1. Introduction

stargazingsites.com (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of our users. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, stargazingsites.com, including when you create an account, submit a listing, or interact with our advertisements.

By using the Service, you consent to the data practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect personal information about you in the following ways:

A. Information You Directly Provide to Us

This is information you voluntarily give us when creating an account or submitting a listing:

• Account Data (Login): Your name, email address, username, and password (encrypted).
• User-Submitted Location Data: The name, coordinates, description, and accessibility status (public or private) of the stargazing location you submit.
• User Content: Any reviews, comments, or photos you post on the Service.
• Communication Data: Information you provide when contacting us via email or support channels.

B. Information Collected Automatically

When you access the Service, we automatically collect certain information:

• Usage Data: Details about how you use the Service, such as pages viewed, time spent on the site, and listings clicked.
• Device and Technical Data: Your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, and mobile carrier.
• Location Data: General location data inferred from your IP address (country, state/province, city).
• Tracking Data (Cookies): We use cookies and similar tracking technologies (like pixel tags) to track activity, hold certain information, and analyze usage.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for various business purposes, including:

• To Provide the Service: To create, maintain, and secure your account and allow you to log in and submit location listings.
• To Moderate Listings: To review and approve (or reject) new user-submitted locations and other content.
• To Personalize Experience: To present customized content and advertising based on your interests and location.
• To Process Revenue: To monitor and track sales that originate from our affiliate links for commission purposes.
• To Communicate: To send you account-related emails, security alerts, and service updates.
• For Analytics: To monitor and analyze trends, usage, and activities in connection with the Service to improve functionality.

4. Disclosure and Sharing of Your Information

We may share your information with third parties only in the following situations:

A. Publicly Shared Information

• User-Submitted Location Information: If you submit a location listing, the name, description, and location details will be publicly visible on the website.
• Username/Profile: Your username and any comments or reviews you post will be publicly visible.

B. Third-Party Service Providers

We may share your data with trusted third parties who perform services for us, such as:

• Hosting and Security Providers: To maintain the website’s operation and security.
• Analytics Providers (e.g., Google Analytics): To track and analyze website usage and traffic.

C. Advertising and Affiliate Partners (A Key Source of Revenue)

• Advertisers: We work with third-party advertising networks to display targeted ads on our website. These partners may use cookies and tracking technologies to collect data on your browsing activity across websites to show you relevant advertisements.
• Affiliate Links: The Service includes links to third-party products or services. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, the affiliate partner may use tracking data to record that the sale originated from stargazingsites.com so we can receive a commission. We do not generally share your directly identifiable personal information (like your email) with these partners unless you consent to it during the transaction process on their site.

D. Legal and Regulatory Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) comply with a legal obligation; (b) protect and defend our rights or property; or (c) protect the personal safety of users of the Service or the public.

5. Data Security

We use administrative, technical, and physical security measures to help protect your personal information. However, no electronic transmission or storage method is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute data security. You use the Service at your own risk.

6. Data Retention

We will retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law (such as for tax, accounting, or other legal requirements). If you terminate your account, we will attempt to delete your personal information within 90 days, but copies may remain in our archives and backup records.

7. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you reside (e.g., California), you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Access: You have the right to request access to the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Correction: You have the right to request the correction of inaccurate data.
• Right to Deletion (The Right to be Forgotten): You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing: As we use data for targeted advertising, you may have the right to opt-out of the “sale” or “sharing” of your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information below.

8. Third-Party Websites

The Service contains links to third-party websites (e.g., public park sites, affiliate links) that are not operated by us. Once you have left our site, any information you provide is governed by the third party’s privacy policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of every site you visit.

9. Children’s Privacy (COPPA)

Our Service is not directed to individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child has provided us with Personal Information, please contact us so we can take steps to remove that information from our servers.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the “Effective Date” at the top of this policy.