HypeConnect.com
PRIVACY POLICY
Updated as of September 30, 2011
User Privacy
HypeConnect.com is a social website that lets you meet and interact with new people and stay in touch with friends. Like any website that offers a service where you register and provide information about yourself or your opinions, it is wise to pay attention to your personal information. At HypeConnect.com we understand this, and have established this Privacy Policy to explain how information is collected on our website, and how this information is used. Members Must Be 13 years of age or older. HypeConnect.com is intended solely for use by persons 13 years of age or older. All persons under 13 are prohibited from registering on HypeConnect.com.
How Does HypeConnect.com Protect Children's Privacy?
The safety and privacy of children is extremely important to us.
HypeConnect.com is a general audience web site that complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Our registration process is designed to restrict children under the age of 13 from becoming members of HypeConnect.com and using our site. If we receive information suggesting that a user who has registered with HypeConnect.com is under the age of 13, we require the user to provide evidence confirming that the user is at least 13 years old. If the user fails to provide such information within 48 hours, we immediately terminate the user's account and nullify all personally identifiable information displaying on the site.
What Is the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act?
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires that commercial web sites obtain parental consent (under most circumstances) prior to the collection of any personally identifiable information from children whom they know to be under the age of 13. In addition, COPPA requires that web sites that collect personal information from children under the age of 13 provide parents with:
•Notice. Parents must be provided notice regarding what information is collected, how the information will be used, and with whom the information may be shared.
•The ability to prevent further use of the information collected about the child and prevent any future collection of personal information from the child.
•The ability to access and review their child's personal information.
COPPA also limits the amount of personal information a web site can collect from a child. Web sites may not collect any more personal information than is necessary to participate in a given game or activity. For more information about COPPA, please visit the Federal Trade Commission's web site.
Parents: If your child is under the age of 13 and has joined HypeConnect.com using a false age, please notify HypeConnect.com at hypeconnect@live.com, and we will immediately cancel your child's account and nullify all personally identifiable information displaying on the site. If you would like to know more about our site, information practices, stored information about your child, or how to close your child's account, please contact HypeConnect.com by sending a letter to HypeConnect.com, 55 Falby Court Unit#804, Ajax, Ontario, Canada, L1S 3W4. We will happily respond to all letters from parents with Privacy questions or concerns.
User Information Collected by HypeConnect.com
Personally Identifiable User Information All users begin using HypeConnect.com's services by registering on the HypeConnect.com website. When registering, users provide personally identifiable information, which includes their first and last name, email address, zip code, a user-chosen password, and date of birth, and other personal information. To complete the registration process, HypeConnect.com sends a validation email message to each user, with a URL link back to our website. This URL contains an alphanumeric identifier and a user-specific numeric passcode that allows us to confirm the user's identity.
Cookies and Passive Data Collection
HypeConnect.com logs standard user information and clickstream data for all users, including a user's IP address, operating system, and page views. When users visit particular pages within HypeConnect.com, a UserID may be placed in the URL, allowing customized features for the user. Users should be aware that other websites visited before entering HypeConnect.com might place personally identifiable information within a user's URL during a visit to their website, and HypeConnect.com has no control over such websites. Accordingly, some of this information may be logged by a subsequent website that collects URL information. In addition to the standard log information, HypeConnect.com uses a variety of technologies to create a more personalized experience for its users. Cookies are small data files sent by websites to a user's browser and hard drive that identify the computer to the website. We use cookies to allow enhanced features, such as allowing registered users to bypass typing their passwords before entering the website. We may also use cookies to enable customizable content for users, as they become available. Users have the option, within their Internet browsers, to disable cookies and continue to access the HypeConnect.com website. Pixel tags are tiny graphic files that are included in HTML-encoded e-mail messages. We use pixel tags to gather information about the e-mails we send to our registered users. When such a message is opened in an HTML-capable e-mail program, the recipient's computer accesses our server to retrieve the pixel tag file, and allows us to record and store the date and time, the recipient's e-mail address, and other standard logging information. The pixel tag also may read cookies. HypeConnect.com web pages may also contain similar pixel tags that allow us to count users who have visited those pages, to compile aggregated statistics about site usage, and to deliver co-branded services as they become available. HypeConnect.com pixel tags collect only a limited set of information including a cookie number, time and date of a page view, and a description of the page on which the pixel tag resides. HypeConnect.com web pages may also contain pixel tags placed there by third party ad servers, to monitor the effectiveness of their advertising. We do not have access to, nor control over, advertisers' cookies or how they may be used. If you would like more information about advertisers' use of cookies, and about your option not to accept these cookies, please click here.
Document Retention Schedule
All personal information collected by HypeConnect.com in connection with your use of the HypeConnect.com website, including, without limitation, your name, location, email address, pictures, friend connections, messages, comments, login information, ip addresses and other data, will be stored by HypeConnect.com indefinitely in a safe and secure manner.
How HypeConnect.com Uses the User Information Personally Identifiable Information
HypeConnect.com uses personally identifiable user information for the purposes of the HypeConnect.com website, the HypeConnect.com referral and friend list building. Personally identifiable information including members' pictures and names are displayed to people in order to facilitate user interaction on HypeConnect.com. Email addresses are used for the purposes of inviting new friends to join HypeConnect.com and to add users to members' friends' networks. To facilitate searching and finding friends and acquaintances on the service, HypeConnect.com allows users to search for other members using username, email address, location. We also use email addresses to send useful information to all registered users regarding the HypeConnect.com website. For example, we provide users with an opportunity to send their friends invitations to join HypeConnect.com. The user can send such invitations either by entering the email address of the referral or importing an address book and selecting the specific email addresses that they would like to invite. This results in an email being sent from that registered user to the referral address, encouraging the referral to sign up on the HypeConnect.com website. If the referred person does not sign up within a few days, we may also send a reminder from the registered user to the referral address. All registered users will be able to view other users Stats, Profiles, and friend list pages, which may include personal information and responses to survey questions. From time to time, HypeConnect.com may share the email address and/or other personally identifiable information of any registered user with third parties for marketing purposes. In addition, HypeConnect.com may share a registered user's email address with third parties to target advertising and to improve user experience on HypeConnect.com's pages in general.
Cookies and Passive Data Collection
HypeConnect.com uses cookie, IP address, clickstream and URL information to improve the content of the HypeConnect.com website, the quality of HypeConnect.com servers, and to provide enhanced features to users, where available. We use cookies to save UserIDs, session validators, and on users' browsers and hard drives, and may use them to provide tailored products or services to those users, as they become available. We also cross-match user information with information collected from cookies and clickstream data in order to test features of the HypeConnect.com website, and to better personalize our various offerings for users. IP Addresses also help us to diagnose problems with our server, to administer the HypeConnect.com site, and to otherwise provide the HypeConnect.com service to its users. IP addresses may be disclosed to a third party if we believe in good faith that the law or legal process so requires, or to protect the rights or property of HypeConnect.com or others. From time to time we may extend various offers from various partner companies, including news or additional details on products and services. A user's usage history may result in specifically tailored special offer screens or products. We may also produce aggregate reports for advertisers. For example, we may report to advertisers the number of users who clicked on an ad, or the number of users that visited different portions of the HypeConnect.com website. This information will not include personally identifiable information about a user, or a specific user's online usage patterns.
Profile Information
HypeConnect.com allows Members to provide information to a profile and/or journal entries that is accessible to other users. We use this profile information for the purposes of providing our services to you, such as to analyze demographics, to better personalize our various offerings for users, or to enable other users to find your profile. All information, including any personally identifiable information, which is disclosed by users in his or her public profile and journal entries are available for others to see. Please do not post direct contact information in either your profile or your journal, such as your email addresses, URLs, instant messenger IDs, phone numbers, full names, or addresses. We also caution you not to share sensitive information (such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, and driver's license numbers) with other users whom you do not know or place such information in your profile. You are aware that when you publish content or information using the "everyone/public" setting, you are allowing everyone, including people off HypeConnect.com, to access that information and to associate it with you.
Sharing Your Content and Information
HypeConnect.com allows Members to upload and share content and information. You own the content and information that you post on HypeConnect.com and have the ability to control how it is shared through your privacy settings. For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, including but not limited to photos, videos and written compositions (IP Content), you specifically give us the following permission: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with HypeConnect.com ("IP License"). For example, HypeConnect.com may make commercial use and/or otherwise display your name and/or IP Content in or in connection with endorcsements of and/or advertisements promoting HypeConnect.com and its Services. This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account, unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted the content. When you delete IP content it is removed from the website. However, you understand that we may maintain backup copies of the content, as part of our document retention policy.
Invitations
The Invite Friends feature is an easy way for HypeConnect.com users to invite friends through email. The email address(es) that you supply to use this service will only be used to send invitations, and in some cases invitation reminders, to connect with you on HypeConnect.com.
Surveys and Contests
At various times we may offer surveys or contests to users. Surveys may ask for contact, demographic or unique identifying information to increase the value of the results. Contests may require contact information or other demographic or personally identifiable information in order to determine eligibility. HypeConnect.com may use information collected from surveys and contests for the entertainment of users, and to determine, notify and contact winners of various contests. In addition, users' demographic and/or personally identifiable information and responses to survey and contest questions may be used by HypeConnect.com and/or shared with third parties in order to provide specifically tailored special offers or advertisements. HypeConnect.com will not share a user's email address with third parties unless the user specifically opts-in to such sharing during the completion of or registration for a survey or contest.
Third Party Links and Ad Servers
Please be aware that links to third party websites and third-party ad server advertisements that are found on HypeConnect.com may, or may not, use cookies, pixel tags and web tags. HypeConnect.com may provide links to third party websites, which may, or may not, use cookies, pixel tags and web tags. Ad servers may also use these tools to compile information about where users saw particular advertisements, and to determine which ads were clicked on. We are not responsible for, or have any control over, the privacy policies of those third party websites and ad servers, and encourage all users to read the privacy policies of each and every website visited when linking directly from HypeConnect.com.
Protection of HypeConnect.com and Others
HypeConnect.com may disclose personally identifiable user information if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such disclosure is reasonably necessary to respond to subpoenas, court orders, or other legal process. HypeConnect.com may also disclose information about its users to law enforcement officers or others, in the good faith belief that such disclosure is reasonably necessary to: enforce our Terms of Service; respond to claims that any posting or other content violates the rights of third-parties; respond to your requests for customer service; or protect the rights, property, or personal safety of HypeConnect.com, its users or the general public.
Security
HypeConnect.com uses industry standard security measures to prevent the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control. Although we make good faith efforts to store the information collected by the HypeConnect.com website in a secure operating environment that is not available to the public, we cannot guarantee complete security. Further, while we make every effort to ensure the integrity and security of our network and systems, we cannot guarantee that our security measures will prevent third-party "hackers" from illegally obtaining this information.
Updating or Removing User Information
As a registered user, you may, at any time, choose to correct or update the information you have submitted to us. This may be done by the following method:
1.Log in to your HypeConnect.com account on our website.
2.Click the "Edit Profile" link on the top left hand column.
3.Change or edit any of the information there.
As a registered user, you may, at any time, cancel your account by following the instructions set forth here:
http://www.hypeconnect.com/member/unregister.php Users can manage their mailing preferences to specify which type of email to opt out of on their Preference Settings page when they are logged in, simply by un-checking the boxes under the Email Preferences section, indicating which type of email they would not like to receive. Canceling one's account will also prevent a user from receiving future communications from HypeConnect.com, and HypeConnect.com will not share the user's information with third parties for marketing purposes. However, you may still receive a user generated invitation from your friends asking you to join HypeConnect.com.
No Spam Policy
We at HypeConnect.com are opposed to spam. Our No Spam Policy and Terms of Service prohibit all users from engaging in any activity involving spam on our service. Violations of these policies may result in immediate termination of service and legal action against any spammer. HypeConnect.com's Terms of Service expressly prohibit users from uploading, posting, emailing, transmitting or otherwise making available junk mail, commercial advertisements, or other form of commercial solicitation on the HypeConnect.com website or through HypeConnect.com's services. Any violation of our policies, by sending unsolicited email advertisements to or through HypeConnect.com computer systems, will use or cause to be used HypeConnect.com servers, located in USA. Accordingly, any unauthorized use of HypeConnect.com computer systems is a violation of our policies and certain federal and state laws, including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (18 U.S.C. sect 1030 et seq.), Section 502 of the California Penal Code and Section 17538.45 of the California Business and Professions Code. Such violations may subject the sender and his or her agents to civil and criminal penalties.
Other Disclosures
Change of Ownership
In the event of a change in ownership, or a direct merger or acquisition with another entity, we reserve the right to transfer all of HypeConnect.com's user information, including email addresses and postal addresses, to a separate entity. All registered users will be notified of any change in ownership, merger or acquisition of HypeConnect.com's assets by a third party, and may choose to modify any of their registration information at that time.
Revisions to This Policy
HypeConnect.com reserves the right to revise, amend, or modify this policy and our other policies and agreements at any time and in any manner. Notice of any revision, amendment, or modification will be posted on the website, and a user's continued use of HypeConnect.com will signify agreement to such changes.
Contacting HypeConnect.com
Users with questions about this Privacy Policy and any of the aforementioned statements may contact HypeConnect.com by sending a letter to HypeConnect.com, 55 Falby Court, Ajax, Ontario, Canada, L1S 3W4.
USE OF THIS SITE SIGNIFIES YOUR AGREEMENT TO THE PRIVACY POLICY.
Effective Date September 30, 2011.