Bitly Privacy Policy

ARCHIVED 2024-09-01, DATE APPROXIMATE · VERSION 20240901_rev01 · COMPARED WITH 20240201_rev01

Full text changes — 20240201_rev01 to 20240901_rev01

COLOUR MARKS THE SEVERITY OF A FLAGGED CLAUSE · + AND − MARK ADDED AND REMOVED

+#### Updated: August 2023
+#### Updated: September 2024
 This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use and share personal data of people who use or are connected to our services, are interested in Bitly or its services, or to whom we wish to market our services. This Privacy Policy also provides you with information on your rights as a data subject and how to reach us if you have any questions.
 This Privacy Policy does not apply to the practices of other businesses that Bitly does not own or control, including other companies' websites, services and applications ("Third Party Services") that you can access through the Services or to individuals that Bitly does not manage or employ. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any Third Party Services you access or use. Please note that we cannot take responsibility for the content or privacy policies of Third Party Services, and any third party policies linked to this Privacy Policy are strictly for informational purposes only.
 Please note that our privacy practices are subject to the applicable laws of the regions in which we operate. Accordingly, some additional region-specific terms will only apply to individuals in those locations, or as required by applicable laws. _**If you are a United States resident of California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut or certain other U.S. states**_, please see the sections titled **California Privacy Rights**, and **Virginia/Colorado/Connecticut and certain other U.S. State Privacy Rights** for specific disclosures with respect to our collection, use, and disclosure of your information and additional rights you have under applicable U.S. laws.
 **When You Create a Bitly Link, QR code or Link in Bio (collectively "Bitly Products")**
 One feature of the Services is the ability to create shortened uniform resource locators (URLs) of websites, QR codes linking to a URL, or a Link in Bio linking to a URL ("Bitly Products"). When you create a shortened link, QR code, Link in Bio or other Bitly product, Bitly collects and stores both the original URL and any shortened URL and, if you are logged in to your Account, we will associate that information with your Account. Bitly also collects and stores your IP address, your geolocation data (which we derive from your IP address), the time and date on which you shortened the original URL and/or created the Bitly Product, and if you share a Bitly Product on a social networking platform, the name of the platform and your username on that platform.
 **When You Interact With a Bitly Product**
+Bitly automatically collects personal data about the interaction (such as clicks or views) with every Bitly Product created through the Services (either our bit.ly links or one of our branded domains) on a third-party website. This information includes, but is not limited to: (i) the IP address and location derived from the IP address; (ii) internet or other electronic network activity information like the referring websites or services; (iii) the time and date of each access; (iv) device settings, such as browser type, operating system, and language; and (v) cookies, as described in our cookie policy, and mobile advertising identiﬁers. As described in this Privacy Policy, we use this personal data to provide the Services, to understand and analyze how our Services are used and to identify trends, and to detect, deter and prevent malicious, fraudulent or unlawful activity. Please see the "Information We Share" section below for a description of how we may share information we collect when you create, view or interact with Bitly Products.
+Bitly automatically collects personal data about the interaction (such as clicks or views) with every Bitly Product created through the Services (either our bit.ly links or one of our branded domains) on a third-party website. This information includes, but is not limited to: (i) the IP address and location derived from the IP address; (ii) internet or other electronic network activity information like the referring websites or services; (iii) the time and date of each access; (iv) device settings, such as browser type, operating system, and language; and (v) cookies, as described in our cookie policy, and mobile advertising identiﬁers. As described in this Privacy Policy, we use this personal data to provide the Services, to understand and analyze how our Services are used and to identify trends, and to detect, deter and prevent malicious, fraudulent or unlawful activity, and in some cases we show a Destination Preview which contains information about the link or QR Code end destination, and may or may not include advertising from third parties. Please see the "Information We Share" section below for a description of how we may share information we collect when you create, view or interact with Bitly Products.
 **Usage Across Devices**
 We use the information we collect to make inferences that a unique individual has created or interacted with Bitly links, QR codes or Links in Bio on different devices so that we can detect, deter and prevent malicious, fraudulent or unlawful activity and analyze how users use our Services. For example, if you created a Bitly Product on a computer connected to your residential WiFi network, and you soon thereafter clicked on a Bitly Product on a mobile device connected to the same WiFi network, we may infer that a single individual created and clicked on the Bitly Product because both events were associated with the same IP address in the same time period.
 **Other Uses**
 The IP addresses of the users are also stored. However, we use an IP masking procedure (i.e., pseudonymization by shortening the IP address) to protect users. Generally, in the context of web analysis, A/B testing and optimization, no clear data of the users (such as e-mail addresses or names) are stored, but pseudonyms. This means that we, as well as the providers of the software used, do not know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles for the purposes of the respective procedures.
 The purposes of this processing are reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); tracking (e.g. interest/behavior-related profiling, use of cookies); provision of our online offering and user-friendliness. Your personal data will be stored for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy or as required by law, e.g. for tax and accounting purposes.
 Processing of personal data within Google products is based upon your consent. However, in some cases the use of a Google product may also form part of our (pre)contractual services, or our interest in providing our users with efficient, economical and recipient-friendly services and the improvement of our service.
+**Use of Google AdSense and/or Ads Manager
+**
+In connection with Destination Preview, there may be advertising delivered by Google AdSense (https://adsense.google.com/) or Ad Manager (https://admanager.google.com/). Google may use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to your website or other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to your users based on their visits of certain websites. If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), the UK, and Switzerland, Bitly will obtain your consent for the use of cookies or other local storage related to any such advertising, where legally required, and for the collection, sharing, and use of personal data for any ads personalization (if any).
 **Possibility of Revocation of Consent and Removal from Google**
 You have the right to revoke your declaration of consent under data protection law at any time. The revocation of the consent does not affect the lawfulness of the processing carried out on the basis of the consent up to the revocation. You may prevent the collection and processing of your personal data by Google by preventing the storage of cookies by third parties on your computer, by using the "Do Not Track" function of a supporting browser, by deactivating the execution of script code in your browser or by installing a script blocker to Google and to prevent the processing of this data by Google by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available under the following link: [https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en](https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout)
 With the following link you can deactivate the use of your personal data by Google: [https://adssettings.google.de](https://adssettings.google.de/)
 Further information on objection and removal options against Google can be found at: [https://policies.google.com/privacy?gl=EN&hl=en](https://policies.google.com/privacy)
 We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we learn that we have collected personal data of a child under 13 (or older as required by applicable law), we will take steps to delete such information from our systems as soon as possible. If you believe we might have any personal data from or about a child under 13, please contact us at [privacy@bit.ly](mailto:privacy@bit.ly).
 ##### Data Privacy Framework (EU-US, UK Extension and Swiss-US)
 Bitly complies with the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (EU-U.S. DPF), the UK Extension to the EU-U.S. DPF, and the Swiss-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (Swiss-U.S. DPF) as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Bitly has certified to the U.S. Department of Commerce that it adheres to the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles (EU-U.S. DPF Principles) with regard to the processing of personal data received from the European Union in reliance on the EU-U.S. DPF and from the United Kingdom (and Gibraltar) in reliance on the UK Extension to the EU-U.S. DPF. Bitly has certified to the U.S. Department of Commerce that it adheres to the Swiss-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles (Swiss-U.S. DPF Principles) with regard to the processing of personal data received from Switzerland in reliance on the Swiss-U.S. DPF. If there is any conflict between the terms in this privacy policy and the EU-U.S. DPF Principles and/or the Swiss-U.S. DPF Principles, the Principles shall govern. To learn more about the Data Privacy Framework (DPF) program, and to view our certification, please visit [https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/](https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/).
+In compliance with the EU-U.S. DPF and the Swiss-U.S. DPF, Bitly commits to refer unresolved complaints concerning our handling of personal data received in reliance on the EU-U.S. DPF and the Swiss-U.S. DPF to JAMS Data Privacy Framework Dispute Resolution, an alternative dispute resolution provider based in the United States. If you do not receive timely acknowledgment of your DPF Principles-related complaint from us, or if we have not addressed your DPF Principles-related complaint to your satisfaction, please visit [https://www.jamsadr.com/eu-us-data-privacy-framework](https://www.jamsadr.com/eu-us-data-privacy-framework) for more information or to file a complaint. The services of JAMS Data Privacy Framework Dispute Resolution are provided at no cost to you.
+In compliance with the EU-U.S. DPF, the UK Extension to the EU-U.S. DPF and the Swiss-U.S. DPF, Bitly commits to refer unresolved complaints concerning our handling of personal data received in reliance on the EU-U.S. DPF, the UK Extension to the EU-U.S. DPF and the Swiss-U.S. DPF to JAMS Data Privacy Framework Dispute Resolution, an alternative dispute resolution provider based in the United States. If you do not receive timely acknowledgment of your DPF Principles-related complaint from us, or if we have not addressed your DPF Principles-related complaint to your satisfaction, please visit [https://www.jamsadr.com/DPF-Dispute-Resolution](https://www.jamsadr.com/DPF-Dispute-Resolution) for more information or to file a complaint. The services of JAMS Data Privacy Framework Dispute Resolution are provided at no cost to you.
 Bitly is subject to the investigatory and enforcement powers of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Under certain conditions, individuals have the right to invoke binding arbitration related to their personal data. In some cases, we hold liability in cases of onward transfers of data to third parties.
 ##### Changes to our Privacy Policy
 We reserve the right to make changes to this Privacy Policy at any time. If we make material changes in the way we collect or use information, we will provide notice by posting an announcement on the Services or sending you an email, and we will indicate when those changes will become effective. You are agreeing to any changes to the Privacy Policy when you use the Services after those changes become effective.