Privacy Policy - Soil Starter

(Updated: November 29th 2023)

Originally Published: November 19th 2023

1) Introduction paragraphs and definitions

“Website”, “Service”, “us”, “we”, or “our” refers to all domains owned by Soil Starter: https://soilstarter.com/
“User” refers to any person or automated program attempting to download and/or send any type of data to and from the Website. This includes visiting the Website successfully.
“PII” refers to “Personally identifiable information”

We are pleased that you are visiting our website and thank you for your interest. This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, handling and disclosure of personal data when you use our website and the choices you have associated with that data. We use your data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1.1 – Changes To This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy if we deem necessary. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. We will update the “effective date” at the top of this Privacy Policy.

You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

2) Personal Data

While using our Service, we may ask you to provide us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify you (“Personal Data”). Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to:

Email address
First name and last name
Phone number
Address, State, Province, ZIP/Postal code, City
Cookies and Usage Data

2.1 – Usage Data

We may also collect information how the Service is accessed and used (“Usage Data”). This Usage Data may include information such as your computer’s Internet Protocol address (e.g. IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Service that you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

2.2 – Tracking & Cookies Data

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on our Service and hold certain information.

Cookies are files with small amount of data which may include an anonymous unique identifier. Cookies are sent to your browser from a website and stored on your device. Tracking technologies also used are beacons, tags, and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyze our Service.

You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Service.

Examples of Cookies we use:

Session Cookies. We use Session Cookies to operate our Service.
Preference Cookies. We use Preference Cookies to remember your preferences and various settings.
Security Cookies. We use Security Cookies for security purposes.

2.3 – Use of Data

Soil Starter uses the collected data for various purposes:

To provide and maintain the Service
To notify you about changes to our Service
To allow you to participate in interactive features of our Service when you choose to do so
To provide customer care and support
To provide analysis or valuable information so that we can improve the Service
To monitor the usage of the Service
To detect, prevent and address technical issues
To detect and/or prevent malicious activities by users or automated programs operating online
To serve direct advertising material and messages

2.3.1 – Use of Client Data for Direct Advertising

Sending newsletters and other emails:

Newsletter cancellation:

You are entitled to object to the future use of your e-mail address for the aforementioned advertising purpose at any time. Upon receipt of your objection, the use of your e-mail address for advertising purposes will cease immediately.

2.4 – Transfer Of Data

Your information, including Personal Data, may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ than those from your jurisdiction.

If you are located outside United States and choose to provide information to us, please note that we transfer the data, including Personal Data, to United States and process it there.

Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by your submission of such information represents your agreement to that transfer.

Dr. Maura ND will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of your Personal Data will take place to an organization or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of your data and other personal information.

2.5 – Disclosure Of Data

Legal Requirements

Soil Starter may disclose your PII in the good faith belief that such action is necessary for the following:

To comply with a legal obligation
To protect and defend the rights or property of Soil Starter
To prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service
To protect the personal safety of users of the Service or the public
To protect against legal liability

2.6 – Service Providers

We may employ third party companies and individuals to facilitate certain functions of our Website (“Service Providers”), to provide the Service on our behalf, to perform Service-related services or to assist us in analyzing how our Service is used.

These third parties have access to the PII only to perform these tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose. Their own Privacy Policies apply to the handling of your PII.

2.6.1 – Analytics

We may use third-party Service Providers to monitor and analyze the use of our Service.

Google Analytics Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Google uses the data collected to track and monitor the use of our Service. This data is shared with other Google services. Google may use the collected data to contextualize and personalize the ads of its own advertising network.You can opt-out of having made your activity on the Service available to Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. The add-on prevents the Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js, analytics.js, and dc.js) from sharing information with Google Analytics about visits activity.For more information on the privacy practices of Google, please visit the Google Privacy & Terms web page: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en

2.7 – Security Of Data

2.7.1 – SSL Certificate

This website uses SSL or TLS encryption for security reasons and to protect the transmission of personal data and other confidential content (e.g. orders or inquiries to the website owner through a form). You can recognize an encrypted connection by the character string https:// and the lock symbol in your browser line.

2.7.2 – Non-disclosure policy on security methods

The security of PII is important to us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your PII, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. To enhance security, we have made it our policy to avoid public disclosure of all the methods by which this site is operated. That includes information about which security tools we use, which plugins are installed and/or active at any moment, how and when we handle software updates, and where data is being stored.

2.8 – Links To Other Sites

Our Service may contain links to other sites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third party link, you will be directed to that third party’s site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit.

We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services.

2.9 – How Long We Retain Data

We reserve the right to delete all of your PII and other data at any point in time without notice to you. We may retain De-Identified metadata for as long as we deem appropriate.

If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

Some PII can go through the process of anonymization (removing all identifying information) or using pseudonymization (removing enough data that it can only be linked to an individual when combined with other records). We reserve the right to keep and use this data for statistical analysis without sharing it with third parties except those that the site uses in its architecture (such as plugins or Google Analytics).

3) Location-specific Policies

3.1 – USA (general)

This privacy policy has been compiled to better serve those who are concerned with how their ‘Personally identifiable information’ (PII) is being used online. PII, as used in US privacy law and information security, is information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person, or to identify an individual in context.

3.1.1 – California (specific)

As of January 2023, in accordance with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), users have more control over the personal information that businesses collect about them and the CCPA regulations provide guidance on how to implement the law. The following rights are secured by this act:

The right to know about the personal information a business collects about them and how it is used and shared;
The right to delete personal information collected from them (with some exceptions);
The right to opt-out of the sale or sharing of their personal information; and
The right to non-discrimination for exercising their CCPA rights.
The right to correct inaccurate personal information that a business has about them; and
The right to limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information collected about them.

You may authorize another person to submit a CCPA request on your behalf. You may also authorize a business entity registered with the California Secretary of State to submit a request on your behalf.

3.2 – EU (general)

Data processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point of GDPR on the basis of our legitimate interest in improving the stability and functionality of our website. The data will not be passed on or used in any other way. However, we reserve the right to check the server log files subsequently, if there are any concrete indications of illegal use.

If personal data is also processed by individual cookies set by us, the processing is carried out either in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point b GDPR for the performance of the contract, in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point a GDPR in the case of consent given or in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR to safeguard our legitimate interests in the best possible functionality of the website as well as a customer-friendly and effective design of the page visit.

3.2.1 – Rights of the Data Subject

The applicable data protection law grants you the following comprehensive rights of data subjects (rights of information and intervention) vis-à-vis the data controller with regard to the processing of your personal data:

Right of access by the data subject pursuant to Art. 15 GDPR;
Right to rectification pursuant to Art. 16 GDPR;
Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”) pursuant to Art. 17 GDPR;
Right to restriction of processing pursuant to Art. 18 GDPR;
Right to be informed pursuant to Art. 19 GDPR;
Right to data portability pursuant to Art. 20 GDPR;
Right to withdraw a given consent pursuant to Art. 7 (3) GDPR;
Right to lodge a complaint pursuant to Art. 77 GDPR.

3.2.2 – RIGHT TO OBJECT

If, within the framework of a consideration of interests, we process your personal data on the basis of our predominant legitimate interest, you have the right at any time to object to this processing with effect for the future on the grounds that arise from your particular situation.

If you exercise your right to object, we will stop processing the data concerned. However, we reserve the right to further processing if we can prove compelling reasons worthy of protection for processing which outweigh your interests, fundamental rights and freedoms, or if the processing serves to assert, exercise or defend legal claims.

If we process your personal data for direct marketing purposes, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of your personal data which are used for direct marketing purposes. You may exercise the objection as described above.

If you exercise your right to object, we will stop processing the data concerned for direct advertising purposes.

3.2.3 – Duration of Storage of Personal Data (EU)

The duration of the storage of personal data is based on the respective legal basis, the purpose of processing and – if relevant – on the respective legal retention period (e.g. commercial and tax retention periods).

If personal data is processed basis on an express consent pursuant to Art. 6 (1) point a GDPR, this data is stored until the data subject revokes his consent.

If there are legal storage periods for data that is processed within the framework of legal or similar obligations on the basis of Art. 6 (1) point b GDPR, this data will be routinely deleted after expiry of the storage periods if it is no longer necessary for the fulfillment of the contract or the initiation of the contract and/or if we no longer have a justified interest in further storage.

When processing personal data on the basis of Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR, this data is stored until the data subject exercises his right of objection in accordance with Art. 21 (1) GDPR, unless we can provide compelling grounds for processing worthy of protection which outweigh the interests, rights and freedoms of the data subject, or the processing serves to assert, exercise or defend legal claims.

If personal data is processed for the purpose of direct marketing based on Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR, this data is stored until the data subject exercises his right of objection pursuant to Art. 21 (2) GDPR.

Unless otherwise stated in the information contained in this declaration on specific processing situations, stored personal data will be deleted if it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or otherwise processed.

3.3 – Germany (specific)

If you have provided us with your e-mail address in any form of communication, we reserve the right to regularly send you offers for products, services, partnerships, sponsorships, and surveys. Pursuant to Section 7 (3) German law against unfair competition, we do not need to obtain separate consent from you. In this respect, data processing is carried out solely on the basis of our legitimate interest in personalized direct advertising pursuant to Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR.

4) Contacting us

When you contact us (e.g. via contact form or e-mail), personal data is collected. Which data is collected in the case of a contact form can be seen from the respective contact form. Apart from that, the usual, above mentioned meta-data is collected just like when visiting any other page. All the form or contact data that gets stored is used exclusively for the purpose of responding to your request or for establishing contact and for the associated technical administration.

The legal basis for processing data is our legitimate interest in responding to your request in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR. If your contact is aimed at concluding a contract, the additional legal basis for the processing is Art. 6 (1) point b GDPR. Your data will be deleted after final processing of your enquiry; this is the case if it can be inferred from the circumstances that the facts in question have been finally clarified, provided there are no legal storage obligations to the contrary.