Privacy Policy for ComplicatedIdeas.com
Last updated: September 6, 2025.
ComplicatedIdeas.com respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your information when you visit our website at complicatedideas.com (the “Site”). Our Site provides fun explanations of new technologies, philosophy, and their impacts on society and the economy, along with a page that generates creative pepper recipes with unique twists.
This policy is designed to comply with key regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for EU users and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA) for California residents. If you are in another jurisdiction, similar principles may apply.
Table of Contents
1. What Information Do We Collect?
2. How Do We Collect Your Information?
3. How Do We Use Your Information?
4. Legal Bases for Processing Your Information (GDPR)
5. How Do We Store and Secure Your Information?
6. Do We Share Your Information?
7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
8. Your Privacy Rights
9. International Data Transfers
10. Children’s Privacy
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
12. How to Contact Us
1. What Information Do We Collect?
Personal Information You Disclose to Us
We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide, such as:
– Name, email address, or other contact details if you sign up for our newsletter, contact us via forms.
– User-generated content, such as comments or feedback on articles about technology, philosophy, society, or economy.
Information Automatically Collected
We automatically collect certain information when you visit or navigate the Site, including:
– Device and usage data: IP address, browser type, operating system, pages viewed, time spent on the Site, and referral sources.
– Location data: Approximate location based on IP (not precise geolocation).
– Cookies and similar technologies: See the “Cookies and Tracking Technologies” section below.
We do not collect sensitive personal information (e.g., racial or ethnic origin, health data) unless you voluntarily provide it in comments, and even then, we process it only as needed for Site functionality.
Your use of the pepper recipe generator does not require you to provide any personal information. The tool generates recipes from a predefined list directly within your browser, and no data about your use of this feature is collected or stored on our servers.
If you are a California resident, in the past 12 months, we may have collected the following categories of personal information (as defined under CCPA/CPRA):
– Identifiers (e.g., email, IP address).
– Internet or network activity (e.g., browsing history on our Site).
– Geolocation data (approximate).
We do not sell your personal information.
2. How Do We Collect Your Information?
– Directly from you: When you submit forms, sign up for updates, or use interactive features like the recipe generator.
– Automatically: Via cookies, server logs, and analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) to understand how users engage with our content on technologies, philosophy, and recipes.
– From third parties: We may receive data from analytics providers or social media if you share our content.
3. How Do We Use Your Information?
We use your information to:
– Provide and improve the Site, including generating personalized pepper recipes or recommending articles on tech impacts.
– Send newsletters or updates about new technologies, philosophical insights, societal changes, or fun recipes (with your consent).
– Analyze usage to enhance content on philosophy, economy, and tech.
– Respond to inquiries or feedback.
– Comply with legal obligations, prevent fraud, or enforce our terms.
We process your information only when we have a valid legal reason, such as your consent, fulfilling a contract, or legitimate interests (e.g., Site analytics).
4. Legal Bases for Processing Your Information (GDPR)
If you are in the EU/EEA, we rely on the following legal bases under GDPR:
– Consent: For marketing emails or non-essential cookies.
– Legitimate interests: For Site operations, analytics, and security (balanced against your rights).
– Contract: If you request services like recipe generation.
– Legal obligation: For compliance with laws.
5. How Do We Store and Secure Your Information?
We store your data securely on servers in [e.g., the United States or EU – specify your hosting location, like AWS]. We use industry-standard measures like encryption and access controls to protect it.
We retain data only as long as necessary:
– Usage data: Up to 2 years for analytics.
– Contact info: Until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
Once no longer needed, we delete or anonymize it.
No system is 100% secure, but we strive to protect your data.
6. Do We Share Your Information?
We may share your information with:
– Service providers: Hosting, analytics (e.g., Google), or email tools (e.g., Mailchimp).
– Legal authorities: If required by law or to protect our rights.
– Business transfers: In case of merger or acquisition.
We do not sell your personal information. For CCPA/CPRA, we have not sold or shared personal information in the past 12 months for cross-context behavioral advertising.
7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies to enhance your experience, such as remembering preferences for recipe twists or tracking views on tech articles. Types include:
– Essential cookies: For Site functionality.
– Analytics cookies: To measure engagement.
– Marketing cookies: If we run ads (with consent).
You can manage cookies via your browser settings or our cookie banner. For more, visit allaboutcookies.org.
8. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your location:
– All users: Access, correct, delete, or restrict your data; object to processing; withdraw consent.
– GDPR (EU/EEA): Data portability; lodge complaints with authorities (e.g., your national data protection agency).
– CCPA/CPRA (California): Know categories collected/sold; delete; opt-out of sales (though we don’t sell); non-discrimination. We respond to verified requests within 45 days (extendable). Use the “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link if applicable.
To exercise rights, contact us at info@complicatedideas.com. We respond within 1 month (GDPR) or as required.
9. International Data Transfers
If you’re in the EU and data is transferred outside the EEA Europe (Germany), we use safeguards like Standard Contractual Clauses.
10. Children’s Privacy
Our Site is not for children under 13 (or 16 in some jurisdictions). We do not knowingly collect data from minors. If we learn we have, we delete it.
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this policy. Changes are posted here with the updated date. Continued use means acceptance.
12. How to Contact Us
For questions or requests:
– Email: info@complicatedideas.com
For GDPR, our Data Protection Officer is at the above email. For complaints, contact your local authority (e.g., ICO in UK).