Squarespace Privacy Policy

20200201_rev01 · COMPARED WITH 20180701_rev01 · ARCHIVE SNAPSHOT, DATE APPROXIMATE

Full text changes — 20180701_rev01 to 20200201_rev01

1**Effective Date: May 14, 2018**
1**Effective Date: December 23, 2019**
22
33Thanks for visiting Squarespace! Squarespace ("Squarespace", "we", "us" or "our") respects your privacy. When it comes to your personal information, we believe in transparency, not surprises. That's why we've set out here what personal information we collect, what we do with it and your choices and rights.
44
55By using any of Squarespace's Services, you confirm you have agreed to the [Terms of Service](https://www.squarespace.com/terms-of-service) and read and understood this Privacy Policy and our [Cookie Policy](https://www.squarespace.com/cookie-policy).
66
77**1\. Some key terms**
88
99In our Privacy Policy, when we refer to "Users", we mean our customers who use our Services, including visitors to our sites. We explain who we are in the "Who is Squarespace?" section below. The users, visitors and customers of, our Users' sites are "End Users". Any other capitalized terms not defined in this Privacy Policy have the meanings in our [Terms of Service](https://www.squarespace.com/terms-of-service).
1010
1111**2\. How does this Privacy Policy apply?**
1212
13This Privacy Policy describes what we do with personal information that we collect and use for our own purposes (i.e., where we are a controller), such as your account information and information about how you use and interact with our Services, including information you submit to our customer support as well as certain information relating to your End Users.
13This Privacy Policy describes what we do with personal information that we collect and use for our own purposes (i.e., where we are a controller), such as your account information and information about how you use and interact with our Services, including information you submit to our customer support as well as certain information relating to your End Users. This Privacy Policy does not apply to personal information of our employees or job applicants (except to the extent employees or job applicants are Users).
1414
15We also host and process User Content for our Users. Our Users tell us what to do with User Content, and we follow their instructions. This Privacy Policy does not describe what we do with User Content on our Users' instructions (i.e., as their processor). If you are an End User of one of our User's sites and want to know how a User handles your information, you should check its privacy policy. If you want to know about what we do for our own purposes, read on.
15We also host and process User Content on behalf of our Users. Our Users tell us what to do with User Content, and we follow their instructions. This Privacy Policy does not describe what we do with User Content on our Users' instructions (i.e., as their processor or service provider). If you are an End User of one of our User's sites and want to know how a User handles your information, you should check the site's privacy policy. If you want to know about what we do for our own purposes, read on.
1616
17If you are a User, see our [Data Processing Addendum](https://www.squarespace.com/dpa) to learn more about how we process User Content on your instructions or with your permission.
17If you are a User, see our [Data Processing Addendum](https://www.squarespace.com/dpa/) to learn more about how we process User Content or other personal information on your instructions or with your permission. Please see Section 3.7 of our Terms of Service to learn more about how we act as a "Service Provider" if you are a "Business" under the CCPA with respect to data of your "Consumers" (as defined under the CCPA) which meets the definition of "Personal Information" under the CCPA.
1818
1919**3\. Personal information we collect**
2020
2121We collect various personal information regarding you or your device. This includes the following:
2222
2323- Information you provide to create an Account, specifically email address, first name and last name. If you sign up for Paid Services, we receive a portion of your payment information from our payment processor (such as the last four digits, the country of issuance and the expiration date of the payment card) and we ask you to select your jurisdiction.
2727- The emails and other communications that you send us or otherwise contribute, such as customer support inquiries or posts to our customer message boards or forums. Please be aware that information on public parts of our sites is available to others.
2828
2929- Information you share with us in connection with surveys, contests or promotions.
3030
3131- Information from your use of the Services or Users' sites. This includes: IP addresses, preferences, web pages you visited prior to coming to our or our Users' sites, information about your browser, network or device (such as browser type and version, operating system, internet service provider, preference settings, unique device IDs and language and other regional settings), information about how you interact with the Services and our Users' sites (such as timestamps, clicks, scrolling, browsing times, searches, transactions, referral pages, load times, and problems you may encounter, such as loading errors).
3232
33- Information we get from our partners to support our marketing initiatives, improve our Services and better monitor, manage and measure our ad campaigns, such as details about when our partner shows you one of our ads on or via its advertising platform.
33- Information we get from our partners to support our marketing initiatives, improve our Services and better monitor, manage and measure our ad campaigns, such as details about when a partner of ours shows you one of our ads on or via its advertising platform.
3434
3535- Other information you submit to us directly or through Third Party Services if you use a Third Party Service to create an Account (based on your privacy settings with such Third Party Service).
3636
3737**4\. How we collect personal information**
3838
3939We obtain personal information from various sources. We do this in three main ways:
4040
4141- You provide some of it directly (such as by registering for an Account).
4242
4343- We record some of it automatically when you use our Services or Users' sites (including with technologies like cookies).
4444
45- We receive some of it from third parties (like when you register for an account using a Third Party Service or when you make payments to us using our payment processor).
45- We receive some of it from third parties (like when you register for an account using a Third Party Service or when you make payments to us using our payment processor or via a mobile app store).
4646
4747We've described this in more detail below.
4848
4949**a. Personal information you provide**
5050
5151When you use our Services, we collect information from you in a number of ways. For instance, we ask you to provide your name and email address to register and manage your Account. We also maintain your marketing preferences and the emails and other communications that you send us or otherwise contribute, such as customer support inquiries or posts to our customer message boards or forums. You might also provide us with information in other ways, including by responding to surveys, submitting a form or participating in contests or similar promotions.
5555**b. Personal information obtained from your use of our Services**
5656
5757When you use our Services, we collect information about your activity on and interaction with the Services, such as your IP address(es), your device and browser type, the web page you visited before coming to our sites, what pages on our sites you visit and for how long and identifiers associated with your devices. If you've given us permission through your device settings, we may collect your location information in our mobile apps.
5858
5959If you are an End User of our Users' sites, we also get information about your interactions with their sites, though we use this in anonymous, aggregated or pseudonymized form which does not focus on you individually. We use this data to evaluate, provide, protect or improve our Services (including by developing new products and services).
6060
61Some of this information is collected automatically using cookies and similar technologies when you use our Services and our Users' sites. We let our Users control what cookies and similar technologies are used through their sites (except those we need to use to provide the Services properly, such as for performance or security related reasons). You can read more about our use of cookies in our [Cookie Policy](https://www.squarespace.com/cookie-policy). Some of this information is similarly collected automatically through your browser or from your device.
61Some of this information is collected automatically using cookies and similar technologies when you use our Services and our Users' sites. We let our Users control what cookies and similar technologies are used through their sites (except those we need to use to properly provide the Services, such as for performance or security related reasons). You can read more about our use of cookies in our [Cookie Policy](https://www.squarespace.com/cookie-policy). Some of this information is similarly collected automatically through your browser or from your device.
6262
6363**c. Personal information obtained from other sources**
6464
65If you use a Third Party Service (such as Google) to register for an Account, the Third Party Service may provide us with your Third Party Service account information on your behalf, such as your name and email address (we don't store passwords you use to access Third Party Services). Your privacy settings on the Third Party Service normally control what they share with us. Make sure you are comfortable with what they share by reviewing their privacy policies and, if necessary, modifying your privacy settings directly on the Third Party Service.
65If you use a Third Party Service (such as Google) to register for an Account, the Third Party Service may provide us with your Third Party Service account information on your behalf, such as your name and email address (we don't collect or store passwords you use to access Third Party Services). Your privacy settings on the Third Party Service normally control what they share with us. Make sure you are comfortable with what they share by reviewing their privacy policies and, if necessary, modifying your privacy settings directly on the Third Party Service.
6666
67If you sign up for Paid Services, we obtain limited information about your payment card from our payment processor, such as the last four digits, the country of issuance and the expiration date. Currently, our payment processor is Stripe. Stripe uses and processes your complete payment information in accordance with [Stripe's privacy policy](https://stripe.com/privacy/).
67If you sign up for Paid Services directly with us, we obtain limited information about your payment card from our payment processor, such as the last four digits, the country of issuance and the expiration date. Currently, our payment processor is Stripe. Stripe uses and processes your complete payment information in accordance with [Stripe's privacy policy](https://stripe.com/privacy/). This paragraph is not applicable if you sign up for Paid Services as an in-app purchase via a mobile app store. Please see Google's privacy policy and Apple's privacy policy for information about how they use and process your payment information.
6868
6969**5\. How we use your personal information**
7070
71We use the personal information we obtain about you to:
71We use the personal information we obtain about you for the following purposes:
7272
7373- **Provision of the Services.** Create and manage your Account, provide and personalize our Services, process payments and respond to your inquiries.
7474
7575- **Communicating with you.** Communicate with you, including by sending you emails about your transactions and Service-related announcements.
7676
7777- **Surveys and contests.** Administer surveys, contests and other promotions.
133133- **Process payments.** We transmit your personal information via an encrypted connection to our payment processor.
134134
135135- **Following the law or protecting rights and interests.** We disclose your personal information if we determine that such disclosure is reasonably necessary to comply with the law, protect our or others' rights, property or interests (such as enforcing our [Terms of Service](https://www.squarespace.com/terms-of-service)) or prevent fraud or abuse of Squarespace or our Users or End Users. In particular, we may disclose your personal information in response to lawful requests by public authorities, such as to meet national security or law enforcement requirements.
136136
137137- **Advertising.** We share personal information with third parties so they and we can provide you with tailored advertising and measure and monitor its effectiveness. For example, we may share your pseudonymized email address with a third party social media platform on which we advertise to avoid serving Squarespace ads to people who already use Squarespace.
138138
139- **Business transfers.** If we're involved in a reorganization, merger, acquisition or sale of some or all of our assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that deal.
139- **Business transfers.** If we're involved in a reorganization, merger, acquisition or sale of some or all of our assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that deal or the negotiation of contemplated deals.
140140
141141**7\. Your rights and choices**
142142
143143Where applicable law requires (and subject to any relevant exceptions under law), you may have the right to access, update, change or delete personal information.
144144
145You can access, update, change or delete personal information (or that of your End Users) either directly in your Account or by contacting us at [privacy@squarespace.com](mailto:privacy@squarespace.com) to request the required changes. You can exercise your other rights (including deleting your Account) by contacting us at the same email address.
145You can access, update, change or delete personal information (or that of your End Users) either directly in your Account or by contacting us at [privacy@squarespace.com](mailto:privacy@squarespace.com) to request the required changes. You can exercise your other rights (including deleting your Account) by contacting us via your Account at the same email address. Please note that we may need to verify your identity in connection with your requests, and such verification process may, if you do not have access to your Account, require you to provide us with additional information (e.g. government identification). Even if you have access to your Account, we may request additional information if we believe it's necessary to verify your identity. If we are unable to verify your identity or request, we may not, in accordance with applicable law, be able to fulfill your request.
146146
147You can also elect not to receive marketing communications by changing your preferences in your Account or by following the unsubscribe instruction in such communications.
147You can also elect not to receive marketing communications by changing your preferences in your Account or by following the unsubscribe instructions in such communications.
148148
149Please note that, for technical reasons, there is likely to be a delay in deleting your personal Information from our systems when you ask us to delete it. We also will retain personal Information in order to comply with the law, protect our and others' rights, resolve disputes or enforce our legal terms or policies, to the extent permitted under applicable law.
149Please note that, for technical reasons, there is likely to be a delay in deleting your personal information from our systems when you ask us to delete it. We also will retain personal information in order to comply with the law, protect our and others' rights, resolve disputes or enforce our legal terms or policies, to the extent permitted under applicable law.
150150
151151You may have the right to restrict or object to the processing of your personal information or to exercise a right to data portability under applicable law. You also may have the right to lodge a complaint with a competent supervisory authority, subject to applicable law. If you are subject to EU data protection laws, we suggest you lodge any such complaints with our lead supervisory authority:
152152
153153Irish Data Protection Commissioner
154154Office of the Data Protection Commissioner
155155Canal House, Station Road, Portarlington, Co. Laois, R32 AP23, Ireland
162162Our [Cookie Policy](https://www.squarespace.com/cookie-policy) explains how you can manage cookies and similar technologies.
163163
164164If you are an End User of one of our User's sites, you should contact them to exercise your rights with respect to any information they hold about you.
165165
166166**8\. How we protect your personal information**
167167
168While no service is completely secure, we have a security team dedicated to keeping personal information safe. We maintain administrative, technical and physical safeguards that are intended to appropriately protect against accidental or unlawful destruction, accidental loss, unauthorized alteration, unauthorized disclosure or access, misuse and any other unlawful form of processing of, the personal information in our possession. We employ security measures such as using firewalls to protect against intruders, building redundancies throughout our network (so that if one server goes down, another can cover for it) and testing for and protecting against network vulnerabilities.
168While no service is completely secure, we have a security team dedicated to keeping personal information safe. We maintain administrative, technical and physical safeguards that are intended to appropriately protect against accidental or unlawful destruction, accidental loss, unauthorized alteration, unauthorized disclosure or access, misuse and any other unlawful form of processing, of the personal information in our possession. We employ security measures such as using firewalls to protect against intruders, building redundancies throughout our network (so that if one server goes down, another can cover for it) and testing for and protecting against network vulnerabilities.
169169
170170**9\. How we retain your personal information**
171171
172172We retain personal information regarding you or your use of the Services for as long as your Account is active or for as long as needed to provide you or our Users with the Services. We also retain personal information for as long as necessary to achieve the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, for example, to comply with our legal obligations, to protect us in the event of disputes and to enforce our agreements and to protect our and others' interests.
173173
174174The precise periods for which we keep your personal information vary depending on the nature of the information and why we need it. Factors we consider in determining these periods include the minimum required retention period prescribed by law or recommended as best practice, the period during which a claim can be made with respect to an agreement or other matter, whether the personal information has been aggregated or pseudonymized, and other relevant criteria. For example, the period we keep your email address is connected to how long your Account is active, while the period for which we keep a support message is based on how long has passed since the last submission in the thread.
196196You can find out more information about these transfer mechanisms [here](https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/data-transfers-outside-eu_en).
197197
198198**11\. Privacy Shield**
199199
200200Squarespace, Inc has certified its compliance to the Privacy Shield.
201201
202Squarespace is committed to treating personal information received from the European Economic Area and Switzerland pursuant to the Privacy Shield Frameworks in accordance with the applicable Principles. You can find our certification [here](https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant) and you can learn more about the Frameworks and Principles by visiting [https://www.privacyshield.gov/](https://www.privacyshield.gov/).
202Squarespace is committed to treating personal information received from the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the United Kingdom pursuant to the Privacy Shield Frameworks in accordance with the applicable Principles. You can find our certification [here](https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant) and you can learn more about the Frameworks and Principles by visiting [https://www.privacyshield.gov/](https://www.privacyshield.gov/).
203203
204204Our accountability for personal information we receive under the Privacy Shield and subsequently transfer to a third party is described in the Privacy Shield Principles. In particular, we may use third parties to process data on our behalf as described in this Privacy Policy, and we remain liable if they do so in a manner inconsistent with the Privacy Shield Principles, unless we prove that we are not responsible for the event giving rise to the damage.
205205
206206If you have a question or complaint you believe to be within the scope of our Privacy Shield certification, please contact us first at [privacy@squarespace.com](mailto:privacy@squarespace.com), or using the contact details in the "How to contact us" section below. We'll respond within 45 days.
207207
208208For any complaints that we can't resolve directly, JAMS is the independent organization responsible for reviewing and resolving complaints about our Privacy Shield compliance. You can contact JAMS free of charge at [https://www.jamsadr.com/eu-us-privacy-shield](https://www.jamsadr.com/eu-us-privacy-shield). JAMS is an alternative dispute resolution provider based in the U.S.
209209
210210If your concern still isn't addressed by JAMS, you may be entitled to a binding arbitration under the Privacy Shield Principles. For purposes of enforcing compliance with the Privacy Shield, Squarespace, Inc. is subject to the investigatory and enforcement authority of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
211211
212212**12\. End Users' personal information**
213213
214Our customers who have created a site using Squarespace are responsible for what they do with the personal information they collect, directly or through Squarespace, about their End Users. This section is directed to such customers.
214Our customers who have created a site using Squarespace are responsible for what they do with the personal information they collect, directly or through Squarespace, about their End Users. This Section 12 is directed to such customers.
215215
216216**a. Your relationship with End Users**
217217
218218If you're one of our Users, you will collect personal information about your End Users. For example, during checkout you may ask your End Users to provide their name, address, email address and payment information so that you can complete their orders. You may also use cookies and similar technologies to analyze usage and other trends.
219219
220220You're solely responsible for complying with any laws and regulations that apply to your collection and use of your End Users' information, including personal information you collect about them from us or using Squarespace functionality or cookies or similar technologies.
221221
222You must publish your own privacy and cookie policy and comply with them.
222You must publish your own privacy and cookie policies and comply with them.
223223
224224We're not liable for your relationship with your End Users or how you collect and use personal information about them (even if you collect it from us or using Squarespace functionality or cookies or similar technologies) and we won't provide you with any legal advice regarding such matters.
225225
226226**b. End User payment information**
227227
228228Your End Users' payment information may be processed via third party eCommerce Payment Processors with which you integrate your Account, in accordance with such eCommerce Payment Processors' terms and policies. We transmit your End Users' complete payment information when they initially provide or update it only so that we can pass it along to the eCommerce Payment Processors you agree to use. We don't collect or store your End Users' payment information.
229229
230**13\. Updates to this Privacy Policy**
230**13\. California Residents**
231231
232This Section 13 is only applicable to you if you are a resident of the state of California in the US ("California Residents") and only applies to personal information for which Squarespace is a "Business" (as defined in the CCPA), but does not apply to personal information we collect from you in the course of our provision of services to you where you are an employee, owner, director, officer or contractor of a company, partnership, sole proprietorship, non-profit or government agency. It applies to personal information we collect from California Residents on or through our Services and through other means (such as information collected offline or in person). With respect to personal information for which you are a "Business" and Squarespace is a "Service Provider," please see Section 3.7 of our [Terms of Service](https://www.squarespace.com/terms-of-service).
233
234**a. Categories, business and commercial purposes, sources and third parties**
235
236California law requires us to disclose certain information regarding the categories of personal information we collect. The following is a list of all categories of personal information which Squarespace collects, or has collected, from California Residents, in the twelve (12) months prior to the effective date of this Privacy Policy (each, a "Category"), together with, for each Category: (1) the categories of sources from which such Category is collected; and (2) the categories of third parties with whom we share such Category.
237
238- Identifiers: (1) sources: you (either directly or through a Third Party Service), collected by the Services, business partners, service providers and payment processors; and (2) third parties: business partners, service providers and payment processors.
239
240- Commercial information: (1) sources: you (either directly or through a Third Party Service), collected by the Services, business partners and service providers; and (2) third parties: business partners, service providers and payment processors.
241
242- Financial data: (1) sources: you (either directly or through a Third Party Service), business partners and payment processors; and (2) third parties: business partners, service providers and payment processors.
243
244- Internet or other network or device activity: (1) sources: you (either directly or through a Third Party Service), collected by the Services, business partners, service providers and payment processors; and (2) third parties: business partners, service providers and payment processors.
245
246- Location information: (1) sources: you (either directly or through a Third Party Service), collected by the Services, business partners and service providers; and (2) third parties: business partners, service providers and payment processors.
247
248- Sensory information: (1) sources: you (either directly or through a Third Party Service) and service providers; and (2) third parties: business partners, service providers and payment processors.
249
250- Other information that identifies or can be reasonably associated with you: (1) sources: you (either directly or through a Third Party Service), collected by the Services, business partners, service providers and payment processors; and (2) third parties: business partners, service providers and payment processors.
251
252Each Category is collected for the following business purposes: (i) providing the Services (including without limitation maintaining your Account, processing and fulfilling orders, and administering surveys and contests); (ii) providing customer support for the Services; (iii) operating the Services (including without limitation managing third party relationships and enabling usage of our service providers); (iv) communicating with you; (v) customizing the Services; (vi) securing and protecting the Services (including without limitation auditing the Services, bug and fraud detection, debugging and repair of errors and the detection, protection and prosecution of security incidents or illegal activity); (vii) enforcing our terms and policies; (viii) complying with law; (ix) verifying your identity; and (x) other business purposes about which we may notify you from time to time.
253
254Each Category is collected for uses that advance our commercial or economic interests such as: (i) promoting surveys and contests; (ii) promoting and advertising the Services; (iii) customizing the Services; (iv) improving our Services; (v) communicating with you about relevant offers from third parties; and (vi) other commercial purposes about which we may notify you from time to time.
255
256**b. Your requests**
257
258Subject to certain exceptions and restrictions, the CCPA provides California Residents the right to submit requests to a business which has collected their personal information: (i) to provide them with access to the specific pieces and categories of personal information collected by the business about such California Resident, the categories of sources for such information, the business or commercial purposes for collecting such information, and the categories of third parties with which such information was shared; and (ii) to delete such personal information (each, a "California Request"). We need certain types of information so that we can provide our Services to you. If you ask us to delete some or all of your information, you may no longer be able to access or use the Services.
259
260If you are a California Resident, please follow the instructions in the "Your rights and choices" section above to submit California Requests and please make sure you note that you are a California Resident when you do so. California Residents may designate an authorized agent to make California Requests on their behalf. In order to designate an authorized agent to make a California Request on your behalf, you must provide a valid power of attorney, the requester's valid government issued identification and the authorized agent's valid government issued identification.
261
262**c. We do not sell your personal information**
263
264We do not sell your personal information, as that term is defined based on our understanding of the CCPA and its implementing regulations. We have not sold any personal information to third parties for a business or commercial purpose in the 12 months prior to the effective date of this Privacy Policy. We do share personal information with third parties for the business and commercial purposes described in this Section 13, including without limitation advertising and marketing based on Users' online activities over time and across different sites, services and devices.
265
266**d. We do not discriminate against you**
267
268You also have the right to not be discriminated against (as provided for in applicable law) for exercising certain of your rights. Squarespace does not discriminate against California Residents for exercising their rights.
269
270**14\. Updates to this Privacy Policy**
271
232272We'll update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, law, our business operations or any other reason we determine is necessary or appropriate. When we make changes, we'll update the "Effective Date" at the top of the Privacy Policy and post it on our sites. If we make material changes to it or the ways we process personal information, we'll notify you (by, for example, prominently posting a notice of the changes on our sites before they take effect or directly sending you a notification).
233273
234274We encourage you to check back periodically to review this Privacy Policy for any changes since your last visit. This will help ensure you better understand your relationship with us, including the ways we process your personal information.
235275
236**14\. Who is Squarespace?**
276**15\. Who is Squarespace?**
237277
238278When we say "Squarespace" (or "we", "us" or "our"), we mean: (a) Squarespace, Inc. if you are a resident of or have your principal place of business in the United States of America or any of its territories or possessions (the "US"); or (b) Squarespace Ireland Limited, in any other case.
239279
240280If your place of residence or principal place of business changes, the Squarespace entity that controls your personal information will be determined by your new residence or principal place of business from the date it changes.
241281
242**15\. How to contact us**
282**16\. How to contact us**
243283
244284If you have questions, comments or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices or if you would like to exercise your rights and choices, please email us at [privacy@squarespace.com](mailto:privacy@squarespace.com), or write to us at the addresses below:
245285
246286If you are a resident of or have your principal place of business in the US:
247287Squarespace, Inc.
248288Attention: Legal - Privacy
249289225 Varick Street, 12th Floor
250290New York, NY 10014 United States
251291
252292If you are a resident of or have your principal place of business anywhere other than the US:
253293
254Squarespace Ireland Ltd.
294Squarespace Ireland Limited
255295Attention: Legal - Privacy
256Le Pole House, 1st Floor
296Le Pole House
257297Ship Street Great
258Dublin 8 Ireland
298Dublin 8, D08N12C
299Ireland