This Privacy Policy describes how BlindlyWriting.com (“BlindlyWriting,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), owned and operated by Blindly Writing and based in Staunton, Virginia, collects, uses, and shares information when you visit or use our website.
1. Information we collect
We may collect:
- Account information from Google when you sign in, such as your name and verified email address. We do not receive or store your Google password.
- Reading activity associated with your account, including books marked as currently reading, chapters you open, and progress saved to help you continue where you left off.
- Mailing list information only if chapter emails are turned on later. Chapter update emails are not sending right now.
- Usage data such as pages viewed, approximate session activity, referring URLs, browser type, and device category, used for site analytics and improvement.
- Communications you send us, including support or feedback messages.
2. How we use information
We use information to:
- Operate BlindlyWriting.com and provide account features
- Save reading progress and currently-reading preferences
- Send mailing-list notices if you opt in when that feature returns
- Understand traffic and improve the site
- Serve and measure advertising, including Google AdSense
- Maintain security and prevent abuse
- Comply with legal obligations
3. Cookies and similar technologies
We use cookies and similar storage for essential site functions, to keep you signed in, to measure site usage, and to support advertising. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may limit account, progress, and some advertising features.
Cookie categories on this site include:
- Essential cookies for login, security, and reading progress.
- Analytics cookies that help us understand how the site is used.
- Advertising cookies used by Google and its partners to serve and measure ads, including interest-based ads where allowed.
4. Advertising (Google AdSense)
BlindlyWriting.com uses Google AdSense to display advertisements. Google and its partners may use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to collect information about your visits to this site and other sites in order to provide ads about goods and services that may interest you, and to measure ad performance.
Google’s use of advertising cookies is covered by Google’s own policies. Learn more at Google Advertising and Google Privacy Policy. You can opt out of personalized Google ads at adssettings.google.com or via aboutads.info.
Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user’s prior visits to this website or other websites. Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on visits to this site and/or other sites on the Internet.
5. Sharing of information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with:
- Service providers who help us host, secure, or operate the site
- Advertising partners, including Google, as described above
- Affiliate partners when you click outbound product links (for example, Amazon), subject to their own privacy policies
- Authorities when required by law or to protect our rights
6. Affiliate links
BlindlyWriting.com may include Amazon affiliate links. If you click those links and make a purchase, Amazon may collect information under Amazon’s privacy practices. See our Affiliate Disclosure for details.
7. Data retention
We keep account, reading-progress, mailing-list, and analytics data for as long as needed to provide the service, comply with law, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. You may request account deletion by contacting us.
8. Children’s privacy
BlindlyWriting.com is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided information to us, contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.
9. Your choices
- Request access, correction, or deletion of account data
- Sign out or delete your account by contacting us
- Control cookies in your browser
- Opt out of personalized Google ads using the links above
10. Security
We take reasonable measures to protect personal information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. Contact
Questions about this Privacy Policy may be directed to Blindly Writing at [email protected], BlindlyWriting.com, Staunton, Virginia, or through the contact form on this site.