Privacy Policy

This Web site is owned and operated by Counterspill LLC (“Counterspill”), a California Limited Liability Company. This privacy statement is intended to help you, as our users, understand what information we gather from you, and how we use, manage, and protect that information.

Information Gathered.  Personally identifying information. In using the Counterspill Web site, you can, among other services, voluntarily register with the site; subscribe to our electronic communications, including newsletters; opt to send articles, pages, and other site content to a third party recipient; and contact us to, for example, offer feedback or ask a question.  In the course of these offerings, Counterspill may ask for personally identifying information from you.  This personally identifying information may include your name, email address, telephone, and/or address.  When sending site content to a third party, you will be asked to enter information such as the name and email address of that recipient.

Children. Consistent with the Federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA), Counterspill will never knowingly request personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 13 without requesting parental consent.

Other information. When you use the Counterspill Web site, Counterspill and its service providers may collect other information from you that is not personally identifying information but that is contained in users’ browsers.  This information may include your current Internet protocol address, your Internet service provider, and your Internet browser.

Usage Tracking. Counterspill may choose to gather aggregated tracking information, derived largely by tallying page views throughout our site.  This information is collected in order to allow Counterspill to better tailor site content to readers’ needs and interests, and to help Counterspill’s advertisers and sponsors better understand the demographics of the Counterspill audience.  This information is anonymized and is not correlated with data about individual users. The tracking information is used to determine which areas of our sites are most enjoyed and utilized by users.  Counterspill does not track what individual users read, but rather how well each page or area of the site performs overall.  This helps us continue to build a better service for you.

Cookies. If Counterspill decides to offer advertising on this site, we may place a text file called a "cookie" in the browser files of your computer. The cookie itself does not contain personally identifying information, although it will enable us to relate your use of this site to information that you have specifically and knowingly provided.  Counterspill may use cookies to track user actions and traffic patterns (as described above). You can refuse cookies by turning them off in your browser.  If you have set your browser to warn you before accepting cookies, you will receive the warning message with each cookie. You do not need to have cookies turned on to use this site.

Social Networking.  You can engage with Counterspill content and/or applications via third-party social networking sites, such as Facebook.  When you do so, you may allow Counterspill to have access to certain information from your social media profile, to deliver content to you or as part of the application. When you provide personally identifying information to us through a social networking site, the information may become publicly viewable by other members of the site; Counterspill cannot prevent further use of that information by third parties.  Some social networking sites will allow you to control what data you share.  Please refer to their policies for further information.

Other sites. Counterspill’s Web site may provide links to other Web sites. This Privacy Statement applies to Counterspill only; Counterspill has no control over users’ information gathered and/or used by these other Web sites.  If you submit personally identifying information to any of those sites, your information is subject to their privacy statements.  Counterspill encourages you to carefully read the privacy statement of any Web site you visit.

Use of Information. Counterspill uses any information voluntarily given by Web site users to enhance their experience on the Counterspill Web site, both in providing interactive and/or personalized elements on the site or to better prepare future content based on the interests of our users.  As stated above, we may use information that users voluntarily provide in order to, for example, send out electronic newsletters. Counterspill will not share newsletter mailing lists with any third parties, including advertisers, sponsors or partners.

Usage tracking information is utilized to determine which pages/areas of the site are performing well and how other content should be altered to better meet the needs and desires of users. Counterspill may create aggregate reports on user demographics and traffic patterns for advertisers, sponsors and partners. This allows our advertisers to advertise more effectively, and allows our users to receive advertisements that are pertinent to their needs.  Because Counterspill will not track the usage patterns of individual users, an advertiser or sponsor will never know that a specific user clicked their ad.

Counterspill will not share personally identifying information about individual users with any third party, except to comply with applicable law or valid legal process or to protect the personal safety of our users or the public. 

Security.  Counterspill operates secure data networks protected by industry standard firewall and password protection systems. Our security and privacy policies are periodically reviewed and enhanced as necessary and only authorized individuals have access to the information provided by our customers.

Opt-Out Policy. Counterspill gives users options wherever necessary and practical, including opting not to register for services such as Counterspill’s electronic newsletter and other communications, and opting not to participate in certain interactive areas of the site.

User Consent. By using the above described features and services offered on the Counterspill.com Web site, you consent to the collection and use of this information by Counterspill.

Changes to Policy. This Privacy Policy may change from time to time.  If Counterspill decides to change its privacy policy, Counterspill will post a notice on its home page so that users are always aware of what of their information is being gathered, under what circumstances, and to what purpose.