Emerald Activities Privacy Policy

Emerald Activities is a family friendly site with a focus on creativity (mostly through artwork and creative writing). We are parents ourselves, and only add content that we feel is appropriate for our own children. Both our forums and our image galleries are moderated, bullying is not tolerated and neither is the sharing of personal information like addresses, real names, etc... We also run filters to remove foul language. Guests and users under 13 can only communicate with others through drop down menus of safe words and phrases, unless their parents have given permission for them to use the regular forum.

We do not share user information with other individuals or companies. Regarding children's privacy we follow the United States Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to contact us.

Heather Harvey and Bradley Adams
3853 Nootka Street
Vancouver B.C. V5R 2C8
Canada

Phone: 1-604-783-9864
Fax: 1-610-643-5692
E-mail: info@emeraldactivities.com

The following FAQ explains our privacy policy

Is registration (including the collection of personal information) needed?

Most of the Emerald Activities website does not require registration or the collection of personally identifiable information. Guest users can build dolls, play games, use the colouring books, and access the craft pages. Guest users can also upload their creations to the main gallery. The save does allow you to optionally provide a nickname and e-mail (used once to alert the user of the image status, and then removed from our system).

However, some features are only available to registered users. These include personal avatars, personal galleries of images and stories, and bonus content that can be earned in various ways. In order to have these features, we have to verify that the new user is a human and not a robot trying to harm or spam the forums or other ares of the site, so registration is required. In the case of users under 13, parental permission is also needed for some features. We collect only the information that is absolutely necessary for our users to participate in the activities on our site.

How is personal information collected on Emerald Activities?

We collect personal information during registration. The user will be asked for their desired nickname, a password, an e-mail, and their month and year of birth (to determine their age). If the user is under 13 please see the next section. Users over 13 will be granted an account after confirming their e-mail address.

Does Emerald Activities collect personal information from users under 13?

If a user is under 13, they will be prompted to provide their parent's name and e-mail, or other contact information. Then a limited account will be created for them that retains only an e-mail for the purpose of password retrieval. They will also have the option of receiving the Emerald Activities newsletter (if desired). The parent will then be contacted and given the opportunity to remove the account and e-mail, or to give further access to their child in other areas of Emerald Activities (via faxed and signed permission form). The Parent will also receive a copy of this privacy policy and be notified in the future of any changes made to it.

How is personal information used on Emerald Activities?

Your e-mail will be used for contact purposes regarding your account (that includes things like changes to our Privacy Policy or to resolve problems with your account). If you choose, you will also be sent our newsletter, and notifications of contest wins and image acceptance. Birthdate is used only to determine what areas of the site the account should have access to. Your password and nickname are used to give you access to your account.

Does Emerald Activities collect personal information without consent?

No, any personal information is provided by the user during registration or at their discretion during other activities. For example, users over the age of 13 (or those with parental consent) will also be able to add things like hobbies to their profiles, or to answer polls about what they like. This information is strictly voluntary, it may occasionally be used by Emerald Activities to improve our services.

Does Emerald Activities use cookies?

Our site does use cookies, text files containing bits of information (such as your user name and password), in your browser's cache. This is used for keeping your computer logged in (so you don't need to sign in every time).

Does Emerald Activities sell information to others companies or 3rd parties?

No, Emerald Activities does not sell or share your information with 3rd parties of any kind. Your information is used only internally as stated above.

How can I view or remove my personal information (or my child's)?

At any time you choose, you may view or delete your account from our system. When an account is deleted all information regarding it will be removed from our data base. You can also contact us with the information at the top of this page if you have any questions or concerns.

Will I be notified if there are changes to the Privacy Policy?

If there are any changes to our Privacy Policy or Terms of Service, you will be notified via E-mail.

Message to Parents and Guardians:

Please monitor your children's activities online. Only you can really decide what content is best for your children. It is also very important that you encourage them to never share personal information without your permission. This privacy policy only covers our own site. If you follow links on our site (through advertisements for example) you will be taken to other sites that have their own privacy policies and practices.