Privacy Policy for Meaford Energy
1. Introduction
At Meaford Energy, accessible via meaford-energy.com, we are firmly committed to safeguarding your personal data and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy outlines our practices relating to the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of personal information. As a privacy-first organization, we adhere strictly to the requirements of applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), ensuring transparency and accountability in all aspects of personal data processing.
2. Scope of Policy and Data Controller Role
This Privacy Policy applies to all users of meaford-energy.com and the associated services offered through the platform. For the purposes of applicable data protection laws, Meaford Energy is the data controller responsible for processing your personal data. Should you have any questions regarding our data protection practices, you may contact us at [email protected].
3. Categories of Data Processed
We collect and process the following categories of personal data:
a. Usage Data
Includes technical details about your interactions with meaford-energy.com, such as IP address, browser type, browsing history, time zone setting, referring and exit pages, and session data.
b. Account Data
If you create an account or enter your details on our site, we may collect your name, address, email address, telephone number, and login credentials.
c. Profile Data
Includes information related to user preferences, purchase history, browsing behavior, and feedback or survey responses.
d. Communication Data
Covers records of correspondence with us, including inquiries, customer support interactions, and communication logs.
e. Technical Data
Includes data from the devices and systems you use to access our services, such as device type, operating system, security settings, and application versions.
f. Transaction Data
Where applicable, we process your payment and delivery information, including billing address, payment method, and order confirmation details.
g. Preference Data
Includes your preferences related to receiving marketing communications from us and third-party product or service interests.
4. Legal Bases for Processing
We process your personal data under one or more of the following lawful bases, as defined by the GDPR and other relevant legislation:
– Consent: where you have provided explicit permission for us to process your personal data for specified purposes.
– Performance of a Contract: where processing is required to fulfill our contractual obligations to you (e.g., providing services or delivering products).
– Legal Obligation: where processing is necessary to comply with our legal duties.
– Legitimate Interests: where processing is necessary for our legitimate business purposes, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
5. Your Rights
Under applicable data protection laws, including the GDPR and CCPA, you have the following rights:
– Right of Access: You may request confirmation as to whether or not we process your personal data and, where applicable, obtain a copy of the data.
– Right to Rectification: You have the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
– Right to Erasure (“Right to Be Forgotten”): You may request the deletion of your personal data under certain legal conditions.
– Right to Restriction of Processing: You may request that we limit the processing of your data under specific circumstances.
– Right to Data Portability: You may receive your data in a structured, commonly-used, machine-readable format and request its transfer to another controller.
– Right to Object: You can object to the processing of your data when such processing is based on our legitimate interests or for marketing purposes.
– Right to Non-Discrimination (CCPA): You have a right not to be discriminated against for exercising any of your consumer rights under the CCPA.
To exercise any of the above rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We may request verification of your identity before processing such requests.
6. Security Measures
Meaford Energy takes the protection of your personal data seriously. We employ a variety of organizational and technical security measures, including:
– Data encryption both in transit and at rest
– Access controls with authentication and authorization mechanisms
– Regular data backup procedures
– Employee privacy training and confidentiality agreements
– Physical security of data storage systems
These measures are regularly reviewed and updated to address evolving security threats.
7. International Transfers
Where personal data is transferred outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or other jurisdictions with equivalent data protection standards, we implement appropriate safeguards, including:
– Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission
– Assessments of receiving country data protection practices
– Binding corporate rules or adequacy decisions where applicable
All such transfers are made in compliance with applicable data protection legislation, ensuring equivalent protection standards outside your jurisdiction.
8. Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including to comply with legal, regulatory, contractual, or law enforcement obligations. Retention periods vary by data category:
– Usage and Technical Data: retained for up to 12 months for processing analytics and performance metrics.
– Account and Profile Data: retained while the account remains active and for up to 6 years thereafter for legal compliance.
– Transaction Data: retained for at least 7 years in line with accounting and tax requirements.
– Communication Data: retained for up to 3 years to manage customer service history.
– Preference Data: retained until you withdraw consent, opt out, or after 2 years of inactivity.
9. Cookie Policy
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your user experience on meaford-energy.com. The following categories of cookies may be utilized:
– Essential Cookies: Necessary for basic website functionality (e.g., navigation, login features).
– Functional Cookies: Enable additional features such as language preferences and interface customization.
– Analytics Cookies: Collect aggregated data on website traffic and interaction patterns.
– Performance Cookies: Monitor site performance to improve responsiveness and usability.
10. Cookie Management and Compliance with GDPR & CCPA
You may manage and modify your cookie preferences directly through your browser settings or via our cookie consent management tool, presented upon your first visit to meaford-energy.com. We honor “Do Not Track” signals and provide opt-out mechanisms in accordance with both the GDPR and CCPA requirements.
11. Special Protections for Children Under 13
Meaford Energy does not knowingly collect or process personal data from individuals under the age of 13. If we become aware that such data has been collected inadvertently, we will take immediate steps to delete it. Parents or guardians who believe that we may have collected their child’s information are encouraged to contact us at [email protected].
12. Policy Updates & User Notifications
We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time for compliance, legal, or operational reasons. Any significant changes will be communicated clearly on meaford-energy.com, and where required by law, via direct communication. Continued use of our platform signifies your acceptance of such changes.
13. Contact Us
For any questions regarding this Privacy Policy, or to exercise your rights under applicable data protection laws, please contact:
Email: [email protected]
Website: meaford-energy.com
We take your privacy seriously and commit to addressing your inquiries in a timely and transparent manner.
Meaford Energy is fully committed to ensuring compliance with all applicable privacy and data protection laws. If you have privacy concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.