Couchsurfing.com Privacy Policy <p>Effective Date: <strong>June 30, 2020</strong>
</p>
<p>Please read our Privacy Policy carefully to get a clear understanding of how we collect, use, disclose, protect and otherwise handle information about you.
By using Couchsurfing services, you consent to the collection and use of your data as described in this Privacy Policy.</p> This Privacy Policy describes: <ul>
<li>the information we, Couchsurfing International, Inc.
(“Couchsurfing”) collect about you,</li>
<li>how we use and share that information, and</li>
<li>the privacy choices available to you.</li>
</ul>
<p>This Privacy Policy applies to information we collect when you use our websites, mobile applications and other online products and services (collectively, the “Services”), or when you otherwise interact with us.</p>
<p>From time to time, we may change the provisions of this Privacy Policy.
We encourage you to review the Privacy Policy regularly to stay informed about our information practices and the ways you can help protect your privacy.</p> What Information Do We Collect When You Use Our Services? Information You Provide to Us <p>We collect information you provide to us, such as when you create an account, update your profile, use the interactive features of our Services, participate in contests, promotions or surveys, request customer support or otherwise communicate with us.
The types of information we may collect include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Basic user information, such as your name, username, gender, birth date, email address, mailing address, billing address, phone number and photographs;</li>
<li>Messages and interactive forum information, such as discussion group posts, messages to other Couchsurfing users and information you provide in connection with activities and events;</li>
<li>Other background, contact and demographic information, such as your occupation, personal URL, IM username, emergency contact, home descriptions, travel history and plans and other interests and self-descriptions you choose to provide;</li>
<li>Information stored on your mobile device, such as your photos, calendar information and contacts, if you have given us permission to access this information.
and</li>
<li>Information about you from other Couchsurfing users, such as trust ratings, friend connections, public references, and other interconnections and interactions between you and other Couchsurfing users.</li>
<li>Information provided to us by you as a part of the identity verification process.
This includes the identity document and images used in the process, as well as the information included on the identity document provided.</li>
</ul> Information We Collect Automatically <p>When you access or use our Services, we may also automatically collect information about you, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>Location Information: We may collect information about your location when you access our mobile application or website, or otherwise consent to the collection of this information.</li>
<li>Device Information: We collect device-specific information when you access our Services, including your hardware model, operating system and version, unique device identifiers, mobile network information and information about the device’s interaction with our Services.</li>
<li>Log Information: We collect log information about how you access or use our Services, including your access times, browser type and language, Internet Service Provider and Internet Protocol (“IP”) address.</li>
<li>Information Collected by Cookies and other Tracking Technologies: We may automatically collect information using cookies, web beacons (also known as “tracking gifs,” “pixel tags” and “tracking pixels”) and other tracking technologies to, among other things, improve our Services and your experience, monitor user activity, count visits, understand usage and campaign effectiveness, and tell if an email has been opened and acted upon.</li>
</ul> Information We Collect from Other Sources <p>We may also obtain information from other sources and combine that with information we collect through our Services.
For example, if you create or log into your Couchsurfing account through a third-party social networking site, we will have access to certain information from that site, such as your name, profile picture, connections and other account information in accordance with the authorization procedures determined by such third-party social networking site.</p>
<p>Some of this information may be shared with other users.
For example, they may be able to see your connections who are also Couchsurfing users.</p> How Do We Use this Information? <p>We use information about you for purposes described in this Privacy Policy or otherwise disclosed to you on or in connection with our Services.
For example, we may use information about you to:</p>
<ul>
<li>Operate and improve our Services;</li>
<li>Protect the safety of Couchsurfing users and provide our verification service;</li>
<li>Send you technical notices, updates, security alerts and support and administrative messages;</li>
<li>Respond to your comments, questions and requests and provide customer service;</li>
<li>Communicate with you about products, services, offers, promotions, rewards and events and provide other news and information about Couchsurfing and other third parties;</li>
<li>Monitor and analyze trends, usage and activities in connection with our Services;</li>
<li>Personalize the Services, which may include providing content or features that match user profiles or interests;</li>
<li>Process and deliver contest entries and rewards.
and</li>
<li>Link or combine with other information we get from third parties to help understand your needs and provide you with better service.</li>
</ul>
<p>We retain the personal data you provide until your account is deleted.
Account deactivation does not delete your personal data.
In some cases we may retain certain information in anonymized or aggregated form.</p> Transfers of Your Personal Information Abroad <p>Couchsurfing may store and process personal information in the United States and other countries, where under local laws you may have fewer legal rights.
However, wherever we store your information we will treat it in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
Couchsurfing International Inc.
complies with the EU-U.S.
Privacy Shield Framework and the Swiss – U.S.
Privacy Shield Framework as set forth by the U.S.
Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of personal information transferred from the European Union, United Kingdom and Switzerland to the United States, respectively.
Couchsurfing International Inc.
has certified to the Department of Commerce that it adheres to the Privacy Shield Principles.
If there is any conflict between the terms in this privacy policy and the Privacy Shield Principles, the Privacy Shield Principles shall govern.
To learn more about the Privacy Shield program, and to view our certification, please visit https://www.privacyshield.gov/.</p> Sharing of Information <p>We will not share information about you with outside parties except as described below or elsewhere in this Privacy Policy:</p>
<ul>
<li>With your consent</li>
<li>With third party vendors, consultants and other service providers who need access to such information to carry out their work for us.
This includes Onfido, the provider of our Identity Verification product, as well as other third party vendors who assist us with fraud prevention and detection.</li>
<li>With others who access or use our Services in accordance with the privacy settings you establish </li>
<li>With search engines in order to index the content you provide as part of a discussion forum or public profile;</li>
<li>With partners who run contests, special offers or other events or activities in connection with our Services;</li>
<li>In connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of company assets, financing or acquisition of all or a portion of our business to another company;</li>
<li>If we believe that disclosure is reasonably necessary to comply with any applicable law, regulation, legal process or governmental request, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements.
and</li>
<li>To enforce our agreements, policies, and Terms of Use to protect the security or integrity of our Services.
or to protect Couchsurfing, our users or the public from harm or illegal activities.</li>
</ul>
<p>We may also share aggregated or de-identified information, which cannot reasonably be used to identify you.</p>
<p>Couchsurfing is responsible and liable if third-party agents that it uses to process the personal data on its behalf do so in a manner inconsistent with the Privacy Shield Principles, unless Couchsurfing proves that it is not responsible for the event that allowed the damage to occur.</p> Social Media Tools <p>Couchsurfing may offer social sharing features or other integrated tools which let you share actions you take on our Services with other media, and vice versa.
The use of such features enables the sharing of certain information with your friends or the public, depending on the settings you establish with the third party that provides the social sharing feature.
For more information about the purpose and scope of data collection and processing in connection with social sharing features, please visit the privacy policies of the third parties that provide these social sharing features.
Couchsurfing may also allow you to access Google Maps.
Please note that when you use Google Maps, you are subject to Google’s privacy policy, as amended by Google from time to time.</p> Third Party Links <p>Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include or offer third party products or services as part of our Services.
These third parties may have separate and independent privacy policies.
We therefore have no responsibility or liability for the activities of these third parties and how they collect, use or share information about you.
Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our Services and welcome any feedback about these third parties.</p> Advertising and Analytics Services Provided by Others <p>We may allow third parties to serve advertisements on our behalf across the Internet and to provide analytics services in relation to the use of our Services.
These entities may use cookies, web beacons and other technologies to collect information about your use of the Services and other websites, including your IP address and information about your web browser and operating system, pages viewed, time spent on pages, links clicked and conversion information.
This information may be used by Couchsurfing and others to, among other things, analyze and track data, determine the popularity of certain content, deliver advertising and content targeted to your interests on our Services and other websites and better understand your online activity.
Please note that we may share aggregated, non-personal information, or personal information in a hashed, non-human readable form, with these third parties.
For example, we may engage a third party data provider who may collect web log data from you or place or recognize a unique cookie on your browser to enable you to receive customized ads or content.
These cookies may reflect de-identified demographic or other data linked to information you voluntarily provide to us (e.g., an email address) in a hashed, non-human readable form.
For more information about interest-based ads, or to opt out of having your web browsing information used for behavioral advertising purposes, please visit www.aboutads.info/choices.</p> How Do We Protect Visitor Information? <p>We take security of your data seriously and take reasonable measures to protect information about you from loss, theft, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction.</p> Your Information Choices Privacy Settings <p>We will only collect and process personal data about you where we have a lawful basis.
Lawful bases include, but are not limited to, where:</p>
<ul>
<li>you have given consent</li>
<li>processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you</li>
<li>processing is necessary for the legitimate interests pursued by Couchsurfing, as deemed lawful under the Global Data Protection Regulation.</li>
<li>processing is necessary for the compliance of a legal obligation</li>
</ul>
<p>Learn more</p>
<p>You have many choices about your data.</p>
<ul>
<li>You can update and correct most of your personal data through your account.
If this is not possible, you can ask us to update your data, particularly in cases of inaccuracy, by contacting Customer Support.</li>
<li>You can request a portable copy of your data under the Privacy section of your Account and Settings (Desktop only).</li>
<li>You can opt-out of email marketing and push notifications using the Email and Push Notification options in your Account and Settings Page.</li>
<li>You can ask us to restrict or limit the processing of your data.</li>
<li>You may also revoke your consent to processing and ask us to delete your data.</li>
<li>You may determine whether certain information about you will be visible to others by navigating to "Account &.
Settings" on our website and editing your options under "Privacy"</li>
</ul> Account Information <p>You may deactivate your account at any time by contacting support@couchsurfing.com.
Even after you deactivate your account, we may retain certain information as required by law, for legitimate business purposes or to protect member safety.
If your account is deactivated, Couchsurfing will provide access to the data associated with the deactivated account upon receipt of the required legal documentation.</p> Location Information via Mobile Device <p>You have the ability to turn location-based services on and off by adjusting the settings of your Internet browser or mobile device and by following the standard uninstall process and removing Couchsurfing’s application from your device.
Doing so, however, may mean that you cannot use all or a portion of our Services.</p> Cookies <p>Most web browsers are set to accept cookies by default.
However, you can choose to set your browser to remove or reject browser cookies.
Each browser is a little different, so look at your browser's help menu to learn the correct way to modify your cookies, or visit www.allaboutcookies.org.
Please note, however, that our Services may not function properly if your browser does not accept cookies.</p>
<p>Promotional Communications</p>
<p>You may opt out of receiving promotional communications from Couchsurfing by following the instructions in those emails or by adjusting the appropriate settings in your profile.
If you opt out, we may still send you transactional or relationship messages, such as emails about your account.</p> Contact Us <p>If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us here or via mail at Couchsurfing International, Inc.
Attention: Legal Department, PO Box 7775 ECM 86600, San Francisco, CA 94120, United States or email at privacy@couchsurfing.com.</p>
<p>In addition, EU members can direct privacy-related inquiries or complaints to privacy@couchsurfing.com.
If you have an unresolved privacy or data use concern that we have not addressed satisfactorily, please contact our U.S.-based third party dispute resolution provider (free of charge) at https://feedback-form.truste.com/watchdog/request.
If your complaint is not resolved, you may have the option of engaging in binding arbitration through the Privacy Shield Panel.
You can reach our Data Protection Officer at dpo@couchsurfing.com.
You have a right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or place of the alleged infringement, if you believe that the processing of your personal data infringes on the Global Data Protection Regulation.
Couchsurfing is subject to the investigatory and enforcement powers of the U.S.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC).</p>