TERMS OF USE AND POLICIES
Included on this page are the following: Updated February 9, 2018
- Terms of Use
- Ethics Policy
- Privacy Policy
- Advertising Policy
Terms of Use
1.Overview
OPTOFF.ORG and its affiliated sites (collectively, the “Site”) are Dotdash brands, owned and operated by About, Inc. and its affiliates (“OPTOFF.ORG”, the “Company”, “we”, or “us”). Access to and use of the Site is subject to these terms and conditions of use (“Terms of Use”).
“Site” or “OPTOFF.ORG” shall include any information or services made available by OPTOFF.ORG, regardless of the medium, and shall include, without limitation any affiliated websites, mobile applications, videos, products and applications we make available. We reserve the right at any time, and from time to time, to modify, suspend or discontinue (temporarily or permanently) the Site, or any part of the Site, with or without notice.
The Site is not intended for users under 13 years of age. If you are under 13, do not use the Site and do not provide us with any personal information.
We make no claims that the Site or any of its content is accessible or appropriate outside of the United States. Access to the Site may not be legal by certain persons or in certain countries. If you access the Site from outside the United States, you do so on your own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws and regulations.
2. Disclaimer
The information available through the Site is provided solely for informational purposes on an “as is” basis at user’s sole risk. OPTOFF.ORG makes no guarantees as to the accurateness, quality, or completeness of the information and OPTOFF.ORG shall not be responsible or liable for any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in the information or for any user’s reliance on the information. User is solely responsible for verifying the information as being appropriate for user’s personal use.
3.Our Right to Modify These Terms of Use
We reserve the right to change these Terms of Use at any time. You should check this page regularly. The changes will appear on the Site and will be effective when we post the changes. Your continued use of the Site means you agree to and accept the changes.
Our Privacy Policy
4. Our Privacy Policy
contains further information about how data is collected, used and made available on or by our Site. We encourage you to read it, .
5.OPTOFF.ORG Intellectual Property
Your Limited License to our Intellectual Property
The materials used and displayed on the Site, including but not limited to text, software, photographs, graphics, illustrations and artwork, video, music and sound, and names, logos, trademarks and service marks, are the property of OPTOFF.ORG, About, Inc., or its affiliates or licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark and other laws. Any such content may be used solely for your personal, non-commercial use. You agree not to modify, reproduce, retransmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish, broadcast or circulate any such material without the prior written permission of OPTOFF.ORG. OPTOFF.ORG grants you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the Site and any materials on the Site for non-commercial purposes subject to these Terms of Use.
OPTOFF.ORG Trademarks and Logos
The terms OPTOFF.ORG, www.OPTOFF.ORG and other OPTOFF.ORG trademarks and services marks, and all related names, logos, product and service names, designs and slogans are trademarks of OPTOFF.ORG or its affiliates or licensors. You may not use such marks without the prior written permission of OPTOFF.ORG. All other names, logos, product and service names, designs and slogans on the Site are the trademarks of their respective owners.
6.Reliance on Information on Site
We have no obligation to, and you should not expect us to, review content on our Site, including User Contributions (defined below) or contributions by our independent contributors.
About our Contributors
OPTOFF.ORG seeks out content providers in particular subject matters as independent contractor contributors to the Site. OPTOFF.ORG does not represent or guarantee that any contributor has achieved any particular level of expertise or knowledge or has any specific qualifications or credentials as to the subject matter to which their contributions relate. To the extent we refer to each of these contributors as an expert, you must understand that we rely on the information they provide us and we are not obligated to independently verify or attempt to confirm any information they provide, nor their qualifications or credentials. OPTOFF.ORG is also not obligated to monitor or independently research or verify any content they contribute. Contributors, even if characterized as an expert, are not employees of OPTOFF.ORG or its affiliates, and OPTOFF.ORG cannot and does not represent or warrant the accuracy, completeness or truthfulness of the qualifications or credentials of any contributor, nor of any other users of the Site.
Please do not rely on Site content, including User Contributions and content from our independent contractor contributors. Content is provided for general information purposes only and can never take into account your unique, personal circumstances and needs. You acknowledge and agree that any reliance or actions you take in violation of your agreement with us shall be at your sole and exclusive risk and OPTOFF.ORG shall have no responsibility or liability to you whatsoever. You also acknowledge and agree that communications on or through the Site, whether with content providers or other users, are at your own risk and are not covered by any privilege or confidentiality obligation that might apply if you were to obtain your own professional advice.
7.Prohibited Uses of the Site
You may use the Site only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms of Use. You agree not to use the Site:
In any way that violates any applicable federal, state, local or international law or regulation.
For the purpose of exploiting, harming or attempting to exploit or harm minors in any way by exposing them to inappropriate content, asking for personally identifiable information or otherwise.
To transmit, or procure the sending of, any advertising or promotional material, including any “junk mail”, “chain letter” or “spam” or any other similar solicitation.
To impersonate or attempt to impersonate OPTOFF.ORG, a OPTOFF.ORG employee, another user or any other person or entity (including, without limitation, by using email addresses or screen names associated with any of the foregoing).
To engage in any other conduct that restricts or inhibits anyone’s use or enjoyment of the Site, or which, as determined by us, may harm OPTOFF.ORG or users of the Site or expose them to liability.
Additionally, you agree not to:
“Scrape” or disaggregate data from the Site (whether by manual or automated means) for any commercial, marketing, or data compiling or enhancing purpose.
Introduce any viruses, trojan horses, worms, logic bombs or other material or mechanism which is malicious or technologically harmful.
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to, interfere with, damage or disrupt any parts of the Site, the server on which the Site is stored, or any server, computer or database connected to the Site.
Otherwise attempt to interfere with the proper working of the Site.
8. Content That You Make Available on the Site
User Contributions
The Site may contain message boards, chat rooms, personal web pages or profiles, forums, review and ratings sections, bulletin boards and other interactive features (collectively, “Interactive Services”) that allow users to post, submit, publish, display or transmit to other users or other persons (hereinafter, “post”) comments, content or other materials (collectively, “User Contributions”) on or through the Site.
If you voluntarily disclose personal information (e.g., user name, email address) on the Site, such as on a forum, chat room or on any other user or member-generated pages, that information can be viewed in search engines, collected and used by others and may result in unsolicited contact from other parties. We strongly advise that you not post any personal or other sensitive information on our Site.
Any User Contribution you post to the Site will be considered non-confidential and non-proprietary. By providing any User Contribution on the Site, you grant us and our affiliates and service providers, and each of their and our respective licensees, successors and assigns the perpetual right to use, reproduce, modify, perform, display, distribute and otherwise disclose to third parties any such material for any purpose.
You represent and warrant that:
You own or control all rights in and to the User Contributions and have the right to grant the license granted above to us and our affiliates and service providers, and each of their and our respective licensees, successors and assigns.
All of your User Contributions do and will comply with these Terms of Use.
You understand and acknowledge that you are responsible for any User Contributions you submit or contribute, and you, not the Company, have full responsibility for such content, including its legality, reliability, accuracy and appropriateness. We are not responsible, or liable to any third party, for the content or accuracy of any User Contributions posted by you or any other user of the Site.
Monitoring and Enforcement; Termination
We have the right to:
Remove or refuse to post any User Contributions for any or no reason in our sole discretion.
Take any action with respect to any User Contribution that we deem necessary or appropriate in our sole discretion, including if we believe that such User Contribution violates the Terms of Use, including the content standards below, infringes any intellectual property right or other right of any person or entity, threatens the personal safety of users of the Site or the public or could create liability for the Company.
Disclose your identity or other information about you to any third party who claims that material posted by you violates their rights, including their intellectual property rights or their right to privacy.
Take appropriate legal action, including without limitation, referral to law enforcement, for any illegal or unauthorized use of the Site.
Terminate or suspend your access to all or part of the Site for any or no reason, including without limitation, any violation of these Terms of Use.
Without limiting the foregoing, we have the right to fully cooperate with any law enforcement authorities or court order requesting or directing us to disclose the identity or other information related to anyone posting any materials on or through the Site. YOU WAIVE AND HOLD HARMLESS THE COMPANY AND ITS AFFILIATES, AGENTS, LICENSEES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS FROM ANY CLAIMS RESULTING FROM ANY ACTION TAKEN BY ANY OF THE FOREGOING PARTIES DURING OR AS A RESULT OF ITS INVESTIGATIONS AND FROM ANY ACTIONS TAKEN AS A CONSEQUENCE OF INVESTIGATIONS BY EITHER THE COMPANY/SUCH PARTIES OR LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES.
We cannot and do not undertake to review all material before it is posted on the Site, and cannot ensure prompt removal of objectionable material after it has been posted. Accordingly, we assume no liability for any action or inaction regarding transmissions, communications or content provided by any user or third party. We have no liability or responsibility to anyone for performance or nonperformance of the activities described in this section.
Content Standards
These content standards apply to any and all User Contributions and use of Interactive Services. User Contributions must in their entirety comply with all applicable federal, state, local and international laws and regulations. Without limiting the foregoing, User Contributions must not:
Contain any material which is defamatory, obscene, indecent, abusive, offensive, harassing, violent, hateful, inflammatory or otherwise objectionable.
Promote sexually explicit or pornographic material, violence, or discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age.
Infringe any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other intellectual property or other rights of any other person.
Violate the legal rights (including the rights of publicity and privacy) of others or contain any material that could give rise to any civil or criminal liability under applicable laws or regulations or that otherwise may be in conflict with these Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.
Be likely to deceive any person.
Promote any illegal activity, or advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act.
Cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety or be likely to upset, harass, embarrass, alarm or annoy any other person.
Impersonate any person, or misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person or organization.
Promote commercial activities or sales, such as contests, sweepstakes and other sales promotions, barter or advertising.
Give the impression that they emanate from or are endorsed by us or any other person or entity, if that is not the case.
9.Your Indemnification of Us
You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless OPTOFF.ORG, and its officers, directors, owners, employees, agents, information providers, affiliates, licensors and licensees (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) from and against any and all liability and costs, including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees, incurred by the Indemnified Parties in connection with any claim arising out of (a) any User Contributions, or (b) breach by you or any user of your account or these Terms of Use or any representations, warranties and covenants contained in these Terms of Use. You shall cooperate fully and reasonably in the defense of any such claim. OPTOFF.ORG reserves the right, at its own expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter subject to indemnification by you.
10.WARRANTY DISCLAIMER
THE SITE IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF TITLE OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OTHER THAN THOSE WARRANTIES WHICH ARE IMPOSED BY AND INCAPABLE OF EXCLUSION, RESTRICTION OR MODIFICATION UNDER THE LAWS APPLICABLE TO THESE TERMS OF USE. WE DO NOT ENDORSE AND ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY OPINION, ADVICE OR STATEMENT ON THE SITE. THE INFORMATION, FACTS, AND OPINIONS PROVIDED ARE NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE.
11.LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
YOUR USE OF THE SITE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. NEITHER, OPTOFF.ORG OR ABOUT, INC. NOR ANY OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES, DIVISIONS, AFFILIATES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES OR LICENSORS (INCLUDING OUR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR CONTRIBUTORS) SHALL BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANYONE ELSE FOR ANY LOSS OR INJURY OR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR SIMILAR DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR ACCESS OR USE OF, OR YOUR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE, THE SITE AND THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE SITE OR ARISING OUT OF ANY ACTION TAKEN IN RESPONSE TO OR AS A RESULT OF ANY INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE SITE. YOU HEREBY WAIVE ANY AND ALL CLAIMS AGAINST OPTOFF.ORG, ABOUT, INC. AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES, DIVISIONS, AFFILIATES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES AND LICENSORS (INCLUDING OUR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR CONTRIBUTORS) ARISING OUT OF YOUR USE OF THE SITE AND THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE THEREON.
12.Third Party Links, Advertisements, Websites and Content
We do not review or monitor any websites, advertisements, or other media linked to or available through the Site and are not responsible for the content of any such third-party advertisements or linked websites. Prior to purchasing any third-party products or services described on the Site, you are advised to verify pricing, product quality and other information necessary to make an informed purchase. Neither OPTOFF.ORG nor its parent or any of its subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates, agents, representatives or licensors shall have any liability arising from your purchases of third-party products or services based upon the information provided on the Site, and we shall not receive or review complaints regarding such purchases.
13.Disputes
These Terms of Use and any disputes arising out of or related to the Site shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York (without regard to conflict of law principles). In the event of any such dispute, you irrevocably consent to exclusive jurisdiction and venue in the courts located in the State of New York, County of New York.
ANY CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM YOU MAY HAVE ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OF USE OR THE SITE MUST BE COMMENCED WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE CAUSE OF ACTION ACCRUES, OTHERWISE, SUCH CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM IS PERMANENTLY BARRED AND YOU HEREBY AGREE TO WAIVE SUCH CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM AFTER SUCH DATE.
14.Waiver and Severability
No waiver by OPTOFF.ORG of any term or condition set forth in these Terms of Use shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or condition or a waiver of any other term or condition, and any failure of OPTOFF.ORG to assert a right or provision under these Terms of Use shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.
If any provision of these Terms of Use is held by a court or other tribunal of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason, such provision shall be eliminated or limited to the minimum extent such that the remaining provisions of the Terms of Use will continue in full force and effect.
15.Entire Agreement
The Terms of Use constitute the sole and entire agreement between you and OPTOFF.ORG with respect to the Site and supersede all prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations and warranties, both written and oral, with respect to the Site.
16.DMCA Policy
OPTOFF.ORG deals with copyright infringement in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). You may not post, upload, or otherwise place any content or information on the Site that belongs to a third party, unless you have the legal right to do so. If you believe in good faith that your copyrighted work has been reproduced on our Site without authorization in a way that constitutes copyright infringement,
you may notify our designated copyright agent by sending an email to
[email protected] . This contact information is only for suspected copyright infringement.
Please include the following:
Your physical or electronic signature.
Identification of the copyrighted work you believe to have been infringed or, if the claim involves multiple works on the Site, a representative list of such works.
Identification of the material you believe to be infringing in a sufficiently precise manner to allow us to locate that material, such as the precise URL (web page) that it appeared on, along with any copies you have of that web page.
Adequate information by which we can contact you (including your name, postal address, telephone number and email address).
A statement that you have a good faith belief that use of the copyrighted material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent or the law.
A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the written notice is accurate and that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.
Please be aware that if you knowingly materially misrepresent that material or activity on the Site is infringing your copyright, you may be held liable for damages (including costs and attorneys’ fees).
It is the policy of OPTOFF.ORG to disable the accounts of users who repeatedly post infringing material on the Site.
17.How To Contact Us
All other feedback, comments, requests for technical support and other communications relating to the Site should be directed to: [email protected].
Requests to use and reproduce content published on OPTOFF.ORG should be directed to: [email protected].
Thank you for visiting OPTOFF.ORG.
Ethics Policy
Contributors to OPTOFF.ORG are independent contractors who create and publish content on OPTOFF.ORG and affiliated sites and email properties (collectively, the “Site”). Contributors are compensated in part based on the amount of content that they create and/or the page views of the Site containing the content they create. OPTOFF.ORG contractually requires that its contributors maintain high ethical standards and all legal requirements, including Federal Trade Commission (FTC) disclosure requirements. The contributors, and not OPTOFF.ORG, are responsible for their own compliance with these standards. These contributors and other writers provide advice and information that they intend to be not only practical but trustworthy. These contributors and other writers write and are responsible for their content, and this content is made available on OPTOFF.ORG “AS IS”. Your use of the Site is subject to the Terms of Use (including any disclaimers).
Privacy Policy
At OPTOFF.ORG, we take online privacy seriously and we respect the concerns of our community of users. In this policy, we describe our privacy practices with regard to information we collect through OPTOFF.ORG and affiliated sites and email properties (collectively, the “Site”) to help you make informed decisions about how you share information when you visit or use the Site.
Understanding How Information Is Collected on OPTOFF.ORG:
Information You May Choose to Provide to Us
We may collect information, including personally identifiable information, directly from you if you choose to provide that information. For example, you may provide us with your name and contact information (such as an email address), date of birth, or other details of that nature, when you sign up for our newsletters or participate in promotions or surveys on the Site.
You also may choose to provide personally identifiable information about yourself when you participate in forums or discussions or other Interactive Services on the Site. Please be aware that information you post may be viewed or captured by anyone who visits the Site, therefore you should avoid posting sensitive or personal information that you would not want to be available to the public.
Information That Is Automatically Collected When You Visit OPTOFF.ORG
When you access the Site, we and our third-party partners and vendors may automatically collect certain information about your visit using tools such as cookies, web beacons, and other data collecting and tracking technologies. The information collected automatically when you visit the Site may include your IP address, characteristics of your operating system, information about your browser and system settings, data about the computer or mobile device you use to access the Site, unique device identifiers, clickstream data (which shows the page-by-page path you take as you browse the Site), and other details that generally are not considered personally identifiable.
Cookies are small files that websites and other online services use to store information about users on the users’ own computers. This Site may use cookies (such as HTTP and HTML5 cookies and Flash cookies), as well as other types of local storage. For more information about cookies, you may visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org. See the section below regarding Your choices to learn more about how you may limit or disable cookies on your computer. If you choose to disable cookies, that could affect certain features of the Site that use cookies to enhance their functionality.
To manage our automatic data collection, we may place tags (often referred to as “web beacons” and other tracking mechanisms on pages on the Site, in videos, or in emails we send to you. Web beacons are small files that link web pages to particular web servers and their cookies, and they may be used for a variety of purposes, such as counting the number of visitors to the Site, analyzing how users navigate around the Site, assessing how many emails that we send are actually opened and which articles or links are viewed by visitors.
We also use third-party web analytics services, such as Google Analytics, on the Site, to provide us with statistics and other information about visitors to the Site. Click here to learn more about Google Analytics and how you may opt out.
“Do Not Track” Signals. Your browser settings may allow you to automatically transmit a “do not track” signal to websites and online services you visit. At this time there is no consensus among industry participants as to the meaning of “do not track” in this context. Like many other websites, OPTOFF.ORG is not configured to respond to “do not track” signals from browsers. Click here to learn more about “do not track” signals.
Finally, companies that provide certain third-party apps, tools, widgets, and plug-ins that may appear on the Site (for example, Facebook “Like” buttons) also may use automated means to collect information regarding your interactions with these features. This information collection is subject to the privacy policies or notices of those providers.
Information We Receive From Other Sources
We may supplement the information we collect with information from outside sources in order to learn more about our users, to better tailor the content and offers we make available to you, and for other lawful business purposes. We may receive this information about you from third parties, including without limitation data resellers and advertisers. We may combine the information we receive from those other (online and offline) sources with information we collect through the Site.
How We May Use Information We Collect
We (and our partners) may use the information gathered on OPTOFF.ORG for various purposes, including the purposes listed below. For example, if you were to contact us with a question and provide your email address, we would use the email address you provided to respond to your inquiry. In addition, we use information we collect from you and through the Site to:
Provide products and services you request (such as when you sign up to receive our email newsletters) or that we otherwise believe would interest you, including promotional offers from us and our third-party partners;
Respond to requests, questions, and comments, and provide other types of user support and customer care;
Offer you products and services, or direct you to portions of this Site or other websites, that we believe may interest you;
Customize content, features, advertisements or other marketing messages we and third parties show you, both on the Site and elsewhere online;
Communicate about, and administer your participation in, events, programs, contests, sweepstakes, and other offers or promotions;
Carry out, evaluate, and improve our business (which may include without limitation developing new features for the Site; analyzing and enhancing the user experience on the Site; assessing the effectiveness of our marketing and advertising; and managing our communications);
Perform data analytics regarding usage of the Site (including market and customer research, trend analysis, financial analysis, and anonymization of personal information);
Guard against identity theft, and prevent fraud and other criminal activity, claims, and other liabilities;
Comply with applicable legal requirements, law enforcement requests, and our company policies; and
For other purposes that are disclosed at the time you provide your information, with your consent.
How We May Share Information
Our agents, vendors, consultants, and other service providers may have access to information we collect through the Site to carry out work on our behalf. In addition, certain service providers may collect or access information through the Site to enable or provide services, tools, or other features available on the Site. We also may share information:
With our affiliates for internal business purposes;
With third parties for marketing purposes, including social media platforms; we may also match your email address with third parties with whom you have also consented to share your email address and use such match to deliver custom offers or emails to you on the Site and elsewhere online;
If we are required to do so by law, regulation, or legal process (such as a court order or subpoena);
In response to requests from government agencies, such as law enforcement authorities;
If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to prevent physical harm or financial loss, or in connection with an investigation of suspected or actual illegal activity;
With respect to analytics and statistical information, to inform advertisers about the nature of our user base;
In the event we sell or transfer all or a portion of our business or assets (including a reorganization, dissolution, or liquidation); and
With your consent or at your discretion.
Your Choices
Unsubscribe from emails. To unsubscribe from a particular newsletter, click the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of that email newsletter. If you would like to globally opt-out from all OPTOFF.ORG email campaigns, please send an email to [email protected] with “Unsubscribe” in the subject line. When we send newsletters to subscribers we may allow advertisers or partners to include messages in those newsletters, or we may send dedicated newsletters on behalf of those advertisers or partners. We may disclose your opt-out choices to third parties so that they can honor your preferences in accordance with applicable laws.
Blocking cookies. Certain browsers may be configured to notify you when you receive cookies, or allow you to restrict or disable certain cookies. If you choose to disable cookies, however, that could affect certain features of the Site that use cookies to enhance their functionality.
Disabling local shared objects (“Flash cookies”). We may use other kinds of local storage that function similarly, but are stored in different parts of your computer from ordinary browser cookies. Your browser may allow you to disable its HTML5 local storage or delete information contained in its HTML5 local storage. Click here for details about deleting information contained in “local shared objects” or adjusting related preferences.
Options concerning third-party ad networks.
For more information about third-party ad networks and services that use these technologies,
you can visit the NAI’s site for additional options on how to opt out of interest-based advertising.
How We Protect Personal Information.
We maintain appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect the personal information you provide against accidental, unlawful, or unauthorized destruction, loss, alteration, access, disclosure, or use. That said, it is not possible to guarantee the security of information transmitted online, and you assume some risk with regard to the security of information you provide through any website, including this Site.
Links From OPTOFF.ORG to Other Websites
On this Site, we may provide links to other websites that are controlled by third parties. Linked websites may have their own privacy notices or policies, which we strongly suggest you review. We are not responsible for the content, usage terms, privacy policies, or any other aspects of websites that we do not own or control.
Surveys, Quizzes and Other Features
While you are visiting OPTOFF.ORG, you may have the opportunity to participate in surveys or quizzes, or to use other interactive features, including Interactive Services, that request information about you and your opinions and preferences. Your participation in these features is entirely voluntary. If you do choose to participate, please be aware that these features may be operated by a third party that is not controlled by OPTOFF.ORG, and therefore the information you provide may be collected by the third party and subject to its privacy policy.
Children’s Privacy
This Site is not designed or intended for use by children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under the age of 13, we will delete any such information.
Information for Users Outside the United States
If you are visiting OPTOFF.ORG from outside the United States, please be aware that information we collect through the Site will be transferred to and stored on our servers in the United States. By using this Site, you acknowledge and consent to the transfer and processing of your personal data in the United States as described in this online privacy policy. Please be aware that the data protection laws and regulations applicable to your personal data transferred to the United States may be different from the laws in your country of residence.
Our Notice to California Residents
Subject to certain limits, under California law California residents may ask us to provide them with a list of the categories of personal information that we have disclosed to third parties for those third parties’ direct marketing purposes during the preceding calendar year, as well as the identity of those third parties. California residents may contact us as specified in the How to Contact Us section below to make a request for this information.
How We’ll Inform You About Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this online privacy policy periodically to reflect changes to our privacy practices, such as how we collect or use personal information. We will we indicate at the top of this privacy policy the date when it was most recently updated.
How to Contact Us
If you have questions about this policy or about our privacy practices, you may contact us by emailing [email protected]. If you are a California resident inquiring about your California privacy rights, please include “California privacy rights request” in the subject line of your email.
Advertising Policy
To help us maintain the resources needed to create the quality content you deserve, we accept advertisements on our Site. We greatly value transparency and hope that this policy leaves you feeling even more confident about the content and service we provide.
OPTOFF.ORG maintains a distinct separation between advertising and editorial content.
All advertising or sponsored content on OPTOFF.ORG is clearly and unambiguously distinguished from editorial content through borders or other distinguishing elements and/or identified as an “Ad,” “Advertisement,” “Sponsored” or a similar designation indicating that the content is being provided by or on behalf of an advertiser or the sponsor.
All “native” ads or paid content are identified as an “Ad,” “Advertisement,” “Sponsored” or a similar designation indicating that the content is being provided by or on behalf of an advertiser or the sponsor.
Editorial content on OPTOFF.ORG is not influenced by advertisements unless the content is sponsored content, in which case, the content will be clearly demarcated and/or identified with the title “Ad,” “Advertisement,” or “Sponsored”, or a similar designation, indicating that the content is being provided by or on behalf of an advertiser or sponsor.
All advertisements and sponsored content appearing on OPTOFF.ORG are subject to the Guidelines found here.
Ecommerce and Affiliate Links Disclosure.
Contributors and/or OPTOFF.ORG may receive compensation for participation in third-party affiliate marketing programs, including purchases made through links to OPTOFF.ORG’s e-commerce partners, if any. Pages on the Site containing affiliate marketing links, including product reviews, will be demarcated and/or identified with a disclaimer.
Advertising Guidelines
These advertising guidelines (“Guidelines”) set forth standards that govern the placement and display of advertisements and sponsored content (collectively, “Ads”) by any advertiser, agency, or advertising technology platform (collectively, “Advertisers”). Advertisers must adhere to these Guidelines when placing Ads, including Ads purchased under the AAAA/IAB Standard Terms and Conditions, on websites or mobile properties owned or controlled by OPTOFF., including OPTOFF.ORG (collectively, “OPTOFF.ORG”).
These Guidelines are intended to provide general parameters for Advertisers in connection with Ad creative and content served on OPTOFF.ORG. They are not exhaustive and do not address every situation or issue that may arise in the course of business. Accordingly, these Guidelines are subject to change from time to time in OPTOFF.ORG’s sole and absolute discretion.
Advertisers are responsible for understanding and complying with all applicable laws and regulations, including FTC guidelines regarding advertising, native advertising disclosures, endorsements, privacy, and data security. All Ad’s must be fair, truthful, and clearly distinguishable from editorial content. Advertisers are responsible for ensuring all Ads and related claims are adequately substantiated. Further, Advertisers must adhere to OPTOFF.ORG’s Prohibited Content Guidelines and Additional Standards set forth below, which are incorporated into and made a part of these Guidelines.
Ads served through networks or exchanges are reviewed on a regular basis and, in addition to any other remedies OPTOFF.ORG may have, OPTOFF.ORG reserves the right to remove, without notice, any Ads that do not meet these Guidelines, regardless of whether the Ad was previously accepted by OPTOFF.ORG.
PROHIBITED CONTENT
Ads may not contain or promote the following:
Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco. Ads may not promote illegal drugs, illegal substances, abuse of prescription drugs, use of alcohol (except for beer and wine), or tobacco products, or any related paraphernalia thereto. Lawful products and services which promote quitting tobacco related products are permitted.
Weapons/Violence. Ads may not promote the use, distribution, or making of firearms, ammunition, explosives, pyrotechnics or other weapons. Ads may not promote violence, cruelty, or physical or emotional harm to any person or animal.
Illegal Activities/Gambling. Ads may not promote any illegal or other questionable activities which may be illegal in one or more jurisdictions, including without limitation hacking, counterfeiting, or other activities that may violate the intellectual property, privacy, publicity, or contractual rights of others. Ads may not contain or promote content related to scams, financial schemes, pyramid schemes or other fraudulent or illegal financial or investment opportunities. Ads may not promote casinos, gambling, betting, numbers games, sports or financial betting. Ads promoting state lotteries are permitted.
Hate/Intolerance/Discrimination. Ads may not contain or promote hate speech, personal attacks, or discrimination toward any individual, group, country or organization.
Obscenity/Indecency/Profanity. Ads may not contain or promote any obscene, indecent, profane or offensive words, images, sounds, videos or other content.
Political/Religious. Ads may not contain hostile, offensive, inflammatory or hateful speech related to political or religious topics or groups. Ads may not exploit controversial political, social, or religious issues for commercial purposes.
Sexual/Adult Content. Ads may not include full or partial nudity, depictions of people in explicit positions, or activities that are overly suggestive or sexually provocative. Ads will not contain text or images exposing anyone or anything involved in explicit sexual acts or lewd and lascivious behavior. Ads may not promote escort, dating, erotic massage, pornography, or other sexual products or services.
Disparagement/Defamation. Ads may not contain disparaging or defamatory information or content which tends to harm the reputation of OPTOFF.ORG or any other individual, group, or organization.
Gross Depictions. Ads may not contain or promote content that is crude, vulgar, degrading or likely to shock or disgust.
Militant/Extremism. Ads may not contain or promote extremely aggressive and combative behaviors or unlawful political measures, including individuals or groups advocating violence as a means to achieve their goals.
Sensitive Content. Ads may not target sensitive categories such as financial status, medical conditions, mental health, criminal record, political affiliation, age, racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical affiliation or beliefs, sexual behavior or orientation, or trade union membership.
Free Goods/Services. Ads may not distribute or promise to distribute any free goods and services.
Targeted at Children. Ads may not specifically target children, including through cartoons or other similar content.
Unverifiable Claims. Ad’s may not make confusing claims that reasonable consumers cannot readily understand and evaluate.
Before/After Images. Ad may not depict “before and after” images or images that contain unexpected or unlikely results.
Health/Safety Claims. Ads may not promote actions likely to harm one’s health, such as bulimia, anorexia, binge drinking, or drug use. Ads may not make health claims that are not clearly substantiated. Advertisers may be required to submit supporting documentation to substantiate their products’ claims.
Misleading/False/Deceptive: Ads may not contain any information or content that is potentially misleading, false, or deceptive, including content which is meant to deceptively generate clicks such as fake “close” buttons.
Competitive to OPTOFF. Ads may not promote direct competitors of OPTOFF.ORG or any of its parent, affiliate, subsidiary or other related entity.
ADDITIONAL STANDARDS
Advertisers and Ads must adhere to the following:
Audio/Animation. Ads may not include overly disruptive audio or animation that plays automatically.
Popups/Downloads. Ads may not include lead ads, floating layers, pop-ups, surveys, or any digital downloads.
Malicious Software. Ads may not contain malicious code, software or viruses, including malware, spyware, adware, stealware, or Trojan horses.
Separation. Ads must contain clear boarders and be displayed so they are unmistakably not part of OPTOFF.ORG’s editorial site content.
Phishing. Ads may not trap or trick a user into providing money or any account, personal or other sensitive information.
Compatibility. Ads must function uniformly on both Apple and PC formats, as well as all major Internet browsers.
Independence. Ads may not appear to compromise or influence OPTOFF.ORG’s editorial independence from Advertisers.
Endorsements. Ads may not create or imply the existence of any endorsement by OPTOFF.ORG of any product, service or organization.
Landing Pages. Landing pages associated with Ads must correspond to the Ad’s “call to action” and not engage in “bait and switch”.
Proprietary Rights. Ads may not violate any copyright, trademark, trade-secret, patent, publicity, privacy, or other proprietary rights of OPTOFF.ORG or any third party. Advertisers may not alter or interfere with the readability or display of any OPTOFF.ORG trademarks, service marks, logos, designs or slogans.
Data Collection/Use. Ads may not include open-box forms to register users or collect any data. Ads may not collect and sell or license any data or mailing lists regarding OPTOFF.ORG users without OPTOFF.ORG’s express permission. Advertisers may not collect any personally identifiable information from OPTOFF.ORG users or place any cookies, applets or other similar files — if those files transmit any personally identifiable information to Advertisers — on desktop computers or mobile devices of OPTOFF.ORG users. Advertisers must handle data with appropriate care, not misuse any data which they are permitted to collect, nor collect any data for unclear purposes or without appropriate security measures.