1. Introduction and Overview
Welcome to Virtual Book Library ("we," "our," or "us"). At Virtual Book Library, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website virtualbooklibrary.com (the "Site") or use our services.
We operate in accordance with the United Kingdom's data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. By accessing or using our Site, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
2. Information Collection
We collect several types of information from and about users of our Site, including:
2.1 Personal Information
We may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:
- Register for an account
- Subscribe to our newsletter
- Request information about our services
- Participate in surveys or promotions
- Contact our customer service
This information may include:
- Full name
- Email address
- Postal address
- Phone number
- Username and password
- Reading preferences and history
- Payment information (when applicable)
2.2 Automatically Collected Information
When you visit our Site, we may automatically collect certain information about your device and usage patterns, including:
- IP address
- Browser type and version
- Operating system
- Device information
- Pages visited and time spent on those pages
- Referring websites
- Search terms used to reach our Site
- Clickstream data
3. Use of Information
We use the information we collect for various purposes, including to:
- Provide, maintain, and improve our services
- Process transactions and manage your account
- Personalize your experience on our Site
- Recommend books and content based on your preferences and reading history
- Send administrative information, such as updates to our terms, conditions, and policies
- Send promotional materials, newsletters, and other communications if you have opted in to receive them
- Respond to your comments, questions, and requests
- Monitor and analyze usage patterns and trends
- Protect our Site against unauthorized access and illegal activity
- Comply with legal obligations
We process your personal information on the following legal grounds:
- Your consent
- Performance of a contract with you
- Compliance with a legal obligation
- Our legitimate interests, which do not override your fundamental rights and freedoms
4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect and track information about your browsing activities on our Site. Cookies are small data files that are placed on your device when you visit a website.
4.1 Types of Cookies We Use
- Essential Cookies: These cookies are necessary for the Site to function properly and cannot be switched off in our systems.
- Performance Cookies: These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our Site.
- Functionality Cookies: These cookies enable the Site to provide enhanced functionality and personalization.
- Targeting Cookies: These cookies may be set through our Site by our advertising partners to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements on other sites.
4.2 Your Cookie Choices
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings preferences. However, if you limit the ability of websites to set cookies, you may worsen your overall user experience. To learn more about cookies and how to manage them, visit www.aboutcookies.org.
5. Third-party Sharing
We may share your information with third parties in the following circumstances:
5.1 Service Providers
We may share your information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as payment processing, data analysis, email delivery, hosting services, customer service, and marketing assistance.
5.2 Business Partners
We may share your information with our business partners to offer you certain products, services, or promotions related to books and reading.
5.3 Legal Requirements
We may disclose your information where required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court or government agency).
5.4 Business Transfers
In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.
5.5 With Your Consent
We may share your information with third parties when you have given us your consent to do so.
We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
6. Data Storage and Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect the security of your personal information. However, please be aware that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure.
6.1 Data Retention
We will retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. To determine the appropriate retention period, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal information, the potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure, and applicable legal requirements.
6.2 Security Measures
We have implemented security measures including:
- Encryption of personal data
- Regular security assessments
- Access controls and authentication procedures
- Secure network architecture
- Regular backups
7. User Rights
Under UK data protection laws, you have certain rights regarding your personal information:
- Right to Access: You have the right to request copies of your personal information.
- Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate or complete information you believe is incomplete.
- Right to Erasure: You have the right to request that we erase your personal information, under certain conditions.
- Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information, under certain conditions.
- Right to Object to Processing: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal information, under certain conditions.
- Right to Data Portability: You have the right to request that we transfer the data we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond to your request within one month. You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal data or to exercise any of your other rights. However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive, or excessive.
8. Children's Privacy
Our Site is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and you believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at [email protected], and we will take steps to remove that information from our systems.
9. International Data Transfers
We may transfer, store, and process your information in countries other than your own. Our servers are located in the United Kingdom and the European Economic Area (EEA). If we transfer your personal information to countries outside the UK or EEA, we will ensure that an adequate level of protection is in place, such as:
- Transferring to countries that have been deemed to provide an adequate level of protection by the UK or EU authorities
- Using specific contracts approved by the UK or EU that give personal data the same protection it has in the UK and EU
- Implementing appropriate safeguards as required by applicable data protection laws
10. Changes to Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time. If we make material changes to this Privacy Policy, we will notify you by email or by posting a notice on our Site prior to the changes becoming effective. Your continued use of our Site after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of such changes.
11. Contact Information
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:
Virtual Book Library
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.virtualbooklibrary.com
You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues (https://ico.org.uk).