protect your personally identifiable information from unauthorized access. We use firewalls and intrusion-detection devices that are designed to defend against hackers and notify us if any attempts are made to compromise our network. We regularly review additional software upgrades to enhance our security measures. However, despite our efforts, no system can completely guaranty that there will never be unauthorized access to your personally identifiable information, and your use of the Site indicates that you are willing to assume this risk.
A Note About International Users. The SoberConnections.net Site is hosted in the United States. If you are using the Site from outside the United States, by providing your information to this Site, you are consenting to the transfer of your information to the United States for processing and maintaining in accordance with this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. You are also consenting to the application of United States law in all matters concerning this Site.
Children's Privacy. SoberConnections.net does not encourage participation or visitation by children under the age of 16.
Updating Your Personal Information. If you are a SoberConnections.net Member, you can update your personally identifiable information at any time. To do this, just click on the "Edit Profile" link listed throughout the Site. However, we are unable to update or delete any of your personally identifiable information that has been shared with a third party as permitted in this Privacy Policy.
Changes to the Privacy Policy. We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time. The most recent version of the Privacy Policy will always be posted on the Site. We will inform you if we substantially modify the way we handle your personally identifiable information by posting a notice on the Site, and we will give you the opportunity to opt-out of such differing uses.
Contacting Us. If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or the practices of this Site, please visit our Contact Page.
