Privacy policies 

Abian Design Studio (ADS) has a firm commitment to privacy.

ADS is thus committed to safeguarding your privacy online as a client or member (collectively as a member). The following policy indicates how your personal information will be treated as you fully use this website. This policy may change from time to time, so please check back periodically. For additional information about ADS, please review our Terms and Conditions. ADS does not sell or rent your personal identification to third parties. ADS does provide your personal identification to selected, affiliated companies to allow them to perform services for members on our behalf.

Email:
ADS adheres to a policy of sending members only the types of emails they have chosen to receive, in addition to customary business communications such as address confirmations, renewal notifications, and new service offerings. Furthermore, ADS ensures that members are removed from any ADS mailing list they have subscribed to upon request, while still receiving regular business communications from ADS. Each opt-in email communication from ADS includes clear instructions for members on how to unsubscribe from that specific mailing list.

Membership Registration:
At our site, we collect demographic and profile data to enhance your ADS experience by tailoring content according to your preferences and interests. We employ two methods to achieve this. Firstly, we analyze member information collectively, examining trends among thousands of site visits rather than individual members. This analysis helps us understand which parts of the site are accessed most frequently and which services are preferred by our users. Secondly, we may use information gathered during your visit to personalize our communications with you.

Periodically, ADS conducts voluntary member surveys to gather feedback that helps us improve our services and how we deliver them. We encourage members to participate in these surveys as the responses are anonymous. Our aim is to customize our communications with you based on your needs, ensuring you receive more of what you want from us and less of what you do not want.

Updating Your Personal Information:
ADS offers multiple methods for you to modify your personal data, where applicable. Please log in to your membership area (if available) and follow the provided directions to make these changes. After you have made the desired adjustments, click the 'Submit New Contact Information' button to save your changes. Please note that certain branded versions of the ADS website may not support this option.

The Security of Your Information:
We are committed to safeguarding the security of your personal information, including credit card details where applicable, during transmission. To achieve this, we utilize Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software, which encrypts the information you input. Your data, if applicable, is stored in a highly secure environment to prevent unauthorized access by third parties. Except for the website administrator or authorized ADS personnel, only you have access to your personal information. Your user registration is password-protected to prevent unauthorized access.

It's important to prevent unauthorized access to your password, PINs, and computer by logging off when you finish visiting ADS, especially on a shared computer. This precaution ensures that others cannot access your personal information and correspondence, especially if you share a computer or use a public computer, such as in a library or Internet cafe. We strongly advise against sharing your password or PINs with anyone. Please note that ADS will never request your password in an unsolicited phone call or email.

While we strive to protect your personal information, it's important to note that no data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. Therefore, while we take measures to safeguard your data, ADS cannot guarantee the security of any information transmitted to us or from our online services, and you do so at your own risk. Upon receiving your transmission, we will make every effort to ensure its security on our systems.

Cookies:
In order to offer customized and personalized services, ADS may utilize cookies to store and, at times, track information about you. A cookie is a small piece of data sent to your browser from a web server and stored on your computer's hard drive. Certain features of this website may require your acceptance of cookies to function correctly. We use cookies to enhance the member experience, such as enabling members to log in without manually entering their registered email address or registration number and password. Additionally, cookies allow us to deliver information and fresh content tailored to your interests. It's worth noting that cookies are commonly used across most major websites.

Browser Monitor:
ADS may utilize a browser monitor embedded within web pages on our site to assess your browser status and client-side metrics associated with page loading. Our goal is to continuously enhance page load times for our members, and we may utilize these metrics for this purpose. It's important to note that any browser monitor will only be active while you are active on the ADS site. Additionally, for your protection, such a browser monitor will not necessitate an executable (*.exe) application.

IP Address:
Similar to many internet sites, we may utilize your IP address to aid in diagnosing server issues and administering this website. Your IP address may also be employed to collect broad demographic information. This data is shared with current and potential advertisers, albeit solely in aggregate form. It does not include information that identifies individual members.

Membership Removal:
Where applicable, if you wish to have your registration removed from our directory for any reason, simply use our online registration removal process. If you have any problem removing your registration, please request assistance from the Contact Page.

Advertising and Third-Party Links:
ADS features non-advertising links to various third-party sites with the aim of enhancing the member experience. It's important to note that ADS does not have control over the content or privacy policies of these sites. Additionally, unless otherwise noted, the presence of such links should not be interpreted as an endorsement of these sites by ADS.

Children:
ADS is a general audience website, and safeguarding the privacy of young individuals is of utmost importance to us. Therefore, we do not collect or maintain information from individuals under 13 years old, nor is any part of our website intended for use by those under 13. Children should always seek parental permission before disclosing personal information online.

We do not share personal information about users with third parties, nor do we sell or rent personal information about any of our users, regardless of age.

In compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the United States, we are required to prohibit children under 13 residing in the U.S. from posting ads or using features of our site that require them to submit information via forms. Due to the rigorous reporting and verification requirements mandated by COPPA, which we cannot feasibly meet with our current resources, we are obligated to prevent all children under 13 residing in the U.S. from submitting any information via forms on our website. Therefore, children under 13 residing in the U.S. should refrain from submitting any information via forms on our website. If you do submit such information, you confirm that you are either over 13 years old or not located in the U.S., and thus not subject to COPPA regulations.

Updates to our information practices:
Periodically, we may update our information practices or modify the functionality of our website. We consistently update this statement to reflect any changes, and we encourage you to review this page periodically for the latest information on privacy practices at ADS.

Abuse of Terms of Service:
We reserve the right to disclose your personal information to law enforcement or other investigating agencies to aid in the investigation of any suspected violations of the law. Additionally, in cases of severe violations of conduct, we may share your name and contact information with our attorneys.

Disclosure of Information:
As a general practice, ADS will not disclose any of your personally identifiable information unless we have your permission or under exceptional circumstances. These circumstances may include situations where we believe in good faith that the law requires disclosure, or under the circumstances described below:

ADS may disclose account information in special cases when we have reason to believe that disclosing this information is necessary to identify, contact, or take legal action against someone who may be violating the Terms and Conditions of ADS services, or causing harm to the rights or property of ADS, other users of ADS services, or any other individual who may be affected by such activities, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

ADS may also disclose or access account information when we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary for administrative and other purposes essential to maintaining, servicing, and improving our services.

Member Choices:
If you opt not to register or provide personal information, you can still utilize most features of the ADS site. However, access to certain areas or features requiring registration will not be available to you. Regarding cookies, you have options. You can adjust your browser settings to accept all cookies, receive notifications when a cookie is set, or reject all cookies. If you opt to reject all cookies, you may not be able to use ADS services that necessitate registration.

ADS does not sell or rent user information to any third party. We will inform you at the time of data collection or transfer if your data will be shared with a third party, and you always have the option to decline the transfer. If you prefer not to permit your data to be shared, you can opt not to use a particular service.

Online privacy:
Please be aware that whenever you voluntarily disclose personal information online, such as in ads you post or through email, others may collect and use that information. In essence, if you post personal information online that is accessible to the public, you may receive unsolicited messages from other parties in response. Ultimately, you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your passwords and/or any account information. Exercise caution and responsibility whenever you are online.

Contact:
If you have any inquiries regarding our privacy policies or any other matters, please feel free to request assistance through our Contact Page. We are here to help.