Privacy Policy

Last updated: 22.11.2019

Added Google Adsense disclaimer.

Updated the Cookies & Web Beacons section

VirtuallySingleOnline.com takes your privacy very seriously. This Privacy Policy document covers if and how we collect, store, and use information about you or your visit to our website.

1. What Information Do We Collect & How?

When you contact us through our Contact Form, we’ll receive an automatic email with your message, name and email address.

This message is also recorded in our WordPress dashboard and displays your name, email address, and IP address.

We will only use your name and email address to respond to your query. We can do that because we think you’ll reasonably expect a reply if you contact us first (legally, this is called “legitimate interest”).

The emails you send us through the contact form and the message in our WordPress dashboard will be deleted in one month after you first contact us.

We do not store your personal information outside our email service provider and we would never transfer that to third parties.

You do not have to provide a real email address when you contact us, but if you don’t, we cannot get back to you.

When you sign up for our newsletter, we collect your name, email address, and estimated location based on your IP address.

This information is collected by and stored in our Email Marketing Tool MailChimp.com. Our company does not store any of your personal information.

Your name and email address are used to send you monthly newsletter emails with our top posts. We can do that because you have personally signed up to our newsletter by clicking “subscribe” and then confirmed your intent by clicking the confirmation link sent out by our Email Marketing Tool MailChimp.com (legally, this is called “explicit consent”).

Your personal information is not used for any other purposes and is not sold to or shared with anyone else.

2. Routine Information

All websites collect basic information about their visitors, which is done through the use of log files. The information these log files collect includes but is not limited to: the time and date of your visit, your browser’s details, Internet Service Provider, etc.

This information is completely anonymous and cannot identify you personally.

3. Cookies & Web Beacons

At VirtuallySingleOnline.com, we use cookies to collect data about your preferences and record specific information, like which pages you access or visit. Cookies allow us to serve you and other visitors better and/or present you with customized content.

The third-party websites we may link to from time to time may also collect information from you, and use or place cookies on your browser.

Third parties may also be placing and reading cookies on our visitors’ browsers or using web beacons to collect information as a result of ad serving on our website.

That is done directly by these third parties and VirtuallySingleOnline.com does not have any access to or control over these cookies. The data they collect is subject to the privacy policies of these third-party websites.

Learn more about our Cookie Policy here.

4. Google Analytics

We also use Google Analytics and thus Google Analytics cookies to understand how you interact with our site: which pages you visit, how long you read our content, etc. None of this information can personally identify you, and it is only used to analyze the usage of our site.

Google Analytics operates under its own Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Read more about it here: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/.

You can opt-out of all Google Analytics tracking software here: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en.

The information Google collects is retained for 38 months. However, you can ask for your information to be deleted at any time. A data removal tool is made available soon and will be posted here.

Google Analytics cookies are valid for 2 years or until you delete them from your browser. Please refer to your browser documentation to learn how to disable cookies.

Google cookies also track data about your visiting behavior (i.e. which pages you visit) and the type of device you use. The cookie will expire once you close our website.

5. Google Adsense

VirtuallySingleOnline.com uses Google Adsense, a Web advertising service of Google Inc.

Any advertisements served by Google, Inc., and affiliated companies, may be controlled using cookies. These cookies allow Google to display ads based on your visits to VirtuallySingleOnline.com and other sites that use Google advertising services.

Third parties may also be placing and reading cookies on our visitors’ browsers or using web beacons to collect information as a result of ad serving on our website.

You can opt-out of Google Ads Personalization using the Google Ads Settings: https://www.google.com/settings/u/0/ads/authenticated?hl=en.

6. Newsletter

We offer all visitors of VirtuallySingleOnline.com the opportunity to sign up for our newsletter and receive monthly emails with our top posts.

Our newsletters are managed by our Email Marketing Tool MailChimp.com.

MailChimp.com uses web beacons and other tracking technologies to collect personal data during email campaigns. Read about it here: https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/#heading+c.+cookies+and+tracking+technologies.

The information they collect automatically when you read emails sent by us includes:

Device data: Information about the device and applications you use to access emails sent by us, such as your IP address, your operating system, your browser ID, and other information about your system and connection.
Product usage data: Information about dates and times you access emails sent by us and your browsing activities (such as what pages are viewed). They also collect information regarding the performance of our newsletters, including metrics related to the deliverability of emails and other electronic communications. This information allows them to improve the content and operation of their services, and facilitate research and analysis of their services.

Additionally, MailChimp.com may obtain information about our subscribers from third-party sources, such as public databases, social media platforms, third-party data providers, and their joint marketing partners. Examples of the information they may receive from these third-party sources include:

demographic information (such as your age and gender)
device information (such as IP addresses)
location (such as city and state)
online behavioral data (such as information about the use of social media websites, page view information and search results, and links)

MailChimp.com uses this information, alone or in combination with other information (including Personal Information) they collect to enhance their ability to provide relevant marketing and content to us and to develop and provide us with more relevant products, features, and services.

The data MailChimp.com collects is subject to the privacy policy of its own website. Read more here: https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/#3._Privacy_for_Contacts.

You may withdraw consent by unsubscribing from our email list at any time. You can do that by contacting us through our Contact Form or at virtuallysingleonline[at]gmail.com, or following the unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email you receive.

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

You can find information about all of your rights on this website: https://www.catalyst2.com/blog/gdpr-rights-consumer.

In short, you have the right to find out if and what information we store about you (none) and how it is used (only to respond to your query). You can also ask us to delete it any time, but all the emails you send us will be deleted automatically within one month after we first receive them.

You also have different rights regarding MailChimp.com:

To access, correct, update or request deletion of your Personal Information by submitting a request through here.
To object to MailChimp.com processing of your Personal Information, ask them to restrict processing of your Personal Information or request portability of your Personal Information. You can exercise these rights by emailing MailChimp at personaldatarequests[at]mailchimp.com. Read more about this here.
To complain to a local data protection authority about their collection and use of your Personal Information. For more information, please contact your local data protection authority.

8. Updates

This Privacy Policy is subject to change at any given time with no notice. Changes will be listed under the “Last Updated” section. Please make sure to view this page regularly to see if any changes have been made.

Data controller’s contact email: virtuallysingleonline[at]gmail.com.

Terms of Use

By accessing and using VirtuallySingleOnline.com, you accept the following terms and conditions. If you do not agree with any or all of these terms, please do not use our Site.

1. Copyright

VirtuallySingleOnline.com and all content, images, and infographics on VirtuallySingleOnline.com are owned by VirtuallySingleOnline.com and are protected by international copyright and other intellectual property laws.

2. Content

All content of this Site and its components are provided for informational purposes only. VirtuallySingleOnline.com shall not be liable or responsible for the availability, usefulness or accuracy of any information made available via the Site and VirtuallySingleOnline.com shall not be liable or accountable for any mistakes, omissions or errors in that information.

You agree that the information provided here may contain mistakes or inaccuracies and you agree that the owner of VirtuallySingleOnline.com is not liable for any of these errors, mistakes or inaccuracies. We are not liable for any damages or losses from the use or display of this information.

Your use of any materials or information on VirtuallySingleOnline.com is at your own risk entirely, and we shall not be held liable for it. You are responsible for making sure that any information available on this website meets your personal requirements.

3. Links to Other Websites

VirtuallySingleOnline.com includes links to other online resources and websites. Those resources and websites are governed by their own Terms of Use and Privacy Policies, so we advise you to read those carefully before using said resources or websites.

We do not own or control any of the content on these websites and are not responsible for the information they provide.

4. Privacy

Please see our full Privacy Policy here.

5. Updates to this Agreement

We may update the Terms and Conditions of this Site now and then. The changes will be listed under the “Last Modified” section on the top of this document. It is your responsibility to check this page regularly.

Your continued use of VirtuallySingleOnline.com is an indication that you accept the changes made to this Agreement. If you do not agree with the changes, please do not use our Site.

6. Contact

If you need to contact us about this Terms and Conditions document, please use the form on the contact us page.

Cookie Policy

We use cookies to help us understand what kind of content our readers like and to find ways to offer them a better experience on our website.

1. Overview

Cookies are small pieces of text placed on your computer by web servers when you visit a website online. Although not all, most sites use cookies to record information like which language you want to browse the site in or the contents of a shopping cart when you’re visiting an eCommerce store.

We will ask for your consent to turn on the cookies when you first visit our website. If you do not wish to have cookies enabled, you can turn them off whenever you want by modifying your Internet browser’s settings.

You can learn about how to do it here: http://my.iit.edu/jsp/misc/java_cook.jsp.

2. Types of Cookies

Cookies that tell us whether you have accepted cookies on this site or not.
Facebook cookies – information is only collected by Facebook. It registers impressions from all pages only if you sign in to your account by clicking through to Facebook from our website. The cookie expires when you close our website.
Google and YouTube cookies – information is only collected by Google to provide you with targeted ads. The cookie is valid for 6 months. For more information you should refer to Google’s Privacy Policy

3. How is This Information Used

We only collect information about cookies and it’s to tell us whether you have accepted cookies on this site or not. If you have, we will not display the cookie consent form anymore. If you haven’t, we’ll continue to display it until you accept our cookies.