How We Collect and Use Information

We collect the following types of information about you:

Information you provide us directly:

We ask for certain information such as your username, real name, birthdate, address, phone number and e-mail address when you register for a SOTR account, or if you correspond with us. We may also retain any messages you send through the Service, and may collect information you provide in User Content you post to the Service. We use this information to operate, maintain, and provide to you the features and functionality of the Service. Your username and if you choose to disclose it, your real name, will be published publicly. Once published your username and / or real name may not be able to be removed.

Information we may receive from third parties:

We may receive information about you from third parties. For example, if you access our websites or Service through a third-party connection or log-in, for example, through Facebook Connect, by “following,” “liking,” SOTR, etc. This information could include, but is not limited to, the user ID associated with your account (for example, your Facebook UID), an access token necessary to access that service, any information that you have permitted the third party to share with us, and any information you have made public in connection with that service. You should always review, and if necessary, adjust your privacy settings on third-party websites and services before linking or connecting them to the SOTR Service. You may also unlink your third party account from the Service by adjusting your settings on the third party service.

Inviting a friend to use SOTR:

SOTR may, in its sole discretion, develop a feature that allows you to invite third parties to the Service. If you choose to use our invitation service to invite a third party to the Service through our “Invite friends” feature, you may directly choose a friend to invite through your mobile device’s native contact list – but we do not require that you import your contacts list to the Service, and we do not retain the information contained in your contacts list. You understand that by inviting a friend to SOTR through the “Invite friends” feature, you are directly sending a text or email from your personal accounts and that we are not storing your contact list. In addition, you understand and agree that normal carrier charges apply to communications sent from you phone. Since this invitation is coming directly from your email or phone, we do not have access to or control this communication.

Analytics information:

We may directly collect analytics data, or use third-party analytics tools and services, to help us measure traffic and usage trends for the Service. These tools collect information sent by your browser or mobile device, including the pages you visit and other information that assists us in improving the Service. We collect and use this analytics information in aggregate form such that it cannot reasonably be manipulated to identify any particular individual user.

Device identifiers:

When you access the Service by or through a mobile device (including but not limited to smart-phones or tablets), we may access, collect, monitor and/or remotely store one or more “device identifiers,” such as a universally unique identifier (“UUID”). Device identifiers are small data files or similar data structures stored on or associated with your mobile device, which uniquely identify your mobile device. A device identifier may be data stored in connection with the device hardware, data stored in connection with the device’s operating system or other software, or data sent to the device by wikiHow. A device identifier may convey information to us about how you browse and use the Service. A device identifier may remain persistently on your device, to help you log in faster and enhance your navigation through the Service. Some features of the Service may not function properly if use or availability of device identifiers is impaired or disabled.

Location data:

When you access the Service by or through a mobile device, we may access, collect, monitor and/or remotely store “location data,” which may include GPS coordinates (e.g. latitude and/or longitude) or similar information regarding the location of your mobile device. Location data may convey to us information about how you browse and use the Service. Some features of the Service, particularly location-based services, may not function properly if use or availability of location data is impaired or disabled.

Use of certain service type information we collect about you:

We use or may use cookies, log file, device identifiers, location data and clear gifs information to: (a) remember information so that you will not have to re-enter it during your visit or the next time you visit the site; (b) provide custom, personalized content and information; (c) to provide and monitor the effectiveness of our Service; (d) monitor aggregate metrics such as total number of visitors, traffic, and demographic patterns; (e) diagnose or fix technology problems; (f) help you efficiently access your information after you sign in; (g) to provide advertising to your browser or device, and (h) automatically update the SOTR application on your mobile devices.

Sharing of Your Information

We will not rent or sell your information into third parties outside SOTR without your consent, except as noted below:

1. Who we may share your information with: We may share your information with third-party business partners and Trusted Users for the purpose of providing the Service to you. Third party business partners will be given limited access to your information as is reasonably necessary to deliver the Service, and we will require that such third parties comply with this Privacy Policy, or operate under a similar privacy policy.

2. Who can see User Content: Any User Content that you voluntarily disclose for posting to the Service becomes available to the public and cannot be removed, except by SOTR in its sole discretion. Once posted on SOTR, User Content may not be removable from public view, as copies may remain viewable in cached and archived pages of the Service, on other sites that have republished us, or if other Users have copied or saved that information. If you do not wish your User Content to be available to the public, please don’t post it on SOTR. Your username and if you choose to disclose it, your real name, will be published publicly. Once published your username and / or real name may not be able to be removed.

3. Who can see your IP address: If you post User Content on the Service while not logged in, your IP address will be published with your User Content in order to attribute your contribution to the Service. A selection of Trusted Users with administrative powers on SOTR have the ability to review IP addresses of users to reduce abusive behavior. Any third party service embedded on SOTR such as an advertiser, video provider, social network or other third party will also have access to your IP address.

4. Who can see your email address: If you enter an email address, you will enable communication from SOTR.

Instances where we are required to share your information:

SOTR will disclose your information where required to do so by law or subpoena or if we reasonably believe that such action is necessary to (a) comply with the law and the reasonable requests of law enforcement; (b) to enforce our Terms of Use or to protect the security, quality or integrity of our Service; and/or (c) to exercise or protect the rights, property, or personal safety of SOTR, our Users, or others.

Sharing certain service type information we collect about you:

We may share certain service type information, including information obtained through tools such as cookies, log files, device identifiers, location data and clear gifs (such as anonymous usage data, referring/exit pages and URLs, platform types, number of clicks, etc.): (i) with our third-party business partners for the purposes described in the section above on “How We Collect and Use Information.” We may also aggregate or otherwise strip data of all personally identifying characteristics and may share that aggregated, anonymized data with third parties.

Ads on SOTR:

We may also share certain information such as your location, browser, and cookie data and other data relating to your use of our Service with our business partners to deliver advertisements (“ads”) that may be of interest to you. SOTR may allow third-party ad servers or ad networks to serve advertisements on the Service. These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to send, directly to your browser or mobile device, the ads and ad links that appear on the Service, and will automatically receive your IP address when they do so. They may also use other technologies (such as cookies, JavaScript, device identifiers, location data, and clear gifs, see above) to compile information about your browser’s or device’s visits and usage patterns on the Service and on other websites, and to measure the effectiveness of their ads and to personalize the advertising content delivered to you.

Please note that an advertiser may ask SOTR to show an ad to a certain audience of Users (e.g., based on demographics or other interests). In that situation, SOTR or our Partners determines the target audience and SOTR serves the advertising to that audience and only provides anonymous data to the advertiser. If you respond to such an ad, the advertiser or ad server may conclude that you fit the description of the audience they are trying to reach.

To enhance your user experience or help us improve and measure our effectiveness, wikiHow may embed code from third parties on the Service. Examples of such parties may include Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google, YouTube, AOL, and others. These third parties may collect information about you including IP address, cookies in ways SOTR does not control.

The SOTR Privacy Policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of third-parties. Please consult the respective privacy policies of such third parties or contact such third parties for more information.

How We Store and Protect Your Information

Storage and Processing:

Your information collected through the Service may be stored and processed in the United States.

Keeping your information safe:

SOTR cares about the security of your information, and uses commercially reasonable safeguards to preserve the integrity and security of all information collected.

Compromise of information:

In the event that any information under our control is compromised as a result of a breach of security, SOTR will take reasonable steps to investigate the situation and where appropriate, notify those individuals whose information may have been compromised and take other steps, in accordance with any applicable laws and regulations.

Your Choices about Your Information

We make every effort to promptly process all unsubscribe requests. As noted above, you may not opt out of Service-related communications (e.g., account verification, purchase and billing confirmations and reminders, changes/updates to features of the Service, technical and security notices). If you have any questions about reviewing or modifying your account information, you can contact us directly at [email protected].

Opting out of collection of your information for Tracking / Advertising:

Please refer to your mobile device or browser’s technical information for instructions on how to delete and disable cookies, and other tracking/recording tools. Depending on your type of device, it may not be possible to delete or disable tracking mechanisms on your mobile device. Note that disabling cookies and/or other tracking tools prevents wikiHow or its business partners from tracking your browser’s activities in relation to the Service, and for use in targeted advertising activities by third parties. However, doing so may disable many of the features available through the Service. If you have any questions about opting out of the collection of cookies and other tracking/recording tools, you can contact us directly at [email protected].

How long we keep your private profile information:

Following termination of your User account, SOTR may retain your private profile information for a commercially reasonable time for backup, archival, or audit purposes. For the avoidance of doubt, any information that you choose to make public on the service may not be removable.

Children’s Privacy

SOTR does not knowingly collect or solicit any information from anyone under the age of 13 or knowingly allow such persons to register as Users. The Service and its content are not directed at children under the age of 13. In the event that we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under age 13 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe that we might have any information from or about a child under 13, please contact us at [email protected].

Links to Other Websites and Services

We are not responsible for the practices employed by websites or services linked to or from the Service, including the information or content contained therein. Please remember that when you use a link to go from the Service to another website, our Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party websites or services. Your browsing and interaction on any third-party website or service, including those that have a link or advertisement on our website, are subject to that third party’s own rules and policies. In addition, you agree that we are not responsible and we do not control over any third-parties that you authorize to access your User Content. If you are using a third-party website or service (like Facebook, Google groups, or an IRC chatroom) and you allow such a third-party access to you User Content you do so at your own risk. This Privacy Policy does not apply to information we collect by other means (including offline) or from other sources other than through the Service.