PRIVACY POLICY AND COOKIES

last update date: 21.06.2024

It’s good to see you,

We treat your data with the utmost care and understand the responsibility of protecting it. This document contains information regarding the processing of your data and cookie usage as well as other tracking technologies present within this website.

The range of our business operations will expand and so will this website. Therefore, We encourage you to check this section as often as possible.

For your convenience, information about the privacy policy and cookie updates will always be provided at the beginning of this document.

BASIC INFORMATION

  1. The data controller is Flatter Than Earth, operating a business by the name of Flatter Than Earth Inc., with its registered office in 3101 Ocean Park Blvd Ste 100 #471 Santa Monica, California 90405, United States, NIP (Tax Identification Number) 46-5390564.

  2. You can contact the data controller by emailing them at: contact@flatterthanearth.com

  3. Every time you send an email to us or sign up for a newsletter, you are agreeing to give us your personal data such as your name and email address.

  4. I assure you that I take all necessary actions to ensure that your data is always safe.

  5. Whenever an external supplier must process your data, such parties will be chosen consciously to provide an appropriate safety standard for the provided data.

GENERAL INFORMATION 

  1. The use of this website is voluntary. You are in no way compelled to provide your personal data. However, choosing not to provide your personal data may result in the inability to receive a certain service or to achieve your desired outcome, for example contacting us via email, placing an order (in the future) or signing up for a newsletter.

  2. As many other websites, this website uses cookies to ensure its proper functioning. In this part, We will explain what kind of cookies do we use and what they mean to you.

  3. We use analytical tools that collect anonymous information based on your visits to this website, including but not limited to time spent on this website or sections viewed. Please follow this document for more details in this regard. 


PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION 

  1. We understand that personal data is a valuable asset. We are also aware of all the dangers resulting from personal data processing through the use of the internet network. Therefore, We are taking all necessary measures to ensure that your data is properly protected and secure.

  2. We assure you that all your personal data is processed with the utmost care and protected from the access of any unauthorized party. 

  3. Please take into account that based on the applicable law, in relation to certain processing activities of your personal data, your rights might to certain extend be limited or not fully granted. Please follow this document for more details in this regard.

PURPOSE AND LEGAL BASIS FOR PERSONAL DATA PROCESSING 

  1. Personal data provided by you may be processed for the below mentioned purposes and on each of the following legal basis:

Email processing

By sending an email, you are sharing your email address and other information included in its content. Providing your email address is voluntary, however, you must choose to share your email address in order for me to be able to contact you. In this instance, data is processed to enable communication. The legal basis for such data processing is art. 6 para. 1 letter a of General Data Protection Regulation (further also as GDPR), i.e. your consent resulting from initiating contact. Please remember that your data will also be processed after you are no longer in contact with me. The legal basis for such processing is the justified purpose of archiving correspondence for future reference (art. 6 para. 1 letter f of GDPR).

Maintaining records of data processing activities pursuant to GDPR

As the website administrator and data controller we are obliged to maintain records of all activities involving your data processing. This is an obligation resulting from the rules of law, pursuant to art. 6 para. 1 letter c of GDPR and art. 6 para. 1 letter f of GDPR, i.e. legitimate interests pursued by me as the website administrator. 

Analysing data collected automatically through the use of the website 

In order to improve our services/products and performance of our website we analyse how you interact with our website. Therefore, your data is processed pursuant to art. 6 para. 1 letter f of GDPR, i.e. legitimate interests pursued by me as the data controller. 

Using cookies on the website

The legal basis is your consent that you give even before the website fully loads. 

Managing this website and other websites/groups on external platforms, e.g. Facebook

By joining our Facebook group, you consent to the processing of your data on the external platform. You consent as well to the processing of your data by us as the administrators of our Facebook group and thus as the data controller. The legal basis for such data processing is art. 6 para. 1 letter f of GDPR, i.e. legitimate interests pursued by me as the data controller.

Archival and evidential purposes to protect information that can be used to demonstrate facts

The legal basis for such data processing is art. 6 para. 1 letter f of GDPR i.e. legitimate interest pursued by me as the data controller. 

Accounting/bookkeeping

We have an obligation resulting from the applicable law to keep records of documents based on which payments are settled such as for example VAT invoice. The legal basis for such data processing is art. 6 para. 1 letter c of GDPR. 

Sending a newsletter

We will send you our newsletter and some advertisements only if you consent to it. The legal basis for such data processing are respectively art. 6 para. 1 letter a of GDPR. 

Account management and user registration 

When opening an account, you choose to give your personal data including your name and surname, billing address and if applicable NIP number. Providing data is voluntary, however, you must choose to share it to open a client account and place an order. 

Processing purposes: conclude a contract through placing an order (art. 6 para. 1 letter b of GDPR), issuing an invoice (art. 6 para. 1 letter c of GDPR), retaining an invoice in accounting records (art. 6 para. 1 letter c of GDPR), and archival and statistical purposes (art. 6 para. 1 letter f of GDPR).

Data regarding orders shall be processed for the time necessary to complete an order and until the expiration of the claim limitation period arising from the concluded contract. Furthermore, after that period, data may still be processed for archival and statistical purposes, specifically to identify a returning customer.

Placing an order and creating a contract for sale 

When placing an order, you must give the data necessary for its completion, including: your name, surname, banking account number, email address and if applicable NIP number. 

In this situation, data provided to us are processed with the purpose of concluding a contract by placing an order, this includes payment by  instalment (art. 6 para. 1 letter b of GDPR), issuing an invoice (art. 6 para. 1 letter c of GDPR), retaining an invoice in the accounting records (art. 6 para. 1 letter c of GDPR), and archival and statistical purposes (art. 6 para. 1 letter f of GDPR).

Data regarding orders shall be processed for the time necessary to complete an order and until the expiration of the claim limitation period arising from the concluded contract. Furthermore, after that period, data may still be processed for archival and statistical purposes, specifically to identify a returning customer.

Please keep in mind that you cannot object to this data processing and request the erasure of data included in invoices. 

Processing a complaint, withdrawing from a contract

If you are filing a complaint or withdrawing from a contract, you are giving your personal information contained in the complaint or in your withdrawal statement, which includes your name, surname, home address, phone number, email address and banking account number. 

Data given with regard to filing a complaint or withdrawing from a contract is used to process a complaint or a withdrawal based on art. 6 para. 1 letter c of GDPR. These data are also processed for archival purposes based on art. 6 para. 1 letter f of GDPR. 

Your data will be processed for the time needed to process your complaint or your withdrawal statement. Complaints and withdrawal statements may also be archived for the purpose of providing a proof of your complaint or withdrawal process in the future.

Please keep in mind that you cannot object to this data processing and request the erasure of data necessary to process your complaint and exercise your right of withdrawal.


YOUR RIGHTS 

1. GDPR grants you the following rights in regard to the processing of your personal data:

  • Right to be informed – this means that each person, whose data is processed, has the right to know how its personal data is being used. It is one of the reasons why the present privacy policy was created.

  • Right of access – this means that if We, as the data controllers, get a request from you to grant you the access to your data, we are required to fulfil such a demand without undue delay. We will fulfil this obligation immediately, within no longer than a month. If we cannot do so within that period of time, we are obliged to inform you whether we process your data. Following this action, we can prolong the deadline for a complete response to your request by two months.

  • Right to rectification – this means that you can ask us, the data controllers, to correct inaccurate information or supplement incomplete data.

  • Right to erase, right to be forgotten – this means that you can request that we, as the data controllers, erase your data and inform any other recipient of your data about the erasure. Additionally, in case your data would have been made public, we will take reasonable steps to ask each recipient of your data to erase any copy or replications of your data, unless this proves impossible or would involve disproportionate efforts.

  • Right to restriction of personal data processing – this means that you can request restriction of the processing of your personal data. For example, this happens when you do not agree with the accuracy of your processed data or when you consider that the processing of your data is unlawful and that we shall not process your data any longer..

  • Right to object – this means that you can object to your data being processed by us, the data controllers.

  • Right to data portability – this means that when certain conditions are fulfilled, you can request your data be transmitted directly to another data controller designated by you.

  • Right to file a complaint – this means that when you believe that the processing of your data violates the rules of applicable law, you can file a complaint to the President of the Personal Data Protection Office.

2. Please remember that within the limits of the law and in full respect of your privacy not all of the above-mentioned rights will always be able to be granted.

PERSONAL DATA RECIPIENTS 

  1. Your personal data can be given to third parties whose services we use with regard to managing a platform and selling digital products.

  2. However, we assure you that we choose such parties with the utmost care and that we always ensure the proper protection of your data.

  3. We use the services of Google and Facebook; therefore your data may be given to parties that operate within the United States of America (USA) and Canada. However, we would like to inform you that these parties ensure a proper level of personal data protection required by European law.

  4. For your convenience, please find here below a list of parties that process data within the (a) European Economic Area (EEA) as well as parties that process data outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) (b).

    a) Parties processing data within the European Economic Area (EEA)

    • Google – enables email communication;

    • Squarespace – a platform that processes payments within the online store, used to pay for placed orders;

    • Stallcup and Associates CPAs – an accounting company that issues accounting documents for the services and products provided, makes payments and maintains accounting settlements;

    • Flatter Than Earth – provides technical and administrative support with regard to maintaining the website, including the online store, customer service, support in running the online store and conducting sales campaigns;

    • Squarespace and Google – provides technical support with regard to maintaining the website, server and email services;

    • Squarespace – enables email correspondence (newsletter) with people who signed up for an email list.

    b) Parties processing data outside of the European Economic Area (EEA):

    • GoDaddy – a service providing IT system maintenance and hosting services to store personal data on a server; 

    • Vimeo, Inc. – a service enabling publication of audiovisual materials on the website,

    • Google Analytics by Google LLC – a marketing tool,

    • YouTube by Google LLC – a service enabling publication of audiovisual materials on the website,

    • Disqus – a platform enabling comments to be posted below articles within the website;

      5. Because of the data controller's activity, social media plug-ins have also been installed on the website. The purpose and scope of data gathering and its further processing and use by the service providers were described in the following privacy policies:

COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES 

  1. As many other websites, this website uses cookies.

  2. When you visit this website for the first time, you will see information regarding cookies. By choosing not to change your browser’s settings, you agree to the use of cookies.

  3. Cookies are short text information stored on a device used when browsing the internet.

  4. Cookies can either be processed by us (‘internal cookies’ are used to ensure the correct functioning of this website) or by systems that belong to other parties, the services of which we use (‘external cookies’).

  5. Please remember that you have the right to change your cookie settings within your browser, or to delete cookies entirely.

  6. This website uses the following tracking technologies:

    a) social media plug-ins including: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube and Vimeo;
    b) analytical and marketing tools such as: Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel.

SERVER LOGS 

  1. Using this website requires sending requests to the server that hosts it.

  2. Each request sent to the server is saved within its logs, which include data such as your IP address, the date and time recorded by the server, information regarding your browser and operating system.

  3. Data stored in the server logs is not associated with specific website users and is used as supporting material for administrative purposes.

  4. Its contents are not shared with anyone apart from the individuals authorized to administer the server.

NEWSLETTER 

  1. We consciously choose our service providers to ensure the highest level of data protection. The newsletter service is provided by Squarespace.

  2. In order to send a newsletter, your data will not be given to any third countries outside of the European Union.

  3. Data including your name and email address provided by you in the newsletter sign-up form will be processed in order to send a newsletter.

  4. Providing data in the form is voluntary, however, you must choose to share it in order for us to send a newsletter and information regarding our own products and services on the basis of our legitimate interest as the data controllers (art. 6 para. 1 letter f of GDPR). It is also necessary in order to pursue any possible claims with regard to sending a newsletter. 

  5. We assure you that your data will be processed only until you withdraw your consent, unsubscribe from a newsletter or express your objection.

  6. Unsubscribing from a newsletter is not complicated as it only requires clicking the ‘Unsubscribe’ link.

  7. If you use your right to unsubscribe from a newsletter, the data regarding your subscription will be stored for the time period necessary to defend against any potential claims. This forms part of our legitimate interest as the data controller.

  8. Personal data provided during the process of signing up for a newsletter may be passed to the following parties: an IT system maintenance and hosting service, an email service provider and a newsletter service provider.

  9. As in any other instance when your data is being processed, you have the right to access the contents of your data, to receive a copy of it, to rectify it, to erase it, to restrict its processing, to transfer it, to file a complaint and to withdraw your consent at any point in time.

  10. However, if your consent to data processing is withdrawn, this fact will not affect the lawfulness of the data processing that was carried out on the basis of your consent before it was withdrawn.

  11. If you believe that the processing of your data violates the rules of law, you have the right to file a complaint to the President of the Personal Data Protection Office. Your data will be processed automatically however, data will not be profiled. 

GOOGLE ANALYTICS 

  1. This website uses Google Analytics. It is a service that analyses internet services and activities. 

  2. For details regarding this Google service, please visit: https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/provision/?hl=pl#/provision.

  3. In your browser’s settings, you can turn off the feature that saves cookies. However, this may result in you not being able to use all of the functionalities of this website. 

  4. Google Analytics uses cookies that are saved on your computer and allow us to analyse your use of this website. 

  5. We use Google Analytics to analyse the use of this website and to improve it according to users’ preferences. These statistics allow us to adjust our offer and make other improvements to our website. 

  6. Information obtained by the use of cookies about your activity on this website will usually be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there. 

However, Google ensures that it uses data protection and security mechanisms in accordance with European law. For details regarding Google's data protection policy, visit: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=pl

SOCIAL MEDIA 

  1. This website includes plug-ins for the following social media services: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn.

  1. Through such plug-ins you can directly access profiles on the listed platforms. These services can then access information about your visit to this website from your IP address.

  1. We would like to inform you that when visiting this website while being logged into your social media accounts, the information about your visit will be recorded by these services. Even if you are not logged in, social media services are able to access information regarding your IP address.

  2. We would like to emphasize that We do not possess information regarding data collection and its use by social media platforms. For further information regarding privacy in relation to social media platforms, please contact the services directly and learn about their privacy policies. The links to these policies are listed in this document.

  3. If you do not wish for social media platforms to access information with regard to your visit to our website, We would recommend logging out of your social media accounts before using my website.

FACEBOOK PIXEL 

  1. Facebook Pixel is a code placed on the website that works as an analytical tool. It allows ads placed on Facebook to target users who visited our website or looked at specific products that we offer.

  2. We want you to be aware that your information collected by Facebook Pixel is anonymous. However, it can be connected to your other information collected by the Facebook social media platform.

  3. We use this tool on our website. This is motivated by our legitimate interest, as the data controllers, in the form of marketing our own products or services.

  4. Information obtained by the use of Facebook Pixel will usually be transmitted to a Facebook server in the USA and stored there. Facebook Inc. ensures personal data protection on an adequate level as required by European law.

SHARING VIDEO CONTENTS 

  1. Our website includes audiovisual materials from services like YouTube and Vimeo. As a result of this, Google LLC and Vimeo, Inc. cookies are used.

  2. Cookies are automatically generated every time audiovisual materials from the above mentioned services are played.

  3. If you do not agree to this, do not play these video materials.

FINAL PROVISIONS 

  1. The contents published on this website and other social network services are part of our intellectual creation. Therefore, they are subject to copyright protection.

  2. None of these contents shall be copied in part or as a whole without our prior, explicit consent.

  3. You are obliged to use this website in accordance with the rules of law and good practices, bearing in mind the respect for personal and intellectual property rights of third parties.