Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy for SortedGem

Effective Date: April 15, 2025

1. Introduction

Welcome to SortedGem (the "Site"), operated by Northern Light Publishing ("we," "us," or "our"). We are committed to protecting the privacy of our users ("you," "your"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website https://www.sortedgem.com, including any other media form, media channel, mobile website, or mobile application related or connected thereto. Please read this privacy policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the site.

We reserve the right to make changes to this Privacy Policy at any time and for any reason. We will alert you about any changes by updating the "Effective Date" of this Privacy Policy. You are encouraged to periodically review this Privacy Policy to stay informed of updates. You will be deemed to have been made aware of, will be subject to, and will be deemed to have accepted the changes in any revised Privacy Policy by your continued use of the Site after the date such revised Privacy Policy is posted.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect information about you in a variety of ways. The information we may collect on the Site includes:

• Personal Data: Personally identifiable information, such as your name, email address, demographic information (like age, gender, hometown), and other information you voluntarily give to us when you register with the Site, post a review, contact us, or when you choose to participate in various activities related to the Site, such as responding to surveys or entering contests.
• Derivative Data: Information our servers automatically collect when you access the Site, such as your IP address, your browser type, your operating system, your access times, and the pages you have viewed directly before and after accessing the Site.
• Financial Data: Financial information, such as data related to your payment method (e.g., valid credit card number, card brand, expiration date) that we may collect when you are a business purchasing promotional services on the Site. We store only very limited, if any, financial information that we collect. Otherwise, all financial information is stored by our payment processor(s) (e.g., Stripe, PayPal), and you are encouraged to review their privacy policy and contact them directly for responses to your questions.
• User Content: Reviews, comments, posts, messages, and other content you submit to the Site. Please be aware that any information you post in public areas of the Site (like reviews) becomes public information and can be collected and used by others.
• Business Data: Information provided by companies registering for promotional services, including company name, contact information, business details, product/service information, and payment details.
• Data From Cookies and Similar Technologies: We may use cookies, web beacons, tracking pixels, and other tracking technologies on the Site to help customize the Site and improve your experience. For more information on how we use cookies, please refer to our Cookie Policy [Create a separate Cookie Policy or add a detailed section here].

3. How We Use Your Information

Having accurate information about you permits us to provide you with a smooth, efficient, and customized experience. Specifically, we may use information collected about you via the Site to:

• Create and manage your account.
• Process payments and refunds for promotional services purchased by businesses.
• Publish your reviews and comments and attribute them to you (e.g., by username).
• Email you regarding your account, reviews, or orders.
• Respond to your inquiries and offer user support.
• Send you newsletters, promotional materials (if you opt-in), and other information about our Site or partner offers.
• Administer promotions, surveys, or contests.
• Request feedback and contact you about your use of the Site.
• Monitor and analyze usage and trends to improve your experience with the Site.
• Improve the Site's offerings, functionality, and marketing.
• Prevent fraudulent transactions, monitor against theft, and protect against criminal activity.
• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Display and manage paid promotional content from businesses.
• Resolve disputes and troubleshoot problems.
• Fulfill any other purpose for which you provide it.

4. Disclosure of Your Information

We may share information we have collected about you in certain situations. Your information may be disclosed as follows:

• By Law or to Protect Rights: If we believe the release of information about you is necessary to respond to legal process, to investigate or remedy potential violations of our policies, or to protect the rights, property, and safety of others, we may share your information as permitted or required by any applicable law, rule, or regulation.
• Third-Party Service Providers: We may share your information with third parties that perform services for us or on our behalf, including payment processing, data analysis, email delivery, hosting services, customer service, and marketing assistance.
• Business Partners: We may share your information with our business partners (including businesses whose products/services are reviewed or promoted on the site) for legitimate business purposes, such as offering you certain products, services, or promotions, potentially in aggregated or anonymized form where appropriate. Information shared with businesses for promotional services they purchase will be governed by the terms agreed upon with those businesses.
• Marketing Communications: With your consent, or with an opportunity for you to withdraw consent, we may share your information with third parties for marketing purposes, as permitted by law.
• Public Postings: When you post reviews, comments, or other content to the Site, your posts may be viewed by all users and may be publicly distributed outside the Site in perpetuity. Your username and potentially other profile information may be visible.
• Business Transfers: We may share or transfer your information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business to another company.
• Affiliates: We may share your information with our affiliates, in which case we will require those affiliates to honor this Privacy Policy. Affiliates include our parent company and any subsidiaries, joint venture partners, or other companies that we control or that are under common control with us.
• Aggregated/Anonymized Data: We may share aggregated or anonymized information that does not directly identify you with third parties for analysis, research, or other purposes.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

5. Tracking Technologies

Cookies and Web Beacons: We may use cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies to personalize your experience and analyze site usage. Most browsers are set to accept cookies by default. You can usually choose to set your browser to remove or reject browser cookies. Please note that if you choose to remove or reject cookies, this could affect the availability and functionality of the Site.

Website Analytics: We may partner with selected third-party vendors (e.g., Google Analytics) to allow tracking technologies on the Site through the use of first-party and third-party cookies, to, among other things, analyze and track users' use of the Site, determine the popularity of certain content, and better understand online activity.

6. Data Security

We use administrative, technical, and physical security measures to help protect your personal information. While we have taken reasonable steps to secure the personal information you provide to us, please be aware that despite our efforts, no security measures are perfect or impenetrable, and no method of data transmission can be guaranteed against any interception or other type of misuse. Any information disclosed online is vulnerable to interception and misuse by unauthorized parties. Therefore, we cannot guarantee complete security if you provide personal information.

7. Data Retention

We will retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. To determine the appropriate retention period, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure, the purposes for which we process it, and applicable legal requirements. Account information and user-generated content (like reviews) may be retained for a longer period to maintain the integrity of the Site, unless you request deletion.

8. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on your location (e.g., California under CCPA/CPRA), you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• The right to know what personal information is being collected about you.
• The right to know whether your personal information is sold or disclosed and to whom.
• The right to say no to the sale of personal information (opt-out).
• The right to access your personal information.
• The right to correct inaccurate personal information.
• The right to limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information.
• The right to request deletion of your personal information, under certain conditions.
• The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [Contact Email Address]. We will respond to your request within the time frame required by applicable law.

9. Policy for Children

We do not knowingly solicit information from or market to children under the age of 13 (or higher age threshold if applicable in your jurisdiction). If you become aware of any data we have collected from children under the relevant age, please contact us using the contact information provided below.

10. Third-Party Websites

The Site may contain links to third-party websites and applications of interest, including advertisements and external services, that are not affiliated with us. Once you have used these links to leave the Site, any information you provide to these third parties is not covered by this Privacy Policy, and we cannot guarantee the safety and privacy of your information. Before visiting and providing any information to any third-party websites, you should inform yourself of the privacy policies and practices (if any) of the third party responsible for that website. We are not responsible for the content or privacy and security practices and policies of any third parties.

11. International Transfers

Your information, including personal data, may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of your state, province, country, or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ from those of your jurisdiction. If you are located outside the United States and choose to provide information to us, please note that we transfer the data, including Personal Data, to the United States and process it there. Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by your submission of such information represents your agreement to that transfer. We will take reasonable steps to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions or comments about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: