wikiHow:Privacy-Policy

DATED 2023-01-01 · VERSION 20230703_rev01 · COMPARED WITH 20230601_rev01 · ARCHIVE SNAPSHOT

Full text changes — 20230601_rev01 to 20230703_rev01

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

 Following termination of your User account, wikiHow may retain your private profile information for a commercially reasonable time for backup, archival, or audit purposes. For the avoidance of doubt, any information that you choose to make public on the service may not be removable.
 ## Children's Privacy
 The Service and its content are not directed at children under the age of 13. wikiHow does not knowingly collect or solicit any information from anyone under the age of 13 or knowingly allow such persons to register as Users. In the event that we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under age 13 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe that we might have any information from or about a child under 13, please contact us at [privacy@wikihow.com](mailto:privacy@wikihow.com).
+Our Services and its content are not directed at children under the age of 16 who reside in the EU. wikiHow does not knowingly collect or solicit any information from anyone under the age of 16 who resides in the EU, or knowingly allow such persons to register as Users. In the event that we learn that we have collected personal information from an EU resident under age 16 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe that we might have any information from or about an EU resident under age 16, please contact us at [privacy@wikihow.com](mailto:privacy@wikihow.com).
+Our Services and its content are not directed at children under the age of 16 who reside in the EU or California. wikiHow does not knowingly collect or solicit any information from anyone under the age of 16 who resides in the EU or California, or knowingly allow such persons to register as Users. In the event that we learn that we have collected personal information from a California or EU resident under age 16 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe that we might have any information from or about an EU or California resident under age 16, please contact us at [privacy@wikihow.com](mailto:privacy@wikihow.com).
 ## Links to Other Websites and Services
 We are not responsible for the practices employed by websites or services linked to or from the Service, including the information or content contained therein. Please remember that when you use a link to go from the Service to another website, our Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party websites or services. Your browsing and interaction on any third-party website or service, including those that have a link or advertisement on our website, are subject to that third party's own rules and policies. In addition, you agree that we are not responsible and we do not control over any third-parties that you authorize to access your User Content. If you are using a third-party website or service (like Facebook, Google groups, or an IRC chatroom) and you allow such a third-party access to your User Content, you do so at your own risk. This Privacy Policy does not apply to information we collect by other means (including offline) or from other sources other than through the Service.
 ## EU Privacy Rights
 (h) You have the right to lodge a complaint with the data protection supervisory authority of the EU member state where you reside.
 Please note that the above legal rights are subject to various conditions and exceptions including where the data is used for statistical or scientific research purposes and the exercise of the right would prevent such purposes from being attained or would seriously impair their attainment.
 ## California Privacy Rights
+This section provides additional details about the personal information we collect about California residents and the rights afforded to them under the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA") and the California Privacy Rights Act ("CPRA"). Our Services may collect information that identifies, relates to, describes, references, is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular consumer or device ("Personal Information").
+This section provides additional details about the personal information we collect about California residents and the rights afforded to them under the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 ("CCPA") and the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 ("CPRA"). Our Services may collect information that identifies, relates to, describes, references, is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular consumer or device ("Personal Information").
 **Personal Information wikiHow collects.** If you have accessed or used the wikiHow service in the last 12 months, we may have collected one or more of the following categories of Personal Information:
 - _Identifiers_ (such as your name, postal address, email address, IP address or other online identifiers).
+- _Personal information categories_ listed in the California Customer Records statute (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.80(e)) (such as your name, digital signature, address, telephone number, credit card number, or debit card number).
 - _Protected classification characteristics_ under California or federal law such as age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, sex (including gender, gender identity, gender expression), sexual orientation. We do not solicit this information and may have collected only if you had chosen to share that information with us.
+- _Internet or other similar network activity_. (such as browsing history, search history, information on a consumer's interaction with a website, application, or advertisement).
+- _Internet or other similar network activity_ (such as browsing history, search history, information on a consumer's interaction with a website, application, or advertisement).
 - _Geolocation information_ (such as IP address).
 If you created an account with wikiHow and included these in your wikiHow profile page, you may have provided wikiHow with other data such as demographic information, visual information (for example, your profile pictures) and personal interests. For more details about the personal information we collect please see the "How We Collect and Use Information" section above.
+**Personal Information wikiHow shares.** We may share your Personal Information by disclosing it to a third party for a business purpose. We only make these business purpose disclosures under written contracts that describe the purposes, require the recipient to keep the Personal Information confidential, and prohibit using the disclosed information for any purpose except performing the contract. In the preceding twelve (12) months, wikiHow has disclosed Personal Information for a business purpose to the categories of third parties as indicated in the table below.
+**Use of Personal Information**
+wikiHow collects personal information to provide the wikiHow service, and for the business and commercial purposes described in the "How We Collect and Use Information" section above. Please see the "Sharing of Your Information" section above for details about how wikiHow shares your information with third parties. For details regarding the potential sale of personal information please read the "Ads on wikiHow" sub-section above. As described therein, we may provide data such as your location, browser, cookies, and other data related to your use of the wikiHow Service to deliver targeted advertisements on the wikiHow Service. To opt out of these sales, please use the following link: [Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information](https://www.wikihow.com/wikiHow:Privacy-Policy).
+We may also share certain Personal Information (as your location, browser, cookies, and other data related to your use of the Services) by selling it to third parties to deliver targeted advertisements on the wikiHow Service, subject to your right to opt-out of those sales. In the preceding twelve (12) months, wikiHow has sold the following categories of personal information to the categories of third parties indicated in the table below. To opt-out of these sales, please use the following link: [Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information](https://www.wikihow.com/wikiHow:Privacy-Policy). We will not knowingly sell any Personal Information of children under 16 without parental consent.
+**Personal Information wikiHow shares.** We may disclose your personal information in the following ways and circumstances:
+| Personal Information Category | Category of Third-Party Recipients |
+| --- | --- |
+| Business Purpose Disclosures | Sales |
+| A: Identifiers | With Service Providers to enable us to provide the Services | With Ad networks to deliver targeted advertisements |
+| B: California Customer Records personal information categories. | With Service Providers to enable us to provide the Services | None |
+| C: Protected classification characteristics under California or federal law. | With Service Providers to enable us to provide the Services | None |
+| F: Internet or other similar network activity. | With Service Providers to enable us to provide the Services | With Ad networks to deliver targeted advertisements |
+| G: Geolocation data. | With Service Providers to enable us to provide the Services | With Ad networks to deliver targeted advertisements |
+- **With Our Service Providers and Vendors.** We transfer information, including identifiers, California customer records, internet and network activity, and geolocation to our service providers who help us deliver our products and services to you and for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. These service providers are required by contract or law to only use or disclose the information as necessary to perform services on our behalf or as otherwise required by law. wikiHow does not control the privacy or security policies of such third parties.
+- **With our Ad Networks.** We may engage in the sale of your information (as defined under the CPRA) when we transfer information, including identifiers, internet and network activity, and geolocation to our ad networks that help us deliver targeted advertisements that suit your interests. Certain individuals may opt-out of the sale of their information by using the following link: [Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information](https://www.wikihow.com/wikiHow:Privacy-Policy).
 **Acknowledgment of Sensitive Personal Information**
 wikiHow does not collect Sensitive Personal Information as it is defined by the CPRA. However, you may have chosen to share Sensitive Personal Information in a publicly available manner on the wikiHow website. This information could include, but is not limited to, your racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, union membership, or personal information concerning your sex life or sexual orientation. We do not require this information and may have collected only if you had chosen to share that information with us. This information is also neither shared or sold with third party organizations. Even though this information would have been made publicly available by you and therefore is no longer considered Sensitive Personal Information under CPRA, if you would like wikiHow to limit the use of or disclosure of that information, please contact privacy@wikihow.com.
 **Data Retention**
 wikiHow only keeps your Personal Information for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it is collected and processed. Once the Personal Information is no longer needed for the purposes declared, wikiHow will permanently delete this information or make the data anonymous such that individuals tied to the data can no longer be identified. In rare cases, we may keep data for longer periods in order to comply with applicable laws, resolve disputes with any parties, and otherwise as necessary to conduct our business. Our data retention practices for each category of Personal Information collected by wikiHow are as follows:
+- Identifiers - this information, such as your name, email address, and account name, is retained for as long as your wikiHow account is open with us. If you delete your account on wikiHow, these identifiers are also deleted. In addition, anonymous edits (i.e. those made by individuals without a wikiHow account) made to articles will show the IP address of the anonymous edit for tracking purposes and these addresses will remain in the relevant article's edit history.
+- California Customer Records personal information categories - if you have an account with us, you may choose to attach your real name to your account (though we do not require this). This information is retained for as long as your account is open with us. If your account is deleted, this information is also deleted.
+- Protected classification characteristics under California or federal law - wikiHow does not require this information from our users though users may choose to share this information on their user page. If you share this information on your user page, the information is stored for as long as you have an account with us. If you delete your account, this information will also be deleted.
+- Internet or other similar network activity - wikiHow deletes this data within 2 months of its collection in most cases. In certain cases, information about this activity is collected and stored for product development purposes to better understand the way in which our users interact with our products and features. This data is deleted after this product development cycle is completed.
+- Geolocation data - wikiHow deletes this data within 2 months of its collection in most cases. In certain cases, this information is collected and stored for product development purposes to better understand the way in which our users interact with our products and features. This data is deleted after this product development cycle is completed.
+- Identifiers: this information, such as your name, email address, and account name, is retained for as long as your wikiHow account is open with us. If you delete your account on wikiHow, these identifiers are also deleted. In addition, anonymous edits (i.e. those made by individuals without a wikiHow account) made to articles will show the IP address of the anonymous edit for tracking purposes and these addresses will remain in the relevant article's edit history.
+- California Customer Records personal information categories: if you have an account with us, you may choose to attach your real name to your account (though we do not require this). This information is retained for as long as your account is open with us. If your account is deleted, this information is also deleted.
+- Protected classification characteristics under California or federal law: wikiHow does not require this information from our users though users may choose to share this information on their user page. If you share this information on your user page, the information is stored for as long as you have an account with us. If you delete your account, this information will also be deleted.
+- Internet or other similar network activity: wikiHow deletes this data within 2 months of its collection in most cases. In certain cases, information about this activity is collected and stored for product development purposes to better understand the way in which our users interact with our products and features. This data is deleted after this product development cycle is completed.
+- Geolocation data: wikiHow deletes this data within 2 months of its collection in most cases. In certain cases, this information is collected and stored for product development purposes to better understand the way in which our users interact with our products and features. This data is deleted after this product development cycle is completed.
 **Automated Decision Making**
 wikiHow acknowledges that under the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) is mandated to issue regulations on consumer rights with respect to businesses' use of automated decision making technology. wikiHow is monitoring this closely and will update this Privacy Policy as those regulations are finalized and put into effect.
 **Your Rights as a California Resident**
 Effective on January 1, 2020, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides consumers (California residents) with specific rights regarding their Personal Information. Effective on January 1, 2023, the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) provides consumers additional rights regarding their Personal Information. If you reside in California, you may exercise the following rights:
 **Correction Request Rights**
 You have the right to request that we correct any Personal Information that we collected and retained about you. We will make a reasonable effort to correct any inaccurate Personal Information within 45 days of receiving a verifiable consumer request. To verify a consumer's identity, we will ask for a minimum of two pieces of Personal Information, which include but are not limited to full name, email address, or other site identifiers like a username. We cannot respond to your request or provide you with Personal Information if we cannot verify your identity or authority to make the request and confirm the Personal Information relates to you. To exercise a request to correct any Personal Information, please submit a request to us by either:
 - privacy@wikihow.com
 - (888) 338-6485
+**Non-Discrimination**
+We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA or CPRA rights. Unless permitted by the CCPA or CPRA, we will not:
+- deny you goods or services.
+- charge you different prices or rates for goods or services, including through granting discounts or other benefits, or imposing penalties.
+- provide you a different level or quality of goods or services.
+- suggest that you may receive a different price or rate for goods or services or a different level or quality of goods or services.
+However, we may still offer you certain financial incentives that can result in different prices, rates or service quality levels as permitted by the CCPA or CPRA. We do not at this time provide any such financial incentives.
 **Exercising Access, Data Portability and Deletion Rights**
 To exercise your rights described above, please submit a request to us by either:
 - privacy@wikihow.com
 - (888) 338-6485
 Only you, or someone legally authorized to act on your behalf, may make a request related to your Personal Information. You may also make a request on behalf of your minor child. We cannot respond to your request or provide you with Personal Information if we cannot verify your identity or authority to make the request and confirm the Personal Information relates to you.
 You may only make a request for access or data portability twice within a 12-month period. The request must:
 - provide sufficient information that allows us to reasonably verify you are the person about whom we collected Personal Information or an authorized representative; and
 - describe your request with sufficient detail that allows us to properly understand, evaluate, and respond to it.
 Making a request does not require you to create an account with us. Also, we will only use Personal Information provided in a request to verify the requestor's identity or authority to make the request.
 **Your Authorized Agent**
 You have the right to designate an authorized agent to make a request under the CPRA on your behalf.
 **Response Timing and Format**
 We will confirm that we received your request within ten (10) days and will respond within forty-five (45) days of its receipt. If we require more time, we will inform you of the reason and extension period in writing. We will deliver our written response electronically or, at your option, by mail. The response we provide will also explain the reasons we cannot comply with a request, if applicable. For data portability requests, we will select a format to provide your Personal Information that is readily useable and should allow you to transmit the information from one entity to another entity without hindrance. We do not charge a fee to process or respond to your request unless it is excessive, repetitive, or manifestly unfounded. If we determine that the request warrants a fee, we will tell you why we made that decision and provide you with a cost estimate before completing your request.
+**Use of Personal Information**
+wikiHow collects personal information to provide the wikiHow service, and for the business and commercial purposes described in the "How We Collect and Use Information" section above. Please see the "Sharing of Your Information" section above for details about how wikiHow shares your information with third parties. For details regarding the potential sale of personal information please read the "Ads on wikiHow" sub-section above. As described therein, we may provide data such as your location, browser, cookies, and other data related to your use of the wikiHow Service to deliver targeted advertisements on the wikiHow Service. To opt out of these sales, please use the following link: [Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information](https://www.wikihow.com/wikiHow:Privacy-Policy).
+**Non-Discrimination**
+We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA or CPRA rights. Unless permitted by the CCPA or CPRA, we will not:
+- deny you goods or services.
+- charge you different prices or rates for goods or services, including through granting discounts or other benefits, or imposing penalties.
+- provide you a different level or quality of goods or services.
+- suggest that you may receive a different price or rate for goods or services or a different level or quality of goods or services.
+However, we may still offer you certain financial incentives that can result in different prices, rates or service quality levels as permitted by the CCPA or CPRA. We do not at this time provide any such financial incentives.
+**Other California Privacy Rights**
+Pursuant to California Civil Code Section 1798.83, California residents who provide us with personal information in obtaining products or services for personal, family, or household use are entitled to request and obtain from us, one time per calendar year, information about the customer information we shared, if any, with other businesses for their own direct marketing uses.
+If you are a California resident and you have questions about our practices with respect to sharing information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes and your ability to exercise choice, please send your request to the following email address: privacy@wikihow.com or call us at (888) 338-6485.
+**Other State Rights**
+Some U.S. residents have certain rights under their state's data privacy laws, including, but not limited to, the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA), the Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA), and the Utah Consumer Privacy Act. (UCPA). Consistent with these laws, wikiHow gives you the options noted in the California Privacy section, including the option to access, edit, or remove certain information, opt-in to processing sensitive information, as well as choices about how we contact you. To opt out of the sale of your information, please use the following link: [Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information](https://www.wikihow.com/wikiHow:Privacy-Policy). Although some of these rights apply generally, certain rights will only apply to limited individuals or circumstances dependent on residency and relevant data privacy law. Please contact us with any question related to state rights at: privacy@wikihow.com or (888) 338-6485.
 ## Third Party Content: YouTube Videos
 Certain wikiHow pages contain third party content in the form of embedded videos from the YouTube API Service. In addition to our own privacy policy, we also adhere to the Google Privacy Policy, which can be found at [Google Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy). We recommend reviewing this policy to understand how Google collects, uses, and protects your data.
 ## Application