Privacy Policy

Introduction

Color Wheel Free (we also operate a Chinese-language version of this site; domain www.colorwheelfree.com; hereinafter referred to as "we", "us", "our", or "this Website") takes your privacy very seriously. This Privacy Policy is intended to explain completely and accurately how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your information, as well as the rights and choices you have with respect to that information.

This policy applies to this Website and to all of the online color tools, color cards, blog content, and related services we provide (collectively, the "Services"), as well as to the data processing activities we carry out on this Website through third-party advertising and analytics services (including Google AdSense and Google Analytics).

Please read this policy carefully before using this Website. By using this Website you confirm that you have read and understood the terms of this policy. For processing activities that require separate consent under applicable law (for example, personalized advertising for users in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland), we will obtain your explicit consent first.

Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

• Usage Data: When you visit this Website, we (or our third-party service providers) automatically collect certain information, including your IP address, browser type and language, operating system, device type, screen resolution, time of access, referring page, pages visited, and in-page interactions (such as clicks and scrolling).
• Device and Identifier Information: This includes device model, operating system version, browser user agent, and identifiers generated by cookies or similar technologies (for example, the Google Analytics _ga client ID and the Google advertising IDE identifier).
• Local Storage Data: We use browser local storage (localStorage / sessionStorage) to save your language preference, color preferences, tool usage history, and recently used items. This data is stored only on your device and is never uploaded to our servers.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We and our third-party partners use cookies, pixel tags (web beacons), local storage, and other identifiers to operate the Website, remember your preferences, measure traffic, and serve advertising. See our Cookie Statement for details.
• Information You Provide Voluntarily: When you contact us by email, we receive the email address, message content, and any other information you choose to include.
• Please note: This Website does not offer member registration or login functionality, so we do not collect account, password, or payment card details.

How We Use Information

The information we collect will be used for the following purposes:

• Provide, maintain, and improve our color tools, color cards, and services
• Remember your language and interface preferences to improve your experience
• Aggregate and analyze website traffic and user behavior to optimize performance and content
• Detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, and other security issues
• Respond to your inquiries and feedback and provide technical support
• Fulfill legal obligations as required by applicable law
• Display Advertising: Display advertising through third-party advertising services such as Google AdSense in order to keep our tools free for all users. These services may use cookies and similar technologies to collect your browsing information in order to serve ads relevant to your interests, limit how often you see the same ad, and measure advertising effectiveness.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

We and our third-party partners automatically collect information through cookies, pixel tags (also known as "web beacons"), IP addresses, device identifiers, and local storage. These technologies are used to keep the Website running, remember your preferences, aggregate and analyze visits, and serve and measure advertising.

You can manage or delete cookies, or withdraw consent you previously gave, at any time through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may prevent some features of the Website from working properly. The categories of cookies we use, their specific purposes, examples, retention periods, and the ways in which you can control them are described in detail in this Website's Cookie Statement , which forms part of this Privacy Policy.

Third-Party Advertising and Analytics Services

This Website displays advertising through third-party ad networks and uses third-party analytics services. These third parties may set and read cookies in your browser, or use web beacons, IP addresses, and device identifiers, to collect information about your activity on this Website and other sites. We do not directly control these third-party cookies; they are governed by their respective privacy policies.

The third-party services we use include:

• Google AdSense (advertising): Used to display ads on this Website. As a third-party advertising vendor, Google and its partners use cookies (such as IDE, DSID, ANID, and __gads) to serve and measure advertising in your browser and may serve personalized ads based on your visits to this Website and other sites. See Google's advertising technologies page and Google's Privacy Policy.
• Google Analytics (analytics): Used to aggregate and analyze website traffic and visitor behavior (for example, _ga, _gid, _gat). We use Google Analytics 4, which by default does not record or store full IP addresses, and our reports do not contain personally identifying information.

Legal Basis for Processing and Your Consent

In regions where the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and similar laws apply, we rely on the following legal bases for processing your personal information:

• Consent: For storing or reading non-essential cookies on your device and for serving personalized advertising. You may withdraw your consent at any time.
• Legitimate Interests: For keeping the Website secure, preventing abuse, and carrying out necessary anonymized statistics and service improvements.
• Performance of a Contract: For providing the tools and services you request.
• Legal Obligation: For fulfilling obligations imposed on us by applicable law.

Consent policy for users in the EU: For users located in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we will obtain your explicit consent (an "opt-in") before storing or reading non-essential cookies on your device and before collecting and using your personal information for advertising personalization. Until you make a choice, we use only those cookies that are strictly necessary for the Website to function normally, and we handle the related data in accordance with Google's EU user consent policy.

Device and location data: This Website does not collect information that could be used to infer your precise geographic location based on GPS, Wi-Fi, or mobile network data. Should we ever begin such processing, we will disclose the specific purposes (which may include advertising personalization, analytics, and attribution) through a prominent notice before collection, will proceed only with your explicit consent, and will transmit the data in encrypted form.

Identification: We do not pass to Google any information we know can identify you personally, and we will not attempt to identify you without first notifying you and obtaining your explicit consent. Whether or not consent is given, we will not attempt to disaggregate the aggregated data in Google's reports.

Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• Third-Party Advertising and Analytics Providers: Third parties including Google (Google AdSense and Google Analytics) may use cookies, web beacons, or IP addresses to collect anonymous or de-identified information about your visit for advertising, attribution, and traffic analysis. We permit such processing only to the extent necessary for them to provide their services, and we disclose it in the section above and in the Cookie Statement.
• Service Providers: We may engage trusted third-party service providers (such as web hosting, CDN, and security providers) to assist us in operating the Website. These service providers may access your information only to the extent necessary to perform their services and are obligated to protect its confidentiality.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law or in good faith belief that such disclosure is necessary to comply with legal obligations, protect our rights or property, investigate fraud, or maintain user safety.
• Business Transfer: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your information may be transferred as part of the transaction. We will notify you via notice on our website or email.

Data Retention

We follow the principles of data minimization and limited retention:

• Local storage data: Stored on your device until you clear it in your browser; we do not access it proactively.
• Analytics data: Retained by Google Analytics under its default retention periods (up to 14 months for user-level data and up to 26 months for aggregated reports), then automatically deleted.
• Support emails: Retained only as long as necessary to handle your inquiry, generally deleted within 12 months of the matter being resolved.
• Third-party advertising and cookie data: Retention periods are set by each third party under its own policies; see the Cookie Statement.

Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, use, modification, or loss. These measures include the use of encryption technologies, access controls, security monitoring, and more. However, please note that no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

International Data Transfers

We, and the third-party service providers we use (such as Google), may process information on servers located outside your country or region, including servers in the United States. When we transfer personal information outside the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we will take appropriate safeguards under applicable data protection law, such as using the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) or relying on equivalent compliance mechanisms provided by the service provider (for example, Google's Data Processing Terms and its EU–U.S. Data Privacy Framework certification). You may contact us using the details below for more information about these safeguards.

Your Rights

Under applicable data protection laws (including the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA) in the United States), you may have the following rights:

• Right to know and access: Learn whether we process your personal information and obtain a copy of it.
• Right to correct: Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Right to delete: Ask us to delete your personal information, subject to the conditions set out in law.
• Right to restrict and object: Restrict or object to our processing of your personal information, including objection to processing based on legitimate interests and to direct marketing advertising.
• Right to data portability: Receive the information you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
• Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent you have previously given at any time (withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal).
• Right not to have personal information sold or shared: We do not sell your personal information; California residents have the right to require that we do not sell or share their personal information.
• Right to non-discrimination: Exercising these rights will not result in a lower level of service or discriminatory pricing.
• Right to complain: Lodge a complaint with the personal information protection authority in your country or region.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details at the end of this policy. We will respond to your request within the period required by applicable law (generally no more than 30 days) and may ask you for the information necessary to verify your identity. If you wish to exercise rights in respect of Google's advertising or analytics services, you may also do so directly through the official Google channels listed above.

Third-Party Links

This Website may contain links to third-party websites or services. These third-party websites have their own independent privacy policies, and we assume no responsibility for the content or activities of such websites. Before submitting personal information to third-party websites, we recommend that you review their privacy policies.

Children's Privacy

This Website is not intended for children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. We also do not use interest-based advertising (including remarketing) to target users known to be under 13, or to target activity on sites or apps whose target audience is children.

We comply with the U.S. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and similar laws. This Website and all of its sections are general-audience content, are not designated as child-directed, and have not been declared to Google as a child-directed site or section. If you are a parent or guardian and discover that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us promptly, and we will take steps to delete such information.

Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any modifications will be posted on this page, and the "Last Updated" date at the top of the page will be revised. For material changes, we will notify you via website notice or email. We recommend that you review this Privacy Policy periodically.