1. Introduction

Welcome to The Universal Story ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website theuniversalstory.sbs (the "Site") and use our services.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By accessing or using our Site, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by all the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Site.

2. Information We Collect

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
• Fill out a contact form
• Leave comments on blog posts
• Participate in surveys or promotions
• Contact us directly via email, phone, or social media

This information may include your name, email address, phone number, postal address, and other information you choose to provide.

2.2. Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our Site, we automatically collect certain information about your device and usage patterns, including:

• Device information (such as your IP address, browser type, operating system)
• Usage data (such as pages visited, time spent on the Site, referring/exit pages)
• Location information (based on your IP address)

2.3. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, personalize content, and deliver targeted advertisements. For more information about our use of cookies, please see Section 6 of this Privacy Policy.

3. How We Use Your Information

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

• Providing, maintaining, and improving our Site and services
• Processing and fulfilling your requests and transactions
• Sending you administrative communications, such as confirmations, updates, and security notices
• Delivering newsletters, marketing communications, and promotional materials about our services that may be of interest to you
• Responding to your inquiries, comments, and feedback
• Monitoring and analyzing usage patterns, trends, and user preferences to improve our Site and services
• Protecting our rights, property, or safety, and that of our users or others
• Complying with legal obligations and resolving disputes

4. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information with the following categories of third parties:

4.1. Service Providers

We may share your information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as web hosting, data analysis, payment processing, email delivery, and other similar services.

4.2. Business Partners

We may share your information with our business partners to offer you certain products, services, or promotions that may be of interest to you.

4.3. Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court or government agency).

4.4. Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, or other sale of all or a portion of our assets, any personal information that we possess about our users may be among the assets transferred.

4.5. With Your Consent

We may share your information with other third parties with your consent or direction to do so.

5. Analytics and Advertising

We use third-party analytics services, such as Google Analytics, to help us understand how users engage with our Site. These services may collect information about your online activities over time and across different websites.

We also work with third-party advertising companies to serve advertisements when you visit our Site or other websites. These companies may use information about your visits to this and other websites to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you.

We currently use the following analytics and advertising services:

• Google Analytics
• Facebook Pixel

You can learn more about how to opt out of Google Analytics by visiting https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

6. Cookies Policy

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience on our Site. Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device when you visit a website. They help us recognize your device and remember certain information about your visit.

6.1. Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential cookies: These are necessary for the Site to function and cannot be switched off. They are usually set in response to actions you take, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in, or filling in forms.
• Analytical/performance cookies: These cookies allow us to recognize and count the number of visitors and see how visitors move around our Site. This helps us improve the way our Site works.
• Functionality cookies: These cookies enable the Site to remember choices you make (such as your preferred language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, personalized features.
• Targeting cookies: These cookies record your visit to our Site, the pages you have visited, and the links you have followed. We use this information to make our Site and the advertising displayed on it more relevant to your interests.

6.2. Cookie Management

You can manage your cookie preferences through the cookie consent banner displayed when you first visit our Site. You can also control cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may impact your experience on our Site.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized or unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction, or damage. However, please note that no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. When determining the specific retention period, we take into account various criteria, such as the type of service provided, the nature and length of our relationship with you, and legal or operational retention needs.

9. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. These may include:

• The right to access the personal information we hold about you
• The right to request correction of inaccurate personal information
• The right to request deletion of your personal information
• The right to restrict or object to the processing of your personal information
• The right to data portability
• The right to withdraw consent

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the "Contact Us" section below.

9.1. Email Marketing

You can unsubscribe from our marketing email list at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us using the details provided below. You will still receive transaction-related emails.

10. Children's Privacy

Our Site is not intended for children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 16, please contact us immediately, and we will take steps to remove such information from our servers.

11. International Data Transfers

Your personal information may be transferred to, and processed in, countries other than the country in which you reside. These countries may have data protection laws that are different from the laws of your country. Whenever we transfer your personal information outside of your country, we ensure a similar degree of protection is afforded to it by implementing appropriate safeguards.

12. Third-Party Links

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites and services that are not owned or controlled by us. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party websites or services. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites or services that you visit.

13. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. The updated version will be indicated by an updated "Last Updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at:

The Universal Story
1 Rachel Burg
Murrayview
LS25 2AY
United Kingdom

Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 250 869 0238