Information we collect and the purposes for which we use it
Automatically collected information
Our servers automatically collect the following information regarding devices that access our site or app: device characteristics (including device ID for mobile devices), operating system, browser type, IP address, username from stored cookies if present, dates and times of each login, page and image viewing statistics, and incoming and outgoing links. We also log the metadata associated with any uploaded images. We use this automatically collected anonymous data to analyze how our site and app are used so as to keep them optimized, to determine the popularity and usefulness of various features, to maintain the integrity of user accounts so that each user can see his or her posts and the upvotes, downvotes, and comments to them, and to enable users with usernames to access their posts, albums, and membership information.
None of this information is “personal information” – that is, data we could use to identify a specific person. We also provide automatically collected anonymous data to third party advertisers and analytics companies to supplement the tracking information described below, but we contractually prohibit such third parties from combining such anonymous data with other data they may have in a way that could enable the identification of individuals. We also use such data to enable us to comply with copyright law, with 18 USC §2258A (illegal content), and to respond to lawful requests by public authorities, including national security, courts, and law enforcement.
Interactively collected information
In addition to the automatically collected anonymous data described above, we may place information on your device and then retrieve it later: we may use cookies, web beacons, or other anonymous tracking information to improve our server's interaction with your device. We also partner with third party advertisers who may (themselves or through their partners) place and/or recognize cookies on your device that collect data about which pages and ads are viewed while our app or site is being used. Advertiser cookies enable customized ads that are selected for display on your device based on the anonymous information collected. No personal data is on, connected to, or derivable from, these cookies. If you block or disable cookies and other tracking technologies, instead of getting customized ads you will see non-customized (generic) ads. Although our servers currently don't respond to "do-not-track" requests, you can block tracking in other ways. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies for interest based advertising, please visit http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ or see the section below, “Accessing, correcting, and limiting use of your data”.
When you sign in with a username, we handle it in the same way as an automatically collected username except that if you don’t allow cookies, you have to enter your username each time you log in. A username is, by nature, publicly posted information. On occasion we may run a contest or other type of promotion, and to enable us to award prizes to the winners as well as to comply with the applicable laws, we collect real names and contact information – so if you win a contest, we’ll ask for that information and we’ll use it only for those two specific purposes.
We collect whatever personal data about you that you choose to give us, such as a contact email address (which we do not make public) and profile information. We do not require you to use an account to upload images. If you open an account you do not have to provide any personal information except your cell phone number, which we don't retain; we use it once to send you a code. (See below.) If you are located in the EEA and wish to open an account, do not use your real name – choose a username and email address that reveal nothing about your identity. If you give us an email address, we’ll probably send you promotional messages once in a while; we’ll try to make them fun and interesting but of course you’ll be able to opt out at any time. We may work with outside companies to deliver targeted advertising to you while ensuring that no personal information about you is ever used; for example, we may generate a one-way hash from the email address you provide and provide only the hash to the outside companies, who track only the hash.