Last Updated: February 16, 2025

Welcome to ConnectHV (“we,” “us,” or “our”). ConnectHV is an online directory and Slack community primarily intended for residents of New York (the “Service”). We respect your privacy and are committed to safeguarding the personal information (“Personal Data”) you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how your information is collected, used, disclosed, and protected when you use our website, online directory, Slack community, and any related services (collectively, the “Platform”).

By accessing or using the Platform, you consent to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of our Platform.

1. Scope of this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to Personal Data collected through:

• Our website, including connecthv.com and any subdomains.
• The ConnectHV Slack community (the “Slack Community”).
• Any other tools or services provided by ConnectHV that link to or reference this policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Account Registration Information: When you create an account or profile on the Platform, we may collect your name, email address, password, address, website URL, zip code, profile picture, username, and any other information you choose to provide.
• Slack Community Information: If you join our Slack Community, we may collect and store your Slack username and any information you choose to share in the community. Note that Slack is provided by a third party, which may collect its own set of information subject to Slack’s Privacy Policy.
• Communication Information: When you contact us (e.g., via email, contact form, or Slack), we collect the content of your messages, your contact details, and any other information you submit.
• Payment/Transaction Information (if applicable): If we offer paid features or services, we may collect payment information such as billing address and payment method. Actual payment card details may be handled by third-party payment processors (e.g., Stripe, PayPal) in accordance with their privacy policies; we do not store your full card details.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Log Data: Our servers automatically record information when you access our Platform. This may include your IP address, device type, browser type, operating system, the web page you visited before coming to our Platform, pages or features of our Platform you browse, and the dates and times of your visits.
• Cookies and Session Storage: We use cookies, sessionStorage, and similar technologies (e.g., localStorage) to remember user preferences, personalize your experience, and analyze usage. See Section 8 for more details.
• Analytics: We use third-party analytics services such as Google Analytics, Mixpanel, FullStory, and Sentry to help us understand how you use the Platform. These services may collect your IP address, usage data, device details, and other analytics data.

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third parties, such as:

• MailerLite for email marketing and communication management.
• AWS, DigitalOcean, Mailgun, Ghost, and other infrastructure providers that help us deliver our services.
• Publicly available sources (e.g., public databases, social media platforms) if you integrate or link your profile with these services.

3. How We Use Your Information

We process your Personal Data for the following purposes and legal bases (where applicable):

Service Delivery

• To register and manage user accounts.
• To provide and maintain our online directory, Slack Community, and related features.
• Legal Basis: Contractual necessity (where a contract applies) and/or legitimate interests.

Communication and Support

• To respond to your inquiries, provide support, and send you administrative messages (e.g., policy updates).
• Legal Basis: Legitimate interests or consent (where required by law).

Analytics and Platform Improvement

• To understand how users interact with our Platform, diagnose potential issues, and improve user experience.
• Legal Basis: Legitimate interests or consent (where required by law).

Marketing and Promotions

• To send you promotional emails or newsletters about our services, events, or other updates we think may interest you via MailerLite (in accordance with your preferences and applicable law).
• Legal Basis: Consent or legitimate interests (where consent is not required).

Security and Fraud Prevention

• To detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent transactions, abuse of our Platform, and other illegal activities.
• Legal Basis: Legitimate interests or compliance with legal obligations.

Legal Compliance

• To comply with applicable legal or regulatory obligations, and to respond to lawful requests by public authorities.
• Legal Basis: Legal obligations.

4. Disclosure of Your Information

We do not sell your Personal Data. We may share or disclose your Personal Data under the following circumstances:

Service Providers and Vendors

We share information with trusted third-party providers who assist us in operating the Platform. These include:

• Google Analytics, Mixpanel, FullStory, and Sentry for analytics and error monitoring.
• MailerLite for email marketing campaigns and subscriber management.
• AWS and DigitalOcean for cloud infrastructure and hosting services.
• Mailgun for email sending and delivery.
• Ghost (if used for content management or publication tools).

These service providers are authorized to process your Personal Data only as necessary to provide services to us.

Slack Community

When you participate in the Slack Community, your Slack username, profile picture, and any information you voluntarily share in the channels may be visible to other community members. Slack’s own privacy policy governs how Slack handles your data.

Business Transfers

If ConnectHV is involved in a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your Personal Data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any changes in ownership or uses of your Personal Data.

Legal Obligations

We may disclose Personal Data if required to do so by law or if we believe, in good faith, that such action is necessary to:

• Comply with a legal obligation.
• Protect and defend our rights or property.
• Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing.
• Protect the personal safety of users or the public.
• Protect against legal liability.

With Your Consent

We will share your Personal Data with third parties if and when you consent to such sharing.

5. Retention of Your Information

We retain your Personal Data for as long as it is necessary to provide our services, fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When we no longer need your Personal Data, we will securely delete or anonymize it in accordance with applicable laws.

6. Data Security

We use commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical measures to protect your Personal Data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Secure hosting via AWS and DigitalOcean.
• Encryption in transit (HTTPS) for web traffic.
• Access controls and authentication mechanisms.

However, no internet-based service is entirely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data, and any transmission of data is at your own risk.

7. Your Rights and Choices

7.1 Your Rights (for Residents of Certain Jurisdictions)

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your Personal Data:

• Right to Access: The right to request a copy of the Personal Data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: The right to correct any incomplete or inaccurate information about you.
• Right to Erasure: The right to request we delete your Personal Data under certain conditions.
• Right to Restrict Processing: The right to request we temporarily or permanently stop processing your data.
• Right to Data Portability: The right to request a copy of your Personal Data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to Object: The right to object to our processing of your Personal Data under certain conditions.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: If we process your Personal Data on the basis of consent, you can withdraw your consent at any time.

7.2 Exercise of Rights

If you wish to exercise these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 11. We will respond to your request in accordance with applicable data protection laws. We may require certain additional information from you to verify your identity.

7.3 Marketing Communications

You can opt out of marketing emails by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of our emails or by contacting us. Please note that you may still receive non-promotional messages from us, such as service notifications or account-related information.

8. Cookies, SessionStorage, and Similar Technologies

We use cookies, sessionStorage, and similar technologies to:

• Remember User Preferences: Cookies help us store user settings (e.g., login status, language preferences).
• Analytics: We use tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, FullStory, and Sentry to analyze user behavior and improve our Platform. These tools may use cookies or similar technologies to collect data on how you interact with the Platform.
• Advertising (If Applicable): We may use cookies or similar technologies for limited advertising or promotional purposes.

You can typically disable or remove cookies through your browser settings. Note that if you choose to reject all cookies, some features of our Platform may not function properly.

9. Children’s Privacy

Our Platform is not intended for individuals under the age of 13 (or other age as required by local law). We do not knowingly collect Personal Data from children under this age. If you become aware that a child has provided us with Personal Data, please contact us immediately at the details provided in Section 11, and we will take steps to delete such information.

10. International Users

ConnectHV is primarily intended for residents of New York in the United States. If you are visiting from outside the U.S., please note that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the U.S. or other countries where our service providers are located. By using our Platform, you consent to such transfers.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or wish to exercise any of your rights regarding your Personal Data, please contact us at:

ConnectHV
PO Box 319
Wallkill, NY 12589
Email: jordan@connecthv.com

We will respond to your inquiry as soon as reasonably possible and in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

12. Changes 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. Any updates will be posted on this page with a new “Last Updated” date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about our data practices.

By using our Platform, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to our collection, use, and disclosure of your Personal Data as described herein.