Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Vasto Insider ("we," "our," or "us") operates the website vastoinsider.com (the "Website"). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Italian data protection legislation.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our Website. Please read this policy carefully. By using our Website, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Data Controller

For the purposes of data protection law, the data controller responsible for your personal data is:

Vasto Insider
Email: info@vastoinsider.com

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us using the information provided above.

3. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

We may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you:

• Contact Us: Name, email address, and message content when you use our contact form
• Submit a Business: Business name, address, contact details, and your name/email as the submitter
• Claim a Business: Your name, email, phone number, position, and verification documents
• Subscribe to Updates: Email address for newsletter or notification purposes

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Website, we automatically collect certain information, including:

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Provide and Maintain Our Service: To operate, maintain, and improve our Website and directory services
• Respond to Inquiries: To respond to your questions, comments, and requests submitted through contact forms
• Process Business Submissions: To review and potentially add businesses submitted by users or owners
• Verify Business Claims: To authenticate ownership claims from business operators
• Analytics and Improvements: To understand how users interact with our Website and improve user experience
• Security: To detect, prevent, and address technical issues, fraud, or security threats
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes

5. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

Under the GDPR, we must have a valid legal basis for processing your personal data. Our legal bases include:

• Consent: Where you have given clear consent for us to process your personal data for a specific purpose (e.g., newsletter subscription)
• Contract Performance: Where processing is necessary to perform a contract with you or take steps at your request before entering into a contract
• Legitimate Interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests (e.g., website analytics, fraud prevention) and does not override your rights
• Legal Obligation: Where processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation

You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before withdrawal.

6. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect and store information about your interactions with our Website.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect Website functionality.

7. Third-Party Services

Our Website integrates with and displays data from third-party services:

TripAdvisor

We display ratings, review counts, and links to TripAdvisor listings. When you click links to TripAdvisor, you leave our Website and are subject to TripAdvisor's privacy policy.

Google Services

We use Google Maps for displaying business locations and Google Places for ratings/reviews. Google may collect data when you interact with these features. See Google's Privacy Policy.

Web Hosting

Our Website is hosted on servers that may log standard access information including IP addresses for security and performance purposes.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party services. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

8. Data Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your data in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: With trusted third parties who assist us in operating our Website (e.g., hosting, analytics), bound by confidentiality obligations
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, where your data may be transferred to the successor entity
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or government request, or to protect our rights, property, or safety
• With Your Consent: In other circumstances where you have given explicit consent

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected:

• Contact Form Submissions: Retained for up to 2 years unless ongoing correspondence requires longer retention
• Business Submissions: Retained indefinitely if the business is added to our directory; otherwise deleted after 1 year
• Business Claims: Verification documents deleted after claim is processed; contact information retained with the listing
• Analytics Data: Aggregated and anonymized data may be retained indefinitely for statistical purposes

After the retention period, personal data is securely deleted or anonymized.

10. Your Rights Under GDPR

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@vastoinsider.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante per la protezione dei dati personali) or your local supervisory authority.

11. International Data Transfers

Our Website is hosted and operated in servers that may be located outside of Italy. If you are accessing our Website from outside this jurisdiction, please be aware that your data may be transferred to, stored, and processed in a country different from your own.

When we transfer personal data outside the EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

• Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission
• Adequacy decisions by the European Commission for certain countries
• Other legally recognized transfer mechanisms

12. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• SSL/TLS encryption for data transmitted to and from our Website
• Secure server infrastructure with regular security updates
• Access controls limiting who can access personal data
• Regular security assessments and monitoring

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

13. Children's Privacy

Our Website is not intended for children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately. If we discover that we have collected personal data from a child under 16, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

14. 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. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Effective Date" at the top of this page
• Post a notice on our Website homepage (for significant changes)

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Website after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: