Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Side and Passive Businesses ("we," "our," or "us"). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you visit our website.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Name and email address (when you contact us or subscribe to our newsletter)
• Any information you provide in contact forms or communications

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• IP address
• Pages visited and time spent on pages
• Referring website

2.3 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We do not use cookies on our website. We have made a deliberate choice to be cookie-free and privacy-first.

• No Analytics Cookies: We use Umami Analytics, which collects anonymous usage statistics without cookies
• No Tracking Cookies: We do not track individual users across sessions
• No Third-Party Cookies: We do not allow third-party advertising or tracking cookies
• LocalStorage Only: Your dark mode preference is stored locally in your browser's localStorage (not a cookie)

Umami Analytics: We use Umami, a privacy-focused, open-source analytics platform that is GDPR, CCPA, and PECR compliant. Umami collects only anonymous, aggregated data such as page views, referrer sources, and device types—without personally identifiable information or cookies.

Data Location: Our Umami Analytics instance is hosted by Umami Cloud (cloud.umami.is) on Hetzner servers located in Germany (European Union). All analytics data remains within the EU and is subject to strict GDPR protections. No data is transferred to the United States or other non-EU jurisdictions.

Learn more about Umami's privacy practices: https://umami.is/privacy

3. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to:

• Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
• Send newsletters and updates (with your consent)
• Analyze and improve our website performance
• Comply with legal obligations
• Detect and prevent fraud or abuse

4. Affiliate Links and Commissions

Important: Our website contains affiliate links. When you click on these links and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We are transparent about our affiliate relationships and only recommend tools we genuinely believe provide value.

Affiliate networks may use cookies to track referrals. Please review the privacy policies of the specific tools and services you use.

5. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We may share your information with:

• Affiliate Networks: For commission tracking (e.g., Impact, ShareASale, individual SaaS platforms) - only when you click affiliate links
• Analytics Provider: Umami Analytics (hosted in EU/Germany, privacy-first, no personal data collected, GDPR compliant)
• Email Service Providers: For newsletter delivery (if applicable)
• Legal Authorities: When required by law or to protect our rights

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

6. Data Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your personal information. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Your Privacy Rights

7.1 GDPR Rights (European Economic Area)

If you are located in the EEA, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Right to Access: Request a copy of your personal data we hold
• Right to Rectification: Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request limitation of processing in certain circumstances
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: File a complaint with your local data protection authority

7.2 CCPA Rights (California Residents)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to Know: Request disclosure of personal information collected, used, or shared
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal information
• Right to Opt-Out: Opt-out of the sale of personal information (Note: We do not sell personal information)
• Right to Non-Discrimination: Not be discriminated against for exercising your rights

7.3 Other U.S. State Privacy Rights

Residents of Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and other states with comprehensive privacy laws may have similar rights to those outlined above.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at team@sideandpassivebusinesses.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days (or as required by applicable law).

8. Children's Privacy

Our website is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for such transfers.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

11. No Cookie Consent Required

We do not use cookies, so no cookie consent banner is needed. Your privacy is protected by default—no opt-in or opt-out required. Our analytics solution (Umami) is fully compliant with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations without requiring cookie consent.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or our data practices, please contact us:

• Email: team@sideandpassivebusinesses.com
• Contact Form: Contact Us