Snapwise Inc. d/b/a Ground News
Privacy Policy – Last Updated Nov 26, 2024
This Privacy Notice describes the information Snapwise Inc., dba Ground News (collectively “Company”, “we”, “our”, or “us”) collects, receives, and processes; how we use this information, with whom we share it; and the choices you or any visitor (as a prospective user) have in connection with Company’s website, mobile application, any sub-domains, and our offline service (collectively, the “Website”) and any other products or services listed below (collectively, our “Services”). This is the main Privacy Policy for the Company, and it covers all related websites, applications, and services that do not have a separate policy.
Users of Company’s Online Services must agree to our Website’s Terms of Service, located at https://about.ground.news/terms-and-conditions.
Please review the Website’s Terms of Service (sometimes referred to as Terms and Conditions) carefully, as it contains restrictions on your legal rights in any dispute with Company to the extent a dispute involves or is related to our online Services, Application, Website’s Terms of Service, or this Privacy Policy. By using our Services and/or Company Properties (as defined in the Terms of Service), you represent and warrant that you are 18 years of age and/or of legal age to form a binding contract with Company, and meet all the eligibility requirements in the Website Terms of Service.
To read Company’s Terms of Service, click here https://about.ground.news/terms-and-conditions.
PERSONAL INFORMATION:
INFORMATION WE COLLECT,
HOW WE USE IT, HOW LONG WE KEEP IT,
AND HOW WE SHARE IT
Through your use of our Services and Company Properties, we collect personal information, which is information that identifies you or relates to you as an identifiable individual (“User Personal Information” or “UIP”). Through your use of our Website, Application, and Services, we collect UIP as outlined below. You can learn how long we retain your UIP in the Data Retention Section of this Privacy Notice.
Controller and Contact Details
When you use our Website or engage our Services, your personal information (UIP) is collected and processed by Snapwise Inc., dba Ground News, as the data controller. For questions or concerns with respect to this Privacy Notice, please email us at feedback@ground.news or write to us at Snapwise Inc. 280 Joseph St, Kitchener, ON, Canada N2G 4Z5.
A. Information we collect directly from you
When you visit our Website, open an account with us, and/or become a subscriber, and/or use your account via our Website or mobile Application, we collect your personal information as follows:
• What we collect when you create an account. When you create an account through our Website and/or Application, we collect from you your identifiers (name, address (and postal code), telephone/mobile number, email address, and should you choose to provide it your date of birth), and your financial information, (credit card number, debit card number, or bank account number, and routing number)). You will need to create a username and password to access your account. We collect this account information from you directly. We use this information to create your account, to provide you with our Services, to collect payment for use of our Services, and to communicate with you about your account. To the extent EU/UK data protection law applies, the legal basis for this processing is the performance of a contract. If we do not process this information, we cannot provide you our Services or manage your account. If you opt-in to receiving marketing communications from us, we will send you updates related to our Services. Please refer to MY INFORMATION CHOICES Section of this Policy to learn how to unsubscribe at any time. To the extent EU/UK data protection law applies, the legal basis for this processing is your consent. You can revoke your consent at any time. We do not sell or share your personal information with third parties.
• What we collect when you enroll in a subscription. You can use our Website for free, however if you choose to upgrade your use of our Services, you can enroll in one of our subscription plans. If you have an existing account with us, you can login to your account and manage your account settings to include the subscription option of your choice. If you have not provided your financial information (credit card number, debit card number, or bank account information), we will collect that directly from you. We collect this information to process your payment and to provide you with the upgraded services. To the extent EU/UK data protection law applies, the legal basis for this processing is the performance of a contract. If we do not process this information, we cannot provide you with the upgraded services associated with your subscription. If you do not have an existing account with us, you will need to create one. We collect from you your (name, address(and postal code), telephone/mobile number, email address, and should you choose to provide it, your date of birth), and your financial information (credit card number, debit card number, or bank account number, and routing number). You will need to create a username and password to access your account. We collect this account information from you directly. We use this information to manage your account, collect payment for subscription, provide you with our Services, and communicate with you regarding your account or subscription. To the extent EU/UK data protection law applies, the legal basis for this processing is the performance of a contract. If we do not process this information, we cannot provide you with the upgraded services associated with your subscription.
• What we collect when you use our mobile Application. When you use our mobile Application, the personal information associated with your online account is linked to the mobile application account. We collect from you your identifiers (name, address (and postal code), telephone/mobile number, email address, and should you choose to provide it your date of birth), your financial information (credit card number, debit card number, or bank account number, and routing number). Your account information (username and password) is also linked to your mobile application. We use this information to create your mobile application account, to provide you with our Services, to collect payment for use of our Services, and to communicate with you about your account. To the extent EU/UK data protection law applies, the legal basis for this processing is the performance of a contract. If we do not process this information, we cannot provide you our Services or manage your account. ( We automatically collect your sensitive information (geolocation information) through your mobile carrier, when you use the mobile application. This is a requirement of using Apple’s Application Store or Google Play. To the extent EU/UK data protection law applies, the legal basis for this processing is consent. You may manage the geolocation access by going to the location settings on your mobile phone or device and limiting the use.
• What we collect when you contact us. Depending on the method of contact and the nature of your inquiry (e.g., by email or telephone), we may collect from you, your identifiers (name, address, telephone/mobile number, and email address), your account information (username), and any other information related to the nature of your inquiry. We use this information to communicate with you about your inquiry, to appropriately provide you with our Services, to troubleshoot, if necessary, and to respond to any issues. To the extent EU/UK data protection law applies, the legal basis for this processing is consent. We do not sell or share UIP with advertisers.
• What we collect when you set your location. If you decide to set your location on our Website, we collect from you your identifiers (ZIP code). We use this to provide you with news and media bias information happening in your area. To the extent EU/UK data protection law applies, the legal basis for this processing is consent.
• What we collect when you donate. If you decide to provide a donation to Ground News, we will collect directly from your identifiers (name and address, your financial information (credit card number, debit card number, or banking information), and the amount of your donation. If your donation is $60.00 or above, you will receive a Ground News tote bag and a year of access to Ground News Premium subscription. We use this information to process your donation and to provide you with a tote bag and Ground News Premium subscription should your donation qualify. To the extent EU/UK data protection law applies, the legal basis for this processing is the performance of a contract. If we do not process this information, we cannot accept your donation or provide you with the tote bag and Ground News Premium subscription, if eligible.
What we collect if you apply for a role with Ground News. If you apply for a job with Ground News, we will collect from you your identifiers (name and email address), your professional information (resume, CV, cover letter, and the direct link to your LinkedIn Profile (optional)), and, if you choose, your sensory information (a video of yourself explaining your interest in the role). We collect any other information you wish to provide regarding your application. We use this information to communicate with you regarding your application and to determine if you are qualified for the position. To the extent EU/UK data protection law applies, we process this information to discuss the possible contract of employment.
B. Information we collect automatically via cookies and similar technologies
In addition to the personal information you provide directly to us, we also collect information from you automatically as you use our Services via “cookies” and similar tracking technologies (including through the use of pixel tags). This includes the following internet or other electronic network activity information.
We use essential, performance, marketing, and analytics cookies to collect your usage, device, and location information when you interact with the Services. We use this information to: (i) track your activity within the Services; (ii) enhance user experience; (iii) conduct analytics to improve the Services; (iv) prevent fraudulent use of the Services; (v) diagnosis and repair Services errors and, in cases of abuse, track and mitigate the abuse; and (vi) market to you more effectively across different web pages and social media platforms based on your browsing habits and history. Third party marketing and analytics cookies may be considered sharing under the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”). If you are a California resident and wish to opt out, please visit Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information.
You can manage your cookie preference by visiting Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Particular third-party cookies to note on our Website include: Google Analytics, and YouTube. In general, you can also disable cookies by setting your browser to refuse cookies or indicate when a cookie is being sent. Please note, if you opt out of these targeted advertising cookies, your opt-out will be specific to the web browser, app, or device from which you accessed the opt-out. If you use multiple devices or web browsers, you will need to opt out from each browser or device that you use.
• Google Analytics. We use Google Analytics to collect information on your use of the Services for its improvement. To collect this information, Google Analytics installs cookies on your browser or reads cookies that are already there. Google Analytics also receives information about you from applications you have downloaded that partner with Google. We do not combine the information collected through the use of Google Analytics with personal information. Google’s ability to use and share information collected by Google Analytics about your visits to our Website or to another application which partners with Google is restricted by the Google Analytics Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. To prevent your data from being used by Google Analytics, you can download the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on, which can be accessed here. If you are a California resident and wish to opt out of the sale or sharing of cookies, please visit Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information.
• YouTube API Services. We utilize YouTube API Services for audiovisual content viewing. Information about the YouTube API Services can be found at https://developers.google.com/youtube/terms/api-services-terms-of-service. By using the features of the Website utilizing the YouTube API Services, you agree to be bound by the YouTube Terms of Service, found at https://www.youtube.com/t/terms.
Please refer to the YOUR INFORMATION CHOICES of this Policy for more information to manage cookies.
HOW WE SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
A. General Sharing
We share your personal information in the following instances:
▪ Within the Company. We share your personal information among our parent company and affiliated entities, if any, for the legitimate business purposes of efficiently and effectively providing the Services. Access to your personal information is limited to those on a need-to-know basis.
▪ With service providers. We share your personal information with service providers that assist us in providing the Services. These service providers include our email provider, IT provider, call center provider, credit check provider, payment processor provider, and App Stores, if applicable.
▪ In the event of a corporate reorganization. In the event that we enter into, or intend to enter into, a transaction that alters the structure of our business, such as a reorganization, merger, acquisition, sale, joint venture, assignment, consolidation, transfer, change of control, or other disposition of all or any portion of our business, assets or stock, we would share your personal information with third parties, including the buyer or target (and their agents and advisors) for the purpose of facilitating and completing the transaction. We will also share your personal information with third parties if we undergo bankruptcy or liquidation, in the course of such proceedings.
▪ For legal purposes. We will share your personal information where we are legally required to do so, such as in response to court orders, law enforcement or legal process, including for national security purposes; to establish, protect, or exercise our legal rights, as required to enforce our terms of service or other contracts; to defend against legal claims or demands; to detect, investigate, prevent, or take action against illegal activities, fraud, or situations involving potential threats to the rights, property, or personal safety of any person; or to comply with the requirements of any applicable law.
B. Sharing in the last twelve (12) months
In the preceding 12 months, we’ve disclosed the following UIP personal information for a business purpose, with the following categories of third parties:
▪ We have disclosed your internet or other electronic network information collected by cookies to our IT support to detect security incidents, protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity, and to identify and repair website and platform errors.
We have disclosed your internet or other electronic network information collected by cookies to our IT support to update, improve, and maintain the website and platform.
C. Sale of Personal Information
• We do not sell or share UIP with advertisers.
• We utilize Google Analytics services to learn about how our users use our Application and Website. As a result, we share user traffic information with Google in order to access Google Analytics services.
YOUR INFORMATION CHOICES
You have the following choices with respect to your personal information:
▪ Correct or view your personal information. You may use your account to correct or view certain personal information you have provided to us.
▪ Opt-out of marketing communications. You may opt-out of receiving marketing emails from us by clicking the “unsubscribe” link provided with each email. Please note that we will continue to send you emails necessary to the Services or any assistance you request.
▪ Push notifications. You may update your settings on your account or mobile phone to stop receiving push notifications from us. You can do this by updating your account information or by adjusting the settings on your mobile device.
▪ Location settings. You can prevent your mobile device from sharing your location data by adjusting the permissions on your mobile device or within the Services.
▪ Opt Out of Google Analytics. To prevent your data from being used by Google Analytics, you can download the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on, which can be accessed here.
▪ Opt Out of Advertising Cookies. Irrespective of your jurisdiction, to set your cookie preferences or opt out of the sale/sharing of your information via cookies, please see our cookie preference center. All session cookies are temporary and expire after you close your web browser. Persistent cookies can be removed by following your web browser’s directions. To find out how to see what cookies have been set on your computer or device, and how to reject and delete the cookies, please visit: https://www.aboutcookies.org/. Please note that each web browser is different. To find information relating to your browser, visit the browser developer’s Website and mobile application. If you reset your web browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent, some features of our website may not function properly. If you choose to opt out, we will place an "opt-out cookie" on your device. The "opt-out cookie" is browser specific and device specific and only lasts until cookies are cleared from your browser or device. The opt-out cookie will not work for essential cookies. If the cookie is removed or deleted, if you upgrade your browser or if you visit us from a different computer, you will need to return and update your preferences. By clicking on the “Opt-Out” links below, you will be directed to the respective third-party website where your computer will be scanned to determine who maintains cookies on you. At that time, you can either choose to opt out of all targeted advertising or you can choose to opt out of targeted advertising by selecting individual companies who maintain a cookie on your machine.
o Association of National Advertisers opt-out registration: https://dmachoice.thedma.org/
o Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) Opt-Out: https://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp
o Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) Opt-Out: https://optout.aboutads.info
o European Union (EU) /European Economic Area (EEA) Opt-Out: http://www.youronlinechoices.eu
RIGHTS OF NEVADA RESIDENTS
If you are a resident of the State of Nevada, you may request to opt-out of the current or future sale of your personal information. We do not currently sell any of your personal information under Nevada law, nor do we plan to do so in the future. However, you can submit a request to opt-out of future sales by sending an email, with the subject line “Opt-Out Request Under Nevada Rights” to nevadaprivacy@ground.news.
RIGHTS OF CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS
The California Privacy Rights Act, (“CPRA”) and California’s Consumer Protection Act (“CCPA”) entitles California residents to certain rights. To the extent the CPRA and/or CCPA applies to our processing of your personal information, you are entitled to the following rights:
▪ Right to Access/Know. You have the right to request what personal information we have collected, used, disclosed, and sold about you, unless doing so proves impossible or would involve disproportionate effort. You may only make a request for access twice within a 12-month period. To exercise your right to access your personal information, you may submit a request by completing our email/webform, or by contacting us toll-free at +1 (866) 471-9181.
▪ Right to Deletion. You have the right to request the deletion of your personal information that we collect or maintain, subject to certain exceptions. For example, if we are required by law to retain the information that you are asking to be deleted, we would not be able to delete the information until we are legally permitted to delete it. To exercise your right to delete your personal information, you may submit a request by completing our email/webform, or by contacting us toll-free at +1 (866) 471-9181.
▪ Right to Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing. You have the right to opt-out of the sale or sharing of your personal information to third parties. Ground News does not have actual knowledge that it sells or shares personal information of minors under the age of sixteen (16) years. To exercise your right to delete your personal information, you may submit a request by completing our email/webform, cookie management platform, or by contacting us toll-free at +1 (866) 471-9181.
▪ Right to Non-Discrimination. You have the right to not receive discriminatory treatment if and when you exercise your rights to access, delete, opt-out, correct, or limit use of sensitive personal information under the CPRA.
▪ Right to correct: You have the right to correct inaccurate personal information that we collect or maintain. Please note, you can use your account to update or correct any personal information. To exercise your right to correct your personal information, you may submit a request by completing our email/webform, or by contacting us toll-free at +1 (866) 471-9181.
▪ Right to limit use of sensitive personal information: You have the right to limit the use of your sensitive personal information when such use goes beyond that which is necessary for providing the Services or certain other permissible purposes like fraud, customer service or quality control. Sensitive information includes Social Security number, driver’s license number, biometric information, precise geolocation, and racial and ethnic origin. Ground News does not use sensitive information collected through the Services in this manner.
To exercise your right to access/know or delete your personal information, you may submit a request toll-free at +1 (866) 471-9181, send in a request via mail at the address below. For requests submitted via telephone or mail, you must provide us with sufficient information that allows us to reasonably verify that you are the person about whom we collected the personal information and describe your request with sufficient detail to allow us to properly evaluate and respond to it. If you are a current, former, or prospective user, we require your full name, address, username (if known), phone number, and email address. If we are not able to verify your identity for access and deletion requests with the information provided, we may ask you for additional pieces of information.
Only you, or a person that you authorize to act on your behalf, may make a request related to your UIP. If you are an authorized agent making a request on behalf of an individual, you must provide us with signed documentation proving that you are authorized to act on behalf of that individual.
RIGHTS OF EU AND UK RESIDENTS
Individuals in the European Union (EU) and United Kingdom (UK) are entitled to certain rights to their personal information under applicable law. If our processing of your personal information is subject to these laws, you are entitled to the following rights:
• Right to access: You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information. This right has some exemptions, which means you may not always receive all the personal information we process. Applicable exemptions may include the management information exemption (data that we process for management forecasting or management planning about a business or other activity), confidential references (references given or received about an individual), or certain instances of ongoing or prior negotiations with the requestor, among others.
• Right to rectification: You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.
• Right to erasure: You have the right to request erasure of your personal information that we are not obligated to keep in some cases (also known as the right to be forgotten). For example, you can request us to delete such personal data if: (i) we no longer need the data for the purpose it was collected for, (ii) we process the data based on your consent and you revoke your consent, (iii) you object to our processing based on legitimate interest (and we do not have an overriding legitimate interest), or (iv) you object to our processing the personal data for direct marketing purposes. We may not be able to immediately erase your personal information if we have a lawful reason or a legal or contractual obligation to retain the information or continue the processing.
• Right to restrict processing: If you believe that your personal data is inaccurate, that our processing is unlawful, or that we do not need the information for a specific purpose, you have the right to request that we restrict the processing of such personal data. You may also request that we stop processing your personal data while we assess your request. If you object to our processing (per your right to object below), you may also request us to restrict processing of that personal data while we make our assessment.
• Right to object to processing: You have the right to object to processing of your personal data which is based on our legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) UK GDPR), by referencing your personal circumstances. You also have the right to object to our use of your personal data for direct marketing purposes. When you object to our use of your data for direct marketing purposes (i.e. let us know that you no longer wish to receive direct marketing from us), we will stop sending you direct marketing correspondence.
• Right to data portability: This right only applies to personal information you have given us. You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us from one organization to another or give it to you.
• Right to lodge a complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant Supervisory Authority. A list of Supervisory Authorities is available here.
Please feel free to contact us regarding this or any other EU data subject right at feedback@ground.news.
DO NOT TRACK
We will not place cookies or collect information via cookies when your browser is set to Do Not Track (DNT). DNT is a preference you can set in your web browser to inform websites that you do not want to be tracked. You can enable or disable DNT by visiting the Preferences or Settings page of your web browser. We do not respond to DNT signals.
DATA RETENTION
When you provide us with UIP we’ll let you know how long we’ll hold it for. Please keep in mind the following: (i) we only hold UIP for as long as we engage and/or perform the activities we told you about or have a valid reason to keep it; (ii) we think about what type of information it is, the amount collected, how sensitive it might be, and any legal requirements; (iii) we design our Services so that we don’t hold UIP any longer than necessary; (iv) we may close your account if you have not used it in the last 90 days. You may delete data that you have provided to the Services at any time. We will delete any account information following the termination of a registered account.
SECURITY OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
Ground News employs data collection, storage, and processing practices and security measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure or destruction. Where appropriate, we use firewalls and limits on who can access databases that store Personal information. Further, data privacy laws vary from country to country and they may not be equivalent to, or as protective as, the laws in your home country. We take steps to ensure that reasonable safeguards are in place with an aim to ensure an appropriate level of protection for your information, in accordance with applicable law. By providing us with your information, you acknowledge any storage or use.
Please keep in mind that it is not possible to achieve a perfect state of data security. Although we maintain reasonable administrative, physical, and electronic security measures designed to protect personal information from unauthorized access, we cannot ensure absolute security of any information you transmit to us or guarantee that this information will not be accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed. However, no security measure or modality of data transmission over the Internet is 100% secure, and we are unable to guarantee the absolute security of the personal information we have collected from you.
OTHER WEBSITES AND SERVICES
The Services may contain links to other websites or services that we do not own or operate. We are not responsible for the practices employed by any websites or services linked to or from the Services, including the information or content contained within them. Your browsing and interaction on any third-party website or service, including those that have a link on our Services, are subject to that third party’s own rules and policies, not ours.
AGE RESTRICTION
The Services are not intended for individuals that are not of legal age in your jurisdiction. If we learn that we have collected or received personal information from a child or a person that is not of legal age, we will delete that information. If you believe we might have information from or about a child, or a person, that is not of legal age, please contact us at feedback@ground.news .
CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
We may amend this Privacy Policy at our sole discretion at any time. If we do, we will post the changes to this page, and will indicate the date the changes go into effect. We encourage you to review our Privacy Policy to stay informed. If we make changes that materially affect your privacy rights, we will notify you by prominent posting on the Website and/or via email.
CONTACT US
If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
toll free at +1 (866) 471-9181
or via mail at feedback@ground.news ;
or address at 280 Joseph St, Kitchener, ON, Canada N2G 4Z5