1. Types of Cookie Technologies

Cookies are small data files sent from a server to your web browser. They are stored in your browser’s cache and allow a website or a third party to recognize your browser. There are three primary types of cookies:

• Session cookies are specific to a particular visit and carry information as you view different pages so you do not have to re-enter information every time you change pages or attempt to checkout. Session cookies expire and delete themselves automatically in a short period of time like after you leave the Site or when you close your web browser.
• Persistent cookies (Long-term cookies) remember certain information about your preferences for viewing the site, and allow Platsify to recognize you each time you return. Persistent cookies are stored on your browser cache until you choose to delete them, and otherwise typically delete themselves at expiration.
• Third-party cookies are placed by someone other than Platsify, and may gather browsing activity across multiple websites and across multiple sessions. They are usually a type of persistent cookie and are stored until you delete them or they expire based on the time period set in each third-party cookie.

Cookies store data about your use, but they are helpful because they allow us to help Platsify function and customize your experience. You can configure your desktop or mobile browser's settings to reflect your preference to accept or reject cookies, including how to handle third-party cookies (see Part 5 - Managing Your Cookie Technology Preferences below).

2. Purposes

Platsify uses Cookie Technologies to recognize your logged-in state on Platsify, to understand what purchases members and visitors are interested in, to make Platsify's Sites function for you, and to help your browsing experience and use of the Site feel more customized. More generally, Platsify uses Cookie Technologies for the following.

Security and Authentication (Required)

Some cookie and similar technology functions are necessary and vital to ensuring that Platsify works properly for visitors and members, such as maintaining the security, safety, and integrity of the Site, authentication and logging into Platsify (including remembering permissions and consents you have granted), and ensuring the ability to securely complete transactions.

Account and User Preferences

Some technologies are used to remember your account and preferences over time, such as keeping yourself logged in when returning to Platsify, maintaining your choices on Platsify features and how you want Platsify to appear (including keeping track of your preferred language and country), and customizing content based on how you use Platsify.

Social Networks

Some technologies help you to interact with social networks you are signed into while using the Services, such as sharing content with the social network, logging in with the social network, and other features you employ with the social network, or that are allowed in the social network’s privacy policy. These may be set and controlled by the social networks, and your preferences with those social networks.

Social networks may also work with Platsify or with you for analytics or for marketing purposes, as discussed below. You may be able to manage your privacy preferences for these social networks and their tools and widgets via your account with the social network.

Performance and Analytics

Some technologies help provide performance data on how the Services are functioning in order to improve Platsify and the Services, including, for example, data on site and app functionality and speed to help us optimize Platsify, how the Services are used to help us improve your experience on Platsify, and detecting and gathering reporting on bugs to help make Platsify work better.

In addition, Platsify may employ transient technologies, including cookies or local stored objects, for site performance, experiments, form information, and interactions with the site, and may use temporary, short-term cookies for limited-time site events such as sales and promotions.

The Site employs Google Analytics to help understand how Platsify is used by its community. For some of the advertising features listed below, like retargeting, data from Google Analytics may be combined with Platsify's first-party data and third-party cookies (like Google’s advertising cookies) as permitted by Google’s and Platsify's respective policies. To see how to opt-out of Google Analytics Advertising Features, see Managing your Cookie Technology Preferences at the bottom of this policy. 

Interest-based Ads & Marketing Services

Platsify partners with third-party service providers that may use various Cookie Technologies to permit us and them to learn about which ads you see and click when you visit Platsify and affiliated sites or to show you ads on and off Platsify. These may include things such as:

• Frequency capping, which limits the number of times a user’s browser or mobile device displays the same ad;
• Attribution tracking, which estimates which advertising or marketing source brought someone to Platsify, or determines which marketing source led to actions like a visit or a purchase;
• Remarketing and retargeting, which shows relevant ads to an audience based on prior shopping and browsing patterns on Platsify;
• Audience targeting, which refers to targeting advertisements to a large audience based on the audience’s known or inferred demographics
• Cross-device recognition, which recognizes actions across multiple devices or browsers.

Some third-party service providers may provide information like demographics, cross-device information, or interest categories from a combination of sources that, while not identifying you personally, permit us to provide you with more relevant and useful advertising. In some cases, this information may have non-marketing performance analytics uses as well.

These technologies allow a partner to recognize your computer, mobile device or network device (like an IoT device such as a voice-activated assistant or smart TV), each time you visit Platsify or other websites and mobile applications based on data like a cookie, your IP address, or device ID, but do not allow access to other personal information from Platsify. However, these technologies may allow us or a third party to recognize you, either from a single device or across devices, over time. These third parties are required to follow applicable laws, self-regulatory programs, and Platsify's data protection rules where applicable. Platsify does not have control over these third parties, who each have their own privacy policies and privacy practices. You can learn more about how to exercise control and choice over the personal information collected about you in the Opt-out of Third-Party Networks section below. Platsify adheres to the Digital Advertising Alliance's Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising.

For audience targeting, Platsify may share hashed identifiers that represent an email address or name, along with other information you provide to us such as approximate location, birthday and/or phone number, with partners such as Google and/or Facebook so they can provide Platsify with audiences interested in specific types of products and services. Google and/or Facebook will only provide this information, and can only identify you, based on their separate policies and agreements with their users.

3. Consent, Contract, and Legitimate Interests in Processing

Certain Cookie Technologies are employed to make the Site function for its intended purpose, and are provided based on contractual necessity based on your agreement with Platsify to perform the services you have requested. These include the functions strictly necessary to the service noted above.

By choosing to use our Services after having been notified of our use of Cookie Technologies in the ways described in this Policy, and, in applicable jurisdictions, through notice and unambiguous acknowledgement of your consent, you agree to such use. More information is laid out in our Privacy Policy.

4. Managing Your Cookie Technology Preferences

You have the ability to control the use of certain Cookie Technologies. You can opt out of third party marketing cookies and similar technologies via the Privacy Settings link available at the bottom of most Platsify site pages, or via the GDPR Preferences link for users in the European Union and EEA. You can also manage your Platsify marketing preferences in the Cookies bar that appears the first time you visit Platsify.com.

Opt-in and Opt-out for Browsers

In addition, when you use Platsify via a browser, you can change your web browser's settings to reflect your cookie preferences. Each browser is a little different, but usually these settings are under the "options" or "preferences" menu. The links below provide information about cookie settings for the browsers supported by Platsify:

• Chrome
• Microsoft Edge
• Firefox
• Safari

Google Analytics Opt-out

For Google Analytics Advertising Features, you can opt-out through Google Ads Settings, Ad Settings for mobile apps, or any other available means (for example, the NAI's consumer opt-out listed above). Google also provides a Google Analytics opt-out plug-in for the web.

Third-Party Tools

Various third parties provide browser plug-ins and apps that can help provide you information on and limit or block third-party cookies, web beacons, and some Javascript-based technologies. Platsify cannot vouch for the efficacy of a particular third-party product, but popular products that provide these privacy enhancements include Ghostery and AdBlock Plus.

Both Google and Facebook provide tools to control use of advertising on their respective platforms, including advertising on and with Platsify. More information can be found in your account settings on the respective platforms, including in Google’s Privacy Center and in Facebook’s Ad Settings.

Mobile and Third Party Device Opt-out

If you access Etsy through the Apps, you may also control interest-based advertising on an iOS or Android device by selecting the “Limit Ad Tracking” option in the privacy section of the Settings App on iOS or via advertising preferences on Android-based devices (usually in the Google Settings app). This will not prevent you from seeing advertisements but will limit the use of device advertising identifiers to personalize ads based on your interests.

For third party IoT devices such as voice activated assistants or smart TVs, consult with the manufacturer and/or service provider for the opt out mechanism for their respective devices and services.