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Honest Pet Privacy Policy
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 6, 2023
This privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) has been crafted to offer you a comprehensive insight into how Honest Pet, Inc. and its affiliated entities (collectively known as "Honest Pet," "we," "us," or "our(s)") gather, employ, process, and disclose your data in connection with the Honest Pet Platform, as defined below. The Honest Pet Platform encompasses our website (www.honestpet.com), subdomains, and other online channels through which our services are accessible (collectively referred to as the "Site"), our mobile apps, tablet apps, and APIs (collectively referred to as the "Application"), as well as all linked services governed by this Privacy Policy (referred to as the "Service"). This Privacy Policy also describes how information is used when you engage with us in other ways, including sales, marketing and/or events.
Throughout this document, we refer to this ecosystem as the "Honest Pet Platform." We prioritize transparency and your authority over your personal data, so if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us at privacy@honestpet.com, and a member of our team will gladly assist you.
If you see an undefined term in this Privacy Policy (such as "Listing" or "Honest Pet Platform"), it has the same definition as outlined in our Terms of Service.
Our Commitment to Privacy
At Honest Pet, safeguarding your privacy is our top priority. We are unwavering in our dedication to upholding our core values, which guide us in ensuring the utmost protection of your data. In the spirit of transparency, we are pleased to share these principles with you.
Data Transparency: Transparency is the cornerstone of our commitment to you. Sharing data is crucial in making products like Honest Pet truly personalized. We pledge to be transparent by seeking your consent for data usage. This empowers us to improve the products you love and introduce new services for your enjoyment.
Ensuring Data Security: Your personal data's security is paramount to us. We allocate substantial resources to guarantee the safety and protection of your sensitive information.
Empowering Your Choices: We acknowledge that you have ownership and control over your data and that of your pets. Our goal is to be transparent in our data practices and to secure your consent for its responsible use.
Respecting Your Privacy, Upholding Your Rights, Building Our Community.
User’s Rights at Honest Pet:
(1) Data Safety and Security
(2) Understanding Data Use
(3) Control Over Data Use
(4) Opt-Out of 3rd-Party Targeting
(5) IP Protection*
(6) Contribution to Honest Pet Community
(7) Notification of Security Breaches
(8) Freedom from Online Bullying
(9) Online Reputation Protection
Championing Our Users at Honest Pet
*Our unwavering support extends to all Honest Pet users, with a special focus on our valued breeders who have encountered intellectual property theft. We are dedicated to preserving the integrity of the information you provide and advocating on your behalf. If you have fallen victim to such incidents and require help in removing infringing material, please contact us at privacy@honestpet.com.
1. INFORMATION WE COLLECT
There are three general categories of information we collect when using the Honest Pet Platform: information you provide, automated data capture, and information from third-party sources. We also collect information through social media sites. We discuss each of these in greater detail below.
1.1 Data Collection on the Honest Pet Platform.
When you engage with the Honest Pet Platform, we collect information you voluntarily provide. This includes:
1.2 Automated Data Collection.
Our team and service providers have the ability to automatically capture information about you, your computer or mobile device, and your engagement with the Honest Pet Platform. This information covers a wide spectrum, including but not limited to:
- The manner in which you have engaged with the Honest Pet Platform, including interactions with third-party applications.
- Your IP address.
- Access timestamps.
- Specifics about your hardware and software.
- Device particulars.
- Data related to device events, such as crashes and browser types. The web pages you've accessed or engaged with before and after utilizing the Honest Pet Platform.
- Cookies: These are text files that websites send to a visitor's computer or connected device. Their primary function is to uniquely identify the visitor's browser or to store information and preferences within the browser.
- Browser Web Storage (LSOs): These serve purposes similar to cookies but have the advantage of accommodating larger data volumes compared to cookies.
- Web Beacons (Pixel Tags or Clear GIFs): These are commonly employed to signify when a web page has been accessed or specific content has been viewed. We typically use them to gauge the effectiveness of our marketing endeavors, measure engagement with our emails, and compile usage statistics for our websites.
1.3 Data Augmentation from External Channels.
Our data collection extends beyond the Honest Pet Platform. This includes data shared by other users of the Honest Pet Platform on and information obtained from external sources. We integrate this information with the data collected directly through the Honest Pet Platform.
1.4 Data from Social Media Platforms.
Honest Pet maintains official pages on a variety of social media platforms, including but not limited to, Facebook®, LinkedIn®, X® (formerly Twitter) Google®, TikTok®, YouTube®, Instagram®, and other third-party platforms. When you engage with or access our pages on these platforms, your interactions are regulated by the privacy policy of the third-party platform provider, not this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy outlines how your interactions are used by Honest Pet, as well as the collection, usage, and processing of your personal information by Honest Pet. Information may be shared with us by either you or the various social media platforms through the Honest Pet Platform. We handle such data in accordance with this Privacy Policy.2. PURPOSE BEHIND INFORMATION COLLECTION
The collection, utilization, storage, and processing of information about you on our part are driven by various important objectives. These include:
2.1 Supporting and Advancing the Honest Pet Platform.
Our actions revolve around:
2.2 Building and Safeguarding a Reliable and Secure Environment.
We are committed to:2.3 Enhancing, Tailoring, Evaluating, and Elevating our Marketing and Promotions.
Our actions are geared toward:3. SHARING AND THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION
3.1 With Your Explicit Consent.
We might disclose your information with your explicit consent or in accordance with the terms outlined during the sharing process. An instance of this is when you provide authorization for a third-party application or website to access your Account (e.g., connecting your Account with a social media profile like Facebook®).3.2 Information Exchange Among Breeders, Buyers, Third Parties, and Fellow Users.
To streamline transaction processes, we may engage in information sharing with other users of the Honest Pet Platform as outlined below:3.3 Profiles, Listings, and Public Information.
On the Honest Pet Platform, you have the ability to release information that is viewable by the general public. This includes:3.4 Engagement of Service Providers.
To enhance our ability to provide services associated with the Honest Pet Platform, we may engage the services of third-party providers. These providers may offer assistance in the following areas:3.5 Disclosure in Accordance with Legal Requirements.
In certain situations, Honest Pet may disclose your information to courts, law enforcement agencies, governmental authorities, or authorized third parties. These circumstances include situations in which such disclosure is:3.6 Widgets and External Integration.
As part of our collaboration with business partners/affiliates, we may feature components of the Honest Pet Platform (e.g., Profile pages) on websites operated by Honest Pet's partner/affiliate companies. This integration is made possible through technologies such as widgets or APIs. When Listings are showcased on a partner's/affiliate’s site, information from public Profile pages may also be accessible.3.7 Collaboration with Trusted Experts.
In the course of receiving professional services from our trusted advisors, including our lawyers, bankers, auditors, and insurers, we may need to disclose your personal information.3.8 Transition of Business Operations.
In the course of business transactions or potential business transactions, including corporate divestitures, mergers, consolidations, acquisitions, reorganizations, sales of assets, or instances of bankruptcy or dissolution, we may engage in the sale, transfer, or sharing of some or all of our business or assets.3.9 Aggregated Data Usage.
We may utilize aggregated information, which comprises data about users merged to the extent that it no longer associates with or identifies individual users. This aggregated and non-personally identifiable information may serve purposes such as industry and market analysis, the introduction of new products, or other business pursuits.3.10 Consumer Requests.
With respect to Virginia resident users, we are required to respond to any and all consumer requests within thirty (30) days. If you request information or anything else provided for under this Privacy Policy and such request is denied by Honest Pet, you may appeal the denial by sending an appeal notice to privacy@honestpet.com. Upon appealing the denial, we will assign a case manager to your appeal. The case manager will review your initial request and appeal and provide a final decision. The entire appeals process must conclude within forty-five (45) days (provided, however, when reasonably necessary, a grace period of an additional forty-five (45) days may apply). If your appeals request is denied, you may contact the Virginia Attorney General’s office (online, by mail, or in person) to submit a complaint. While not required, we request that you provide a copy of your complaint to help@honestpet.com.4. OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
4.1 Analysis of Your Communications.
Your communications on the Honest Pet Platform may be subject to review, scanning, or analysis for various reasons, including but not limited to fraud prevention, risk evaluation, regulatory adherence, investigation, product development, research, and customer support. As an example, in our efforts to combat fraud, we may review and analyze messages to mask contact information and references to external websites. We predominantly employ automated methods for these tasks, but there may be instances when manual review of specific communications is warranted. This manual review may be conducted for purposes such as fraud investigations and customer support, or to assess and enhance the functionality of our automated tools. It is important to emphasize that we do not scrutinize, scan, or analyze your communications with the intent of delivering third-party marketing messages to you, and we do not market the reviews or analyses of these communications.
4.2 Integration with Third-Party Accounts.
You are provided with the option to establish a connection between your Account and an account on a third-party social media service. Any information you provide during this linking process may be securely stored, processed, and transmitted for the purposes of enhancing our fraud prevention and risk assessment capabilities. It’s important to note that the publication and presentation of information shared with Honest Pet via this linkage are subject to your settings and permissions on both the Honest Pet Platform and the third-party website. As provided above, in the event you choose to link or share content with any third-party website from the Honest Pet Platform, your use of that third-party website will be governed by its privacy policy, which we strongly recommend you review.4.3 How Long do we Keep your Information.
Honest Pet will only keep your personal information for as long as it is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law (such as tax, accounting, or other legal requirements).5. PARTNERS/AFFILIATES AND EXTERNAL LINKS
The Honest Pet Platform may provide links to external websites, mobile applications, and online services operated by third parties. It is essential to understand that these links do not signify an endorsement of, or any affiliation with, these third parties. Additionally, our content may appear on websites, within mobile applications, or on online services that have no connection to us. We do not exercise control over third-party websites, mobile applications, or online services, and we cannot be held accountable for their actions. These external websites, mobile applications, and services may have distinct policies regarding the collection, use, and sharing of your personal information. We strongly encourage you to review the privacy policies of any other websites, mobile applications, or online services that you choose to engage with.6. YOUR CHOICES
6.1 Access, Modify, and Delete.
You have the authority to access, modify, and delete the information contained within your Account at any given moment. This can be accomplished by logging into your Account and navigating to your Account settings and profile. You retain control over the content that can be utilized on the www.honestpet.com website, and should the need arise, you can delete the information in your Account and carry your content with you.6.2 Suspension or Deletion of Your Account.
Should you wish to suspend and/or delete your Account, you can do so by sending an email to help@honestpet.com at any time. It is important to note that certain information ’you have shared with others, such as reviews or forum contributions, may continue to be publicly accessible on the Honest Pet Platform following the cancellation and deletion of your Account.6.3 Opting Out of Marketing Communications.
You have the ability to exclude yourself from receiving marketing-related emails by following the opt-out or unsubscribe instructions conveniently located at the bottom of applicable Honest Pet emails. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us at help@honestpet.com. It is important to note that you will still continue to receive non-marketing emails and service-related communications from us if you opt-out or unsubscribe from our marketing-related emails.6.4 Cookies & Browser Storage.
To provide you with an excellent and user-friendly experience, we utilize cookies and similar browsing techniques to collect, utilize, store, and process information related to you. Understanding and improving the Honest Pet Platform is facilitated through this approach. Most web browsers permit you to eliminate or reject cookies, and you can do this by following the guidelines in your browser settings. Please keep in mind that the default setting for many browsers is to accept cookies until you modify your preferences. It is important to note that disabling cookies in your browser settings may result in impaired functionality of the www.honestpet.com website. Moreover, your browser settings may offer you the option to clear your browser web storage. We want to reassure you that we do not employ cookies for the purpose of third-party marketing.
6.5 Do Not Track.
Some web browsers can be configured to transmit “Do Not Track” signals to the online services you interact with. Currently, we do not acknowledge or act upon “Do Not Track” signals or comparable indications. To obtain more information about “Do Not Track,” please visit http://www.allaboutdnt.com.We are committed to safeguarding your privacy and complying with applicable data protection laws, including state privacy acts. Our commitment extends to ensuring that your personal information is handled in accordance with the requirements of these laws.
6.6 California Privacy Rights.
If you are a resident of California, you are granted specific privacy rights. Specifically, California Civil Code Section 1798.83, also known as the “Shine The Light” law, permits our users who are California residents to request and obtain from us, once a year and free of charge, information about categories of personal information (if any) that we disclosed to third parties for direct marketing purposes and the names and addresses of all third parties with which we shared personal information in the immediately preceding calendar year. If you are a California resident and would like to make such a request, please submit your request in writing to privacy@honestpet.com. Furthermore, if you are a California resident, you have certain rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) and the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”). These rights may include the right to know what personal information we collect about you, the right to delete your personal information, and the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information, among others.The California Code of Regulations defines a “resident” as:
(1) every individual who is in the State of California for other than a temporary or transitory purposes, and
(2) every individual who is domiciled in the State of California who is outside the State of California for a temporary or transitory purpose.
All other individuals are defined as “non-residents.” If this definition of “resident” applies to you, we must adhere to certain rights and obligations regarding your personal information.
If you are using an authorized agent to exercise your right to opt-out, we may deny a request if the authorized agent does not submit proof that they have been validly authorized to act on your behalf.
Unless otherwise stated herein, we may disclose your personal information with our service providers pursuant to a written contract between us and each service provider. Each service provider that processes the information on our behalf follows the same strict privacy protection obligations mandated by the CCPA.
We may use your personal information for our own business purposes, such as for undertaking internal research for technological development and demonstration. This is not considered to be "selling" of your personal information.
6.7 Virginia Privacy Rights.
If you are a Virginia resident, you have certain rights under the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (“VCDPA”). This law provides certain rights and protections regarding your personal data. We adhere to the VCDPA, even if it is not currently applicable to us.
Under the VCDPA, users that are Virginia residents have the specific right to:
(1) Access their personal data;
(2) Correct personal data;
(3) Request deletion by Honest Pet;
(4) Obtain a copy of personal data;
(5) Opt-out of the processing of personal data;
(6) Opt-out of targeted advertising and sales;
(7) Non-discrimination for exercising rights; and
(8) Submit a complaint about rights violations.
A consumer protected under the VCDPA is defined as a natural person who is a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia and acting only in an individual or household capacity.
6.8 Other State Privacy Acts.
In addition to the CCPA, CPRA, and VCDPA, we are committed to complying with other state-specific privacy acts and regulations that may apply to your personal information based on your location, such as the Utah Consumer Privacy Act (“UCPA”) and the Colorado Privacy Act (“CPA”). These laws may grant you specific rights and protections concerning your data.
We have implemented measures to ensure that your personal information is handled securely, and we respect your rights under these state privacy acts. If you have any questions about our compliance with state-specific privacy laws or would like to exercise your rights under these laws, please contact our Privacy Team at privacy@honestpet.com.
Please note that our privacy practices may be subject to change as state privacy laws evolve. We encourage you to revisit our Privacy Policy periodically for updates on how we handle your personal information in compliance with these laws.
6.9 Declining Personal Information Sharing.
In situations where the law mandates the collection of your personal information or its necessity for the provision of Honest Pet Platform services, opting not to provide this information when prompted (or later requesting its deletion) may limit our capacity to grant you access to the Honest Pet Platform. We will specify the essential information for Honest Pet Platform access, labeling it as mandatory during data collection or via suitable channels.7. OPERATING DOMESTICALLY
The Honest Pet Platform is available exclusively within the U.S. and, as such, are intended for use by persons residing in the U.S.8. SECURITY
8.1 Safeguards.
At Honest Pet, we are committed to maintaining the highest levels of security for your data. To safeguard your information from unauthorized access, loss, alteration, or destruction, we continuously enhance our administrative, technical, and physical security protocols. It's essential to acknowledge that the internet, while reasonably secure, does not offer complete immunity. Therefore, we cannot assure absolute security for data transmitted or stored online.8.2 Payment Services.
We strongly advise using our Payment Services (i.e., payments conducted through the Honest Pet Platform) to fortify your security, finances, and sensitive data. Safeguarding your financial information is a top priority for us, and we employ the most stringent security measures to achieve this. This includes the protection of sensitive details such as addresses, card numbers, and bank account information. Rest assured that your financial data undergoes encryption and is never retained on your device or within Honest Pet's servers. Our payment processor, Stripe®, holds the PCI Service Provider Level 1 certification, the highest standard in the payment industry. We rely on cutting-edge technology, equivalent to that of banks, which includes HTTPS and HSTS for secure connections, encryption for sensitive data, and PGP keys for encrypted communications. Engaging with the Honest Pet Platform for payments and communication enables us to vigilantly monitor and shield our community against fraud, scams, and security threats like phishing.9. PROTECTION OF MINORS AND COPPA COMPLIANCE
Honest Pet is dedicated to ensuring the privacy of children in accordance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”). COPPA seeks to protect the privacy of children under 13 by requiring parental consent for the collection or use of their personal information. If we discover that we have collected personal information from a child without the proper consent from their parent or guardian, we will take immediate steps to delete it. We welcome parents who have concerns to get in touch with us at privacy@honestpet.com.10. MODIFICATIONS TO OUR PRIVACY POLICY
We maintain the right to revise this Privacy Policy as necessary. When substantial alterations are made to this Privacy Policy, we will notify you by updating the date of this Privacy Policy and making it available on the Honest Pet Platform. Moreover, we may, and will do so if required by law, use additional means of communication, such as sending an email (for users with contact information on their accounts) or other methods accessible on the Honest Pet Platform, to ensure you are adequately informed.
Any changes to this Privacy Policy will become effective upon the posting of the new terms and/or upon implementation of the modifications on the Honest Pet Platform (or as otherwise indicated at the time of posting). Regardless of the notification method, your continued use of the Honest Pet Platform after the posting of any amended Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms.
11. CONTACT US
If you have any inquiries or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or Honest Pet's information practices, please don't hesitate to contact us. You can reach us via email at privacy@honestpet.com or at the address provided below:
Honest Pet, Inc. 344 Maple Ave W, #285, Vienna, VA 22180-5612