LAST UPDATED:  January 19, 2021

This Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) explains how FrankCom and Associates, Inc., a Washington corporation doing business as Alpha News Stream (“ANS”, “we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, and shares your personal information, and the choices that are available to you. Our Privacy Policy applies to all who use our website, alphanewsstream.com (the “Site”), the ANS API which generates custom source code, and any online services, applications, and tools that we own or control (regardless of how you access or use them) (collectively, the “Services”). This Privacy Policy is incorporated in our Terms of Use, which also apply when you use our Services.  Capitalized terms used in this Privacy Policy that are not defined herein shall bear the meanings set forth in the Terms of Use.

Your use of the Services is subject to this Privacy Policy. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. We may change this Privacy Policy at any time. Please take a look at the “LAST UPDATED” legend at the top of this page to see when this Privacy Policy was last revised. Any changes to this Privacy Policy will become effective when we post the revised Privacy Policy on the Site.  Unless otherwise prohibited by law, continued use of the Site or Services after posting of a new version of the Privacy Policy is deemed to be your consent to the collection, use, and processing of your personal information.

1.                  How We Collect Your Information. 

1.1.            When you visit and interact with our Services, we may collect certain information about you, including personal information. “Personal Information” means information that specifically identifies you or, when combined with other information we have, can be used to identify you, such as your name, email address, company name, account name and login credentials for using the Services, reading history, purchase history, payment information, and your communication preferences with ANS. ANS does not collect any Personal Information from you through the Services unless you voluntarily choose to provide us with such information. We never collect sensitive personal data such as gender, home contact details, ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, or sexuality. In some cases, if you choose not to provide us with the requested Personal Information, you may not be able to use some or all of our Services.

1.2.            We may automatically collect certain information about you and store it in our log files when you use and interact with our Services, such as data collected from Cookies (defined below) and other automated technology. This information may include details about the content you purchase or the emails we send that you open, forward, or click through to our Services, Internet Protocol (IP) address, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date and time stamps, sites visited before and after interacting with our Services, page views, page navigation, links that are clicked, ad blocker status, and certain device data (such as operating system type, device type or model, location, browser type and version, user language, and other system settings).

1.3.            ANS collects Personal Information about you through the Services when you:

(a)      register or login into your account;

(b)     purchase Subscriptions or Services;

(c)      open or respond to our email offers;

(d)     contact customer service or otherwise make use of our customer support tools; or

(e)      when you otherwise voluntarily provide us with your Personal Information.

1.4.            When You Make Purchases.  When you purchase any Services or Subscriptions, we ask you to provide certain financial information that we need in order to complete your order. Financial information includes payment card data (e.g., credit card number, expiration date, CVV, and the card holder name and address) or, if you opt for payment via a third party payment provider whose services are made available on the Site, the necessary information those third party payment providers require for processing the transaction. We do not store any payment card information. All payment card information is stored by our trusted third-party payment processors.

1.5.            Personal Information Collected by Automated Means.  As with most online services, we gather certain Personal Information about your interaction with our Services and store it in our log files. We may also use “Cookies”, web beacons/pixel tags, and other similar technology to collect Personal Information about you when you visit our Site or otherwise interact with our Services or emails. “Cookies” are small bits of data cached or stored on your computer based on Internet activity. These technologies help us track and understand how individuals use and interact with our Services as well as to offer you customized content or recommendations based on your specific interests; and otherwise manage our Services. Your access to our Services should not be affected if you do not accept Cookies served by third parties.

The table below explains the cookies we use and why:

2.                  How We Use Your Information

2.1.            We use the Personal Information we collect for various purposes, including to:

(a)               operate, maintain, and improve the Services and overall customer experience, including receiving feedback from you related to our products and Services;

(b)               establish an account for you at your request through which you may access the Services;

(c)               process purchases and keep you informed about your account;

(d)               provide customer service (for example, answering your questions or responding to a request);

(e)               communicate and provide additional information that may be of interest to you about ANS;

(f)                identify your preferences so we can notify you of new or additional content, services, and promotions that might be of interest to you;

(g)               validate your ability to access certain content or use certain Subscriptions;

(h)               send you reminders, updates, support, administrative messages, service-related announcements, marketing messages, and requested information;

(i)                 perform analytics and conduct customer research;

(j)                 allow you to interact with certain third-party content service providers (for example, to enable you to link to, or view content from, third-party sites within our Services, or view our content on a third-party site);

(k)               administer special offers from us;

(l)                 enhance other information we have about you to help us better understand you and determine your interests;

(m)             meet legal requirements, including responding to subpoenas and complying with other court orders, valid discovery requests, and other appropriate legal procedures, or as otherwise allowed in accordance with applicable law;

(n)               comply with regulatory or supervisory audits and investigations;

(o)               provide information to our representatives and advisors, including our attorneys and accountants, to help us comply with legal, accounting, or security requirements related to our legitimate interests;

(p)               prosecute and defend a court, arbitration, or other legal proceeding;

(q)               resolve disputes and troubleshoot problems; or

(r)                manage our everyday business needs, such as administration of the Services, fulfillment, analytics, fraud prevention, and enforcement of our corporate reporting obligations and Terms of Use. 

2.2.            We may use information collected as described in this Privacy Policy with your consent or as otherwise required or permitted by law. 

3.                  How We Share Your Information

3.1.         Personal Information. We may share your Personal Information as required or permitted by law as follows:

(a)      with any of our affiliates, who may only use your Personal Information for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy;

(b)     with our vendors who provide services for us on our behalf, such as processing and fulfilling payment orders for Services or Subscriptions, data storage, assistance with direct marketing and distribution of emails and other communications, fraud prevention services, and to accomplish the other purposes for collection described above;

(c)      in the event we or any of our affiliates file for bankruptcy, or where there is a transfer of ownership (or assets) in connection with proposed or consummated corporate reorganizations of ANS or any of our affiliates, such as mergers, acquisitions, or sales of business units;

(d)     to comply with legal orders and lawful government requests;

(e)      to combat fraud or criminal activity, and to protect our rights or those of our affiliates, users, and business partners, or as part of legal proceedings affecting ANS;

(f)       in response to a subpoena, court order, or similar legal process, including to law enforcement agencies, regulators, and courts in the United States and other countries where we operate;

(g)     with third parties as needed to protect another person’s rights, property, or safety (including if we believe that you are using our products or services in an illegal or unauthorized manner); or

(h)     with your consent.

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3.2.         We share your Personal Information with the following:

3.2.             

3.3.            We do not sell or rent Personal Information we collect from you for any purpose without your explicit consent. 

3.4.            Without limiting the above, in an effort to respect your privacy we will not otherwise disclose your Personal Information except when we believe in good faith that the disclosure of information is necessary to prevent imminent physical harm or financial loss or to report suspected illegal activity, all in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

4.                  Other Third-Party Websites and Services. 

4.1.            Third Party Websites and Services. Our Services may contain links to, or have features that are hosted by, other third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by us. For example, our Services generate a collated list of news headlines which, if clicked on by you, will take you to the third party location of the article or story.  We also make it possible for you to pay for our Services directly with certain third-party payment processing providers.

4.2.            What this Privacy Policy Covers. This Privacy Policy only addresses the collection, use, and disclosure of information by ANS through your interaction with our Services. This Privacy Policy does not address the policies or practices of any third parties or any third-party websites or features that are linked to or available from our Services.

4.3.            Third Party Terms. We have no control over or responsibility for the privacy practices and content of linked services or features, or any other third-party services. If you provide any information to any other third parties (e.g., social media services, payment processor providers), different rules regarding the collection and use of your Personal Information by such third parties may apply. As such, we strongly recommend that you review any other third-party’s privacy policies before providing information to them. You should contact these entities directly if you have any questions about their privacy practices.

5.                  Your Choices.

5.1.            Commercial Emails. You may choose to opt-out of receiving commercial emails from us by following the instructions contained in any of the commercial e-mails. [If you choose to opt-out of receiving commercial emails your name and contact information will be added to a “do not contact” list until such time as you re-subscribe to such commercial emails.]  Please note that even if you unsubscribe from commercial email messages, we may still email you non-commercial (transactional) emails related to your account and your transactions via the Services. Also, please allow us 10 business days from when the request was received to complete the removal.

5.2.            EU Users. If you are a user based in the EU, we only send you commercial emails when we have obtained your explicit prior opt-in consent, except where we have obtained your e-mail address in the course of a sale or negotiations for a sale of a product or service and where the commercial emails are only marketing similar products or services.

5.3.            Cookies and Tracking. You can disable Cookies at any time by adjusting your browser settings. Browsers are different, so refer to instructions related to your browser to learn about cookie-related and other privacy and security settings that may be available. Please be aware, however, that if you turn off Cookies, you may not be able to take full advantage of all of our Services’ features.

5.4.            Do Not Track. We are required by certain state laws to indicate whether we comply with “Do No Track” settings in your browser.  Currently, we comply with the terms and standards of this Privacy Policy and do not alter our data collection and use practices in response to Do Not Track signals.

5.5.            Accessing your Personal Information. Subject to applicable law, you have the right to obtain request access to and receive information about the Personal Information we keep about you, receive copies of the Personal Information we keep about you, correct inaccuracies with your Personal Information, object to the processing of your Personal Information, and have your Personal Information blocked, anonymized or deleted, as appropriate. The right to access Personal Information may be limited by local law requirements. To exercise your rights, please contact us at the email address set forth in the “Contact Us” section below.

6.                  How We Protect Your Personal Information.

6.1.            The security of your Personal Information is very important to us. All Personal Information we collect or receive is encrypted and stored on servers located in the United States so your Personal Information may be transferred to, stored, or processed in the United States.  We maintain commercially reasonable security safeguards that are designed to protect the Personal Information we collect against unauthorized use, disclosure, alteration or destruction. We also restrict access to Personal Information to only those employees and representatives of ANS that have a need to know the Personal Information.  Notwithstanding the steps we have taken to protect your Personal Information, no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, ANS cannot guarantee or warrant that your Personal Information is under absolute security with the existing security technology. If you have any questions about the security of our Services, you can contact us here.

6.2.            We store Personal Information only for as long as it is necessary for the fulfillment of the purpose for which the Personal Information was collected, unless otherwise authorized by applicable law. We take measures to destroy information if required by law or if the Personal Information is no longer required for the purpose for which we collected it.

7.                  Minor’s Privacy.

ANS does not intend that any portion of its Services will be accessed or used by children under the age of thirteen, and such use is prohibited. Our Services are designed and intended for adults. By using the Services, you represent that you are at least 18 years old and understand that you must be at least 18 years old in order to create an account and purchase Subscriptions or Services. If we obtain actual knowledge that an account is associated with a registered user who is not at least 18 years old, we will promptly delete information associated with that account. If you are a parent or guardian of a child under the age of 13 and believe he or she has disclosed Personal Information to us, please contact us here. A parent or guardian of a child under the age of 13 may review and request deletion of such child’s Personal Information and prohibit the use of such information.

8.                  International Users. 

If you live outside the United States (including the European Economic Area and Switzerland), and you use the Services or provide us with Personal Information directly via the Services, your information will be handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Your Personal Information will be collected and stored in the United States, and will be subject to the laws of the United States. By using the Services or giving us your Personal Information, you are directly transferring your Personal Information to us in the United States. Please note that the data protection and privacy laws of the United States may not be as protective as the laws in your country. The laws of the United States will govern the processing of your Personal Information, including any obligations of security and third-party information sharing.

9.                  Accessing, Reviewing, and Changing your Personal Information and Other Data Rights

Depending on where you are located, you may have various data protection rights including:

·                     The right to access – you may have the right to request ANS to provide you with copies of your personal information collected or received by us. 

·                     The right to rectification – you may have the right to request ANS to correct or complete any information which you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.

·                     The right to be informed – you may have the right to be informed about how your personal information is being used.

·                     The right to erasure – you may have the right to request that ANS delete your personal information, under certain conditions.

·                     The right to restrict processing – you may have the right to request that ANS restrict the processing of your personal information under certain conditions.

·                     The right to data portability – you may have the right to request that ANS transfer the personal information we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.

·                     The right to object to automatic processing – you may have the right to restrict automatic processing of your personal information, under certain conditions.

You can request details of what personal information ANS holds about you or exercise any of your data protection rights at any time by contacting us here. We will respond to requests within thirty (30) days and may request additional information from you to verify the request.

10.              California Privacy Rights.

If you are a California resident you may have additional rights to data protection and privacy under the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”).  Under the CCPA, you have the right to request that businesses (as defined in the CCPA) disclose certain information to you about the business’ collection and use of your personal information during the preceding 12 month period.  Additionally, you also have the right to request that the business delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.  If the business sells personal information you have a right to request that your personal information not be sold.  A business cannot discriminate against you for exercising any of your rights under the CCPA.

In the event that you provided your personal information directly to ANS through your use of the Services, and you would like to exercise your rights under the CCPA, please contact us here. We may need to verify your identity before we can respond to your request.  ANS does not, and has never, sold the personal information we collect to any third party.

In the event that you choose to exercise your rights under the CCPA, ANS will not discriminate against you by charging you different prices or provide you with a different quality of products or services.  Some of the services ANS provides, including access to your paid Services and Subscriptions, are contingent on your providing ANS your personal information, including, but not limited to, your name, email address, and credit card information.  We believe that the benefit of the features are reasonably related to the value of the personal information that you provide.

11.              Contact Us.

If you have any questions or comments about our privacy practices or this Privacy Policy, if you have a concern about the way in which we have handled Personal Information, or to exercise any of your data rights, please contact us here.