We think it’s important for you to understand how cookies and other similar technologies are used by BitLift and our partners. These technologies help BitLift function, allow us to understand how you use the Services, and have a number of purposes (beyond just advertising) that you can read about in this policy.
In this policy, we’ll refer to BitLift.com as the “Site”. We’ll refer to all services offered collectively as the “Services.” Gerbz LLC doing business as BitLift are referred to as “BitLift” throughout this policy. We’ll refer to cookies and similar technologies collectively as “Cookie Technologies.”
1. Types of Cookie Technologies
Cookies
Cookies are small data files sent from a server to your web browser. They are stored in your browser’s cache and allow a website or a third party to recognize your browser. There are three primary types of cookies:
Session cookies are specific to a particular visit and carry information as you view different pages so you don’t have to re-enter information every time you change pages or attempt to checkout. Session cookies expire and delete themselves automatically in a short period of time like after you leave the Site or when you close your web browser.
Persistent cookies remember certain information about your preferences for viewing the site, and allow BitLift to recognize you each time you return. Persistent cookies are stored on your browser cache or mobile device until you choose to delete them, and otherwise typically delete themselves at expiration.
Third-party cookies are placed by someone other than BitLift, and may gather browsing activity across multiple websites and across multiple sessions. They are usually a type of persistent cookie and are stored until you delete them or they expire based on the time period set in each third-party cookie.
Cookies store data about your use, but they are helpful because they allow us to help BitLift function and customize your experience. You can configure your desktop or mobile browser’s settings to reflect your preference to accept or reject cookies, including how to handle third-party cookies (see Managing Cookie Technologies below).
Other Technologies
In addition to cookies, there are other similar technologies used by BitLift and elsewhere on the web or in mobile ecosystems.
Web beacons: These are tiny graphics (sometimes called “clear GIFs” or “web pixels”) with a unique identifier that are used to understand browsing activity. In contrast to cookies, which are stored on a user’s computer hard drive, web beacons are rendered invisibly on web pages when you open a page.
Social widgets: These are buttons or icons provided by third-party social media providers that allow you to interact with those social media services when you view a web page or a mobile app screen. These social widgets may collect browsing data, which may be received by the third party that provided the widget, and are controlled by the third parties.
UTM codes: These are strings that can appear in a URL (the “Uniform Resource Locator,” which is typically the http or https address entered to go to a web page) when a user moves from one web page or website to another, where the string can represent information about browsing, such as which advertisement, page, or publisher sent the user to the receiving website.
Application SDKs: These are mobile application third-party software development kits that are embedded in the Apps (and are used in many mobile applications). These app SDKs permit the collection of information about the app itself, activity in the app, and the device the application is running on.
Local Storage Objects: Sometimes called flash cookies, these are sets of data that can be stored on your browser by a site or app. They can be used to maintain preferences, a history of usage, or even the state or settings of a site or an app.
2. Purposes
BitLift uses Cookie Technologies to recognize your logged-in state on BitLift, to understand what purchases members and visitors are interested in, to make BitLift Sites function for you, and to help your browsing experience and use of the Site, Services, and Apps feel more customized. More generally, BitLift uses Cookie Technologies for the following.
Security and Authentication (Strictly Necessary): Some cookie and similar technology functions are necessary and vital to ensuring that BitLift works properly for visitors and members, such as maintaining the security, safety, and integrity of the Site, authentication and logging into BitLift (including remembering permissions and consents you have granted), and ensuring the ability to securely complete transactions.
Account and User Preferences: Some technologies are used to remember your account and preferences over time, such as keeping yourself logged in when returning to BitLift, maintaining your choices on BitLift features and how you want BitLift to appear (including keeping track of your preferred language and country), and customizing content based on how you use BitLift.
Social Networks: Some technologies help you to interact with social networks you are signed into while using the Services, such as sharing content with the social network, logging in with the social network, and other features you employ with the social network, or that are allowed in the social network’s privacy policy. These may be set and controlled by the social networks, and your preferences with those social networks.
Social networks may also work with BitLift or with you for analytics or for marketing purposes, as discussed below. You may be able to manage your privacy preferences for these social networks and their tools and widgets via your account with the social network.
Performance and Analytics: Some technologies help provide performance data on how the Services are functioning in order to improve BitLift and the Services, including, for example, data on site and app functionality and speed to help us optimize BitLift, how the Services are used to help us improve your experience on BitLift, and detecting and gathering reporting on bugs to help make BitLift work better.
The Site and App also employ Google Analytics to help understand how BitLift is used by its community. For some of the advertising features listed below, like retargeting, data from Google Analytics may be combined with BitLift’s first-party data and third-party cookies (like Google’s advertising cookies). To see how to opt-out of Google Analytics Advertising Features, see the Opt-Out section at the bottom of this policy.
You can find more information on how Google Analytics works in this Google guide.
Marketing Services: BitLift partners with third-party service providers that may use various Cookie Technologies to permit us and them to learn about which ads you see and click when you visit BitLift, the Apps, and affiliated sites or to show you ads on and off BitLift. These may include things such as:
- Frequency capping, which limits the number of times a user’s browser or mobile device displays the same ad;
- Attribution tracking, which estimates which advertising or marketing source brought someone to BitLift, or determines which marketing source led to actions like a visit or a purchase;
- Remarketing/retargeting, which shows relevant ads to an audience based on prior shopping and browsing patterns on BitLift;
- Audience targeting, which refers to targeting advertisements to a large audience based on the audience’s known or inferred demographics; and
- Cross-device recognition, which recognizes actions across multiple devices or browsers.
Some third-party service providers may provide information like demographics, cross-device information, or interest categories from a combination of sources that, while not identifying you personally, permit us to provide you with more relevant and useful advertising. In some cases, this information may have non-marketing performance analytics uses as well.
These technologies allow a partner to recognize your computer or mobile device each time you visit BitLift or other websites and mobile applications based on data like a cookie, your IP address, or device ID, but do not allow access to other personal information from BitLift. However, these technologies may allow us or a third party to recognize you, either from a single device or across devices, over time. These third parties are required to follow applicable laws, self-regulatory programs, and BitLift’s data protection rules where applicable. BitLift does not have control over these third parties, who each have their own privacy policies and privacy practices. BitLift adheres to the Digital Advertising Alliance’s Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising.
3. Consent, Contract, and Legitimate Interests in Processing
Certain Cookie Technologies are employed to make the Site function for its intended purpose, and are provided based on contractual necessity based on your agreement with BitLift to perform the services you have requested. These include the functions strictly necessary to the service noted above.
By choosing to use our Services after having been notified of our use of Cookie Technologies in the ways described in this policy, and, in applicable jurisdictions, through notice and unambiguous acknowledgement of your consent, you agree to such use.
Managing Cookie Technologies
You have the ability to control the use of certain Cookie Technologies. You can manage your BitLift marketing preferences by clicking the link in emails sent to you.
Opt-in and Opt-out on Browsers
In addition, when you use BitLift via a browser, you can change your web browser’s settings to reflect your cookie preferences. Each browser is a little different, but usually these settings are under the “options” or “preferences” menu. The links below provide information about cookie settings for the browsers supported by BitLift:
- Brave (Recommended)
- Microsoft Edge
- Internet Explorer
- Firefox
- Chrome
- Safari
Opt-out of Third-Party Networks
If you do not wish to have this information used for the purpose of serving you interest-based advertisements, you may decline to receive interest based ads through TrustE/TrustArc’s preferences manager (or if you are located in the European Union click here). Please note this does not stop you from being served advertisements. You will continue to receive generic advertisements. If you reject or block all cookies in your browser settings, you will not be able to take advantage of BitLift’s Services as some cookies are necessary for the Site to function properly.
You can learn more about managing your preferences for ads online, particularly for many third-party advertising networks, through resources made available by the Digital Advertising Alliance at https://www.aboutads.info or the Network Advertising Initiative at https://optout.networkadvertising.org.
Google Analytics Opt-out
For Google Analytics Advertising Features, you can opt-out through Google Ads Settings, Ad Settings for mobile apps, or any other available means (for example, the NAI’s consumer opt-out listed above). Google also provides a Google Analytics opt-out plug-in for the web.
Third-Party Tools
Various third parties provide browser plug-ins and apps that can help provide you information on and limit or block third-party cookies, web beacons, and some Javascript-based technologies. BitLift cannot vouch for the efficacy of a particular third-party product, but popular products that provide these privacy enhancements include Ghostery and AdBlock Plus.
4. Contact Us
If you have questions about the use of Cookie Technologies at BitLift, please see the “Contact” section of BitLift’s Privacy Policy.
