Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to the Blue & Green Climate Literature Festival ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website www.bglitfest.com and participate in our festival activities.

By accessing or using our website and services, you agree to the terms outlined in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information

We may collect the following types of personal information:

• Registration Information: Name, email address, phone number, educational institution, profession, and address when you register for the festival or events
• Submission Information: Literary works, manuscripts, author biographies, and related content for festival competitions or publications
• Payment Information: Billing details, transaction history (processed securely through third-party payment processors)
• Communication Data: Correspondence with us via email, contact forms, or other channels
• Profile Information: Preferences, interests, and participation history

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information:

• Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, links clicked, navigation patterns
• Cookies and Tracking Technologies: Session cookies, analytics cookies, and similar technologies
• Location Information: General geographic location based on IP address

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for various purposes:

• Event Management: Processing registrations, managing participant information, organizing festival events and activities
• Communication: Sending event updates, newsletters, announcements, and responding to inquiries
• Content Management: Reviewing submissions, organizing competitions, publishing festival materials
• Payment Processing: Processing fees, managing transactions, maintaining financial records
• Website Improvement: Analyzing usage patterns, improving user experience, developing new features
• Marketing: Promoting festival events, sharing relevant content, building community engagement
• Legal Compliance: Fulfilling legal obligations, protecting our rights, preventing fraud
• Research: Conducting surveys, gathering feedback, improving our services

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

4.1 Third-Party Service Providers

We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in:

• Website hosting and maintenance
• Payment processing and financial services
• Email delivery and communication platforms
• Analytics and data analysis
• Event management and registration systems
• Cloud storage and data management

These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

4.2 Festival Partners and Sponsors

With your consent, we may share limited information with our festival partners, sponsors, and collaborating organizations for event-related purposes.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or when necessary to:

• Comply with legal obligations
• Protect our rights and property
• Prevent fraud or security threats
• Protect the safety of our users and the public

4.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity, subject to this Privacy Policy.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encryption of sensitive data during transmission (SSL/TLS)
• Secure server infrastructure and firewalls
• Access controls and authentication mechanisms
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Employee training on data protection practices
• Backup and disaster recovery procedures

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

6.1 Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: Necessary for website functionality and security
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website
• Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings
• Marketing Cookies: Track effectiveness of marketing campaigns (with consent)

6.2 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling certain cookies may limit your ability to use some website features. Most browsers allow you to:

• View and delete cookies
• Block third-party cookies
• Block all cookies
• Clear cookies when closing the browser

7. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal requirements)
• Portability: Request transfer of your data to another organization
• Restriction: Request limitation of processing of your information
• Objection: Object to processing of your information for certain purposes
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing at any time
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided in Section 12.

8. Children's Privacy

Our festival welcomes participants of all ages. For participants under 18 years of age:

• We require parental or guardian consent for registration and participation
• We collect only necessary information for event participation
• Parents/guardians can review, update, or delete their child's information
• We do not knowingly collect information from children without proper consent
• Special protections apply to the handling of minors' data

If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child without proper consent, please contact us immediately.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have different data protection laws. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information during such transfers, including:

• Standard contractual clauses approved by regulatory authorities
• Adequacy decisions by relevant data protection authorities
• Other legally recognized transfer mechanisms

10. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law. Retention periods vary based on:

• The type of information collected
• The purpose for which it was collected
• Legal and regulatory requirements
• Your consent preferences

After the retention period expires, we securely delete or anonymize your information.

11. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, services, or resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of significant changes by:

• Posting the updated policy on our website
• Updating the "Last Updated" date
• Sending email notifications for material changes
• Displaying prominent notices on our website

Your continued use of our services after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

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