Privacy Policy for CompareMacros.com

Effective Date: April 27, 2025

1. Introduction

Welcome to CompareMacros.com (the "Site", "we", "us", or "our"). We are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website CompareMacros.com, including any other media form, media channel, mobile website, or mobile application related or connected thereto, when you register for an account, or log in using services like Google Login, Facebook Login, or Email Magic Links. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the site or create an account.

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.

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 You Provide Upon Registration/Login:

  • Email Login: When you register or log in using email (e.g., via magic links), we collect your email address.
  • Google Login: If you choose to register or log in using your Google account, we may request access to basic Google account information via Google APIs, such as your name, email address, Google User ID, and public profile picture, depending on the permissions you grant.
  • Facebook Login: If you choose to register or log in using your Facebook account, we may request access to basic Facebook account information via Facebook APIs, such as your name, email address, Facebook User ID, and public profile picture, depending on the permissions you grant.
  • We only request permissions necessary to provide login functionality and identify you on our Site.

• Profile and Account Information: Once registered, you may voluntarily provide additional information for your user profile, including:

  • Username
  • Profile Picture (uploaded by you)
  • Saved Nutrition Preferences
  • Email Newsletter Subscription Status (if opted-in)
  • Notification Preferences

• User-Generated Content and Saved Data: We collect information you actively save or submit on the site, including:

  • Favorited products.
  • Tier lists you create.
  • Pricing information you save for products.
  • Product reviews and ratings you submit.

• Feedback and Bug Reports: Information you provide when submitting feedback or bug reports, potentially via integrated forms (e.g., Google Forms), which may include your email address and the content of your message.

• Derivative Data (Usage Data): Information our servers automatically collect when you access the Site, such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, access times, pages viewed, referring URLs. This may be collected via server logs or analytics services.

• Data From Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use various technologies to collect information, including:

  • Essential Cookies: Such as those used by next-auth for session management to keep you logged in.
  • Preference Cookies/Local Storage: To remember settings or temporary data like pricing information.
  • Analytics Cookies: We use Google Analytics to collect information about your use of the Site (pages visited, time spent, etc.) to understand traffic patterns and improve the site. This data is often aggregated and may be anonymized.
  • Google Tags: We may use Google Tag Manager to manage analytics tags and potentially other tracking scripts. Depending on configuration, this could involve collecting behavioral data for analytics or potentially for remarketing/advertising purposes (see Section 5).
  • Affiliate Cookies: When you click on an affiliate link (e.g., to Amazon or a specific brand), a cookie may be placed by the affiliate network to track potential sales (see Section 5). This data is processed by the affiliate provider (e.g., Amazon), not directly by CompareMacros.com.

3. How We Use Your Information

Having accurate information permits us to provide and improve our services. Specifically, we may use information collected about you via the Site to:

• Create and manage your account and user profile.
• Facilitate account creation and logon process (via Email, Google, Facebook).
• Provide personalized features like favorites, tier lists, and saved pricing.
• Display your submitted product reviews and ratings to other users.
• Operate and maintain the Site, including product comparisons and rankings.
• Manage your account preferences (nutrition, notifications, newsletter).
• Send you newsletters or other marketing communications if you have opted-in.
• Understand and analyze how you use our Site via analytics (Google Analytics, Google Tags) to improve user experience, content, and service offerings.
• Potentially use behavioral data gathered via Google Tags for website optimization or remarketing efforts (if implemented).
• Respond to your feedback, bug reports, comments, questions, and provide customer service.
• Monitor and analyze usage and trends.
• Prevent fraudulent activities and protect the security of our Site and users.
• Attribute potential sales generated via affiliate links.
• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements.

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information we have collected about you in certain situations:

• With Third-Party Service Providers: We share information with third parties performing services for us:
  • Hosting: Our app is hosted on Vercel, which processes user data solely to support hosting and delivery of the site.
  • Analytics: Google (for Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager) - their use of data is governed by Google's policies.
  • Feedback Forms: Google - data subject to Google's policies.
  • Email Delivery: Our email provider (coming soon).
  • These providers have access only to perform tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it otherwise.
• Through Affiliate Links: If you click an affiliate link, the relevant network (e.g., Amazon Associates, specific brands) receives data related to your click via cookies.
• With Publicly Visible Information: Your username, profile picture (if uploaded), submitted reviews, ratings, and potentially tier lists will be visible to other users of the Site.
• By Law or to Protect Rights: If required by law or to protect the rights, property, and safety of us or others (ex: responding to legal process, investigating policy violations).
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, sale of assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business.
• With Your Consent: For any other purpose with your explicit consent.

We will not share personal information obtained via Google Login or Facebook Login (like your email address) with unrelated third-party marketers without your explicit consent.

5. Cookies, Tracking Technologies, and Affiliate Links

• Cookies: We use essential (ex: auth session), preference, analytics and potentially affiliate cookies. Your browser settings allow you to manage cookies, but disabling them may affect Site functionality.
• Google Analytics & Tags: We use these tools to understand site usage. Google may collect data like IP address, device information, and browsing behavior. This data may be used by Google according to their privacy policy, potentially including for personalized advertising if those features are enabled in Google Tags. For more info on Google Analytics and opt-out options, visit Google's relevant pages.
• Affiliate Links: CompareMacros.com is a participant in affiliate programs, including potentially the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and direct brand programs. Clicking these links places a cookie allowing the affiliate network to track referrals and potentially earn us a commission if you purchase, at no extra cost to you.

6. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and administrative security measures to protect your personal information. However, no system is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security against interception or misuse. Information disclosed online is vulnerable to interception and misuse by unauthorized parties.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data as follows:

• Account Information (Email, Social IDs, Profile Data, Preferences): Retained as long as your account is active, and for a reasonable period thereafter as necessary for backups, legal compliance, or dispute resolution.
• User-Generated Content (Reviews, Tier Lists, Saved Pricing): May be retained even if your account is deleted, potentially in an anonymized format (removing direct links to your deleted account), unless you specifically request deletion of this content where feasible.
• Usage Data (Analytics): Retained according to the policies of our analytics providers (e.g., Google Analytics) or for shorter periods internally, except where needed for security or legal reasons.
• Feedback/Bug Reports: Retained as necessary to address the issues raised, potentially anonymized if PII was included.

8. Your Data Rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights regarding your personal data:

• Access & Correction: You can typically access and update most of your profile information and preferences directly through your account settings page. You can request access to other data we hold about you.
• Deletion: You have the right to request deletion of your account and associated personal data. See our Data Deletion Policy.
• Newsletter Opt-Out: You can unsubscribe from marketing emails via your account settings or the unsubscribe link in the emails.
• Cookie Control: Manage cookies via your browser settings.
• Other Rights (Location Dependent): Rights like restriction of processing, objection to processing, and data portability may apply based on laws like GDPR or CCPA.

To exercise rights not available via account settings, please contact us at hello[at]comparemacros[dot]com.

9. Children's Privacy

Our Site is not directed to children under 13 (or 16 in the EU/UK). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us so we can delete it.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this policy. Changes will be indicated by the "Effective Date". Please review periodically.

11. Contact Us

For questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise your rights:

• Email: hello[at]comparemacros[dot]com