Privacy Policy

Internet Etc Ltd is committed to safeguarding your privacy online. We have posted this privacy policy to help you understand what information we are gathering and how we will use it. We believe your personal privacy on the Internet is a fundamental right, and we are committed to clear, open, and accessible privacy policies.

We hope that you feel our privacy policy explains clearly how we gather and use any data we may collect from you. We have used our best efforts to compose a policy that is fair, respectful and protects your privacy online. Your feedback is important to us. Please email any questions, comments or suggestions to privacy@internet-etc.com

Internet Etc Ltd's Commitment to User Privacy

1. Internet Etc Ltd will not wilfully disclose individually identifiable information about its users to any third party.

2. If at any stage in the future we feel disclosing such information may be of benefit to our users, we will not disclose such information without first receiving that user's permission.

Gathering, Use, and Disclosure of Information

1. Personally Identifiable Information

a) Internet Etc Ltd may collect personally identifiable contact information as part of our sales process or during the registration process for some services.

b) This information includes contact details, such as name, address, and e-mail address. The personally identifiable information we collect may change from time to time, but can only be collected when you voluntarily give it to us.

c) With your permission, we may also use your contact information to tell you about news or promotional materials from Internet Etc Ltd or its strategic partners that we believe may interest you. As described below, you are not automatically subject to such mailings, but must actively request them, either when you provide your registration information or later. We may also use this information to communicate with you about your account with us, even if you have opted-out of receiving promotional materials. Such communications will not be promotional, but limited to essential discussions required to maintain your account.

2. Demographic Information

a) Internet Etc Ltd also collects demographic and profile information, such as preferences, age, interests or occupation, during the registration process and throughout your use of the Site and Service. Your personal identity is not linked to this information, and is gathered and stored in a manner which prevents us ever linking such information back to you personally.

b) Internet Etc Ltd uses this information to get a general idea of who is using the site and how they are using it. We may analyse this kind of information to find out what areas or topics are more or less popular with our users, to tailor our users' visit to the site, and introduce new areas to the site which may interest our visitors.

c) Aggregate, summary - not individual - reports on site usage generated from this information may be shared with Internet Etc Ltd's strategic partners. An example of a summary report might be "during May, this article has 25,500 unique readers."

3. IP Addresses

a) Internet Etc Ltd may also track your domain name or IP address to assist our efforts to gather and track the information described above. For some computers, the IP address is a globally unique identifier of your computer. Multiple users of the same computer will share the same IP address. However, in most cases your ISP (or network server, if a business user) will allocate you an IP address only for the duration of your online session (about 80% of all surfers are using "temporary" IP addresses). This means that even when your IP address is noted, it is unlikely you will have the same IP address next time you use the internet.

b) IP addresses are never shared with third parties.

4. Cookies

a) Internet Etc Ltd may utilise "cookie" technology to make your use of the site and service more convenient and to assist our efforts to gather and track the information described above.

b) A cookie is a small amount of data that is sent to your browser from the Internet Etc Ltd site and stored on your computer's hard drive. This data is used, among other things, to help us improve the our site. It enables us to know who you are when you return to our site, allowing us to store and access your account preferences and customise your web space. Cookies are also used to help ensure the overall accuracy of the data collection and analysis processes described above.

c) If you do not wish to have cookies placed on your computer, you can disable cookies through your Internet browser. Disabling cookies may prevent you from accessing some features of the our site and service.

d) We recommend you permit the use of cookies. This is because the cookie is stored on your computer. In other words, the data, which we, and other sites, gather about you, remains your property, under your control.

5. Other Web Sites Not Covered

a) The Internet Etc Ltd site contains links to other web sites.

b) Internet Etc Ltd does not control, and is not responsible for, the privacy practices or the content of such Web sites. Please check with those Web sites to determine their privacy policies.

6. Opt-In and Opt-Out

a) The Internet Etc Ltd site always requires users actively select that they receive promotional communications from Internet Etc Ltd. We will never assume acceptance.

b) Once our account and services systems are in place users will be able to opt-in or opt-out by adjusting their account preferences.

c) Every promotional email sent out by Internet Etc Ltd will contain instructions on removing that email address from lists for further mailings.

7. The Data Protection Act 1998

According to the Government Data Protection web site:

'Processing' is broadly defined and takes place when any operation or set of operations is carried out on personal data. The Data Protection Act 1998 requires that personal data be processed "fairly and lawfully". Personal data will not be considered to be processed fairly unless certain conditions are met. A data subject must be told the identity of the data controller and why that information is to be processed.

Processing may only be carried out where one of the following conditions has been met:
- the individual has given his or her consent to the processing;
- the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with the individual;
- the processing is required under a legal obligation;
- the processing is necessary to protect the vital interests of the individual;
- the processing is necessary to carry out public functions;
- the processing is necessary in order to pursue the legitimate interests of the data controller or third parties (unless it could prejudice the interests of the individual).

Internet Etc Ltd meets and exceeds all these conditions.

8. The European Union Privacy Directive

The European Union (EU) encourages the free movement of goods, people, services and capital throughout the Union. It recognises that facilitating this requires the free flow of data from one Member State to another, but also that "fundamental rights of individuals should be recognised". In October 1998 the EU adopted the Directive on Data Protection, which sets forth strict rules for companies which handle personal data about EU citizens.

The Directive instructs Member States to pass laws that specifically include the following terms:

- Companies must notify both employees and consumers about how information collected about them will be used;
- Companies can only use data for its intended purpose;
- Companies cannot transfer data on employees and consumers to countries with inadequate privacy protection laws;
- Consumers will have a right to access data collected about them;
- Consumers will have a right to have inaccurate data rectified;
- Consumers will have a right to know the origin of data about them (if this information is available);
- Consumers will have a right of recourse in the event of unlawful processing of data about them;
- Consumers will have a right to withhold permission to use their data (e.g. the right to opt-out of direct marketing campaigns for free without providing a reason);
- Companies need explicit permission of consumers to process sensitive information, including information on racial origin, political or religious beliefs, trade union membership, medical data, and sexual life.

Fundamentally this means companies must ask customers if they can collect personal data; disclose how any information will be collected and used; and provide customers with free access to data about themselves.

Internet Etc Ltd meets and exceeds all these conditions.

If you wish to access any personal information you feel we may have about you, email us at: mydata@internet-etc.com

9. Consent

By using internet-etc.com and inputting personal information, you consent to the collection and use of this information. If we change our privacy policy, we will post those changes on this page. Should we change our policy in the future, the change will not affect how the data you enter now is used.

10. Correcting/Updating Personal Information

We are currently developing the capability to allow users to update, correct, or amend their personally identifiable or demographic information, and hope to make it available to users soon.

11. Contacting the Web Site

If you have any questions about this policy, the practices of the Internet Etc Ltd site or our services, or your dealings with this web site, please email privacy@internet-etc.com

We consider good privacy practices to be very important. If you believe this document or our practices can be improved, please email privacy@internet-etc.com.