Hello!
My name is Charlotte Døvle and I’m the traveler/writer behind Sunshine Seeker Travel. Since I’m running this site mainly on my own, I’m also the data controller.
If you are reading this it means you have stumbled upon my humble blog, https://www.sunshineseeker.com., and there are some things you have the right to know. We want to be completely transparent so the purpose of this Privacy Policy is to inform you what personally identifiable information we may collect and how it may be used.
Contact Information
Charlotte Døvle
Østbyveien 110
3280 Tjodalyng
At any time, please contact us at contact@sunshineseeker.com for questions related to this Privacy Policy. Thank you!
What personal data we collect and why we collect it
Information You Voluntarily Submit to the Website
We may collect personal information from you such as your name or email address. For example, you may voluntarily submit information to the website by leaving a comment, subscribing to a newsletter, or submitting a contact form.
An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.
Cookies
For our website to function properly we use cookies. To obtain your valid consent for the use and storage of cookies in the browser you use to access our website and to properly document this we use a consent management platform: CookieFirst.
This technology is provided by Digital Data Solutions BV, Plantage Middenlaan 42a, 1018 DH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Website: https://cookiefirst.com referred to as CookieFirst.
When you access our website, a connection is established with CookieFirst’s server to give us the possibility to obtain valid consent from you to the use of certain cookies. CookieFirst then stores a cookie in your browser in order to be able to activate only those cookies to which you have consented and to properly document this.
The data processed is stored until the predefined storage period expires or you request to delete the data. Certain mandatory legal storage periods may apply notwithstanding the aforementioned.
CookieFirst is used to obtain the legally required consent for the use of cookies. The legal basis for this is article 6(1)(c) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Data processing agreement
We have concluded a data processing agreement with CookieFirst. This is a contract required by data protection law, which ensures that data of our website visitors is only processed in accordance with our instructions and in compliance with the GDPR.
Our website and CookieFirst automatically collect and store information in so-called server log files, which your browser automatically transmits to us.
The following data is collected:
- Your consent status or the withdrawal of consent
- Your anonymized IP address
- Information about your Browser
- Information about your Device
- The date and time you have visited our website
- The webpage URL where you saved or updated your consent preferences
- The approximate location of the user that saved their consent preference
- A universally unique identifier (UUID) of the website visitor that clicked the cookie banner
Newsletters
On sunshineseeker.com, you may subscribe to our newsletter, which may be used for advertising purposes. All newsletters sent may contain tracking pixels. The pixel is embedded in emails and allows an analysis of the success of online marketing campaigns.
Because of these tracking pixels, we may see if and when you open an email and which links within the email you click. Also, this allows us to adapt the content of future newsletters to the interests of the user. This behavior will not be passed on to third parties.
Affiliate Program Participation
As mentioned above, sunshineseeker.com may engage in affiliate marketing, which is done by embedding tracking links into our website. If you click on a link for an affiliate partnership, a cookie will be placed on your browser to track any sales for purposes of commissions.
If I recommend a hotel and include a link to book it online, then I earn a commission from that “merchant” if you click through my affiliate link and buy. It’s that simple. I only recommend products or experiences that I love and truly believe will bring you value. And most importantly, this will not result in any additional costs for you!
Advertising
We use Google AdSense, an advertising service of Google Inc. Google AdSense uses cookies that enable an analysis of your use of the website and automatic provision of advertisements. Google AdSense also uses “web beacons” (small invisible graphics) to collect information. By using the Web Beacon, simple actions such as visitor traffic can be recorded and collected on the website.
The information generated by the cookie and/or web beacon about your use of this website (including the abbreviated IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. This data transmission takes place in accordance with applicable data protection law, in particular in compliance with the EU-US Privacy Shield.
Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website with regard to the advertisements, to compile reports on the website activities and advertisements for the website operators and to provide other services associated with the use of the website and the Internet.
Google may also transfer this information to third parties if this is required by law or if third parties process this data on behalf of Google. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. Third parties will also place cookies on your browser and use the data collected in this way in an anonymous form for advertising purposes or to advertise our product.
You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Ads Settings.
Embedded content from other websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.
These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
Third-Party Use of Personal Information
We may share your information with third parties when you explicitly authorize us to share your information.
Additionally, the Website may use third-party service providers to service various aspects of the Website. Each third-party service provider’s use of your personal information is dictated by their respective privacy policies.
The Website currently uses the following third-party service providers
Google Analytics – This service tracks sunshineseeker.com usage and provides information such as referring websites and user actions on the Website. Google Analytics may capture your IP address, but no other personal information is captured by Google Analytics. Place of processing is the US, here’s their Privacy Policy, and here’s how you can Opt Out from Google Analytics.
Google Adsense – As mentioned above, we use Google Adsense as our advertising partner for the purposes of placing advertising on this Site, and they will collect and use certain data for advertising purposes. To learn more about Google Adsense data usage, see their privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en
We use Flodesk to manage our email marketing subscriber list and to send emails to our subscribers. MailerLite is a third-party provider, which may process your data using industry standard technologies to help us monitor and improve our newsletter.
Flodesk’s privacy policy is available at https://flodesk.com/privacy-policy.
You can unsubscribe from our newsletter by clicking on the unsubscribe link provided at the end of each newsletter.
Instagram & Facebook (Meta Inc.). Instagram is a social network, and is used by this site only if you choose to follow our Instagram account by clicking the images on this page. Place of processing is the US, and here is their Privacy Policy
Facebook is a social network, and is used by this site only if you choose to share an article on your Facebook page. Place of processing is the US, and here is their Privacy Policy
Pinterest (Pinterest Inc.). Pinterest is a social network, and is used by this site only if you choose to follow a link to a Pinterest page from this website. Place of processing is the US, and here is their Privacy Policy
YouTube (Google Inc.). YouTube is a social network, and is used by this site only if you choose to follow a link to a YouTube page from this website. Place of processing is the US, and here is their Privacy Policy
At this time, your personal information is not shared with any other third-party applications. This list may be amended from time to time in the Website’s sole discretion.
How your information maybe be used
We may use the information collected in the following ways:
- To operate and maintain the Website;
- To create your account, identify you as a user of the Website, and customize the Website for your account;
- To send you promotional information, such as newsletters. Each email promotion will provide information on how to opt out of future mailings.
- To send you administrative communications, such as administrative emails, confirmation emails, technical notices, updates on policies, or security alerts;
- To respond to your comments or inquiries;
- To provide you with user support;
- To track and measure advertising on the Website;
- To protect, investigate, and deter against unauthorized or illegal activity.
How long we retain your data
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.
For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.
The rights of Users
Users may exercise certain rights regarding their Data processed by the Owner.
In particular, Users have the right to do the following:
- Withdraw their consent at any time. Users have the right to withdraw consent where they have previously given their consent to the processing of their Personal Data.
- Object to processing of their Data. Users have the right to object to the processing of their Data if the processing is carried out on a legal basis other than consent. Further details are provided in the dedicated section below.
- Access their Data. Users have the right to learn if Data is being processed by the Owner, obtain disclosure regarding certain aspects of the processing and obtain a copy of the Data undergoing processing.
- Verify and seek rectification. Users have the right to verify the accuracy of their Data and ask for it to be updated or corrected.
- Restrict the processing of their Data. Users have the right, under certain circumstances, to restrict the processing of their Data. In this case, the Owner will not process their Data for any purpose other than storing it.
- Have their Personal Data deleted or otherwise removed. Users have the right, under certain circumstances, to obtain the erasure of their Data from the Owner.
- Receive their Data and have it transferred to another controller. Users have the right to receive their Data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and, if technically feasible, to have it transmitted to another controller without any hindrance. This provision is applicable provided that the Data is processed by automated means and that the processing is based on the User’s consent, on a contract which the User is part of or on pre-contractual obligations thereof.
- Lodge a complaint. Users have the right to bring a claim before their competent data protection authority.
This privacy policy was last updated on 28.01.2024.
